Hebrews 10:32-39 MSB Remember the early days that you were in the light. In those days, you endured a great conflict in the face of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to ridicule and persecution; at other times you were partners with those who were so treated. 34 You sympathized with me in my chains and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession in heaven. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. 36 You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. 37 For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 But the righteous will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
V32 “But call to memory the former days, in which (after you were illuminated) you endured a great fight of afflictions…” “Early days” are a reference to these believing Jews receiving light (illumination). This light is the work of the Holy Spirit enlightening them to the Gospel. When they first believed, they began to stuffer persecution primarily from other Jews which eventually lead them to leave Israel. The Greek word “conflict” is (G119) ἄθλησις áthlēsis, which means athletes in combat, thus any hard difficult “spiritual” fight. Perhaps, they experienced threats, ridicule, thrown out of Temple worship, rejection by family, etc.
V33 “Sometimes you were publicly exposed to ridicule and persecution; at other times you were partners with those who were so treated.” Staring at the believers with hate, the enemies were in shock and wanted to abuse them emotionally and eventually, physically. The Greek word for “exposed” is (G2301) θεατρίζω theatrízō, which means to stand in front of many people (“on stage”) while they all stared at them. The Greek word for “ridicule” is (G3680) ὀνειδισμός oneidismós, which means bitter and angry mockery and other verbal abuse. The Greek word for “persecution” is (G2347) θλίψις thlípsis, which means to squeeze together, crush which refers to the severity of the abuse they suffered. The Greek word for “partners” is (G2844) κοινωνός koinōnos, which means sharing something in common as partners in business, partners in worship, partners in abuse, etc. It would have been something that they would never have expected from their former friends, countrymen, and even families. Some of them didn’t suffer themselves but were friends and partakers with other believers who did experience this abuse.
V34 “You sympathized with me in my chains and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession in heaven.” The Greek word for “sympathized” is (G4834) συμπαθέω sympathéō, which means to sympathize together. When the family suffers, each member suffers too as seen in war and disasters. Chains refers to imprisonment. The writer either is or has been in prison for his beliefs in the Lord Jesus. If the writer was Paul, which I believe, then it probably refers to Paul’s long imprisonment in Caesarea and Jerusalem, which began in Acts 21:33. These Jewish believers had everything they owned stolen from them. They went through this suffering patiently. The Greek word for “accepted” is (G4327) προσδέχομαι prosdechomai, which means to accept. The Greek words for “joyfully” is (G3326) μετά metá (which means “with”), and the Greek word (G5479) χαρά chará which means rejoice, thus together mean joyfully. It is an attitude towards something unpleasant with joy considering the suffering we identify with the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. See Romans 5:3, Philippians 4:11, and Philippians 3:10. The joy comes from the grace of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and God’s promises of eternal blessings in heaven. See Matthew 5:12, Hebrews 11:26, and 1 Corinthians 15:42-44.
V35 “So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.” The Greek word for “confidence” is (G3954) παρρησία parrēsía, which means outspokenness, frankness, freedom of speech (LSJ) but when applied to an attitude carries the idea of confidence. See Mark 8:32 (of speech), Philippians 1:20 (attitude), and Acts 28:31 (attitude). What reward is this?
Quotes:
Adam Clarke: “No less than God’s continual approbation; the peace that passeth all understanding ruling the heart here; and the glories of heaven as an eternal portion. Conscientiously keep the shield, and all these shall be thine. This will be thy reward; but remember that it is the mercy of God that gives it.”
Matthew Henry: “He encourages them to this by assuring them that the reward of their holy confidence would be very great. It carries a present reward in it, in holy peace and joy, and much of God’s presence and his power resting upon them; and it shall have a great recompense of reward hereafter. (3.) He shows them how necessary a grace the grace of patience is in our present state.”
JFB: “of grace not of debt: a reward of a kind which no mercenary self-seeker would seek: holiness will be its own reward; self-devoting unselfishness for Christ’s sake will be its own rich recompense (see on Hebrews 2:2; see on Hebrews 11:26).”
V36 “You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” The Greek word for “persevere” is (G5281) ὑπομονή hypomonḗ which means (Word Study Dictionary) “A bearing up under, patience, endurance as to things or circumstances. This is in contrast to makrothumía (G3115), long-suffering or endurance toward people. Hupomonḗ is associated with hope (1Th 1:3) and refers to that quality of character which does not allow one to surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial.” See Revelation 2:2-3.
Receive what is promised: It is a principle with God that if one is faithful under trials, there will be blessings afterwards. When that happens varies; it might even be in heaven. These blessings after trial are see in Abraham’s life (Genesis 22:1-18), Joseph (Genesis 41), Job (Job 42:10-17), and the Lord Jesus (John 16:14-15).
V37 “For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay.” The greatest blessing for the world, Israel, and believers is the coming of the Lord Jesus. He will come, and when the Father sends Him, He will comply that very minute. Note the expectancy for Jesus’s return. The Rapture could happen at any moment. Jesus’s return at the end of the Tribulation will be known, for it is 7 years after the anti-Christ signs the peace treaty with Israel.
V38 “But the righteous will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.” Faith = life. Disbelief = death. The Greek word for “shrinks back” is (G5288) ὑποστέλλω hypostéllō, which means to go or be under sight (hidden) as in Galatians 2:12. God will have no pleasure in someone who does not persevere. This does not mean salvation is lost, but the God is displeased. Compare Matthew 12:18. Another interpreter (Bible Knowledge commentary): “But, if he shrinks back, that is, if the “righteous one” commits apostasy, denouncing his Christian profession, God’s favor cannot rest on his life. By understating the serious consequences, the writer softened his words so that he would not distract from his predominant note of encouragement.”
V39 “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” The writer expresses confidence in those to whom he is writing. We will not shrink back and experience destruction. The reason is we have faith and continue in faith, preserving our souls. The Greek word for “destroyed” is (G684) ἀπώλεια apṓleia which means (Strong) “ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal).” Again, the emphasis is on faith. The writer reminds them that many in Israel died in the 40 years of wandering because of unbelief, so do not commit the same lack of faith. The Greek word for “preserve” is (G4047) περιποίησις peripoíēsis which means (Word Study Dictionary) “to acquire, purchase.” Also, see Robertson’s Word Pictures : “to reserve, to preserve.”
An interesting historical note by Adam Clarke:
“It is very remarkable, and I have more than once called the reader’s attention to it, that not one Christian life was lost in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. Every Jew perished, or was taken captive; all those who had apostatized, and slunk away from Christianity, perished with them: all the genuine Christians escaped with their lives. This very important information, which casts light on many passages in the New Testament, and manifests the grace and providence of God in a very conspicuous way, is given both by Eusebius and Epiphanius. I shall adduce their words: “When the whole congregation of the Church in Jerusalem, according to an oracle given by revelation to the approved persons among them before the war…were commanded to depart from the city, and inhabit a certain city which they call Pella, beyond Jordan, to which, when all those who believed in Christ had removed from Jerusalem, and when the saints had totally abandoned the royal city which is the metropolis of the Jews; then the Divine vengeance seized them who had dealt so wickedly with Christ and his apostles, and utterly destroyed that wicked and abominable generation.” Euseb. Hist. Eccles, l. iii. c. v. vol. i. p. 93. Edit. a Reading.
St. Epiphanius, in Haeres. Nazaren, c. 7, says: “The Christians who dwelt in Jerusalem, being forewarned by Christ of the approaching siege, removed to Pella.”