"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."
— Hebrews 10:36 (NIV)
Hebrews 10:36 was written to believers who were tired. They had started strong, paid a real price for their faith, and were tempted to quit. The writer tells them what they need now: endurance. This page gives the verse, what the key Greek words mean, where it sits in Hebrews 10, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about perseverance and Love and perseverance.
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The verse
The King James reads: "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."
"Need" is chreia (G5532), a necessity or lack. "Persevere" or "patience" is hypomonē (G5281), steady endurance, literally remaining under a load. "Will" is thelēma (G2307), what someone wants or intends. "Receive" is komizō (G2865), to carry off or obtain. "What he has promised" or "the promise" is epangelia (G1860), a promise or pledge.
Where it sits in Hebrews 10
A few verses earlier the writer reminds his readers of their past: "Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering" (Hebrews 10:32). They had stood with people in prison and "joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions" (Hebrews 10:34).
Just before verse 36 he says, "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded" (Hebrews 10:35). Right after it he quotes the prophets: "For, 'In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay'" (Hebrews 10:37). The chapter ends, "But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved" (Hebrews 10:39), which leads straight into the faith chapter, Hebrews 11.
What the verse is saying
The readers did not need a new start. They had already done hard things. What they needed was to keep going. Hypomonē is the word for that: staying under a weight instead of slipping out from under it.
The verse also puts things in order. You do the will of God, you keep enduring, and the promise comes at the end. That is the same picture as the race in Hebrews 12:1: "let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
Questions people ask
What does Hebrews 10:36 say?
In the NIV it says, "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." The KJV says, "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."
What does "you need to persevere" mean?
The Greek word is hypomonē, steady endurance, literally remaining under a load. The writer means keep going in faith instead of giving up, even when it costs you.
Why does the KJV say "patience" in Hebrews 10:36?
The KJV often translates hypomonē as "patience." Modern versions say "endurance" or "perseverance" because the word is about bearing up under pressure over time, not just waiting calmly.
What is the promise in Hebrews 10:36?
The verses around it point to Christ's return ("he who is coming will come," Hebrews 10:37) and the "better and lasting possessions" of Hebrews 10:34. The promise is what God has pledged to those who keep faith.
What verses go with Hebrews 10:36?
James 1:2-4 (let perseverance finish its work), Romans 5:3-4 (suffering produces perseverance), Galatians 6:9 (do not become weary in doing good), and Hebrews 12:1 (run with perseverance) are close companions.
