and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.
Parallel translations
- KJV If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
- BSB and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.
- NKJV if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
- NASB and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
- NLT and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.
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
If such people then fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, for they re-crucify the Son of God and expose him to open shame. Deliberate, decisive apostasy is a grave and perilous condition.
Overview
This sober warning has long been debated among faithful Christians. Some understand it as describing a hardened, willful apostasy from which there is no return; others, given Hebrews' overall confidence in perseverance, see it as a hypothetical pressed to spur the readers to endure. All agree on its purpose: to warn professing believers against the deadly sin of repudiating Christ after knowing him. To turn back to the old system is to side with those who crucified him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 2 Pet 2:21For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
- Heb 10:29How much worse punishment do you think he will be judged worthy of who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
- Heb 6:4For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,
- 1 Jn 5:16If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this.
- Isa 1:28But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and those who forsake Yahweh shall be consumed.
- 2 Tim 2:25in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,
- Ps 51:10Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
- Mark 15:29–32Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who destroy the temple, and build it in three days,
- Matt 27:38–44Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left.
- Luke 23:35–39The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”
- Zech 12:10–14I will pour on David’s house, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him, as one grieves for his firstborn.
- Heb 12:2looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Matt 19:26Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- Luke 11:48So you testify and consent to the works of your fathers. For they killed them, and you build their tombs.
- Matt 23:31–32Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those who killed the prophets.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 6:6 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.