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Hebrews 10:34

in Hebrews 10

You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves had a better and permanent possession.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

For ye both had compassion on them that were in bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your possessions, knowing that ye have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one.

KJV

For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

This verse in Hebrews 10

Commentary

11 notes on this verse
For ye had compassion of me in my bonds,.... When he was bound at Jerusalem, by the chief captain Lysias, with two chains, Act 21:33 or when he was in bonds elsewhere; which they did by sympathizing with him in their hearts; by their prayers for him, and in their letters to him; and by sending presents to him for his relief and support.

This site's exposition

Remember the early days

on Hebrews 10:32-34

The warning turns at once to past grace, Remember the early days. The readers had been publicly exposed to ridicule and persecution and had lost property with joy. They knew they held a better and permanent possession.

This site's exposition

a better and permanent possession

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the oldest manuscripts read those in prison, where other copies speak of the writer's own bonds. Matthew Henry calls the better possession an enduring substance. Enemies could plunder earthly goods and never reach it.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

Oecumenius

The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews · Written before 550.

proposed

"For you had compassion on my chains." He said, Not only did you not need relief, but you also extended helping hands to others who were bound. "the plundering." It is great to bear the plunder of resources. And when it is accepted even with …

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Hebrews 21 · Written before 407.

proposed

"Ye had compassion on them that were in bonds." Thou seest that he is speaking concerning himself and the rest who were in prison. Thus ye did not account "bonds" to be bonds: but as noble wrestlers so stood ye: for not only ye needed no consolation in your own distresses, but even became a consolation to others. And "ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods." O! what "full assurance of faith"! Then he also sets forth the motive, not only consoling them for their struggles, but also that they might not be shaken from the Faith. When ye saw your property plundered (he means) ye endured; for already ye saw Him who is invisible, as visible: which was the effect of genuine faith, and ye showed it forth by your deeds themselves. Well then, the plundering was perhaps from the force of the plunderers, and no man could prevent it; so that as yet it is not clear, that ye endured the plundering for the faith's sake. (Although this too is clear. For it was in your power if you chose, not to be plundered, by not believing.) But ye did what is far greater than this; the enduring such things even "with joy"; which was altogether apostolical, and worthy of those noble souls, who rejoiced when scourged. For, it says, "they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name." But he that endures "with joy," shows that he has some reward, and that the affair is no loss but a gain. Moreover the expression "ye took" shows their willing endurance, because, he means, ye chose and accepted. "Knowing" (he says) "that ye have for yourselves in heaven a better and an enduring substance"; instead of saying, firm, not perishing like this.

A commentator

Dionysius of Alexandria

Epistle III.-To Fabius Bishop of Antioch · Written before 264.

proposed

First, then, they seized an old man of the name of Metras, and commanded him to utter words of impiety; and as he refused, they beat his body with clubs, and lacerated his face and eyes with sharp reeds, and then dragged him off to …

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Hebrews · Written before 1107.

proposed

You not only had no need of consolation in your own sufferings, but also became a consolation to others, of which I am a witness. Having said, among other things, how they were sharers in the sufferings of others, he now speaks again of how …

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Hebrews · Written before 1274.

proposed

539. – Then when he says, for you had compassion on the prisoners [them that were in bands], he explains what he had said. First of all in regard to the second, namely, how they had compassion, for among the Jews many were in bands; …
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

All things here are but shadows. [2.] It is a better substance than any thing they can have or lose here. [3.] It is an enduring substance, it will out-live time and run parallel with eternity; they can never spend it; their enemies can never take it from them, as they did their earthly goods. [4.] This will make a rich amends for all they can lose and suffer here.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Ye had compassion of me in my bonds - Συνεπαθησατε· Ye suffered with me, ye sympathized with me, when bound for the testimony of Jesus. This probably refers to the sympathy they showed towards him, and the help they afforded him, during his long imprisonment in Caesarea and Jerusalem. But instead of τοις δεσμοις μου, my bonds, τοις δεσμιοις, the prisoners, is the reading of AD, and several others, both the Syriac, the Arabic of Erpen, the Coptic, Armenian, Vulgate, some of the Itala, and several of the Greek fathers.
For ye had compassion of me in my bonds - You sympathized with me when a prisoner, and sent to my relief. It is not known to what particular instance of imprisonment the apostle here refers. It is probable, however, that it was on some occasion when he was a prisoner in Judea, for the persons to whom this Epistle was sent most probably resided there. Paul was at one time a prisoner more than two years at Cesarea Act 24:27, and during this time he was kept in the charge of a centurion, and his friends had free access to him; Act 24:23. It would seem not improbable that this was the occasion to which he here refers. And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods - The plunder of your property. It was not an uncommon thing for the early Christians to be plundered. This was doubtless a part of the “afflictions” to which the apostle refers in this case. The meaning is, that they yielded their property not only without resistance, but with joy. They, in common with all the early Christians, counted it a privilege and honor to suffer in the cause of their Master; see the notes on Php 3:10; compare Rom 5:3. Men may be brought to such a state of mind as to part with their property with joy. It is not usually the case; but religion will enable a man to do it. Knowing in yourselves - Marg “or, that ye have in yourselves; or, for yourselves.” The true rendering is, “knowing that ye have for yourselves.” It does not refer to any internal knowledge which they had of this, but to the fact that they were assured that they had laid up for themselves a better inheritance in heaven. That ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance - Better than any earthly possession, and more permanent. It is: (1) Better; it is worth more; it gives more comfort; it makes a man really richer. The treasure laid up in heaven is worth more to a man than all the wealth of Croesus. […]

The words behind it

21 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    1 Peter 1:4

    and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,

    it leads to

    • Revelation 21:27

      But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

    • Hebrews 9:15

      Therefore Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, now that He has died to redeem them from the transgressions committed under…

    • 1 Peter 5:4

      And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

    • 2 Timothy 4:8

      From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who…

    • Matthew 25:34

      Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

  • Through

    Ephesians 6:20

    for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as I should.

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 5:20

      Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

    • Colossians 4:4

      Pray that I may declare it clearly, as I should.

  • Through

    2 Timothy 1:16

    May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he has often refreshed me and was unashamed of my chains.

    it leads to

    • 2 Timothy 4:19

      Greet Prisca and Aquila, as well as the household of Onesiphorus.

Where this verse is studied

About Hebrews

The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek, Dieric Bouts, 1464 to 1467. Public domain.
The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek, Dieric Bouts, 1464 to 1467. Public domain.
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Dionysius of Alexandria, Epistle III.-To Fabius Bishop of Antioch; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews 21; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Hebrews and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Hebrews.