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Commentary Critical and Explanatory

Hebrews 13:4

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Is. Translate, 'Let marriage be treated as honourable;' as Hebrews 13:5 is an exhortation.

In all - `among all.' "To avoid fornication, let EVERY MAN have his own wife" (1 Corinthians 7:2). Judaism and Gnosticism soon after disparaged marriage. Paphnutius, in the council of Nice, quoted this verse to justify the married state. If one does not himself marry, he should not prevent others. Romanists translate, 'in all things,' as in Hebrews 13:18. But the contrast to "whoremongers and adulterers" in the parallel clause requires the "in all" in this clause to refer to persons.

The bed undefiled, [ hee (G3588) koitee (G2845) amiantos (G283) requires "undefiled" to be a predicate, not an epithet] - 'and let the bed be undefiled.'

God will judge. Most whoremongers escape human tribunals; but God takes cognizance of those whom man does not punish. Gay immoralities will be regarded very differently from what they are now.

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See also Hebrews 13:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Hebrews 13:4. _MARRIAGE_ IS _HONOURABLE IN ALL_] Let this state be highly esteemed as one of God's own instituting, and as highly calculated to produce the best interests of mankind. This may h...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    MARRIAGE IS HONORABLE IN ALL - The object here is to state that “honor” is to be shown to the marriage relation. It is not to be undervalued by the pretence of the superior purity of a state of celiba...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 13 _ 1. The practical walk (Hebrews 13:1)_ 2. The call to separation (Hebrews 13:7) 3. Conclusions (Hebrews 13:17)...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    Emphasis is first laid on the duty of brotherly love_ i.e._ kindness towards fellow-Christians which was all-important in a struggling community like the early Church. Three aspects of this duty are p...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    Let brotherly love be always with you. Do not forget the duty of hospitality for, in remembering this duty, there are some who have entertained angels without knowing that they were doing so. Rememb...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    THE MARKS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE (Hebrews 13:1-6)...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    MARRIAGE. This is not. statement of fact, but an exhortation, "Let marriage be", &c. UNDEFILED. Greek. _amiantos._ See Hebrews 7:26. WHOREMONGERS. fornicators, as Hebrews 12:16. GOD. App-98. JUDGE....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Marriage is honourable in all_ More probably this is an exhortation, "Let marriage be held honourable among all," or rather "in all respects," as in Hebrews 13:18. Scripture never gives even the most...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    CONCLUDING EXHORTATIONS TO LOVE (1); HOSPITALITY (2); KINDNESS TO PRISONERS AND THE SUFFERING (3); PURITY OF LIFE (4); CONTENTMENT (5); TRUSTFULNESS (6); SUBMISSION TO PASTORAL AUTHORITY (7, 8); STEAD...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    CH. 13. Concluding Exhortations to Love (1); Hospitality (2); Kindness to Prisoners and the Suffering (3); Purity of Life (4); Contentment (5); Trustfulness (6); Submission to Pastoral Authority (7, 8...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ΤΊΜΙΟΣ Ὁ ΓΆΜΟΣ Κ.Τ.Λ. Probably this is an exhortation, “Let marriage be held honourable among all,” or rather “in all respects.” Scripture never gives even the most incidental sanction to the exaltati...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _REMEMBER THESE THINGS -- HEBREWS 13:1-6:_ It is wonderful that brotherly love existed among these brethren. The writer admonished them to allow this love to continue. In a very forceful statement Pet...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΤΊΜΙΟΣ (G5093) почетный, ΓΆΜΟΣ (G1062) брак, ΚΟΊΤΗ (G2845) постель, фигурально, брачное ложе, сексуальная связь, ΆΜΊΑΝΤΟΣ (G283) неоскверненный, ΠΌΡΝΟΣ (G4205) аморальный. Это слово обозначает свя...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    MARRIAGE IS HONOURABLE IN ALL,— _Let marriage be held in esteem by all:_ thus many critics would render this clause; as the context, in their judgment, shews that the passage is exhortatory. The conne...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

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  • Combined Bible Commentary

    MARRIAGE (Hebrews 13:4) From a prescription of duties towards others, the apostle next proceeds to give directions unto those which concern ourselves, wherein our own persons and walking are concerne...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    22 There is a studied contrast here between the scene presented to the physical eye at Mount Sinai and the prospect of faith in connection with the new covenant. Mount Sinai itself is suggestive of an...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

