Hebrews 12:2
in Hebrews 12Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
KJV
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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This verse in Hebrews 12
Commentary
7 notes on this verseLooking unto Jesus - Αφορωντες· Looking off and on, or from and to; looking off or from the world and all secular concerns to Jesus and all the spiritual and heavenly things connected with him. This is still an allusion to the Grecian games: those who ran were to keep their eyes fixed on the mark of the prize; they must keep the goal in view. The exhortation implies, 1. That they should place all their hope and confidence in Christ, as their sole helper in this race of faith.
This site's exposition
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses
on Hebrews 12:1-2
The chapter opens by naming what chapter eleven was building, a cloud of witnesses, a word this letter elsewhere uses for testifying rather than for watching, so the roll just finished stands as those who have themselves borne witness to faith rather than as an audience seated to observe the reader's own race. No further doctrine is built on the image; the text names no place from which the departed watch, and asks no prayer directed to them. Lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us pictures a runner stripping for the course, and looking unto Jesus, fixing the eyes away from every other sight, finds in him both the author and finisher of the faith just displayed, who endured the cross for the joy set before him and is now set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The author and finisher of our faith - Who begins it in us, carries it on, and perfects it. Who for the joy that was set before him - Patiently and willingly endured the cross, with all the pains annexed thereto. And is set down - Where there is fulness of joy.
Here observe, (1.) What our Lord Jesus is to his people: he is the author and finisher of their faith --the beginning, perfecter, and rewarder of it. [1.] He is the author of their faith; not only the object, but the author.
This was the joy that was set before him. (4.) The reward of his suffering: he has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Christ, as Mediator, is exalted to a station of the highest honour, of the greatest power and influence; he is at the right hand of the Father.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
on Hebrews 12:1-2
THE Apostle says, "Let us run." He has in his mind's eye the Olympic games, where all the different tribes of Greece were gathered together in general assembly to display the prowess of the race. Among the athletic exercises were footraces. The Apostle makes this footrace an illustration of the Christian life. We must run with patience along the appointed course if we would win the prize of our high calling. He stands with us at the starting block and earnestly says to us, not "Run," but, "Let us run." The Apostle himself is at our side as a runner.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
On His "faith" compare Heb 2:13; Believers have ever looked to Him (Heb 11:26; 13:8). finisher--Greek, "Perfecter," referring to Heb 11:40. of our faith--rather as Greek, "of the faith," including both His faith (as exhibited in what follows) and our faith.
The words behind it
27 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀφορῶντες | aphorontes | looking | G872 → | |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πίστεως | pisteos | of [our] faith | G4102 → | 242 times |
| ἀρχηγὸν | archegon | founder | G747 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τελειωτὴν | teleioten | perfecter | G5051 → | |
| Ἰησοῦν, | iesoun | Jesus, | G2424 → | 908 times |
| ὃς | hos | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἀντὶ | anti | in view of | G473 → | |
| τῆς | tes | what | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προκειμένης | prokeimenes | is lying before | G4295 → | 5 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| χαρᾶς | charas | joy | G5479 → | 58 times |
| ὑπέμεινεν | hupemeinen | endured | G5278 → | 17 times |
| σταυρὸν | stauron | [the] cross | G4716 → | |
| αἰσχύνης | aischunes | [its] shame | G152 → | |
| καταφρονήσας, | kataphronesas | having despised, | G2706 → | |
| ἐν | en | at | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| δεξιᾷ | dexia | right hand | G1188 → | 53 times |
| τε | te | and | G5037 → | 213 times |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θρόνου | thronou | throne | G2362 → | 62 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| κεκάθικεν.¶ | kekathiken | has sat down. | G2523 → | 44 times |
ἀφορῶντεςlooking
aphorontesG872 →
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
πίστεωςof [our] faith
pisteosG4102 →242 times
ἀρχηγὸνfounder
archegonG747 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τελειωτὴνperfecter
teleiotenG5051 →
Ἰησοῦν,Jesus,
iesounG2424 →908 times
ὃςwho
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἀντὶin view of
antiG473 →
τῆςwhat
tesG3588 →19766 times
προκειμένηςis lying before
prokeimenesG4295 →5 times
αὐτῷHim
autoG846 →5565 times
χαρᾶςjoy
charasG5479 →58 times
ὑπέμεινενendured
hupemeinenG5278 →17 times
σταυρὸν[the] cross
stauronG4716 →
αἰσχύνης[its] shame
aischunesG152 →
καταφρονήσας,having despised,
kataphronesasG2706 →
ἐνat
enG1722 →2738 times
δεξιᾷright hand
dexiaG1188 →53 times
τεand
teG5037 →213 times
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
θρόνουthrone
thronouG2362 →62 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
κεκάθικεν.¶has sat down.
kekathikenG2523 →44 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 1:6being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
it leads to
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your entire spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Philippians 2:13
For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- Ephesians 4:12
to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
- Hebrews 13:20–21
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,
- Psalms 138:8
The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever— do not abandon the works of Your hands.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24
Through
Hebrews 1:3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the…
it leads to
- Colossians 1:15–17
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
- Colossians 1:15–17
Through
Micah 7:7But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
it leads to
- Lamentations 3:25–26
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
- Lamentations 3:25–26
Through
1 Peter 3:18For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:28
so also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
- Hebrews 9:28
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Faith34 verses
Suffering35 verses
On this page
Studies15
On this verse
About Hebrews

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2037: “The Rule of the Race” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Sir Robert Anderson, Types in Hebrews.
