Hebrews 12:1 (DBY)

Passage

Let *us* also therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race that lies before us,

Nearby Context

Hebrews 12:1 Let *us* also therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race that lies before us,

Hebrews 12:2 looking stedfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before him, endured [the] cross, having despised [the] shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:3 For consider well him who endured so great contradiction from sinners against himself, that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "having", "great", "cloud", "witnesses", "surrounding", "laying", and "aside". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "having", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "looking stedfastly on Jesus the leader and...", so "therefore" and "having" should be read forward into that movement. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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