Hebrews 12:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He speaks as though to swift runners, fighters, and combatants. Do you see how he arms them, how he awakens them? He says this about the thoughts themselves: walk straight, that is, go straight without wavering.

If chastening comes from love and gracious care, and leads to a good end, as he has proved by deeds, words, and everything, then why do you grow weak? Only those who despair act this way, being unsupported by hope for the future.

Walk straight, he says, so that what is lame may no longer be twisted, but may return to its former condition. For one who walks while limping increases this evil. Do you see that it depends on us to be completely healed?

“And make straight paths for your feet” (Prov 4:26), “so that what is lame may not be turned aside, but rather be healed.” Here he speaks as though to swift runners, just as he said above, “Let us run with endurance.”

Therefore he says, “Make straight paths.” A “path” is either the track of a running chariot imprinted on the ground, or the place beneath the feet of runners.

Thus he says, let your paths, or your ways, be easy and level. That is, let there be nothing rough, sorrowful, or uneven in your souls. Walk straight, without grief and with ease.

Do this so that, being lame, that is, naturally disposed to excessive faintheartedness, as the Jews were, for such is this people, or lame with regard to faith in the future, you may not be forced to wander.

"Straighten the hands that hang down and the weakened knees" (Is 35:3). That is, let the paths of your feet, during persecutions against you by your persecutors, not be crooked. Let what is lame, that is, the one who sins through denial of the faith, not fall (Prov 4:26) and gladden sin. Rather, let it be healed, so that through its healing sin itself may be made sick.

In this, the Apostle cited one thing from Proverbs and another from Isaiah's prophecy. The instruction placed in Proverbs teaches, "Make straight paths for your feet" (Prov 4:26). The prophet Isaiah said, "Strengthen the weakened hands and the feeble knees" (Is 35:3). By this the divine Apostle indicates that those weakened by many dangers became very slow on the path of piety. This is sufficient to overthrow the arrogance of Novatus. For the Apostle strengthens those who had contended gloriously and then grown weak. He heals them with the remedies of repentance, speaking of "what is lame" and promising healing. He also sets before them rules of active virtue.

"And make straight paths for your feet." This expression is taken from Solomon, who calls "paths" the ways along which one may either run or walk (Prov 4:26). Walk straight, says the Apostle, without being shaken by doubts. "So that what is lame may not be turned aside." Let your lameness not turn toward what is worse. For one who moves while lame intensifies the illness and makes it hard to heal, or even altogether incurable. "But rather let it be healed." Here also "that" is used in connection with the preceding proposition. Rather, let the lameness be healed, so that it may be possible to walk rightly. Do not waver with thoughts that draw one toward negligence, frivolity, and weakness. Instead, walk the unwavering and unchanging path of faith.

Then the Apostle continues the exhortation begun at the start of the chapter and persuades the readers to strengthen one another in faith, so that no one may fall short of grace. The readers must make for their feet, τοῖς ποσίν in the dative, or for their Christian course, a straight path. On it they must walk without turning either to the right or to the left, while also supporting those who grow weary.