The Meaning of Hebrews 13:6 Explained

Hebrews 13:6

KJV: So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

YLT: so that we do boldly say, 'The Lord is to me a helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me.'

Darby: So that, taking courage, we may say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid: what will man do unto me?

ASV: So that with good courage we say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: What shall man do unto me?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So that  we  may boldly  say,  The Lord  [is] my  helper,  and  I will  not  fear  what  man  shall do  unto me. 

What does Hebrews 13:6 Mean?

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 13:6

So that we say [ωστε ημας λεγειν]
The usual construction (the infinitive) with ωστε — hōste in the Koiné even when the idea is result instead of purpose. The accusative ημας — hēmas is that of general reference. With good courage Present active participle of ταρρεω — tharreō (Ionic and early Attic ταρσεω — tharseō Matthew 9:2) as in 2 Corinthians 5:6, 2 Corinthians 5:8. The accusative agreeing with ημας — hēmas “being of good courage.” The quotation is from Psalm 118:6. My helper “Helper to me” (ethical dative εμοι — emoi). οητος — Boēthos is old adjective (cf. βοητεω — boētheō to help, Hebrews 2:18), often in lxx as substantive, here only in N.T. I will not fear Volitive first future passive of ποβεομαι — phobeomai f0). [source]
So that we may boldly say [ὥστε θαρροῦντας ἡμᾶς λέγειν]
Lit. so that, being of good courage, we say. Θαρρεῖν tobe confident or bold, only here in Hebrews. Elsewhere only in Paul. The kindred form θαρσεῖν is used in N.T. only in the imperative θάρσει or θαρσεῖτε takecourage. See Matthew 9:2; Mark 6:50; John 16:33; Acts 23:11. [source]
The Lord is my helper, etc. []
From lxx, Psalm 107:6with slight alteration. Here, what shall man do unto me is an independent clause. lxx inserts and: “my helper and I will not fear,” and connects the last clause with “fear”: “I will not fear what man will do.” [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 13:6 mean?

So are confident we to say [The] Lord [is] my helper and not I will be afraid what shall do to me man
Ὥστε θαρροῦντας ἡμᾶς λέγειν Κύριος ἐμοὶ βοηθός [καὶ] οὐ φοβηθήσομαι τί ποιήσει μοι ἄνθρωπος

Ὥστε  So 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὥστε  
Sense: so that, insomuch that.
θαρροῦντας  are  confident 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: θαρρέω  
Sense: to be of good courage, be of good cheer.
λέγειν  to  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Κύριος  [The]  Lord  [is] 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
ἐμοὶ  my 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
βοηθός  helper 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: βοηθός  
Sense: a helper.
φοβηθήσομαι  I  will  be  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 1st Person Singular
Root: φοβέομαι 
Sense: to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away).
ποιήσει  shall  do 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
μοι  to  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἄνθρωπος  man 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.