Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the readers of this letter).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 6:9:
Uma: “But you relatives whom we (excl.) love, even though our (excl.) words are like that, we (excl.) trust/hope you are not like that land cursed by God earlier. We(excl.) know that you have better fruit, that is your faith and your behavior that is fitting for those who have obtained goodness [salvation] from God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “My friends whom I love, even though I am speaking like this I am sure that you are different. I know that you are trusting already and that your doings are good and that is a sign that you are saved already.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “So, my dear brothers, even though my words to you are like this, I know that the place where your voyage will end is, by contrast, better than that because I know that God’s setting you free was of great value.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But even though things like that are what I have told you my esteemed brothers, I know nevertheless that your status/standing is better and it will lead to your salvation.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “My brethren whom I hold dear, even though I am speaking like this I am sure that like that will not happen to you(emph) but rather what you will receive is, the best things with which he will reward all whom he will save.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my dear brothers, I have said these words, but I do not say that also you have separated from Christ. Because I know your souls are saved, and therefore you do what is good.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Until now, this section has been mainly a warning. Good News Translation is right to mark the change of mood by putting But even if we speak like this at the beginning of the sentence (contrast with King James Version, which follows the Greek order). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch achieves the same result in a different way: “But for you, dear friends, we are confident, even when we speak so severely.” But even if we speak like this may have to be rendered as “But even if we write to you like this” or “… write to you with words like these.”
On the whole, Hebrews does not seem to be a very personal letter, but these verses contain several signs that the writer cares deeply for his readers: dear friends here, and great desire and each one of you in verse 11. These expressions have all the greater impact because they are unusual in the Greek. Translations should reflect this by using emphatic language. Great desire is even stronger in Greek than in English.
Dear friends may be rendered as “friends whom I truly love,” or even “you who are indeed my friends.”
The passage makes it clear that the writer is distinguishing himself from his readers: we means “I” (so Moffatt, Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale).
We feel sure about you may be expressed as “I have confidence in you,” but it is also possible to render this as a negative statement, namely, “I do not worry about you.”
What are the better blessings, literally “the better things”? The text does not say explicitly, and translations vary widely. The possibilities are as follows:
(a) “You are in a better state or situation” than that of the infertile land just mentioned; so perhaps Barclay “you still possess the necessities of salvation”; Translator’s New Testament “You know what is good” (but “You know” is not in the text); and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, rather vaguely, “you are on the good side”; see also New English Bible.
(b) “You will take the better course” (Moffatt; similarly Bible en français courant); Phillips “you … are capable of better things”; Fulfulde “you are on the good way, the way of salvation.”
(c) You have the better blessings (compare blesses in verse 7); similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy.
(d) “We have better confidence,” Knox and Luther 1984.
(e) “We are sure that you will be saved,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch.
(f) “The best is stored away for you: salvation,” Bijbel in Gewone Taal.
Possibilities (a) and (b) are similar, but (b) is more idiomatic, and makes a better link with “your salvation”; (c) introduces a comparison between different blessings which is not found elsewhere in the letter; (d) is not the most natural meaning of the Greek; (e) oversimplifies an admittedly difficult sentence; (f) identifies the “better things” with salvation, which leads to interpreting “better” as “best.” On the whole, (b) seems the best solution; it fits in well with the general movement of the writer’s thought as summarized in the diagram at the beginning of Chapter 6 of this Handbook.
If one adopts the rendering suggested by Good News Translation, the better blessings may be represented by “that better way in which God has blessed you” or “the more important ways in which God has blessed you.”
The final clause that belong to your salvation may be expressed as “this has to do with your being saved” or “this is involved in God saving you.” The clause that belong to your salvation is in apposition with the better blessings. If, on the other hand, one adopts rendering (b), one may translate the second sentence of verse 9 as “we know that you will go that better way which leads to your salvation” or “… which involves God saving you.”
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 .
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)
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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