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Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.
  • BSB Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
  • NKJV Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
  • NASB Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.
  • NLT So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

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

Because of such a high priest, we may approach God's throne of grace boldly to receive mercy and timely help. Christ opens confident access to God for needy sinners.

Overview

The fitting response to Jesus' sympathetic, sinless priesthood is bold approach to the 'throne of grace.' There believers find mercy for past failures and grace for present needs. This verse beautifully expresses the gospel privilege of free, confident access to God through Christ, the very access the wilderness generation lacked through unbelief.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 17

  • Eph 3:12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
  • Heb 7:25Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
  • Heb 10:19–23Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
  • Heb 13:6So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
  • Phil 4:6–7Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
  • Isa 55:6–7Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
  • Eph 2:18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
  • 1 Pet 2:10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
  • Matt 7:7–11Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
  • 2 Cor 12:8–10For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
  • Rom 8:15–17For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
  • Heb 7:19For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
  • Lev 16:2And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.
  • Heb 9:5And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.
  • Exod 25:17–22And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
  • 1 Chr 28:11Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
  • Isa 27:11When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

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 4:16YouTube · 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 4:16 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.