Hebrews 10:35 tells believers not to give up the confidence they have in Christ, because that confidence will be rewarded. The verse is a short command with a long promise attached, and it sits in the middle of a passage that is urging Christians to keep going when faith is costly. The letter is traditionally attributed to Paul, though its authorship is debated, and it was written to a community of Jewish Christians who had already suffered for their faith.
Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward.
Hebrews 10:35 (WEB)
What Hebrews 10:35 Means
The phrase “therefore don’t throw away” is a warning against a specific temptation: quietly abandoning the faith you once boldly held. The word “therefore” tells you the command rests on what has just been said, namely the reminder of how these readers stood firm before. The writer is not asking them to start over. He is asking them not to let go of what they already have.
“Your boldness” refers to open, fearless confidence in God and in the good news about Jesus. It is the willingness to speak and live as a believer even when it attracts hostility. The verse then promises that this boldness “has a great reward.” That reward is not described in detail here, but the surrounding chapter points toward receiving what God has promised, and the verse does not say that faithfulness will bring worldly comfort or freedom from trouble.
What the verse does not promise is an easy road. It assumes trials will continue. Its point is that the reward is worth holding on for, not that holding on will feel effortless.
The Context of Hebrews 10:35
Hebrews was written to people who had already endured a great deal. Verses 32 through 34 remind them of their earlier perseverance: they were publicly insulted and persecuted, they stood beside others who suffered the same, and some even lost property but accepted it with joy because they knew they had a better and lasting possession in heaven. Verse 35 builds on that memory. The writer is saying, in effect, that the courage they showed then should not be abandoned now.
The verses that follow explain why endurance matters. Verse 36 says endurance is needed so that, after doing God’s will, they may receive the promise. Verses 37 and 38 quote a passage about the one who is coming and about the righteous living by faith. Read in this setting, Hebrews 10:35 is not a standalone slogan about positive thinking. It is part of an argument that faith is a sustained trust in God that carries people through long seasons of waiting.
Key Phrases in Hebrews 10:35
Hebrews 10:36
For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
(WEB)
Verse 36 is the sentence that comes right after and explains the reason for endurance. It shows that perseverance is what allows you to receive the promise once you have done God’s will. Reading the two verses together makes clear that the call not to give up is linked to a specific goal that God has set before his people.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.
(WEB)
Paul’s encouragement to the Galatians uses similar language about not growing weary in doing good, with the reminder that a harvest will come in its time. It echoes the same pattern found in Hebrews: keep going because the reward is real and will arrive when God brings it about.
A Short Prayer From Hebrews 10:35
Lord, you know how tired I become when the road is long and the answers are slow. Please keep me from quietly letting go of the confidence I have placed in you. Remind me of the faithfulness you have shown in the past, and give me the courage to keep speaking to you honestly. Help me trust that what you have promised is worth waiting for, and that you will not leave me empty when the time comes. Amen.
