Hebrews 5:11

Hebrews 5:11

Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing,

a. NLT: There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen.

b. NIV: We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.

c. YLT: Concerning whom we have much discourse and of hard explanation to say, since ye have become dull of hearing,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull in your [spiritual] hearing and sluggish [even slothful in achieving spiritual insight].

e. Worrell Translation: Concerning Whom we have much to say and difficult to explain, since ye have become dull of hearing.

f. Wuest Translation: There is much that we can be saying, yet when it comes to the saying of it, one finds it difficult to explain, because you have become those who are in a setteled state of sluggishness, yes, of stupidity, in your apprehension of the same.

1. “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered…”

a. Of [Strong: 4012 peri per-ee' from the base of 4008; properly, through (all over), i.e. around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period):--(there-)about, above, against, at, on behalf of, X and his company, which concern, (as) concerning, for, X how it will go with, ((there-, where-)) of, on, over, pertaining (to), for sake, X (e-)state, (as) touching, (where-)by (in), with. In comparative, it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness (through).]

b. whom [Strong: 3739 hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

c. we [Strong: 2254 hemin hay-meen' dative case plural of 1473; to (or for, with, by) us:--our, (for) us, we.]

d. [have] many things [Strong: 4183 polus pol-oos' including the forms from the alternate pollos; (singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many; neuter (singular) as adverbial, largely; neuter (plural) as adverb or noun often, mostly, largely:--abundant, + altogether, common, + far (passed, spent), (+ be of a) great (age, deal, -ly, while), long, many, much, oft(-en (-times)), plenteous, sore, straitly.]

e. to say [Strong: 3056 logos log'-os from 3004; something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ):--account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say(-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.]

f. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

g. hard [Strong: 1421 dusermeneutos doos-er-mane'-yoo-tos from 1418 and a presumed derivative of 2059; difficult of explanation:--hard to be uttered.] [Zodhiates: Difficult to explain, hard to understand.]

h. to be uttered [Strong: 3004 lego leg'-o a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas 2036 and 5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while 4483 is properly to break silence merely, and 2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:--ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.]

1). When the group you are ministering to is dull of hearing, lazy in seeking spiritual understanding, it makes preaching or teaching them difficult.  

2. “…seeing ye are dull of hearing.”

a. seeing [Strong: 1893 epei ep-i' from 1909 and 1487; thereupon, i.e. since (of time or cause):--because, else, for that (then, -asmuch as), otherwise, seeing that, since, when.]

b. ye are [Strong: 1096 ginomai ghin'-om-ahee a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.]

c. dull [Strong: 3576  nothros no-thros' from a derivative of 3541; sluggish, i.e. (literally) lazy, or (figuratively) stupid:--dull, slothful.] [Zodhiates: Slothful, sluggish, dull.] [Bullinger: lazy.]

b. hearing [Strong: 189 akoe ak-o-ay' from 191; hearing (the act, the sense or the thing heard):--audience, ear, fame, which ye heard, hearing, preached, report, rumor.]    

1). The English phrase “dull of hearing” is also used in Matthew 13:15 and in Acts 28:27.

a). Matthew 13:15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

b). Acts 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

c). The Greek word used in these verses is bareos [917], and it means heavily, with difficulty. Both are from a prophecy in Isaiah 6:9, 10.

(1) Isaiah 6:9, 10 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

(2) It is necessary to see that if we just cite the passage from Isaiah it appears God made them that way and the blame falls on God. Yet when Jesus and Paul quoted the Isaiah 6:9, 10 verses I cited above, both Jesus and Paul placed the responsibility for the condition of the people upon the people themselves.

(3) In all three usages of the phrase “dull of hearing”, all three cannot hear spiritually. It was for this reason that Jesus repeatedly said, “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”

2). Dull of hearing is being spiritually asleep.

a). Romans 11:7, 8 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded [Other translations use “hardened”]

8 According as it written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

3). It is a spiritual condition similar to drunkenness and will produce spiritual ignorance and a sinful life.

a). Isaiah 29:9-12 Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.

11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:

12 And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

b). 1 Corinthians 15:34 Amplified Bible: Awake from your drunken stupor and return to sober sense and your right minds, and sin no more. For some of you have not the knowledge of God—you are utterly and willfully and disgracefully ignorant, and continue to be so, lacking the sense of God’s presence and all true knowledge of Him. I say this to your shame.

4). Those who are spiritually asleep will not make the rapture.

a). 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.

8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

5). No wonder that Peter exhorts us 3 times in his first epistle to be sober.

a). 1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

b). 1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

c). 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

6). It all begins with being spiritually lazy. Laziness produces thorns.

a). Proverbs 24:30-34 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding:

31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

7). The laziness that produces thorns will choke the word out of our lives.

 

a). Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

      

8). It will also cause us to be unworthy to escape a snare that will come in the last days.

a). Luke 21:34-36 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

9). Another powerful example of laziness comes from the book of Joshua. In this passage, Joshua rebukes seven of the tribes of Israel who had not pursued the inheritance that God had given them.

a). Joshua 18:1-3 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.

2 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.

3 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?

b). In light of the material we have been going over it is fitting that this passage from Joshua could be applied to contemporary Christians.