The passage
      v1. The writer's first exhortation to his readers is that they keep on loving one another. It is very easy for love to wane, but they are to keep at it. Brotherly love is a central virtue in the Christian life and is probably best understood in the terms of compassion, rather than a warm feeling toward another person.
      v2. The second exhortation is for a recommitment to show hospitality toward travelling believers, probably believers who exercise a pastoral ministry of teaching or prophecy. Such hospitality often has unexpected rewards, as Abraham and Sarah discovered when they inadvertently entertained three divine messengers. Our guests may not be angels, but as messengers from God, they may well have a word for us.
      v3. The exhortation to remember those in prison is certainly not just an exhortation to remember. This is all about considering those who are suffering for the faith, and acting to do all that is possible to help them in their time of need. In practical terms, it's about seeing that they don't starve to death in prison, forgotten and abandoned by their brothers and sisters. The consideration we are to show stems from the solidarity we share as fellow believers, it is this solidarity that enables us to empathize with those who suffer.
      v4. Another matter of personal morality that requires attention is that of sexual immorality, in particular, adultery. The marriage bed should be kept esteemed, undefiled by the intrusion of a third person. Sexual relations image the depth of the union possible with God in Christ and so should not be polluted by either adultery, or degraded casual sex. Such behavior is sinful and prompts divine wrath, a wrath that could only be turned aside by the perfect sacrifice of Christ. Sexual sin is serious.
      v5. In discussions on covetousness, both chastity and contentment are the desired outcome. Both illicit sex and the love of things, seem to go hand in had, and so it is interesting that our writer, like Paul, maintains a link between the two. Our writer is not calling for simplicity, he is not an exponent of the simple-life movement, he is calling for disengagement, a stepping back from an overreliance on worldly wealth. The reason a believer can step back from an overreliance on things, is because God supports us during our journey to glory. This is affirmed in the quote from Deuteronomy 31:6, 8. As the Lord supported Israel in their journey to the promised land, so he will support us. Of course, we must be very careful not to jump to conclusions and define this support as "health, wealth and happiness." The Lord supports us as he sees fit.
      v6. The consequence of accepting that the Lord is on our side, prompts a courageous response in the face of life's many challenges. With the psalmist, we can face these challenges with a fearless resolve and this because we undertake our journey with the Lord on our side, Ps.118:6.

Fearless living
      It is very typical for a Biblical letter to end up with ethical exhortations and the writer to the Hebrews follows this standard practice. The exhortations represent some of the issues we struggle with day by day:
        i] Brotherly love, or better compassion. A willingness to forgive and accept a brother or sister with whom we have difficulties.
        ii] Hospitality, or better being welcoming. A willingness to welcome the ministry of others, particularly our church's teaching ministry.
        iii] Caring for suffering brothers and sisters. A willingness to support the persecuted in the suffering church throughout the world.
        iv] Sexual propriety. A willingness to resist the temptation to dishonor the marital bed, or engage in illicit sex.
        v] Materialism. A willingness to set aside an overreliance on worldly wealth. This is not an exhortation to simple living, but rather an encouragement to disengage from a dependence on the things of this world.
      In verse six, Psalm 118:6 is quoted. This verse serves as a response to the exhortations, particularly the exhortation to "be content with what you have". Our writer tells us that because we know the Lord is beside us in our life's journey, and even carrying us through the worst of times, then we get a bit of backbone. We can courageously declare that we will be fearless in the face of life's trials, for in the end, there is little this age can do to us. The worst it can do is take our life, which in eternal terms, is but a grain of sand on the beach of eternity.
      It is easy to be debilitated by fear, but better to be fearless in the knowledge that Jesus stands with us throughout life's journey. Jesus doesn't necessarily make life easier for us, or even meet our needs, but he does stand with us. This fact aids contentment, aids sexual propriety and stiffens our resolve to stand with the suffering church, affirm ministry and love the unlovely. So, "I will not be afraid."

v2
      epilanqanesqe (epilanqanomai) pres. imp. "do not forget to" - do not forget, neglect. The NIV "forget" misses the sense here which is to forget and therefore, to fail to do something, ie. "do not neglect." The ongoing sense of the command is again underlined. The use of this word seems to imply a falling off of hospitality and this is possibly the result of travelling pseudo teachers/prophets who survived on the generosity of others. The Didache (2nd century Christian ethical treatise) tries to regulate this development by stating that travelling ministers should only stay one day.
      thV qiloxeniaV (a) "entertain strangers" - hospitality. An important virtue in the early church, given the widespread "methodist" circuit ministry employed, 1Tim.3:2, Tit.1:8. The hospitality shown is therefore, not necessarily toward strangers, in fact, it is more likely toward brothers and sisters in the faith, probably referred, rather than known personally.
      dia + gen. "for" - because. Giving the reason why
      tauthV "some people" - An illusion to Old Testament saints who encountered angels, particularly Abraham and Sarah who "inadvertently" entertained them.
      xenisonteV (xenizw) aor. part. "having entertained" - The word is used of showing hospitality toward a guest who is not necessarily a family member or a close friend.
      aggelouV (oV) "angels" - divine messengers. The writer may have in mind the visit of divine beings, but his language may also be figurative. By showing hospitality toward a travelling prophet/pastor/teacher, we may receive a spiritual blessing, a word from the Lord (as did Abraham and Sarah), which far exceeds our small outlay made in offering hospitality.
      elaqon (lanqanw) aor. "without knowing it" - hidden. "Inadvertently", "unawares".

