The Meaning of Hebrews 13:3 Explained

Hebrews 13:3

KJV: Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

YLT: be mindful of those in bonds, as having been bound with them, of those maltreated, as also yourselves being in the body;

Darby: Remember prisoners, as bound with them; those that are evil-treated, as being yourselves also in the body.

ASV: Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; them that are illtreated, as being yourselves also in the body.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Remember  them that are in bonds,  as  bound with them;  [and] them which suffer adversity,  as  being  yourselves  also  in  the body. 

What does Hebrews 13:3 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The prisoners in view were evidently Christians who were suffering for their testimonies (cf. Hebrews 10:34; Matthew 25:36; Matthew 25:40). Often prisoners in the Roman world had to depend on friends outside the prison to provide them with food and other necessities. The existence of a significant number of prisoners supports a date for writing after A.D64 , when an empire-wide persecution of Christians began. In July of that year, Emperor Nero set fire to Rome and blamed the Christians, resulting in much persecution of Christians. The readers might suffer the same fate as these prisoners themselves one day since they were still leading a mortal existence. Paul urged Timothy not to be ashamed of him when he was a prisoner ( 2 Timothy 1:8). All the Christians in the province of Asia had abandoned Paul then except for those in Onesiphorus" household ( 2 Timothy 1:15-18).

Context Summary

Hebrews 13:1-13 - Sanctify Daily Life
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 people with our mind and think for them, or with our strength and serve them, even though the heart is somewhat reluctant.
Strangers and captives must never be forgotten, either in our prayers or our ministry. The love within the marriage tie must be unsullied, and we must watch against the insidious lust of gold. Why should we always be thinking of money, when God has promised, with two negatives, never to fail us, Hebrews 13:5? Thrice we are asked to remember those who bear office and rule in the church, Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17; Hebrews 13:24.
We are called to a holy crusade. It is not for us to linger in circumstances of ease and self-indulgence when our Master suffered without the gate! Let us go forth unto Him, bearing His reproach! Has not the Church tarried in the city long enough, enervated by its fashions and flatteries? [source]

Chapter Summary: Hebrews 13

1  Various admonitions as to love;
4  to honest life;
5  to avoid covetousness;
7  to regard God's preachers;
9  to take heed of strange doctrines;
10  to confess Christ;
16  to give alms;
17  to obey governors;
18  to pray for the apostles
20  The conclusion

Greek Commentary for Hebrews 13:3

Them that are in bonds [τῶν δεσμίων]
See on Hebrews 10:34. [source]
As bound with them [ὡς συνδεδεμένοι]
N.T.oAs if you were fellow-prisoners. Comp. 1 Corinthians 12:14-26; 2 Corinthians 11:29. Public intercession for prisoners has formed a part of the service of the church from the earliest times. See the prayer at the close of Clem. Rom Ad Corinth. lix. It also occurs in the daily morning service of the synagogue. [source]
Which suffer adversity [κακουχουμένων]
Rend. are evil entreated. See on Hebrews 11:37. [source]
As being yourselves also in the body [ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ ὄντες ἐν σώματι]
As subject like them to bodily sufferings. Not in the body - the church, which would require the article. The expression ἐν σώματι in the sense of being still alive, only in 2 Corinthians 12:2. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Hebrews 13:3

