Commentary on Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Hebrews 13, and especially Hebrews 13:1–8, contains several exhortations or encouragements from the author of Hebrews. They move quickly: Do this, don’t do that, do this too, and so on. For us, this style may be confusing—and overwhelming!—but the original addressees of Hebrews likely were used to this way of learning ethics since it mirrors the style found in many other Greek and Roman works.¹

These instructions begin by encouraging rather general principles of love and hospitality within the community. The first is to “let mutual love continue” (13:1). “Mutual love” translates the Greek word philadelphia, which refers to love among siblings (literally, “brothers”). This is likely an encouragement to love those within the Christian community itself; however, the author quickly expands the scope with the next exhortation: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers” (13:2a).

Hospitality is love and care that is particularly tangible—providing meals and lodging, as well as extending welcome within families and communities. And this is hospitality to strangers. The reason the author gives for this hospitality is that “some have entertained angels without knowing it” (13:2b). Hearing this, the addressees might think of stories about Abraham and Lot hosting angels in Genesis 18–19, or Tobit hosting Azariah, the angel Raphael in disguise (for example, Tobit 5:4–8), or Philemon and Baucis hosting Zeus from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, among many others.

The next thing the author encourages them to do is to “remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them, those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured” (13:3). Those incarcerated were subject to harsh conditions—such as low light that often led to blindness or other severe visual impairment, and restraints that kept people in the same position for so long that they were no longer able to walk.

The author calls the addressees to extend empathy to them, which may be out of a desire to cultivate hospitality to them as well. Those incarcerated in particular typically could not survive without the support of someone on the outside. They were barely fed (if at all). But the author also extends this empathy to others being tortured (or “mistreated”), such as the enslaved and those harmed by the state (10:32–36).

Marriage is the author’s next topic. He encourages them all to honor marriage. This may reflect a more reciprocal view of marriage than was present in the culture at that time. Women and men often were held to different standards of sexual fidelity to their spouses.

Then the author turns to money. They must “keep [their] lives free from the love of money, and be content with what [they] have” (13:5a). This coheres with the teaching of the author above. Love, hospitality, and care for the incarcerated are costly. If you love money more than you love people, then you will have a difficult time adhering to the teaching of Hebrews 13.

They can be content with what they have because God will care for them. The author of Hebrews presents God speaking these words as confirmation of God’s commitment: “I will never leave you or forsake you” (13:5b). This fits with the author’s consistent depiction of Scripture as God’s speech.² And yet his last quotation is something new. “We” speak back to God: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” (13:6). This is an expression of trust in God’s provision.

The next exhortation is to “remember [their] leaders” (13:7a). Since the author describes these as those who “spoke the word of God to [them]” (13:7b), which probably refers to their initial hearing of the gospel, many interpreters think this is a reference to former leaders, specifically those who have died. (This also differentiates this verse from 13:17.) The people should “consider the outcome of [the leaders’] way of life, and imitate their faith” (13:7c).

Perhaps like the leaders who, as those to be imitated, were probably steadfast and constant, “Jesus Christ [also] is the same yesterday and today and forever” (13:8). This verse probably recalls other teachings by the author of Hebrews about Jesus, especially that, unlike creation, he “remains the same and his years will have no end” (for example, Hebrews 1:10–12).

The lectionary text for this week does not include Hebrews 13:9–14 and instead skips ahead to 13:15–16. The author calls the people to “continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name” (13:15). The phrase “sacrifice of praise” is the same Greek phrase used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) for the praise or well-being offering. This was an offering given to God as a recognition of his mighty work. With those offerings, people would express their thanksgiving verbally. This explains the author’s comment that the praise offering is the “fruit of lips that confess his name.”

Most interpreters do not think that the author has a literal praise offering in mind but that he intends to encourage a metaphorical participation in these practices. This coheres with the next verse, which says that “doing good” and “sharing what [they] have” are sacrifices pleasing to God (13:16).

Notes

1. James W. Thompson, “Hellenistic Ethics in Hebrews 13:1–6,” in Son, Sacrifice, and Great Shepherd: Studies on the Epistle to the Hebrews, ed. David M. Moffitt and Eric F. Mason, WUNT II 510 (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020), 219–31.
2. Madison N. Pierce, Divine Discourse in the Epistle to the Hebrews: The Recontextualization of Spoken Quotations of Scripture, SNTSMS 178 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020).