Paragraph 6:9–12
This paragraph is an obvious contrast to 6:7–8. In 6:7–8 the author sternly warned his readers that they must not give up their faith in Christ. Here in 6:9–12 he assured them that he believed better things about them. He encouraged them not to become lazy but to keep trusting Christ so that they will obtain all that Christ promised.
6:9a–c
Even though we speak like this, beloved, we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation: The Greek text uses a different order of clauses than most English versions. It is more literally:
But we are convinced about you, beloved, of better things and things belonging to salvation, though thus we speak.
Use the order of clauses that is most natural in your language here. See the General Comment on 6:9a–c at the end of 6:9b–c for more information.
6:9a
Even though we speak like this, beloved: Here the author introduces a contrast to what he said in 5:11–6:8. In 5:11–14 he told the listeners that they were still immature. Then in 6:1–8 he told them that it is a terrible sin to stop believing in Christ. Here in 6:9 he will begin to encourage them.
Some other ways to introduce this contrast and encouragement are:
But even if we speak like this, dear friends (Good News Translation)
-or-
My friends, we are talking this way. But (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Yet although we speak as we do, we are convinced that you, dear friends (Revised English Bible)
Notice that English versions translate the word beloved in different places in the sentence. In many languages it is most natural to put such a direct address at the beginning of the sentence. Do what is natural in your language.
we speak like this: The clause we speak like this implies that the author spoke sternly to his listeners (in 5:11–6:8). He warned them severely. He seemed to imply that maybe they had stopped believing in Christ. In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:
Although we have spoken so sternly
-or-
We have warned you like this, but
we: The author used the word we here to refer only to himself. In some languages it is more natural to make that clear. For example:
even though my words to you are like this
-or-
even though I am speaking like this
beloved: After the severe words of the previous verses, the author addressed his listeners in a loving way. He called them beloved because he still loved them and considered them to be his fellow Christians. In some languages it is more natural to use a different phrase. Some languages use kinship terms or other terms for fellow believers. For example:
you relatives whom we love
-or-
my dear friends/brothers
In other languages it may be more natural to translate the meaning beloved as a phrase. For example:
Although we are talking to you like this, we/I love you
6:9b–c
we are convinced of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation: Here the author assured his listeners that he believed better things about them than the things he described in 6:1–8. There he described people who were going away from Christ. Here he indicates that he did not believe that his listeners were going away from Christ like that. He believed that they were receiving the blessings of salvation and doing the good things that saved people do.
Other ways to translate this clause are:
we are convinced of better things concerning you—things that accompany salvation (New International Version)
-or-
We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation (New Living Translation (2004))
better things…that accompany salvation: The phrase better things…that accompany salvation refers to at least two types of better things :
(a) It refers to good things that saved people do. For example:
But we are sure that you are doing those really good things that people do when they are…saved (Contemporary English Version)
(b) It refers to good things that God does for people who are saved. For example:
We know that you have the better blessings that belong to your salvation. (Good News Translation)
In some languages it may be necessary to focus on one of these types of better things rather than to try to mention them both. For example:
We know that you have better fruit…that is fitting for those who have obtained salvation from God.
Translate in a way that is natural in your language.
6:9b
better: The word better is one of the key words in Hebrews. It may be helpful to translate this word the same way whenever it occurs.
in your case: The phrase translated as in your case is literally “about you.” The pronoun your is plural and refers to the author’s listeners. Some other ways to translate the phrase here are:
about you (Good News Translation)
-or-
as for you
6:9c
things that accompany salvation: This phrase refers to results or evidence of salvation. It implies that people who are saved will live as Christ wants them to live and do the good things that he wants them to do. Some other ways to translate the phrase things that accompany salvation are:
your doings are good and that is a sign that you are saved already
-or-
your souls are saved, and therefore you do what is good.
General Comment on 6:9a–c
There are different ways to order the clauses in 6:9. For example, the New American Standard Bible follows the order of clauses in the Greek text:
9b But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, 9c and things that accompany salvation, 9a though we are speaking in this way. (New American Standard Bible)
In other languages it is more natural to reorder the clauses. For example:
9a But even if we speak like this, dear friends, 9b we feel sure about you. We know that 9c you have the better blessings that belong to your salvation. (Good News Translation)
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