Hebrews 10:39 · Bible study
Hebrews 10:39 Commentary: Shrinking Back or Saving Faith
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore whether Hebrews 10:39 warns of apostasy or assures perseverance, with original Greek and commentary insights.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The author contrasts two characters, those who timidly retreat to destruction and those whose faith brings final salvation.
- Key words: ‘Shrink back’ (ὑποστολή, N-GSF), timorous retreat; ‘faith’ (πίστις, N-GSF), persistent trust; ‘saving’ (περιποίησις, N-ASF), preserving/acquiring.
- Main debate: Is the warning hypothetical (preventative) or does it describe a real possible loss of salvation? The supplied commentaries differ, with Barnes and Cambridge taking the former view, Clarke and Calvin the latter.
- Theological theme: Perseverance of the saints / preservation by God vs. the conditional necessity of continued faith.
- Best use: Transitional verse, closes the warning section and introduces the faith chapter (Hebrews 11).
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
WEB World English Bible 2000
But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.
KJV King James Version 1769
But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and we are not of those drawing back to destruction, but of those believing to a preserving of soul.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But we are not drawers back to perdition, but of faith to saving [the] soul.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But we are not the children of withdrawing unto perdition, but of faith to the saving of the soul.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Pero nosotros no somos tales que nos retiremos para perdición, sino fieles para ganancia del alma.
Mas nós não somos dos que retrocedem para a perdição, mas sim dos que creem para a conservação da alma.
Nous, nous ne sommes pas de ceux qui se retirent pour se perdre, mais de ceux qui ont la foi pour sauver leur âme.
Wir aber sind nicht von denen, die da weichen und verdammt werden, sondern von denen, die da glauben und die Seele erretten.
Maar wij zijn niet van degenen, die zich onttrekken ten verderve, maar van degenen, die geloven tot behouding der ziel.
Ma noi non siamo di quelli che si traggono indietro a loro perdizione, ma di quelli che hanno fede per salvar l’anima.
Lecz my nie jesteśmy z tych, którzy się schraniają ku zginieniu, ale z tych, którzy wierzą ku pozyskaniu duszy.
Мы же не из колеблющихся на погибель, но стоим в вере к спасению души.
我們 卻 不 是 退後 入 沉淪的那等人，乃是 有信心 以致 靈魂 得救的人。
But we are not of those who go back to destruction; but of those who have faith even to the salvation of the soul.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Hebrews 10:39
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this verse contrasts two destinies: perdition and salvation of the soul. The Greek phrase ‘we are not of shrinking back’ (οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑποστολῆς) uses the genitive to indicate quality or character, as Vincent notes, we do not partake of timorous retreat. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible present this as the author’s conviction that his readers will not apostatize; the warning is hypothetical, meant to keep them from wavering. Calvin and Clarke treat it more as a practical declaration of their calling: they have been called not to draw back, but to advance in faith. The word for ‘saving’ (περιποίησις) carries the sense of both preserving and obtaining (Lange, JFB). Gill emphasizes that true believers cannot draw back in the sense of final apostasy, because they are held by God. Most agree the verse serves as a pivot from warning to the celebration of faith in Hebrews 11.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Hypothetical Warning View: Barnes and the Cambridge Bible argue that the warning is a general principle meant to prevent apostasy; the author is confident his readers will not shrink back.
- Real Possibility / Exhortation View: Calvin and Clarke treat ‘shrinking back’ as a genuine danger against which believers must guard; faith is a continuous action, not a settled state.
- Courage vs. Cowardice View: Clarke stresses that the Greek means ‘cowards who slink away’ — the contrast is between courage and cowardice, not merely between belief and unbelief.
