Hebrews 10:37

“For yet a very little while, and the one who is coming will come and will not delay.”
Hebrews 10:37 · direct translation from the Greek

Study it in the app

With the Greek beneath

Forγὰρyetἔτιa veryὅσον ὅσονlittle while,μικρὸνandthe one who is comingὁ ἐρχόμενοςwill comeἥξειandκαὶwill notοὐdelay.χρονίσει

Quotation · Habakkuk 2:3-4

Go to Habakkuk 2:3-4

Hebrews quotes without a formula. It says “the one who is coming,” with the article, and puts the two sentences of Habakkuk 2:4 in reverse order.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἔτι γὰρ μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει καὶ οὐ χρονίσει ὁ δὲ δίκαιός μου ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται καὶ ἐὰν ὑποστείληται οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ

Hebrew (Masoretic text): כִּי עוֹד חָזוֹן לַמּוֹעֵד וְיָפֵחַ לַקֵּץ וְלֹא יְכַזֵּב אִם יִתְמַהְמָהּ חַכֵּה לוֹ כִּי בֹא יָבֹא לֹא יְאַחֵר הִנֵּה עֻפְּלָה לֹא יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה

Septuagint (Habakkuk 2:3-4 in the Septuagint numbering): διότι ἔτι ὅρασις εἰς καιρόν, καὶ ἀνατελεῖ εἰς πέρας καὶ οὐκ εἰς κενόν· ἐὰν ὑστερήσῃ, ὑπόμεινον αὐτόν, ὅτι ἐρχόμενος ἥξει καὶ οὐ μὴ χρονίσῃ. ἐὰν ὑποστείληται, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχὴ μου ἐν αὐτῷ· ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως μου ζήσεται.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 9 consecutive words: “ἐὰν ὑποστείληται οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν αὐτῷ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Hebrews 10:37, word by word

little whileμικρὸνmikron

little while

A short amount, or a brief time that soon passes.

Where else “mikron” appears

the one who is comingἐρχόμενοςerchomenos

come

To move to where someone is or to a place, and be present there.

Where else “erchomenos” appears

will comeἥξειhēxei

have come

Come, arrive, be here.

Where else “hēxei” appears

delayχρονίσειchronisei

delay, be long

Delay, be long in coming, take time.

Where else “chronisei” appears

Translation note

This recalls Isaiah 26:20 and Habakkuk 2:3 according to the Greek Old Testament.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Habakkuk 2:3-4

Hebrews quotes without a formula. It says “the one who is coming,” with the article, and puts the two sentences of Habakkuk 2:4 in reverse order.

See them side by side

Hebrews 10:37

³⁷For yet a very little while, and the one who is coming will come and will not delay.

Habakkuk 2:3-4

³For the vision is yet for the appointed time; and it hastens toward the end, and it will not lie. If it delays, wait for it, for it will surely come; it will not be late.

The context

36For you need perseverance, so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

37 · This verse (above)

38But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul takes no pleasure in him.

Read all of Hebrews 10

How to use it