A cloud of what?

A cloud of what?

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Hebrews 12:1, in practically every English translation – informs believers that they are surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses.” I think the phrase is misleading, and makes people imagine dead believers in heaven observing their activities – perhaps evaluating them.

I think that is wrong for several reasons. First, an exegesis of the book of Hebrews makes it clear that the witnesses in the context of Hebrews 12 are the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11, and others like them.

The heroes of faith have a number of things in common, but conscious residence in heaven is not one of them. According to the author of Hebrews, they all “died in faith, without receiving the promises” (11:13). They wanted to “obtain a better resurrection” (11:35). But they will not obtain that resurrection “apart from us” (11:40). So, they wait in their graves, unconscious of what is going on among us. They wait for Jesus to come again to raise them from the dead and reward their faith. It does not sound like they are capable of witnessing anything.

So, how can they be the witnesses of Hebrews 12:1? They are, but that gloss “witness” just gets in the way of our understanding it. You see, we are used to a witness being someone who sees something. We think of court cases in which the prosecuting attorney brings forth witnesses who saw the defendant commit the crime. The defense attorney brings forth witnesses who saw the defendant on the other side of town at the time, so what they saw suggests that the defendant could not have been the one.

But in the New Testament, a witness was not someone who saw something , it was someone who said something (μάρτυς), or something someone said (μαρτυρία). To witness (μαρτυρέω) was not the act of observing, but the act of testifying (μαρτύρομαι). Such witnessing produces a testimony (μαρτύριον) which serves as a means of proof evidence.

I attempt to choose glosses in my translation of the New Testament which emphasize how the words were used by New Testament authors, and try to avoid glosses which would suggest something else to common readers of English. Consequently, here are my choices for glosses for the word cluster in question.

Μαρτυρία in the New Testament – preferred gloss = “testimony”

• Mark 14:55, 56, 59; Luke 22:71; John 1:7, 19; 3:33; 5:31, 32, 34, 36; 8:13, 17; 21:24; Acts 22:18; 1 Timothy 3:7; Titus 1:13; 1 John 5:9, 10, 11; Revelation 1:2, 9; 6:9; 11:7; 12:11, 17; 19:10; 20:4.

Μαρτυρέω in the New Testament – preferred gloss = “testify”

• Matthew 23:31; Luke 4:22; John 1:7, 8, 15, 32, 34; 2:25; 3:11, 26, 28, 32; 4:39, 44; 5:31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 39; 7:7; 8:13, 14, 18; 10:25; 12:17; 13:21; 15:26, 27; 18:23, 37; 19:35; 21:24; Acts 6:3; 10:22, 43; 13:22; 14:3; 15:8; 16:2; 22:5, 12; 23:11; 26:5; Romans 3:21; 10:2; 2 Corinthians 8:3; Galatians 4:15; Colossians 4:13; 1 Timothy 5:10; 6:13; Hebrews 2:4; 7:8, 17; 10:15; 11:2, 4, 5, 39; 1 John 1:2; 4:14; 5:6, 7, 9, 10; 3 John 1:3, 6, 12; Revelation 1:2; 22:16, 18, 20.

Μαρτύρομαι in the New Testament – preferred gloss = “testifying”

• Acts 20:26; 26:22; Galatians 5:3; Ephesians 4:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:11.

Μάρτυς in the New Testament – preferred gloss = “testifier”

• Matthew 18:16; 26:65; Mark 14:63; Luke 11:48; 24:48; Acts 1:8, 22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 6:13; 7:58; 10:39, 41; 13:31; 22:15, 20; 26:16; Romans 1:9; 2 Corinthians 1:23; 13:1; Philippians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 2:5, 10; 1 Timothy 5:19; 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 10:28; 12:1; 1 Peter 5:1; Revelation 1:5; 2:13; 3:14; 11:3; 17:6.

This kind of thing is helpful in a student’s translation like mine, because I want to reflect the Greek words in my English translation. I also want my translation to be as consistent as possible.

Of course, there will be occasions when it is clear the gloss I prefer does not fit with what a particular biblical author is clearly saying. I would rather have to explain those exceptions as I teach, rather than use words that are familiar to the reader, but fail to convey the author’s intention.

Based on my analysis of this word-cluster in Greek, my current translation of Hebrews 12:1 is “

• Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of testifiers around us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us

Those who have gone on before us are now dead. They are not watching us. But their life stories are still testifying to their faith in God and his word. They cannot literally cheer us on, but our memories of their faith and faithfulness serve that purpose. Because of them and people like them, we can take courage, and run the race like they did.