Hebrews 10:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

NIV: And, 'But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.'

NASB: BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.

CSB: But my righteous one will live by faith;and if he draws back,I have no pleasure in him.

NLT: And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.'

KJV: Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

NKJV: Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

The prior verse began a loose, combined paraphrase of Old Testament Scriptures. One is Isaiah 26:21, the other is Habakkuk 2:3–4. The context of this remark is encouragement, following a dire warning. Earlier, the writer gave a fiery description of God's punishment for those who willfully reject His will (Hebrews 10:26–29). This was followed by words of reassurance, reminding the letter's original readers that they had already endured persecution in the past (Hebrews 10:32–34).

The writer's intent here is to highlight the basic theme carried through the entire letter of Hebrews. This is summarized in verses 35 and 36. God has made it clear the Jesus is His solution for our sin, and with that confidence we ought to "hold fast" to our faith. Those who fall into doubt or disobedience will be subject to consequences (Hebrews 3:12–19), though they cannot lose their eternal salvation (John 10:28–29).

This combination of warning and encouragement fills the gap between two major sections of this letter. Earlier, the writer completed a long, detailed explanation of how the new covenant is superior to the old covenant. Through the rest of the letter, he will expand on the meaning and application of these truths.

Hebrews 10:26–39 contains the letter's most dire warning against apostasy. This passage should be understood in the same context as earlier references to Israel's punishment in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:12–19) and the dangers of a shallow faith (Hebrews 6:1–8). The concern here is not a loss of salvation, but of God's punishment on those who willingly rebel against His will. Since the new covenant is superior to the old covenant, we can expect those who ''profane'' the new covenant to suffer greater consequences for disobedience. This is followed by a word of encouragement and reassurance to those who have already survived hardship and persecution.

God's own words, found in the Old Testament Scriptures, declare His intention to replace the old covenant with a new covenant. Jesus fulfills all of these prophecies, and all of the symbolism found in the system of priests, the tabernacle, and animal sacrifices. Knowing that Jesus Christ is, undoubtedly, God's remedy for our sin, we should be encouraged in holding on to our faith in the face of persecution. However, that same confidence means dire spiritual consequences for those who know Christ's salvation, but choose to act in defiance of His will.

Chapter 10 completes the long, detailed explanation of why the new covenant is superior to the old covenant. Starting in chapter 7, the writer gave various arguments and Scriptures to support this idea. The theme of these points is that God had always intended to send Jesus, as the real fulfillment of the old covenant's symbolism. The second half of this chapter transitions into more practical ideas, including an extremely dire warning about the dangers of apostasy.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.