Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
For	γὰρ gar	G1063	properly · conjunction
word	λόγος logos	G3056	something said (including the thought) · noun — nominative singular masculine
God	θεοῦ theou	G2316	figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
quick	ζῶν zōn	G2198	to live (literally or figuratively) · verb — present active participle, nominative singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
powerful	ἐνεργὴς energēs	G1756	active · adjective — nominative singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
sharper	τομώτερος tomōteros	G5114	more comprehensive or decisive than G2875 (κόπτω) · adjective — nominative singular masculine, comparative
than	ὑπὲρ huper	G5228	"over" · preposition
any	πᾶσαν pasan	G3956	all · adjective — accusative singular feminine
twoedged	δίστομον distomon	G1366	double-edged · adjective — accusative singular feminine
sword	μάχαιραν machairan	G3162	a knife · noun — accusative singular feminine
piercing	διϊκνούμενος diiknoumenos	G1338	to reach through · verb — present middle or passive deponent participle, nominative singular masculine
even	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
to	ἄχρι achri	G891	(of time) until or (of place) up to · preposition
asunder	μερισμοῦ merismou	G3311	a separation or distribution · noun — genitive singular masculine
soul	ψυχῆς psuchēs	G5590	breath · noun — genitive singular feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
spirit	πνεύματος, pneumatos	G4151	a current of air · noun — genitive singular neuter
and	τε te	G5037	both or also (properly · conjunction
joints	ἁρμῶν harmōn	G719	an articulation (of the body) · noun — genitive plural masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
marrow	μυελῶν, muelōn	G3452	the marrow · noun — genitive plural masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
discerner	κριτικὸς kritikos	G2924	decisive ("critical") · adjective — nominative singular masculine
thoughts	ἐνθυμήσεων enthumēseōn	G1761	deliberation · noun — genitive plural feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
intents	ἐννοιῶν ennoiōn	G1771	thoughtfulness · noun — genitive plural feminine
heart	καρδίας· kardias	G2588	the heart · 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

Jeremiah 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it…
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Psalms 119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Isaiah 49:2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he…
Revelation 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in hi…
1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Hebrews 4:11–end

In this latter part of the chapter the apostle concludes, first, with a serious repeated exhortation, and then with proper and powerful motives. I. Here we have a serious exhortation: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, Heb 4:11. Observe, 1. The end proposed - rest spiritual and eternal, the rest of grace here and glory hereafter - in Christ on earth, with Christ in heaven. 2. The way to this end prescribed-labour, diligent labour; this is the only way to rest; those who will not work now shall not rest hereafter. After due and diligent labour, sweet and satisfying rest shall follow; and labour now will make that rest more pleasant when it comes. The sleep of the labouring man i…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Hebrews 4:12

For--Such diligent striving (Heb 4:11) is incumbent on us FOR we have to do with a God whose "word" whereby we shall be judged, is heart-searching, and whose eyes are all-seeing (Heb 4:13). The qualities here attributed to the word of God, and the whole context, show that it is regarded in its JUDICIAL power, whereby it doomed the disobedient Israelites to exclusion from Canaan, and shall exclude unbelieving so-called Christians from the heavenly rest. The written Word of God is not the prominent thought here, though the passage is often quoted as if it were. Still the word of God (the same as that preached, Heb 4:2), used here in the broadest sense, but with special reference to its judicia…

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Adam Clarke on Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful - Commentators are greatly divided concerning the meaning of the phrase Ὁ λογος τον Θεου, the word of God; some supposing the whole of Divine revelation to be intended; others, the doctrine of the Gospel faithfully preached; others, the mind of God or the Divine intellect; and others, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is thus denominated in Joh 1:1, etc., and Rev 19:13; the only places in which he is thus incontestably characterized in the New Testament. The disputed text, Jo1 5:7, I leave at present out of the question. In the introduction to this epistle I have produced sufficient evidence to make it very probable that St. Paul was the author of this ep…

The Church Fathers

He did not come "to bring peace on earth … but a sword," and Scripture calls the Word of God a "two-edged sword" because of the two Testaments.
— Augustine of Hippo, City of God 20.21

He says, "division of soul and spirit." The soul has a special feeling for the body, but the grace of the Holy Spirit draws against the body to the heavenly things.
— Severian of Gabala, FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS 4.12

The division that the Gospels threaten, the Fathers understood as the complete abandonment of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, I think it is now a day that causes the separation of the Holy Spirit, and it removes itself from the soul, after which all good things will subsequently follow and be taken away.
— Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews

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

Man — (1.) Heb. ‘Adam, used as the proper name of the first man. The name is derived from a word meaning “to be red,” and thus the first man was called Adam because he was formed from the red earth. It is…
Oracle — In the Old Testament used in every case, except 2 Sam. 16:23, to denote the most holy place in the temple (1 Kings 6:5, 19-23; 8:6). In 2 Sam. 16:23 it means the Word of God. A man inquired “at the…
Sword — Of the Hebrew was pointed, sometimes two-edged, was worn in a sheath, and suspended from the girdle (Ex. 32:27; 1 Sam. 31:4; 1 Chr. 21:27; Ps. 149:6: Prov. 5:4; Ezek. 16:40; 21:3-5). It is a symbol…
Word of God — (Heb. 4:12, etc.). The Bible so called because the writers of its several books were God’s organs in communicating his will to men. It is his “word,” because he speaks to us in its sacred pages.…
Regeneration · 1:16,17,25;4:4;12:3;26:12;29:23;32:3,4,15,17;35:5,6;42:16;43:7;44:3-5;49:9;55:1-3; — 1:16,17,25;4:4;12:3;26:12;29:23;32:3,4,15,17;35:5,6;42:16;43:7;44:3-5;49:9;55:1-3;
Scriptures, The · Are called the: Word of God — Are called the: Word of God
Secret · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Sword · Two-edged — Two-edged
Sword, The · Illustrative: Of the word of God — Illustrative: Of the word of God
Word Of God · .WORD OF GOD — .WORD OF GOD

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 4:12

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Hebrews 4:11–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Hebrews 4:12

Adam Clarke on Hebrews 4:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Hebrews 4:12

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Hebrews 4:11–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Hebrews 4:12

Adam Clarke on Hebrews 4:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Hebrews 4:12

John Calvin on Hebrews 4:11-13

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Hebrews 4:12-13