Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
we	ἡμεῖς hēmeîs	G2249	we (only used when emphatic)
are	ἐσμέν esmén	G2070	we are
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
back	ὑποστολῆς hupostolēs	G5289	shrinkage (timidity) · noun — genitive singular feminine
unto	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
perdition	ἀπώλειαν apōleian	G684	ruin or loss (physical · noun — accusative singular feminine
but	ἀλλὰ alla	G235	properly · conjunction
believe	πίστεως pisteōs	G4102	persuasion · noun — genitive singular feminine
to	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
saving	περιποίησιν peripoiēsin	G4047	acquisition (the act or the thing) · noun — accusative singular feminine
soul	ψυχῆς.¶ psuchēs	G5590	breath · noun — genitive singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
2 Thessalonians 2:12-14 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
1 Samuel 15:11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it…
2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perditi…
1 John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. The…
Psalms 44:18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Hebrews 10:19–end

I. Here the apostle sets forth the dignities of the gospel state. It is fit that believers should know the honours and privileges that Christ has procured for them, that, while they take the comfort, they may give him the glory of all. The privileges are, 1. Boldness to enter into the holiest. They have access to God, light to direct them, liberty of spirit and of speech to conform to the direction; they have a right to the privilege and a readiness for it, assistance to use and improve it and assurance of acceptance and advantage. They may enter into the gracious presence of God in his holy oracles, ordinances, providences, and covenant, and so into communion with God, where they receive co…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Hebrews 10:39

A Pauline elegant turning-off from denunciatory warnings to charitable hopes of his readers (Rom 8:12). saving of the soul--literally, "acquisition (or obtaining) of the soul." The kindred Greek verb is applied to Christ's acquiring the Church as the purchase of His blood (Act 20:28). If we acquire or obtain our soul's salvation, it is through Him who has obtained it for us by His bloodshedding. "The unbelieving man loses his soul: for not being God's, neither is he his own [compare Mat 16:26, with Luk 9:25]: faith saves the soul by linking it to God" [DELITZSCH in ALFORD]. Next: Hebrews Chapter 11

Adam Clarke on Hebrews 10:39

But we are not of them who draw back - Ουκ εσμεν ὑποστολης - , αλλα πιστεως· "We are not the cowards, but the courageous." I have no doubt of this being the meaning of the apostle, and the form of speech requires such a translation; it occurs more than once in the New Testament. So, Gal 3:7 : Οἱ εκ πιστεως, they who are of the faith, rather the faithful, the believers; Rom 3:26 : Ὁ εκ πιστεως, the believer; Rom 2:8 : Οἱ εξ εριθειας, the contentious; in all which places the learned reader will find that the form of speech is the same. We are not cowards who slink away, and notwithstanding meet destruction; but we are faithful, and have our souls saved alive. The words περιποιησις ψυχης si…

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The Church Fathers

And you see that not a single one of them repented, although they heard the words which I spake to them, which I enjoined upon you. From such life departed.
— Shepherd of Hermas, Shepherd of Hermas, Similitude 8

"But we are not of those who withdraw to destruction." Since he astonished them by saying, "and if he becomes sluggish," he says, "my soul shall have no pleasure in him." He corrects it and says: We are not those who withdraw ourselves or are sluggish, which leads to destruction: but we pertain to faith, to possess and save our souls.
— Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews

"Now the just" (he says) "shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him." This is a great encouragement when one shows that they have succeeded in the whole matter and are losing it through a little indolence. "But we are not of them that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul."
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews 21

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Backslide — To draw back or apostatize in matters of religion (Acts 21:21; 2 Thess. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1). This may be either partial (Prov. 14:14) or complete (Heb. 6:4-6; 10:38, 39). The apostasy may be both…
High priest — Aaron was the first who was solemnly set apart to this office (Ex. 29:7; 30:23; Lev. 8:12). He wore a peculiar dress, which on his death passed to his successor in office (Ex. 29:29, 30). Besides…
Apostasy · Guilt and punishment of — Guilt and punishment of
Apostates · Saints do not become — Saints do not become
Backsliders · 8:22; — 8:22;
Faith · 10:20;14:32;26:3;30:15;57:13; — 10:20;14:32;26:3;30:15;57:13;

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrews 10:39

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Hebrews 10:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Hebrews 10:39

Adam Clarke on Hebrews 10:39

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Hebrews 10:39

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Hebrews 10:19–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Hebrews 10:39

Adam Clarke on Hebrews 10:39

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Hebrews 10:39

John Calvin on Hebrews 10:36–end

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Hebrews 10:39