The fourth item in the list is the joyful gathering, the “assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven” (Revised Standard Version). Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation show the two possibilities for translating “in festal gathering” (see RSV footnote) or joyful gathering. The choice is related to problems of punctuation, and even of the division between verses 22 and 23. The UBS Greek text makes the word translated joyful gathering part of verse 22, but punctuates the sentence in such a way as to link it with verse 23. Most common language translations make the word part of verse 23 and translate accordingly. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, however, agrees with Revised Standard Version in translating “You have come near to the festal meeting, to the assembly of God’s first-born sons.” The structure of the sentence, in particular the position of the word “and,” supports this. Good News Translation and other common language translations are probably right, however, to take “festal meeting” and “assembly” as two phrases in apposition, referring to the same object. If this is so, it is better to omit Revised Standard Version‘s “and” at the beginning of the verse, or any similar expression which leads the reader to expect additional information.

Joyful gathering is a single word in Greek. Joyful may be implied, but the context also suggests “solemn.” The joyful gathering may be rendered as “the gathering of happy people” or “the gathering of those who are joyful.”

In the phrase God’s first-born sons, God’s and sons are strongly implied. However, neither the plural nor the metaphor must be pressed too far, as in Jerusalem Bible “the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first-born son.’ ” The meaning is close to Exodus 4.22: “Thus says the LORD, ‘Israel is my first-born son’ ” (Revised Standard Version), implying special choice and privilege, as in verse 16. Neither sons (implied) nor all mankind (Good News Translation fourth edition) excludes women; here both sons and daughters who are adults are intended.

Since the phrase God’s first-born sons is a figurative reference to the followers of Christ, it may be important to mark this by translating as a simile. Accordingly the first part of verse 23 may be rendered as “You have come to a gathering of those who are, as it were, God’s first-born sons, and they are joyful.” With this rendering it may be necessary to make a separate sentence out of the clause whose names are written in heaven; for example, “These persons have their names written in heaven.” At this point it may be useful to have some note to explain the significance of this figurative statement about names … written in heaven, since this indicates that such persons “are destined to occupy heaven.”

The fifth item is God, who is the judge of all mankind. Revised Standard Version follows the order of the Greek, somewhat emphasizing judge, but most translations link “of all” with judge, not with God; Barclay “God who is judge of all.” Jerusalem Bible‘s “the supreme judge” is slightly misleading; there is no reference, even implicit, to other judges at this point. In this context it is important to use a term for judge which will not suggest only “to condemn.” Judge here indicates impartial evaluation of what people have done during their lives.

The sixth item is the spirits of good people made perfect. Spirits are human spirits. On made perfect, see 5.14. The good people made perfect no doubt include the Old Testament believers listed in chapter 11, as well as Christians (compare 11.40).

There is a serious problem in the rendering You have come … to the spirits of good people made perfect, since this might suggest approaching the disembodied spirits of those perfect individuals who have passed on to the next world; in other words, “You have come in contact with the spirits of the saints.” To avoid such a misinterpretation it may be best to translate “You have come to those good people who have been made perfect,” or “… who have been made to be just what God wants them to be,” or “… to be in every respect just as they should be.” To retain the idea that they have died, it may be necessary to say “those good people from the past” or “… from long ago,” or “those good people who died but who have been made perfect.”

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 .