Hebrews 6 · Verse 10

Hebrews 6:10

For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Hebrews 6:10, King James Version

Hebrews 6:10 in other translations

BSBFor God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
WEBFor God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them.
ASVfor God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye ministered unto the saints, and still do minister.
YLTfor God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the labour of the love, that ye shewed to His name, having ministered to the saints and ministering;
DARBYFor God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and the love which ye have shewn to his name, having ministered to the saints, and still ministering.
BBEFor God is true, and will not put away from him the memory of your work and of your love for his name, in the help which you gave and still give to the saints.
WebsterFor God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown towards his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

What does Hebrews 6:10 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
10. not unrighteous--not unfaithful to His own gracious promise. Not that we have any inherent right to claim reward; for (1) a servant has no merit, as he only does that which is his bounden duty; (2) our best performances bear no proportion to what we leave undone; (3) all strength comes from God; but God has promised of His own grace to reward the good works of His people (already accepted through faith in Christ); it is His promise, not our merits, which would make it unrighteous were He not to reward His people's works. God will be no man's debtor. your work--your whole Christian life of active obedience. labour of love--The oldest manuscripts omit "labor of," which probably crept in from 1Th 1:3. As "love" occurs here, so "hope," He 6:11, "faith," He 6:12; as in 1Co 13:13: the Pauline triad. By their love he sharpens their hope and faith. ye have showed--(Compare He 10:32-34). toward his name--Your acts of love to the saints were done for His name's sake. The distressed condition of the Palestinian Christians appears from the collection for them. Though receiving bounty from other churches, and therefore not able to minister much by pecuniary help, yet those somewhat better off could minister to the greatest sufferers in their Church in various other ways (compare 2Ti 1:18). Paul, as elsewhere, gives them the utmost credit for their graces, while delicately hinting the need of perseverance, a lack of which had probably somewhat begun to show itself.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 10. For God is not unrighteous. God will do no wrong. He will not forget or fail to reward the endeavours of his people to promote his glory, and to do good. The meaning here is, that by their kindness in ministering to the wants of the saints, they had given full evidence of true piety. If God should forget that, it would be "unrighteous,"

(1.) because there was a propriety that it should be remembered; and

(2.) because it is expressly promised that it shall not fail of reward, Mt 10:42.

Your work. Particularly in ministering to the wants of the saints.

Labour of love. Deeds of benevolence when there was no hope of recompense, or when love was the motive in doing it.

Which ye have shewed toward his name. Toward him--for the word name is often used to denote the person himself. They had showed that they loved God by their kindness to his people. Mt 25:40: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

In that ye have ministered to the saints. You have supplied their wants. This may refer either to the fact that they contributed to supply the wants of the poor members of the church, (comp. Gal 2:10, or it may refer to some special acts of kindness which they had shown to suffering and persecuted Christians. It is not possible now to know to what particular acts the apostle refers. We may learn,

(1.) that to show kindness to Christians, because they are Christians, is an important evidence of piety.

(2.) It will in no case be unrewarded. God is not "unjust ;" and he will remember an act of kindness shown to his people--even though it be nothing but giving a cup of cold water.

(c) "For God" Mt 25:40

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 10 God is not unrighteous - God is only bound to men by his own promise: this promise he is not obliged to make; but, when once made, his righteousness or justice requires him to keep it; therefore, whatever he has promised he will certainly perform. But he has promised to reward every good work and labor of love, and he will surely reward yours; God's promise is God's debt. Every good work must spring from faith in the name, being, and goodness of God; and every work that is truly good must have love for its motive, as it has God for its end. The word του κοπου, labor, prefixed to love, is wanting in almost every MS. and version of importance. Griesbach has left it out of the text. Ministered to the saints - Have contributed to the support and comfort of the poor Christians who were suffering persecution in Judea. As they had thus ministered, and were still ministering, they gave full proof that they had a common cause with the others; and this was one of the things that proved them to be in a state of salvation.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 6:9-10

There are things that are never separated from salvation; things that show the person to be in a state of salvation, and which will end in eternal salvation. And the things that accompany salvation, are better things than ever any dissembler or apostate enjoyed. The works of love, done for the glory of Christ, or done to his saints for Christ's sake, from time to time, as God gives occasion, are evident marks of a…

Read the full comment on Hebrews 6:9-10 →

Hebrews 6:10 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.

οὐouNotG3756
γὰρgarforG1063
ἄδικοςadikosunjust [is]G94
ὁho<the>G3588
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
ἐπιλαθέσθαιepilathesthaito forgetG1950
τοῦtoutheG3588
ἔργουergouworkG2041
ὑμῶνhumōnof youG4771
καὶkaiandG2532
τοῦtoutheG3588
κόπουkopoulaborG2873
τῆςtēstheG3588
ἀγάπηςagapēsloveG26
ἧςhēsthatG3739
ἐνεδείξασθεenedeixastheyou have shownG1731
εἰςeistowardG1519
τὸtotheG3588
ὄνομαonomanameG3686
αὐτοῦautouof HimG846
διακονήσαντεςdiakonēsanteshaving ministeredG1247
τοῖςtoisto theG3588
ἁγίοιςhagioissaintsG40
καὶkaiandG2532
διακονοῦντες.diakonountes[still] ministering.G1247

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

Cross references for Hebrews 6:10

  • Hebrews 13:16

    But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

  • Matthew 10:42

    And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

  • Galatians 6:10

    As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:3

    Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

  • Colossians 3:17

    And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

  • Acts 10:4

    And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

  • Matthew 25:35-40

    For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? …

  • 1 Timothy 6:18

    That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

  • Proverbs 14:31

    He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.

  • Mark 9:41

    For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

  • Acts 4:34-35

    Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

  • Galatians 5:13

    For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
For.
Pr 14:31; Mt 10:42; 25:40; Joh 13:20
God.
De 32:4; Ro 3:4,5; 2Th 1:6,7; 2Ti 4:8; 1Jo 1:9
to forget.
Ne 5:19; 13:22,31; Ps 20:3; Jer 2:2,3; 18:20; Ac 10:4,31
work.
1Co 13:4-7; Ga 5:6,13; 1Th 1:3; 1Jo 3:17,18
which.
13:16; Pr 14:31; Mt 10:42; 25:35-40; Mr 9:41; Ac 2:44,45; 4:34,35
Ac 9:36-39; 11:29; Ro 12:13; 15:25-27; 1Co 16:1-3; 2Co 8:1-9; 9:1
2Co 9:11-15; Ga 6:10; Php 4:16-18; Col 3:17; 1Ti 6:18; 2Ti 1:17,18
Phm 1:5-7; Jas 2:15-17; 1Jo 3:14-17

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

Context

  • Hebrews 6:9

    But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.

  • Hebrews 6:10

    For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

  • Hebrews 6:11

    And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

Read all of Hebrews 6

Hebrews 6:10 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque Dios no es injusto para olvidar vuestra obra y el trabajo de amor que habéis mostrado á su nombre, habiendo asistido y asistiendo aún á los santos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car Dieu n’est pas injuste pour oublier votre œuvre et l’amour que vous avez montré pour son nom, ayant servi les saints et les servant encore.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn Gott ist nicht ungerecht, eures Werkes zu vergessen und der Liebe, die ihr gegen seinen Namen bewiesen, da ihr den Heiligen gedient habt und dienet.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Non enim injustus Deus, ut obliviscatur operis vestri, et dilectionis, quam ostendistis in nomine ipsius, qui ministrastis sanctis, et ministratis.