Rethinking the Translation of τρέχωμεν τὸν . . . ἀγῶνα in Hebrews 12.1 in Light of Ancient Graeco-Roman Literature

Abstract

The phrase τρέχωμεν τὸν . . . ἀγῶνα in Heb 12.1 is almost universally translated into English as “let us run the race.” Despite commentators noting that ἀγών refers to a struggle or contest, the fact that it is governed by τρέχω, typically translated “run,” leads to the conclusion that ἀγών must signify a race. Yet, an analysis of the same phrase in Graeco-Roman literature demonstrates that when τρέχω and ἀγών are combined in a context that lacks athletic imagery, the phrase frequently refers to a struggle, often in the face of death. This observation, combined with closer attention to the context in which the phrase occurs in Hebrews, suggests that τρέχωμεν τὸν . . . ἀγῶνα in Heb 12.1 should be translated as “let us undergo the struggle”—the focus being on the audience’s struggle in the face of death, not on their athletic prowess on the race track.