Hebrews 10:31 kjv
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:31 nkjv
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:31 niv
It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:31 esv
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10:31 nlt
It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:24 | For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. | God's fierce, consuming nature |
| Deut 32:35 | Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come upon them hasten. | God's attribute of vengeance |
| Ps 7:11 | God is a righteous judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day. | God's constant, righteous judgment |
| Ps 50:22 | Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver! | Warning for forgetting God, severe consequence |
| Ps 76:7 | You, Yourself, are to be feared; And who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry? | God's fearful presence in anger |
| Is 64:8 | But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. | God's absolute sovereignty and power |
| Nah 1:2 | The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; The LORD is avenging and wrathful; The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies. | God's wrath and vengeance against enemies |
| Matt 10:28 | And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. | Fear God, the one capable of ultimate destruction |
| Luke 12:5 | But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! | Ultimate fear reserved for God's judgment |
| Rom 2:5-6 | But in accordance with your hardness and impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who "will render to each one according to his deeds". | Judgment day and retribution |
| Rom 12:19 | Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. | God reserves judgment to Himself |
| Heb 2:2 | For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, | Prior warning in Hebrews regarding accountability |
| Heb 3:12 | Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; | Warning against apostasy from the living God |
| Heb 4:13 | And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. | All are accountable before God's omniscience |
| Heb 6:4-6 | For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened... if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance... | Warning of irreversible consequences for apostasy |
| Heb 12:29 | For our God is a consuming fire. | Reiteration of God as consuming fire |
| 2 Pet 2:20-21 | For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them... the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. | Worsening condition for those who turn back |
| 2 Pet 3:10 | But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt... | Description of the terrifying Day of the Lord |
| Jude 1:15 | to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way... | God's universal judgment on the ungodly |
| Rev 20:12-15 | And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened... And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. | Final judgment and eternal separation |
Hebrews 10 verses
Hebrews 10 31 Meaning
Hebrews 10:31 serves as a grave warning about the inescapable and terrifying consequence of deliberate apostasy from faith in Jesus Christ. It underscores the ultimate and fearful nature of standing before the just judgment of the omnipotent God who is actively involved in His creation and will execute righteous judgment, particularly upon those who have spurned His covenant.
Hebrews 10 31 Context
Hebrews chapter 10 concludes the author's extensive theological argument for the superiority and finality of Christ's sacrifice, particularly in contrast to the Old Testament Levitical system. Following verses 1-18 which emphasize Christ's "one sacrifice for all time" as sufficient for sin, verses 19-25 encourage believers to draw near to God with confidence, hold fast to their confession, and encourage one another. However, beginning in verse 26, the tone shifts sharply to a severe warning against willful, deliberate sin, specifically apostasy from Christ. The context implies that such sin means spurning Christ's blood and despising the Holy Spirit (v. 29). Verse 31 directly follows the enumeration of these dire transgressions and their "much worse punishment" (v. 29), intensifying the gravity of the consequences for rejecting God's ultimate provision for salvation. This verse underscores the formidable and just nature of the God whose salvation has been offered and rejected.
Hebrews 10 31 Word analysis
- It is a fearful thing: (Greek: Phoberon, φοβερὸν) - This term signifies something terrifying, dreadful, awe-inspiring, capable of producing terror. It is not a gentle reverence but an active, alarming fear of impending danger or punishment. It highlights the serious nature of God's wrath and judgment for deliberate rebellion, contrasting with the often benign perception people have of God.
- to fall into the hands: (Greek: empesein eis cheiras, ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας) - This is an idiom meaning to come completely under someone's control, power, or authority, particularly for judgment, discipline, or retribution. It suggests a lack of escape or intervention once judgment begins. It conveys being at the mercy of another, implying the absolute sovereignty and irresistibility of God's power.
- of the living God: (Greek: Theou zōntos, Θεοῦ ζῶντος) - This is a crucial theological descriptor.
- "Living God" contrasts with lifeless idols or philosophical deities who are passive or non-existent. It emphasizes God's active presence, omnipotence, omniscience, and dynamic engagement in history and human affairs. He is not distant or abstract; He sees, knows, remembers, and acts.
- His "living" nature implies His power to enforce His laws and judgments immediately and effectively. He is not an unfeeling judge, but one whose life-giving power can also be destructive in judgment for those who reject His ultimate covenant. This descriptor underscores that He is fully capable of executing the fearful judgment alluded to.
- This phrase emphasizes the reality and effectiveness of His coming judgment.
Hebrews 10 31 Bonus section
The "fear" spoken of here is not the "fear of the Lord" often linked with reverent awe and obedience (e.g., Prov 9:10), but rather a dreadful, terror-filled anticipation of wrath. This warning in Hebrews 10:31 is primarily directed towards those who have genuinely experienced God's saving grace to some degree (as implied in the context of enlightenment, taste of heavenly gift, partakers of the Holy Spirit in Heb 6:4), but then willfully turn away, thus blaspheming the Spirit of grace (Heb 10:29). This is distinct from typical sin, referring instead to an intentional, deliberate rejection of Christ's sacrifice and the New Covenant, sealing one's fate outside of divine mercy. It highlights that God's justice is as real and powerful as His love and mercy.
Hebrews 10 31 Commentary
Hebrews 10:31 serves as a profound and sobering climactic statement to the preceding warning about willful apostasy. It encapsulates the terrifying reality of encountering God, not as a loving Father through Christ, but as an avenging judge, should one reject His supreme sacrifice. The "fearful thing" is the unmediated confrontation with His holy wrath, unshielded by the blood of the covenant that was deliberately spurned. To "fall into the hands" implies total helplessness and surrender to His omnipotent justice, where no advocate remains for one who has counted the blood of Christ an unholy thing. This terrifying outcome is guaranteed because it is the "living God" who judges, a God who is active, aware, and able to execute perfect and devastating retribution upon those who know the truth yet turn their back on His Son. It is a powerful call to steadfast perseverance, highlighting the incomparable stakes of one's relationship with Christ.