Hebrews 13:17 (DBY)

Passage

Obey your leaders, and be submissive; for *they* watch over your souls as those that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not groaning, for this [would be] unprofitable for you.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer [the] sacrifice of praise continually to God, that is, [the] fruit of [the] lips confessing his name.

Hebrews 13:16 But of doing good and communicating [of your substance] be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders, and be submissive; for *they* watch over your souls as those that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not groaning, for this [would be] unprofitable for you.

Hebrews 13:18 Pray for us: for we persuade ourselves that we have a good conscience, in all things desirous to walk rightly.

Hebrews 13:19 But I much more beseech [you] to do this, that I may the more quickly be restored to you.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "But of doing good and communicating of..." into verse 18's "Pray for us for we persuade ourselves...", so "obey" and "leaders" 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 "leaders" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.