Albert Barnes Commentary Hebrews 12:15

"looking carefully lest [there be] any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby the many be defiled;" — Hebrews 12:15 (ASV)

Looking diligently. This phrase implies close attention. It is implied that there are reasons why we should take special care. Those reasons are found in the propensities of our hearts to evil; in the temptations of the world; in the allurements to apostasy presented by the great adversary of our souls.

Lest any man fail. Since everyone is in danger, it is their personal duty to see to it that their salvation is secure.

Fail of the grace of God. The marginal note says fall from. The Greek is, "lest anyone be wanting or lacking"—usterwn.

There is no intimation in the words used here that they already had grace and might fall away—whatever might be true about that. Instead, the danger is that they might be found at last to be deficient in the religion necessary to save them.

Whether this deficiency would be due to losing the religion they now possessed, or to the fact that they never truly had any—however close they may have come to it—the apostle does not specify here. Consequently, this passage should not be used in the discussion of the question about falling from grace.

It is a proper exhortation to be addressed to anyone, whether in the church or out of it, to inquire diligently whether there is not reason to fear that when they come to appear before God, they will be found to be wholly destitute of religion.

Lest any root of bitterness springing up. This refers to any bitter root. There is, undoubtedly, an allusion here to Deuteronomy 29:18: Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood.

In that passage, the allusion is to idolaters who, instead of bearing the fruits of righteousness and promoting the piety and happiness of the nation, would bear the fruits of idolatry and spread abroad irreligion and sin.

The allusion, in both the Old Testament passage and here in Hebrews, is to a bitter plant springing up among those cultivated for ornament or use, or to a tree bearing bitter and poisonous fruit among those that produced good fruit.

The apostle's reference is to some person who would produce a similar effect in the church: someone who would inculcate false doctrines, apostatize, or lead an unholy life, and thus be the means of corrupting and destroying others.

They were to be especially careful that no such person should arise from among them or be tolerated by them.

Trouble you. That is, by their doctrines and example.

And thereby many be defiled. That is, led away from the faith and corrupted. One wicked person, and especially one hypocrite in the church, may be the means of destroying many others.