Hebrews 11:25 To suffer affliction with [συνκακουχεῖσθαι]
N.T.oolxx, oClass. The verb κακουχεῖν totreat ill, Hebrews 11:37; Hebrews 13:3; lxx, 1 Kings 2:26; 1 Kings 11:39. Rend. “to be evil entreated.” [source]
Hebrews 11:25 Choosing rather [μαλλον ελομενος]
“Rather having chosen” (second aorist middle of αιρεω — haireō to take for oneself a position). To be entreated with Present passive infinitive of the double compound συνκακουχεω — sunkakoucheō (from συν κακοσ εχω — sun class="normal greek">κακουχεω — kakos class="normal greek">προσκαιρον εχειν αμαρτιας απολαυσιν — echō), to treat ill with (associative instrumental case), only known example save one in the papyri (second century a.d.), though Απολαυσις — kakoucheō in Hebrews 11:37; Hebrews 13:3. To enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season (απολαυω — proskairon echein hamartias apolausin). Literally, “to have temporary pleasure of sin.” Προσκαιρος — Apolausis is old word from προσ καιρος — apolauō to enjoy, in N.T. only here and 1 Timothy 6:17. αιωνιος — Proskairos (from pros class="translit"> kairos) is a common Koiné word as the antithesis to aiōnios (eternal) as in Matthew 13:21; Mark 4:17; 2 Corinthians 4:18 (only N.T. examples). To have been disloyal to God‘s people would have brought enjoyment to Moses in the Egyptian Court for a short while only. [source]
Hebrews 11:25 To be entreated with [συνκακουχεισται]
Present passive infinitive of the double compound συνκακουχεω — sunkakoucheō (from συν κακοσ εχω — sun class="normal greek">κακουχεω — kakos class="normal greek">προσκαιρον εχειν αμαρτιας απολαυσιν — echō), to treat ill with (associative instrumental case), only known example save one in the papyri (second century a.d.), though Απολαυσις — kakoucheō in Hebrews 11:37; Hebrews 13:3. To enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season (απολαυω — proskairon echein hamartias apolausin). Literally, “to have temporary pleasure of sin.” Προσκαιρος — Apolausis is old word from προσ καιρος — apolauō to enjoy, in N.T. only here and 1 Timothy 6:17. αιωνιος — Proskairos (from pros class="translit"> kairos) is a common Koiné word as the antithesis to aiōnios (eternal) as in Matthew 13:21; Mark 4:17; 2 Corinthians 4:18 (only N.T. examples). To have been disloyal to God‘s people would have brought enjoyment to Moses in the Egyptian Court for a short while only. [source]
Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned [ελιταστησαν]
Like Zechariah son of Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:20). “A characteristic Jewish punishment” (Vincent). First aorist passive indicative of λιταζω — lithazō (John 10:31). They were sawn asunder First aorist passive indicative of πριω — priō or πριζω — prizō old verb Cruel Jewish punishment (Amos 1:3) said to have been inflicted on Isaiah. They were tempted First aorist passive indicative of πειραζω — peirazō The MSS. vary greatly in the text here and the order of these two items. This mild word seems an anticlimax after επριστησαν — epristhēsan One of the seven brothers was fried (2Macc 7:4) and so επρηστεσαν — eprēsthesan (were burned) from πιμπραω — pimpraō (Acts 28:6) has been suggested. With the sword “In (by) slaughter of the sword” (Ionic form of the genitive μαχαιρες — machaires as in Exodus 17:13; Numbers 21:24). The fate of unpopular prophets (1 Kings 10:10; Jeremiah 26:23). They went about Constative aorist active indicative of περιερχομαι — perierchomai (picturesque compound verb). Here the sufferings of the living. In sheep skins Late word from μηλον — mēlon (sheep), rough garment of prophets as Elijah (1 Kings 19:13, 1 Kings 19:19), here only in N.T. In Byzantine Greek a monk‘s garb. In goatskins Δερμα — Derma old word from δερω — derō to flay (Matthew 21:35), here only in N.T. Αιγειος — Aigeios old adjective (from αιχ — aix goat), here only in N.T. Being destitute Present passive participle of υστερεω — hustereō old verb to be left behind, used by Paul of himself (2 Corinthians 11:9). Afflicted Present passive participle of τλιβω — thlibō common verb to oppress. Evil entreated Present passive participle of κακουχεω — kakoucheō late compound verb from obsolete κακουχος — kakouchos (κακος — kakos and εχω — echō), in lxx (1Kings 2:26), in N.T. only here and Hebrews 13:3. See συνκακουχεισται — sunkakoucheisthai in Hebrews 11:25. [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 13:3 mean?

Remember - prisoners as being bound with [them] those being mistreated also yourselves being in [the] body
μιμνῄσκεσθε τῶν δεσμίων ὡς συνδεδεμένοι τῶν κακουχουμένων καὶ αὐτοὶ ὄντες ἐν σώματι

μιμνῄσκεσθε  Remember 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: μιμνῄσκομαι  
Sense: to remind.
τῶν  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δεσμίων  prisoners 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: δέσμιος  
Sense: bound, in bonds, a captive, a prisoner.
συνδεδεμένοι  being  bound  with  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: συνδέω  
Sense: to tie together, to bind together.
τῶν  those 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
κακουχουμένων  being  mistreated 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: κακουχέω  
Sense: to treat ill, oppress, plague.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
αὐτοὶ  yourselves 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὄντες  being 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
σώματι  [the]  body 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: σῶμα  
Sense: the body both of men or animals.