Hebrews 12:8

Christian Standard Bible ®

But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Parallel Translations

King James Version (1611)
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sonnes.

King James Version
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

English Standard Version
If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

New American Standard Bible
But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

New Century Version
If you are never disciplined (and every child must be disciplined), you are not true children.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Legacy Standard Bible
But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Berean Standard Bible
If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.

Contemporary English Version
God corrects all of his children, and if he doesn't correct you, then you don't really belong to him.

Complete Jewish Bible
All legitimate sons undergo discipline ; so if you don't, you're a mamzer and not a son!

Darby Translation
But if ye are without chastening, of which all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Easy-to-Read Version
So, if you never receive the discipline that every child must have, you are not true children and don't really belong to God.

Geneva Bible (1587)
If therefore ye be without correction, whereof al are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sonnes.

George Lamsa Translation
But if you are without discipline, that very discipline by which every man is trained, then you are strangers and not sons.

Good News Translation
If you are not punished, as all his children are, it means you are not real children, but bastards.

Lexham English Bible
But if you are without discipline, in which all legitimate sons have become participants, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

Literal Translation
But if you are without discipline, of which all have become sharers, then you are bastards, and not sons.

Amplified Bible
Now if you are exempt from correction and without discipline, in which all [of God's children] share, then you are illegitimate children and not sons [at all].

American Standard Version
But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Bible in Basic English
But if you have not that punishment of which we all have our part, then you are not true sons, but children of shame.

Hebrew Names Version
But if you are without discipline, whereof all have been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not sons.

International Standard Version
Now if you are without any discipline, in which all sons share, then you are illegitimate and not his sons.Psalm 73:1; 1 Peter 5:9;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And if ye be without the correction with which every one is corrected, ye are aliens, and not children.

Murdock Translation
But if ye are without that chastisement, with which every one is chastened, ye are become strangers and not sons.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But yf ye be without chastisment, wherof all are partakers, then are ye bastardes, and not sonnes.

English Revised Version
But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

World English Bible
But if you are without discipline, whereof all have been made partakers, then are you illegitimate, and not sons.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But if ye are without chastning, of which all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.

Weymouth's New Testament
And if you are left without discipline, of which every true son has had a share, that shows that you are bastards, and not true sons.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
That if ye `ben out of chastising, whos parteneris ben ye alle maad, thanne ye ben auowtreris, and not sones.

Update Bible Version
But if you are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons.

Webster's Bible Translation
But if ye are without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.

New English Translation
But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons.

New King James Version
But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

New Living Translation
If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all.

New Life Bible
If you are not punished as all sons are, it means that you are not a true son of God. You are not a part of His family and He is not your Father.

New Revised Standard
If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If however ye are without discipline, whereof, all, have received a share, then, are ye, bastards, and, not sons.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards and not sons.

Revised Standard Version
If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
If ye be not vnder correccio (where of all are part takers) then are ye bastardes and not sonnes.

Young's Literal Translation
and if ye are apart from chastening, of which all have become partakers, then bastards are ye, and not sons.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf ye be not vnder correccion (wherof all are partakers) then are ye bastardes and not sonnes.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but if you were exempted from that discipline which others are subject to, then are you bastards, and not sons.

Simplified Cowboy Version
If God doesn't discipline you then it means you are a bastard and don't have a father.

Contextual Overview

⁴In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: ⁶for the Lord disciplines the one he lovesand punishes every son he receives. ⁷Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? ⁸But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. ⁹Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? ¹⁰For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness. ¹¹No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. ¹²Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, ¹³and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Hebrews 12:6, Psalms 73:1, Psalms 73:14, Psalms 73:15, 1 Peter 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 23:2 - General Psalms 73:5 - They are Proverbs 1:32 - and the Hosea 4:14 - punish

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
A son was born to Seth also, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.

Genesis 12:12
When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me but let you live.

Genesis 12:14
When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

Genesis 12:15
Pharaoh’s officials saw her and praised her to Pharaoh, so the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s household.

Genesis 12:16
He treated Abram well because of her, and Abram acquired flocks and herds, male and female donkeys, male and female slaves, and camels.

Genesis 13:4
to the site where he had built the altar. And Abram called on the name of the Lord there.

Genesis 21:33
Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.

Genesis 28:19
and named the place Bethel, though previously the city was named Luz.

Genesis 35:3
We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me everywhere I have gone.”

Joshua 7:2
Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and scout the land.” So the men went up and scouted Ai.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But if ye be without chastisement,.... Or have no affliction:

whereof all are partakers; that is, all the children of God; they are all alike children; they are all in a state of imperfection, and prone to sin; God has an impartial respect unto them: and though they are not all alike chastened, nor chastened at all times, yet none are exempted from chastisement, but have it in some way or another, and at some time or another.

Then are ye bastards, and not sons; all are not sons that are under a profession of religion; all that are under a profession of religion are not chastised; but then those are not the children of God, but the children of the world, of Satan, and of the antichristian harlot; for though all that are chastised are not children, yet all that are children are chastised: hence we learn, that outward peace and prosperity is not a note of a true church; and that such have reason to distrust their state, who know not what it is to have the chastising rod of God upon them; and that afflictions are rather arguments for than against sonship.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But if ye be without chastisement - If you never meet with anything that is adapted to correct your faults; to subdue your temper; to chide your wanderings, it would prove that you were in the condition of illegitimate children - cast off and disregarded by their father.

Whereof all are partakers - All who are the true children of God.

Then are ye bastards, and not sons - The reference here is to the neglect with which such children are treated, and to the general want of care and discipline over them:

“Lost in the world’s wide range; enjoin’d no aim,

Prescrib’d no duty, and assign’d no name.”

Savage.

In the English law, a bastard is termed “nullius filius.” Illegitimate children are usually abandoned by their father. The care of them is left to the mother, and the father endeavors to avoid all responsibility, and usually to be concealed and unknown. His own child he does not wish to recognize; he neither provides for him; nor instructs him; nor governs him; nor disciplines him. A father, who is worthy of the name, will do all these things. So Paul says it is with Christians. God has not cast them off. In every way he evinces toward them the character of a father. And if it should be that they passed along through life without any occurrence that would indicate the paternal care and attention designed to correct their faults, it would show that they never had been his children, but - were cast off and wholly disregarded. This is a beautiful argument; and we should receive every affliction as full proof that we are not forgotten by the High and Holy One who condescends to sustain to us the character, and to evince toward us, in our wanderings, the watchful care of a Father.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Hebrews 12:8. Then are ye bastards — This proceeds on the general fact, that bastards are neglected in their manners and education; the fathers of such, feeling little affection for, or obligation to regard, their spurious issue. But all that are legitimate children are partakers of chastisement or discipline; for the original word παιδεια does not imply stripes and punishments, but the whole discipline of a child, both at home and at school.