What is clear: All agree that the verse promises salvation to those who continue in faith and warns of destruction for those who ultimately reject Christ.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Assurance of Believers | All traditions agree that true believers are not characterized by final, persistent shrinking back; the author expresses confidence in his readers. | Reformed traditions (Calvin, Gill) see this as evidence that true believers cannot finally apostatize; Arminian/Wesleyan traditions (Clarke) see it as a summons to persevere, implying the possibility of failing. |
| Meaning of 'Destruction' (ἀπώλεια) | The term points to ruin, often understood as eternal perdition (Thayer). | Clarke argues that in context it includes the temporal destruction of Jerusalem (physical death, not necessarily eternal loss for all). Others maintain it means final condemnation. |
| Genitive Phrase 'of faith' | The phrase identifies a person's defining characteristic, they belong to the category of faith, not of shrinking back. | Some see this as a description of the believer's new nature (Gill); others as a defining choice that must be continuously exercised. |
| Purpose of the Verse | It serves as a transition from warning to the faith chapter and aims to reassure the readers. | Barnes and the Cambridge Bible treat it as the author's conviction that his readers have not apostatized; for Calvin, it is a declaration of their calling to advance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Hebrews was written to a community of Jewish Christians under pressure to abandon Christ and return to Judaism. The previous verses (26, 31) contain stern warnings against willful sin, understood by most as apostasy. The author quotes Habakkuk 2:4 in verse 38: ‘the righteous one will live by faith.’ That Old Testament context originally addressed God’s people during Babylonian oppression, urging trust in God’s promise despite delay. Here the author applies it to first-century believers facing social ostracism, confiscation of property, and the looming destruction of Jerusalem.
The phrase ‘shrink back’ (ὑποστολή) appears only here in the New Testament; its verb form is used in the Habakkuk quotation (v.38) and earlier in Hebrews (see 10:30). Thayer defines it as ‘the timidity of one stealthily retreating.’ This imagery fits the historical setting: these believers had already endured public reproach and imprisonment (v.32, 34). The temptation was to slip away quietly, avoiding further cost.
Clarke notes a remarkable historical detail: according to Eusebius and Epiphanius, not one Christian life was lost in the siege of Jerusalem (AD 70). Christians who fled to Pella escaped, while those who apostatized perished with the Jews. Whether or not the author anticipated that specific event, his words about ‘saving the soul’ resonate with that tradition: faith preserves, drawing back leads to destruction.
Culturally, the epistle uses the Greek Septuagint extensively. The contrast between ‘shrink back unto perdition’ and ‘faith unto saving of the soul’ echoes the covenantal choice set before Israel in Deuteronomy (life and death, blessing and curse). The audience understood that their response to Christ determined their place in the true Israel of God.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Hebrews 10:39. The Greek text is well established, with the only minor variations being in word order (some manuscripts read ἡμεῖς δὲ vs. δὲ ἡμεῖς), which do not affect meaning.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Hebrews 10:39 has been a battleground in debates about perseverance. Augustine and the later Reformed tradition (Calvin, the Westminster Confession) cited it as evidence that those who are truly in Christ will not finally fall away. They saw the genitive construction ‘of faith’ as highlighting the believer’s new identity, secured by God’s grace. In contrast, the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition (Clarke, Wesley’s Notes) read it more as an exhortation to continue in faith, emphasizing human responsibility. The verse has also been used pastorally: in times of persecution, it has been quoted to encourage Christians to stand firm, with the hope that their endurance will end in the salvation of their souls. Liturgically, it sometimes appears in funeral services as a statement of confidence about the departed. The chapter transition it provides has long been recognized by commentators (Delitzsch, Alford) as intentionally preparing readers for the extended discussion of faith in Hebrews 11.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The two paths: shrinking back or faith. The Greek genitive expression (‘of shrinking back’ / ‘of faith’) identifies a person’s character, not just a single action.
- The two destinations: destruction or salvation. Perdition (ἀπώλεια) is utter ruin; περιποίησις means both saving and acquiring the soul, the soul is rescued and possessed as God’s own.
- The ground of assurance: The author includes himself among the faithful (‘we are not of…’). This is not arrogant presumption but the confidence that God preserves those who continue believing.
Five-point outline
- Context: the warning section (10:26, 31) raises the possibility of apostasy; verse 39 pivots to pastoral assurance.
- ‘But we are not of them’, Paul identifies with his readers, removing any suspicion that he sees them as the apostates he just described.
- ‘Shrink back to destruction’, not every failure or doubt qualifies; this is a final, definitive turning away from Christ (contra Hebrews 6:4, 6).
- ‘Of them that have faith to the saving of the soul’, faith is lifelong, not a one-time decision; it looks forward to final salvation.
- Transition: this verse sets the stage for Hebrews 11, which demonstrates faith in action across history.
Illustration hooks
- A student who has been raised in the church goes away to college and slowly stops attending, drifting into lifestyles that contradict their upbringing. Are they shrinking back, or just temporarily off course? This verse forces a distinction between temporary struggle and final abdication.
