Hebrews 12:13
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
American King James Version (AKJV)
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
American Standard Version (ASV)
and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather be healed.
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And make straight roads for your feet, so that the feeble may not be turned out of the way, but may be made strong.
Webster's Revision
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
World English Bible
and make straight paths for your feet, so that which is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
English Revised Version (ERV)
and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather be healed.
Definitions for Hebrews 12:13
Clarke's Hebrews 12:13 Bible Commentary
Make straight paths for your feet - That is, Take the straight path that is before you, do not go in crooked or rough ways, where are stones, briers, and thorns, by which you will be inevitably lamed, and so totally prevented from proceeding in the way; whereas, if you go in the even, proper path, though you have been wounded by getting into a wrong way, that which was wounded will be healed by moderate, equal exercise, all impediments being removed. The application of all this to a correct, holy deportment in religious life, is both natural and easy.
Barnes's Hebrews 12:13 Bible Commentary
And make straight paths for your feet - Margin, "even." The word used here means properly straight, in the sense of upright, erect; Acts 14:10; but it is used here in the sense of straight horizontally, that is, level, plain, smooth. The meaning is, that they were to remove all obstacles out of the way, so that they need not stumble and fail. There is probably an allusion here to Proverbs 4:25-27. "Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil." The idea is, that by every proper means they were to make the way to heaven as plain and easy as possible. They were to allow no obstructions in the path over which the lame and feeble might fall.
Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way - A lame man needs a smooth path to walk in. The idea is here, that everything which would prevent those in the church who were in any danger of falling - the feeble, the unestablished, the weak - from walking in the path to heaven, or which might be an occasion to them of falling, should be removed. Or it may mean, that in a road that was not level, those who were lame would be in danger of spraining, distorting, or wrenching a lame limb; and the counsel is, that whatever would have a tendency to this should be removed. Divested of the figure, the passage means, that everything should be removed which would hinder anyone from walking in the path to life.
But let it rather be healed - As in the case of lameness, pains should be taken to heal it rather than to suffer it to be increased by careless exposure to a new sprain or fracture, so it should be in our religious and moral character. Whatever is defective we should endeavor to restore to soundness, rather than to suffer the defect to be increased. Whatever is feeble in our faith or hope; whatever evil tendency there is in our hearts, we should endeavor to strengthen and amend, lest it should become worse, and we should entirely fall.
Wesley's Hebrews 12:13 Bible Commentary
12:13 And make straight paths both for your own and for their feet - Remove every hinderance, every offence.That the lame - They who are weak, scarce able to walk.Be not turned out of the way - Of faith and holiness.