v3
      mimnhskesqe (mimnhskomai) pres. imp. "remember" - keep on remembering. The strength of the imperative and its ongoing sense, is not clear in the bland "remember". "Make sure you keep in mind [those in prison]." We are not to ignore the afflictions of those brothers and sisters facing persecution. Of course, the sense of the exhortation is not just to remember, but to act on the thought. Practical care toward prisoners was permitted at this time, so we have here an encouragement toward the provision of the daily needs of those members of the brotherhood imprisoned for their faith.
      wJV sundedemenoi (sundew) perf. pas. part. "as if you were their fellow prisoners" - as having been bound with. The verb has a once only use in the New Testament (ie. a hapax legomenon). The phrase defines how we should consider those in prison for their faith; we should act in solidarity with them. The parallel phrase "as if you yourselves were suffering" further explains the point being made.
      twn kakoucoumenwn (kakoucew) perf. pas. part. "those who are mistreated" - the ones being mistreated, caused to suffer, ill-treated. The articular participle forming a relative clause. Persecution is again in mind.
      wJV kai outoi onteV en swmati "as if you yourselves were suffering" - as also yourselves being in body. A repeat of the previous parallel phrase, encouraging empathy with those who suffer. The reference to "body" is probably not picking up on Pauline "body" theology, namely, our incorporation into the one body, Christ, and therefore, the idea that the suffering of one member becomes the suffering of all, cf. Westcott. None-the-less, our incorporation in Christ does motivate us to empathize with the suffering of a brother.

v4
      oJ gamoV "marriage" - The union of marriage
      estw "should be" - The imperative verb to-be is assumed; it is not in the text. Attached to "honoured" it forms a predicate adjective which affirms a fact about the subject, "marriage". This grammatical structure is repeated in v5. Of course, the phrase may be a simple statement, "the honored marriage", but this is unlikely.
      timioV adj. "honored" - respected, esteemed. The ethical issue here is adultery prompted by lust. The subject is commonly found in both Old and New Testament teaching on personal morality. The marriage bed should not be defiled by the sexual intrusion of a third person.
      en pasin "by all" - The preposition is either distributional "among", or instrumental "by". Also, the "all" reads "all things", but "all people" seems more logical.
      hJ koith (h) "marriage bed" - bed. The opening clause is repeated here and therefore "matrimonial bed" is intended. In fact, the word is sometimes used of sexual relationships.
      amiantoV adj. "pure" - undefiled. The word reflects the view that adultery defiles.
      krinei (krinw) fut. "[God] will judge" - "Because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient", Eph.5:6. It is interesting how the New Testament seems to single out sexual sins and links them to divine judgment. Sexual sins are serious because they strike at the heart of the divine image, in particular, the notion of union with God, a union which is imaged in the sexual act. The defilement of this image is the issue. As for judgment, sexual sins are just as open to the wrath of God as any other sin, and as with all sin, God's wrath is turned aside by the same means, namely, by grace through faith in the atoning work of Christ.
      pornouV (oV) "the sexually immoral" - fornicators. The word is used to describe sexual sin in general terms.

v5
      oJ topoV (oV) "keep your lives" - manner of life, character, conduct. As in v4 the imperative of the verb to-be is assumed.
      afilarguroV "free from the love of money" - not greedy, unmercenary. "No lover of money", 1Tim.3:3, cf. 6:10.
      arkoumenoi (arkew) pres. pas. part. "be content" - being content. Most translations treat this participle as an independent verbal participle functioning as an imperative. This certainly gives balance to the couplets evident in v3, 4 and 5. The trouble is, this is a rare construction, and in any case, a simple participle works well in the context, especially without the conjunction "and", which is not found in the Greek text. The writer is reinforcing his exhortation that the readers detach themselves from an overreliance on worldly wealth. It is a call for detachment, although not necessarily simplicity.
      autoV "God" - he. Presumably the author of the quote is intended, therefore "God".
      ou mh se anw (anihmi) aor. subj. "never will if leave you" - may I never abandon. An emphatic negation subjunctive serving to underline the fact that God will not abandon his people. The quote here is difficult to identify, but is probably a particular version of Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 which we no longer have access to. The writer takes God's promise to support his people Israel, and applies it to first century believers. Identifying the actual support provided is always difficult. The Lord stands beside us in our journey to the promised land and he will support us during that journey, but the support is not of our devising. That there is support, enables the believer to be detached from an overreliance on worldly wealth.
      egkatalipw (egkataleipw) aor. subj. "will I forsake" - may I forsake, desert.