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  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    DUTIES OF THE PRIVATE LIFE, viz. chastity and contentment....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    MARRIAGE IS] RV 'Let marriage,' etc: the words are an exhortation....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ADVICE, MEMORIES, PRAYERS, GREETINGS The Epistle concludes with various exhortations in regard to the social life (Hebrews 13:1), private life (Hebrews 13:4), the religious life (Hebrews 13:7), in whi...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    HOW CAN I GET TO HEAVEN? HEBREWS _IAN MACKERVOY_ CHAPTER 13 THE WAY OF LOVE AND DOING WHAT GOD WANTS 13:1-25 CHRISTIAN LOVE 13:1-6 V1 Go on loving each other as brothers. V2 Do not forget to re...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    MARRIAGE IS HONOURABLE IN ALL. — Rather, _Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge._ The precept is directed against impuri...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER XVI. SUNDRY EXHORTATIONS. Hebrews 13:1 Let love of the brethren continue. Forget not to shew love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    τίμιος ὁ γάμος ἐν πᾶσιν. “Is ἔστω or ἐστὶ to be supplied?” Probably the former, as in Hebrews 13:5, “Let marriage be held in honour among all”. As a natural result of holding marriage in honour, its i...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    Exhortations to social manifestations of their Christianity. Ἡ φιλαδελφία μενέτω. “Let love of the brethren continue”; it existed (Hebrews 6:10) and so, as Chrys. says, he does not write Γίνεσθε φιλάδ...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    SANCTIFY DAILY LIFE Hebrews 13:1 We may not like _all_ the brethren, but there is something in each of them that Christ loves. Let us try to discover it, or love them for His sake. We can love peopl...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The last chapter contains a series of general exhortations. It is evident that the letter was sent to those whose faith was being challenged and weakened, and whose love, therefore, was cooling. These...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    THE CHRISTIAN'S DAILY DUTIES The author exhorted the Hebrew brethren to continue loving one another as members of the Christian family. He seems to assume that they are aware of the instruction of the...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (2) Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (2) He commends chaste matrimony in all sorts of men, and threatens utter destruction from...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Marriage honourable in all. [2] It is doubtful both in the Latin and Greek, whether the sense be, marriage is honourable, or let it be accounted honourable, as it rather seems to be by the rest of the...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    (1) Let brotherly love continue. (2) Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (3) Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The apostle now resumes his great theme, Christ called a Priest of God for ever after the order of Melchisedec. He alludes, in the beginning of our chapter, to the historical facts of Genesis. We must...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    4._Marriage is honourable in all, etc. _Some think this an exhortation to the married to conduct themselves modestly and in a becoming manner, that the husband should live with his wife temperately an...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    In this next Chapter there is more than one truth important to notice. The exhortations are as simple as they are weighty, and require but few remarks. They rest in the sphere in which the whole of th...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    MARRIAGE IS HONOURABLE IN ALL,.... Some read these words as an exhortation, "let" it "be so"; others as an assertion, it is so. "Marriage" is the union of one man and one woman in wedlock, whereby the...

  • John Owen’s Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews(7 vols)

    Τίμιος ὁ γάμος ἐν πᾶσι, καὶ ἡ κοίτη ἀμίαντος· πόρνους δὲ καὶ μοιχοὺς κρινεῖ ὁ Θεός. ῾Ο γάμος, “conjugium,” “connubium;” “marriage,” “wedlock,” the state of it. ᾿Εν πᾶσι. Syr., בְּכֻל “in omnibus.” B...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Marriage _is_ honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Ver. 4. _Marriage is honourable_] And yet say the Rhemists, upon1 Corinthians 7:9, marriage of...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Heb. 13:2-8. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; (and) them which suffer adversity, as bei...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Marriage is honourable in_, or for, _all_ sorts of persons, clergy as well as laity, though the Romanists teach otherwise; _and the bed undefiled_ Consistent with the highest purity. For who can imag...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    HONORABLE; right, proper, and for ministers of the gospel as well as others. As marriage is God's institution for the happiness of man and the prevention of fornication and other abominable vices, he...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    FINAL ADMONITIONS AND CONCLUSION. Exhortations of a general nature:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    MARRIAGE IS HONORABLE IN ALL, AND THE BED UNDEFILED; BUT WHOREMONGERS AND ADULTERERS GOD WILL JUDGE....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    The first six verses of this chapter have a striking moral relationship to what has gone before. We have seen that though God's dispensational ways have undergone a mighty change in the advent of His...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-6 The design of Christ in giving himself for us, is, that he may purchase to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works; and true religion is the strongest bond of friendship. Here are earnes...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    MARRIAGE IS HONOURABLE IN ALL: the next duty charged on the subjects of Christ's kingdom, is chastity; the commendation of it is a precept to it. Marriage is that state which God instituted at the beg...

