Hebrews 10:35 tells believers not to give up the confident trust they first had in Christ, because that confidence carries a great reward. The writer is speaking to Christians who have suffered for their faith and are tempted to quietly walk away from it, and he urges them to hold on.
Therefore don’t throw away your boldness, which has a great reward.
Hebrews 10:35 (WEB)
What Hebrews 10:35 Means
The word “therefore” links this verse to what comes before it. The writer has just reminded his readers of how they stood firm during earlier persecution, so the instruction here follows from that memory. The phrase “don’t throw away” is a warning against abandoning something valuable, much like a person who drops a useful tool in frustration. The thing at risk is “boldness,” which means open, fearless confidence in speaking about and trusting God.
The verse promises that this boldness “has a great reward.” It does not say the reward comes instantly or that suffering will end on your schedule. It says that the confidence you keep now is connected to something God will give later, and that holding on is not wasted effort.
The Context of Hebrews 10:35
The letter to the Hebrews is traditionally attributed to Paul, though its author is not named in the text and many scholars consider the question open. Its original audience was a group of Jewish Christians who were under pressure, possibly tempted to return to the familiar practices of temple worship and to set aside their faith in Jesus as the final priest and sacrifice. The book argues repeatedly that Christ is superior to everything that came before him.
Just before this verse, the author recalls how these same believers had shown compassion to fellow Christians in prison and accepted the loss of their own property with joy, since they knew they had a better and lasting possession in heaven. Just after it, he writes about the need for endurance and quotes from the prophet Habakkuk about the righteous living by faith. Read in that setting, the verse is not a general pep talk. It is a specific appeal to people whose earlier courage is evidence of what God has already done in them.
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)
This verse follows directly after our passage and explains why endurance matters. It connects boldness with patient trust in God’s timing, showing that confidence is meant to carry you through the waiting until the promise is fulfilled.
Romans 5:3-5
3 Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: 5 and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
(WEB)
Paul describes how suffering can produce endurance, character and hope in believers. It shows the same pattern of perseverance leading to a deeper, more settled confidence in God that Hebrews calls believers to protect.
A Short Prayer From Hebrews 10:35
Lord, when I feel tired and discouraged, I ask you to keep me from quietly giving up on the trust I once placed in you. Remind me of the faithfulness you have shown in the past, and give me the courage to come to you openly again today. Help me to believe that the confidence I hold onto now is not wasted, and that you will bring about the reward you have promised in your time. Amen.
