For our God is a consuming fire.
Parallel translations
- WEB for our God is a consuming fire.
- KJV For our God is a consuming fire.
- BSB “For our God is a consuming fire.”
- NASB for our God is a consuming fire.
- NLT For our God is a devouring fire.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
For our God is a consuming fire. He is to be approached with reverence because of his awesome holiness and justice.
Overview
Echoing Deuteronomy 4:24, the author grounds the call to reverent worship in God's character as "a consuming fire." Even under the new covenant of grace, God remains holy and not to be trifled with. This solemn note balances the joy of the heavenly Zion with awe, reminding believers that the God who welcomes them in Christ is still the holy Judge of all.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Deut 4:24For Yahweh your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.
- Deut 9:3Know therefore today, that Yahweh your God is he who goes over before you as a devouring fire. He will destroy them, and he will bring them down before you. So you shall drive them out, and make them perish quickly, as Yahweh has spoken to you.
- 2 Th 1:8giving vengeance to those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,
- Heb 10:27but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries.
- Isa 66:15For, behold, Yahweh will come with fire, and his chariots will be like the whirlwind; to render his anger with fierceness, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
- Exod 24:17The appearance of Yahweh’s glory was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
- Dan 7:9I saw until thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat: his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire.
- Ps 97:3A fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries on every side.
- Num 16:35Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.
- Num 11:1The people were complaining in the ears of Yahweh. When Yahweh heard it, his anger burned; and Yahweh’s fire burned among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
- Ps 50:3Our God comes, and does not keep silent. A fire devours before him. It is very stormy around him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.
How Hebrews 12:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.