Albert Barnes Commentary Hebrews 12:13

"and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather be healed." — Hebrews 12:13 (ASV)

And make straight paths for your feet. The marginal note says even. The word used here properly means straight in the sense of upright or erect (Acts 14:10); but it is here used in the sense of straight horizontally—that is, level, plain, or smooth.

The meaning is that they were to remove all obstacles out of the way, so that they would not stumble and fall. There is probably an allusion here to Proverbs 4:25-27: Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.

The idea is that by every proper means, they were to make the way to heaven as plain and easy as possible. They were to allow no obstructions in the path over which the lame and feeble might fall.

Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way. A lame man needs a smooth path to walk in. The idea here is that everything should be removed that would prevent those in the church who were in any danger of falling—the feeble, the unestablished, the weak—from walking in the path to heaven, or that might cause them to fall.

Alternatively, it may mean that on a road that was not level, those who were lame would be in danger of spraining, distorting, or wrenching a lame limb. The counsel, therefore, is that whatever would have a tendency to this should be removed. Divested of the figure, the passage means that everything should be removed that would hinder anyone from walking in the path to life.

But let it rather be healed. Just as in the case of lameness, care should be taken to heal it rather than to allow it to be worsened by careless exposure to a new sprain or fracture; so it should be with our religious and moral character.

Whatever is defective, we should strive to restore it to soundness, rather than allow the defect to be increased. Whatever is feeble in our faith or hope, and whatever evil tendency there is in our hearts, we should strive to strengthen and amend them, lest they become worse and we entirely fall.