Albert Barnes Commentary Hebrews 13:9

"Be not carried away by divers and strange teachings: for it is good that the heart be established by grace; not by meats, wherein they that occupied themselves were not profited." — Hebrews 13:9 (ASV)

Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. That is, they should have settled and fixed points of belief, and not yield to every new opinion that was introduced. The apostle does not exhort them to adhere to an opinion merely because they had previously held it, or because it was an old opinion, nor does he forbid them from following the leadings of truth, though they might be required to abandon what they had previously held. Instead, he cautions them against that vacillating spirit and that easy credulity which would lead them to yield to any novelty, and to embrace an opinion because it was new or strange.

Probably the principal reference here is to the Judaizing teachers and to their various doctrines about their ceremonial observances and traditions. But the exhortation is applicable to Christians at all times. A religious opinion, once embraced based on what was regarded as good evidence, or in which we have been trained, should not be abandoned for minor reasons. Truth, indeed, should always be followed, but it should be only after careful inquiry.

For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. This is the proper foundation of adherence to the truth. The heart should be established with the love of God, with pure religion, and then we will love the truth and hold to it in the right manner. If it is merely the head that is convinced, the consequence is bigotry, pride, and narrow-mindedness. If the belief of the truth has its seat in the heart, it will be accompanied by charity, kindness, and goodwill toward all people. In such a belief of the truth, it is a good thing to have the heart established. It will produce:

1. Firmness and stability of character;
2. Charity and kindness to others;
3. Consolation and support in trials and temptations. When a person is thrown into trials and temptations, they ought to have some settled principles on which they can rely, some fixed points of belief that will sustain their soul.

Not with meats. The meaning is that it is better to have the heart established with grace, or with the principles of pure religion, than with the most accurate knowledge of the rules for distinguishing the clean from the unclean among the various articles of food. Many such rules were found in the law of Moses, and many more had been added by the refinements of Jewish rulers and by tradition.

To distinguish and remember all these required a considerable amount of knowledge, and the Jewish teachers undoubtedly prided themselves much on it. Paul says that it would be much better to have the principles of grace in the heart than all this knowledge; to have the mind settled on the great truths of religion than to be able to make the most accurate and learned distinctions in this matter.

The same remark can be made about many other points besides the Jewish distinctions regarding meats. The principle is that it is better to have the heart established in the grace of God than to have the most accurate knowledge of distinctions made on useless or unimportant religious subjects. This observation would extend to many of the shibboleths of party, to many of the metaphysical distinctions in a hair-splitting theology, and to many of the points of controversy that divide the Christian world.

Which have not profited. These have been of no real benefit to their souls. (See Barnes on 1 Corinthians 8:8).