Limitless Word
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Hebrews 13:7 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.
  • BSB Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
  • NKJV Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.
  • NASB Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their way of life, imitate their faith.
  • NLT Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.

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

Believers should remember their leaders who taught God's word and imitate their faith by considering how their lives turned out. Faithful examples are meant to be followed.

Overview

These leaders had preached the gospel to the readers and lived consistently with it, likely even to a faithful death. The readers are to reflect on the outcome of their godly conduct and imitate the faith that shaped it. Such imitation points beyond the leaders to Christ, the supreme object and example of faith.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 25

  • 1 Th 5:12–13And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
  • Heb 13:17Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
  • Phil 3:17Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
  • Heb 6:12That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
  • 1 Th 1:6And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
  • Acts 14:23And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.
  • Matt 24:45Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
  • 1 Tim 3:5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
  • 1 Th 2:13For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
  • Rom 10:17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
  • Acts 4:31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
  • Song 1:8If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
  • 1 Cor 4:16Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
  • Heb 13:24Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.
  • Rev 20:4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
  • Rev 6:9And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
  • Luke 12:42And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
  • Rev 1:9I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
  • Luke 8:11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
  • 1 Cor 11:1Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
  • 2 Th 3:9Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
  • 1 Cor 10:13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
  • Acts 7:55–60But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
  • Acts 13:46Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
  • 2 Th 3:7For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Hebrews videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Hebrews 13:7YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on HebrewsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 13:7 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.