- A parent facing terminal illness chooses to keep trusting God for each day, even when healing doesn’t come. That is faith in action, not shrinking back, holding on to God when it would be easier to give up.
- A family under financial pressure is tempted to compromise their integrity at work, inflating numbers or cutting ethical corners. The short-term gain of avoiding hardship is the “drawing back” the author warns against.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Can a true Christian lose their salvation? The verse acknowledges a real danger of drawing back, but many commentaries (Gill, Barnes) see it as a hypothetical warning designed to prevent that very outcome. Different traditions answer this differently.
- What if I feel like I’m shrinking back right now? The author’s tone is not fearful but confident. If you are worried about your faith, that concern itself may be evidence that you are not of the shrinking company.
- How can I know I have genuine faith, not just temporary belief? Hebrews 11 defines faith as persistent trust that shows itself in enduring obedience, not a single moment of decision.
Leading a Discussion
This verse closes a severe warning passage (10:26, 31) with a statement of confidence. The author includes himself with the readers, refusing to leave them in fear. As you discuss, keep two tensions together: the real danger of apostasy and the sure hope that true believers persevere. Let the text do its work of both sobering and reassuring.
Discussion questions
- What two kinds of people does the author describe? How does the Greek grammar (genitive of quality) sharpen the contrast?
- Read verses 38, 39 together. How does the author adapt Habakkuk 2:4? What is the relationship between ‘living by faith’ and ‘not shrinking back’?
- Why does the author include himself in the faithful group? How does that affect the tone of the passage?
- In what situations are you most tempted to shrink back from following Christ? What does that look like concretely?
- The word for ‘saving’ (περιποίησις) can mean both ‘preserving’ and ‘obtaining’. How does that double meaning enrich the promise?
- How does this verse help you understand the warning passages in Hebrews (6:4, 6; 10:26, 31)? Does it resolve the tension or hold it in balance?
- What would it look like for your small group this week to live ‘of faith’ rather than ‘of shrinking back’?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 15:11 | “It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night. |
| Psalms 44:18 | Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps strayed from your path, |
| Proverbs 1:32 | For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them. |
| Proverbs 14:14 | The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways. |
| Mark 16:16 | He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned. |
| Luke 11:26 | Then he goes and takes seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” |
| John 3:15 | that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. |
| John 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke translates the Greek phrase as "cowards" rather than simply "those who draw back," making the contrast one of courage versus fear. He then points to an extraordinary historical fact: not one genuine Christian life was lost in the siege of Jerusalem, while those who shrank back perished with the Jews.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the apostle's warning about apostasy is not a prediction that believers will fall away, but a supposable case meant to keep them faithful. True Christians do not belong to the class of those who would apostatize; the warning itself is a means of preservation.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin underscores that believers are called precisely so they will not draw back from faith. Instead, they must continually advance in obedience to God, drawing nearer to Him. This forward movement is the real preservation of the soul, securing it from eternal perdition.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The writer stresses that his warnings against apostasy are hypothetical, not accusatory. His readers, though near the edge, have not crossed into destruction. The contrast is between defection that loses the soul and faith that secures it, with the word faith carefully chosen to introduce the next section.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The commentator distinguishes two kinds of people: those who draw back toward destruction and those who press on in faith, which preserves the soul. The point is not simply to avoid turning away, but to actively follow faith as the path that keeps the soul safe.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill distinguishes two kinds of drawing back: temporary backsliding that can be recovered, and total apostasy that ends in destruction. True believers cannot fall away in the final sense because they are held by God's unchanging love, secured in Christ, and kept by the Spirit. Saving faith, though not the cause of salvation, is the divinely appointed means that inseparably connects a soul to it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws attention to the Greek word behind saving the soul: it means acquisition or
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the Greek word for "struggle" shows suffering as an athletic contest, not mere temptation. He notes the citation from Habakkuk is freely applied to Christ’s coming, using a present participle ("he that cometh") to stress imminence. The double repetition "a little, a very little" underscores how brief the waiting time is.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the Greek phrase literally meaning "we are not of shrinking back," where the construction "to be of" marks a person's defining quality. Drawing back is the characteristic of recreants and leads to destruction, while being "of faith" is the quality that saves.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley draws a sharp contrast between two kinds of people: those who ultimately draw back and are lost, and those who keep believing until the end and receive eternal life. For him, genuine faith is not a one-time decision but a persevering trust that continues to the finish.