Hebrews 13:9 (DBY)

Passage

Be not carried away with various and strange doctrines; for [it is] good that the heart be confirmed with grace, not meats; those who have walked in which have not been profited by [them].

Nearby Context

Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders who have spoken to you the word of God; and considering the issue of their conversation, imitate their faith.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to-day, and to the ages [to come].

Hebrews 13:9 Be not carried away with various and strange doctrines; for [it is] good that the heart be confirmed with grace, not meats; those who have walked in which have not been profited by [them].

Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar of which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle;

Hebrews 13:11 for of those beasts whose blood is carried [as sacrifices for sin] into the [holy of] holies by the high priest, of these the bodies are burned outside the camp.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "grace", "carried", "away", "various", "strange", "doctrines", "good", and "heart". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "grace" and "carried", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and..." into verse 10's "We have an altar of which they...", so "grace" and "carried" 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 "grace" and "carried" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.