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Selected Verse: Hebrews 13:4 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Heb 13:4 |
King James |
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
is, &c.--Translate, "Let marriage be treated as honorable": as Heb 13:5 also is an exhortation.
in all--"in the case of all men": "among all." "To avoid fornication let EVERY MAN have his own wife" (Co1 7:2). Judaism and Gnosticism combined were soon about to throw discredit on marriage. The venerable Paphnutius, in the Council of Nice, quoted this verse for the justification of the married state. If one does not himself marry, he should not prevent others from doing so. Others, especially Romanists, translate, "in all things," as in Heb 13:18. But the warning being against lasciviousness, the contrast to "whoremongers and adulterers" in the parallel clause, requires the "in all" in this clause to refer to persons.
the bed undefiled--Translate, as Greek requires "undefiled" to be a predicate, not an epithet, "And let the bed be undefiled."
God will judge--Most whoremongers escape the notice of human tribunals; but God takes particular cognizance of those whom man does not punish. Gay immoralities will then be regarded in a very different light from what they are now. |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
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 celibacy, as if marriage were improper for any class of people or any condition of life; and it should not be dishonored by any violation of the marriage contract. The course of things has shown that there was abundant reason for the apostle to assert with emphasis, that "marriage was an honorable condition of life." There has been a constant effort made to show that celibacy was a more holy state; that there was something in marriage that rendered it "dishonorable" for those who are in the ministry, and for those of either sex who would be eminently pure. This sentiment has been the cause of more abomination in the world than any other single opinion claiming to have a religious sanction. It is one of the supports on which the Papal system rests, and has been one of the principal upholders of all the corruptions in monasteries and nunneries. The apostle asserts, without any restriction or qualification, that marriage is honorable in all; and this proves that it is lawful for the ministers of religion to marry, and that the whole doctrine of the superior purity of a state of celibacy is false; see this subject examined in the notes on 1 Cor. 7.
And the bed undefiled - Fidelity to the marriage vow.
But whore mongers and adulterers God will judge - All licentiousness of life, and all violations of the marriage covenant, will be severely punished by God; see the notes on Co1 6:9. The sins here referred to prevailed everywhere, and hence, there was the more propriety for the frequent and solemn injunctions to avoid them which we find in the Scriptures. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Marriage is honorable in all (τίμιος ὁ γάμος ἐν πᾶσιν)
Γάμος everywhere else in N.T. a wedding or wedding feast, often in the plural, as Mat 22:2, Mat 22:3, Mat 22:4; Luk 12:36. Τίμιος honorable or held in honor. Often in N.T. precious, of gold, stones, etc., as Co1 3:12; Rev 17:4; Rev 18:12; of life, Act 20:24; the fruits of the earth, Jam 5:7; the blood of Christ, Pe1 1:19; the divine promises, Pe2 1:4. Rend. "let marriage be had in honor." The statement is hortatory, as suiting the character of the entire context, and especially the γὰρ for; "for whoremongers," etc. Ἑν πᾶσιν in all respects," as Ti1 3:11; Ti2 4:5; Tit 2:9; Col 1:18; Phi 4:12. If as A.V., the more natural expression would be παρὰ πᾶσιν as Mat 19:26; Act 26:8; Rom 2:13; Th2 1:6; Jam 1:27. Ἑν πᾶσιν in all things appears in this chapter, Heb 13:18. There are many points in which marriage is to be honored besides the avoidance of illicit connections. See on Th1 4:6.
God will judge (κρινεῖ ὁ θεός)
Note the emphatic position of ὁ θεός. He will judge and condemn infractions of the marriage-bond, however social sentiment may condone them. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| 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 writers, so called, say it is only licensed whoredom. But whoremongers and adulterers God will judge - Though they frequently escape the sentence of men. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Marriage is honorable 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 have been said against the opinions of the Essenes, called Therapeutae, who held marriage in little repute, and totally abstained from it themselves as a state of comparative imperfection. At the same time it shows the absurdity of the popish tenet, that marriage in the clergy is both dishonorable and sinful; which is, in fact, in opposition to the apostle, who says marriage is honorable in All; and to the institution of God, which evidently designed that every male and female should be united in this holy bond; and to nature, which in every part of the habitable world has produced men and women in due proportion to each other.
The bed undefiled - Every man cleaving to his own wife, and every wife cleaving to her own husband, because God will judge, i.e. punish, all fornicators and adulterers.
Instead of δε but, γαρ, for, is the reading of AD*, one other, with the Vulgate, Coptic, and one of the Itala; it more forcibly expresses the reason of the prohibition: Let the bed be undefiled, For whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. |
18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,