Hebrews 13:17 (ASV)

Passage

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit [to them]: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this [were] unprofitable for you.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 13:15 Through him then let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name.

Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit [to them]: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this [were] unprofitable for you.

Hebrews 13:18 Pray for us: for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.

Hebrews 13:19 And I exhort [you] the more exceedingly to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "obey", "rule", "over", "submit", "watch", "behalf", "souls", and "shall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "obey" and "rule", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "But to do good and to communicate..." into verse 18's "Pray for us for we are persuaded...", so "obey" and "rule" belong inside that flow. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "obey" and "rule" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.