  • NT Verse References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

    Clement of Alexandria Stromata Book IV And then, as putting the finishing stroke to the question about marriage, he adds: "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and a...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Hebrews 13:4 Marriage G1062 honorable G5093 among G1722 all G3956 and G2532 bed G2845 undefiled G283 but G1161 fornic

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Let marriage be had in honour among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.' Thirdly they were all to honour marriage, such marriages being between couples w...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    Hebrews 13:4-5. The writer now speaks of two relations of life which are often placed side by side in Paul's Epistles marriage and the purity which belongs to it, and covetousness, or ‘the love of mon...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    LET MARRIAGE BE (ο γαμος). No verb in the Greek. The copula can be supplied either εστιν (is) or εστω (let be, imperative).HAD IN HONOUR (τιμιος). Old adjective from τιμη (honour) as in Acts 5:34....

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Hebrews 13:1 I. Having warned the Hebrews against the dangers of selfishness, fleshly lusts, and covetousness, the Apostle proceeds to warn them against the dangers threatening their faith and loyalty...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    This is a practical chapter at the close of this most instructive Epistle. Hebrews 13:1. _Let brotherly love continue._ The word «continue» implies that the «brotherly love» exists, there are many t...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Hebrews 13:1. _Let brotherly love continue._ It is supposed to be there already; let it continue, not only love of a common kind, such as we are to have to all men, but that special «brotherly love»...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Exhortations to the Christian. Separation and worship. Apostolic benediction. CHARACTERS: God, Christ, Timothy. CONCLUSION: Our Lord Jesus purchased us with His blood that He might set us a...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Hebrews 13:1. _Let brotherly love continue._ The love as when you first believed, and when many of you sold your possessions to raise a fund for the widows, who were cut off from the alms of the synag...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    MARRIAGE. "Marriage is an honest thing, decreed by God, and should be honored by all people." _MacKnight_ thinks this is pointed toward the Jewish Essenes, who generally viewed marriage as _vulgar,_ a...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 13:4 MARRIAGE is to be HELD IN HONOR. Sexual faithfulness in marriage is commanded. The author warns that GOD WILL JUDGE anyone who is sexu

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 13:1 Concluding Encouragements and Remarks. The author concludes with some specific points of application for the community (vv. Hebrews 13:1), w

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    VIRTUES AND GRACES BEFITTING THE CHRISTIAN PROFESSION _CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES_ Hebrews 13:1. BROTHERLY LOVE.—φιλαδελφία, the mutual love of Christians as such. Hebrews 13:2. ANGELS UNAWARES.—...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    CONCLUDING EXHORTATIONS EXPOSITION As in St. Paul's Epistles, practical directions as to conduct conclude the treatise, such as the readers may be supposed to have especially needed. They are urged t...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Chapter 13, closing out the book. Let brotherly love continue. Don't forget to entertain strangers: for some have entertained angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:1-2). Interesting. I believe it. I...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 5:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Corinthians 9:5;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Marriage is honorable in all (timiov oJ gamov ejn pasin). Gamov everywhere else in N. T. a wedding or wedding feast, often in the plural, as Matthew 22:2; Matthew 22:3; Matthew 22:4;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Marriage is honourable in, or for all sorts of men, clergy as well as laity: though the Romanists teach otherwise. And the bed undefiled — Consistent with the highest purity; though many spiritual wri...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    Our apostle having, in the former verses, directed Christians to their duty on towards another, in this and the following verses, he directs them to perform their duty towards themselves; and because...

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