Remember renders a different word from that used in verse 3, but the meaning is the same; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “do not forget,” as in verse 2 (see Revised Standard Version), for the sake of variety. In a number of languages a literal rendering of Remember is somewhat misleading. The Greek term may often be more satisfactorily translated as “Consider” or “Think about.” There is no suggestion that people had literally forgotten who their former leaders were.

Former is implied. We do not know the names or precise functions of the leaders, and therefore specific titles such as “bishop” should be avoided.

On God’s message see 4.12, where Good News Translation translates literally The word of God. This phrase may also mean “the message about God.”

Who spoke God’s message to you may be expressed as “who spoke to you about God’s message concerning Christ,” or “… what God has announced concerning Christ,” or “… the message that has come from God.”

Think back on may be expressed as “Consider carefully” or “Meditate on.”

Good News Translation‘s simple translation how they lived and died is the result of careful analysis and a rather complicated restructuring of the original text. This is literally “looking-back-on the going-out of their way-of-life.” “Looking-back-on” is an implied imperative. The text may be understood in two main ways. (a) “Going-out” means “end,” and “way-of-life” in this context means simply “life.” This is the interpretation of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, “Remember how they died.” (b) “Going-out” means “outcome”; Phillips “result”; compare Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “what resulted from their life.”

The main argument in favor of (a) is that the writer is constantly concerned that his readers shall hold on to their faith “to the end” (3.6, 14; 6.11). The main argument in favor of (b) is that it gives the word for “way-of-life” its usual meaning. How they lived and died combines the strongest parts of both interpretations, showing that although the writer is concerned with the quality of the former leaders’ life, he also has a special interest in how they … died, that is, still holding on to their faith. Lived and died are thus closely connected.

Imitate their faith may be expressed as “have the same kind of confidence in God that they had” or “show the same kind of trust in God which they showed.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .