“And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.”
My Notes
What Does Hebrews 13:22 Mean?
"Suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words." The writer of Hebrews closes with a remarkable request: bear with this message. The word "suffer" (anecho — to hold up, to endure, to bear with) acknowledges that the letter has been challenging. The reader has been stretched. The theology has been dense. The demands have been high. And the writer asks: please endure it.
The phrase "in few words" (dia bracheon) is either humble understatement (Hebrews is thirteen chapters long) or a genuine claim that the letter is compressed — that the full argument would require much more space. Either way, the writer acknowledges the intensity and asks for patience with it.
The term "word of exhortation" (logos tes parakleseos — word of encouragement/exhortation) is the same phrase used in Acts 13:15 for a synagogue sermon. The writer characterizes the entire letter as a sermon — a sustained word of encouragement that happens to be written rather than spoken.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What word of exhortation are you currently struggling to bear?
- 2.Why does the writer acknowledge the letter's difficulty rather than pretending it was easy?
- 3.How is an uncomfortable message actually a form of encouragement?
- 4.What truth have you received that required endurance to process?
Devotional
Bear with the exhortation. I know it was a lot. The writer closes Hebrews by acknowledging what anyone who's read the letter already knows: this was intense. The theology was demanding. The applications were uncomfortable. The warnings were severe. And the writer asks: please endure it.
The request to 'suffer the word' is the most honest closing in the New Testament. It admits that the letter was hard. It doesn't pretend the reader enjoyed every paragraph. It simply asks: bear with it. The difficulty was necessary. The challenge was intentional. The exhortation serves your good even when it doesn't feel good.
The 'few words' claim is either the most humble or the most audacious statement in the letter — Hebrews is the longest single argument in the New Testament. If this is 'few words,' what would many words look like? The writer is saying: I could have said more. Much more. What you received is the compressed version of what needed to be said.
Every demanding message needs this closing: please bear with it. The preacher who challenges you, the friend who confronts you, the Scripture that presses you — they're asking for the same patience: endure the word. The difficulty is the delivery mechanism for the truth. If you can't bear the exhortation, you can't receive the encouragement.
What word of exhortation are you struggling to bear right now? The asking is part of the process. Bear with it. The few words carry more than you realize.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And I beseech you, brethren,.... The apostle closes his epistle to the Hebrews in a very tender and affectionate manner,…
Suffer the word of exhortation - Referring to the arguments and counsels in this whole Epistle, which is in fact a…
Suffer the word of exhortation - Bear the word or doctrine of this exhortation. This seems to be an epithet of this…
Here, I. The apostle recommends himself, and his fellow-sufferers, to the prayers of the Hebrew believers (Heb 13:18):…
suffer the word of exhortation "Bear with the word of my exhortation." Comp. Act 13:15. This is a courteous apology for…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture