Bible Strands
Hebrews 10:31
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The unnamed author of Hebrews writes to Jewish believers who are drifting back toward the temple system, possibly under persecution. This verse is a warning bracketed by a citation of God's vengeance (10:30) and a call to remember their early endurance (10:32).
The words — ἐμπεσεῖν (empesein) means "to fall into," an involuntary, uncontrolled motion like being cast down, not a deliberate step. φοβερὸν (phoberon) carries the sense of "awful, dreadful," stronger than a mild "fearful."
The thread — The immediate source is Deuteronomy 32:35, quoted in the preceding verse. The same author echoes the thought in Hebrews 12:29 ("our God is a consuming fire"), and Jesus' own sayings in Matthew 10:28 and Luke 12:5 pair "fear the One who" with the same object.
Why it lands — The verse is not an appeal to emotion but a correction of casualness: God is alive, and falling into His hands is not a neutral or survivable event. It asks the reader to weigh their drift against a God who acts, not merely observes.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Cross-references
- Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Luke 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!
- Hebrews 12:29 “For our God is a consuming fire.”
- Isaiah 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?”
- Psalms 76:7 You alone are to be feared. When You are angry, who can stand before You?
- Psalms 90:11 Who knows the power of Your anger? Your wrath matches the fear You are due.
- Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
- Hebrews 10:27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume all adversaries.
- Psalms 50:22 Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
- Luke 21:11 There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.