Hebrew 12:13

Syriac Peshitta (NT Only)

ܘܰܫܒ݂ܺܝܠܶܐ ܬ݁ܪܺܝܨܶܐ ܥܒ݂ܶܕ݂ܘ ܠܪܶܓ݂ܠܰܝܟ݁ܽܘܢ ܕ݁ܗܰܕ݁ܳܡܳܐ ܕ݁ܰܚܓ݂ܺܝܪ ܠܳܐ ܢܶܛܥܰܫ ܐܶܠܳܐ ܢܶܬ݂ܰܐܣܶܐ ܀

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

make: Proverbs 4:26, Proverbs 4:27, Isaiah 35:3, Isaiah 35:8-10, Isaiah 40:3, Isaiah 40:4, Isaiah 42:16, Isaiah 58:12, Jeremiah 18:15, Luke 3:5

straight: or, even

lame: Isaiah 35:6, Jeremiah 31:8, Jeremiah 31:9

but let: Galatians 6:1, Jude 1:22, Jude 1:23

Reciprocal: Leviticus 11:22 - General Deuteronomy 19:3 - General Deuteronomy 20:3 - let not Deuteronomy 22:4 - thou shalt surely 1 Samuel 23:16 - strengthened Ezra 10:4 - be of good Psalms 5:8 - make Psalms 31:24 - Be of Isaiah 57:14 - take Isaiah 62:10 - go through Micah 4:6 - will I Zephaniah 3:19 - and I will save Matthew 12:20 - bruised Matthew 18:14 - one Luke 22:32 - strengthen John 14:1 - not John 21:15 - lambs Acts 18:23 - strengthening Acts 20:35 - how that Romans 14:21 - whereby Hebrews 5:2 - them Hebrews 6:1 - let James 5:19 - and one

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And make straight paths for your feet,.... By "feet" are meant the walk and conversation of the saints, both in the church, and in the world, Song of Solomon 7:1 and there are paths made ready for these feet to walk in; as the good old paths of truth, of the word and worship of God, of faith and holiness: and to make these paths "straight", is to make the word of God the rule of walking; to avoid carefully joining anything with it as a rule; to attend constantly on the ordinances of Christ; to go on evenly in a way of believing on him; to walk in some measure worthy of the calling wherewith we are called, and by way of example to others.

Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; a lame member, as the Syriac version, a lame member of the body of Christ, the church; or a lame person, as the Arabic version, a weak believer; one that is ready to halt, either through the corruption of nature, or through the weakness of grace, or through want of light and judgment, and through instability and inconstancy; lest such an one should, through the irregular walk and conversation of others, be stumbled and offended, and go out of the way, and leave the paths of righteousness and truth. God takes care of, and has a regard to such, and he would have others also, Micah 4:6. The Ethiopic version reads, "that your halting may be healed, and not offended": that you yourselves may not halt and stumble.

But let it rather be healed; the fallen believer be restored, the weak brother be confirmed, the halting professor be strengthened, and everyone be built up and established upon the most holy faith, and in the pure ways of the Gospel.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And make straight paths for your feet - Margin, “even.” The word used here means properly straight, in the sense of upright, erect; Acts 14:10; but it is used here in the sense of straight horizontally, that is, level, plain, smooth. The meaning is, that they were to remove all obstacles out of the way, so that they need not stumble and fail. There is probably an allusion here to Proverbs 4:25-27. “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.” The idea is, that by every proper means they were to make the way to heaven as plain and easy as possible. They were to allow no obstructions in the path over which the lame and feeble might fall.

Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way - A lame man needs a smooth path to walk in. The idea is here, that everything which would prevent those in the church who were in any danger of falling - the feeble, the unestablished, the weak - from walking in the path to heaven, or which might be an occasion to them of falling, should be removed. Or it may mean, that in a road that was not level, those who were lame would be in danger of spraining, distorting, or wrenching a lame limb; and the counsel is, that whatever would have a tendency to this should be removed. Divested of the figure, the passage means, that everything should be removed which would hinder anyone from walking in the path to life.

But let it rather be healed - As in the case of lameness, pains should be taken to heal it rather than to suffer it to be increased by careless exposure to a new sprain or fracture, so it should be in our religious and moral character. Whatever is defective we should endeavor to restore to soundness, rather than to suffer the defect to be increased. Whatever is feeble in our faith or hope; whatever evil tendency there is in our hearts, we should endeavor to strengthen and amend, lest it should become worse, and we should entirely fall.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hebrews 12:13. Make straight paths for your feet — That is, Take the straight path that is before you, do not go in crooked or rough ways, where are stones, briers, and thorns, by which you will be inevitably lamed, and so totally prevented from proceeding in the way; whereas, if you go in the even, proper path, though you have been wounded by getting into a wrong way, that which was wounded will be healed by moderate, equal exercise, all impediments being removed. The application of all this to a correct, holy deportment in religious life, is both natural and easy.