Hebrews 10 · Verse 27

Hebrews 10:27

But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Hebrews 10:27, King James Version

Hebrews 10:27 in other translations

BSBbut only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
WEBbut a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.
ASVbut a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries.
YLTbut a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery zeal, about to devour the opposers;
DARBYbut a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and heat of fire about to devour the adversaries.
BBEBut only a great fear of being judged, and of the fire of wrath which will be the destruction of the haters of God.
WebsterBut a certain fearful apprehension of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

What does Hebrews 10:27 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
27. a certain--an extraordinary and indescribable. The indefiniteness, as of something peculiar of its kind, makes the description the more terrible (compare Greek, Jas 1:18). looking for--"expectation": a later sense of the Greek. Alford strangely translates, as the Greek usually means elsewhere, "reception." The transition is easy from "giving a reception to" something or someone, to "looking for." Contrast the "expecting" (the very same Greek as here), He 10:13, which refutes Alford. fiery indignation--literally, "zeal of fire." Fire is personified: glow or ardor of fire, that is, of Him who is "a consuming fire." devour--continually.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 27. But a certain fearful looking for of judgment. The word "certain" here does not mean fixed, sure, inevitable, as our translation would seem to imply. The Greek is the same as "a τις fearful expectation," etc. So it is rendered by Tindall. The idea is, that if there was voluntary apostasy after having embraced the Christian religion, there could be nothing but an expectation of the judgment to come. There could be no other hope but that through the gospel, and as this would have been renounced, it would follow that the soul must perish. The "fearful apprehension" or expectation here does not refer so much to what would be in the mind itself, or what would be experienced, as to what must follow. It might be that the person referred to would have no realizing sense of all this, and still his situation be that of one who had nothing to expect but the terrors of the judgment to come.

And fiery indignation. Fire is often used in the Scriptures as an emblem of fierce punishment. The idea is, that the person referred to could expect nothing but the wrath of God.

Which shall devour the adversaries. All who become the adversaries or enemies of the Lord. Fire is often said to devour, or consume, and the meaning here is, that those who should thus become the enemies of the Lord must perish.

(b) "fiery indignation" Zeph 1:18, 3:18

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 27 A certain fearful looking for of judgment - From this it is evident that God will pardon no man without a sacrifice for sin; for otherwise, as Dr. Macknight argues, it would not follow, from there remaining to apostates no more sacrifice for sin, that there must remain to them a dreadful expectation of judgment. And fiery indignation - Και πυρος ζηλος· A zeal, or fervor of fire; something similar to the fire that came down from heaven and destroyed Korah and his company; Num 16:35. Probably the apostle here refers to the case of the unbelieving Jews in general, as in chap. 6 to the dreadful judgment that was coming upon them, and the burning up their temple and city with fire. These people had, by the preaching of Christ and his apostles, received the knowledge of the truth. It was impossible that they could have witnessed his miracles and heard his doctrine without being convinced that he was the Messiah, and that their own system was at an end; but they rejected this only sacrifice at a time when God abolished their own: to that nation, therefore, there remained no other sacrifice for sin; therefore the dreadful judgment came, the fiery indignation was poured out, and they, as adversaries, were devoured by it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 10:26-31

The exhortations against apostacy and to perseverance, are urged by many strong reasons. The sin here mentioned is a total and final falling away, when men, with a full and fixed will and resolution, despise and reject Christ, the only Saviour; despise and resist the Spirit, the only Sanctifier; and despise and renounce the gospel, the only way of salvation, and the words of eternal life. Of this destruction God…

Read the full comment on Hebrews 10:26-31 →

Hebrews 10:27 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

φοβερὰphoberaterrifyingG5398
δέdehoweverG1161
τιςtisa certainG5100
ἐκδοχὴekdochēexpectationG1561
κρίσεωςkriseōsof judgmentG2920
καὶkaiandG2532
πυρὸςpurosof fireG4442
ζῆλοςzēlosfuryG2205
ἐσθίεινesthieinto devourG2068
μέλλοντοςmellontosbeing aboutG3195
τοὺςtoustheG3588
ὑπεναντίους.hupenantiousadversaries.G5227

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hebrews 10:27

  • Isaiah 26:11

    Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

  • Zephaniah 1:18

    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

  • Hebrews 2:3

    How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

  • Hebrews 9:27

    And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

  • Hebrews 12:25

    See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

  • Matthew 13:50

    And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

  • Nahum 1:2

    God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies.

  • Nahum 1:8-10

    But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. What do ye imagine against the Lord? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry.

  • Revelation 20:15

    And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

  • Luke 19:27

    But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

  • Matthew 8:29

    And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

  • Matthew 3:12

    Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a certain.
2:3; 12:25; 1Sa 28:19,20; Isa 33:14; Da 5:6; Ho 10:8; Mt 8:29
Lu 21:26; 23:30; Re 6:15-17
fiery.
12:29; Nu 16:35; Ps 21:9; Jer 4:4; Eze 36:5; 38:19; Joe 2:30
Na 1:5,6; Zep 1:18; 3:8; Mal 4:1; Mt 3:10,12; 13:42,50; 25:41
Mr 9:43-49; Lu 16:24; 2Th 1:8; Jas 5:3; Re 20:15
which.
De 32:43; Ps 68:1,2; Na 1:2,8-10; Lu 19:27; 1Th 2:15,16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Hebrews 10:26

    For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,

  • Hebrews 10:27

    But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

  • Hebrews 10:28

    He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:

Read all of Hebrews 10

Hebrews 10:27 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sino una horrenda esperanza de juicio, y hervor de fuego que ha de devorar á los adversarios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		mais une certaine attente terrible de jugement et l’ardeur d’un feu qui va dévorer les adversaires.
German
Elberfelder 1871		sondern ein gewisses furchtvolles Erwarten des Gerichts und der Eifer eines Feuers, das die Widersacher verschlingen wird.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		terribilis autem quædam exspectatio judicii, et ignis æmulatio, quæ consumptura est adversarios.