Charles Ellicott Commentary Hebrews 12:3

"For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against himself, that ye wax not weary, fainting in your souls." — Hebrews 12:3 (ASV)

The figure of the race is still continued: “For unless you thus look to Jesus you will grow weary.”

Consider.—Literally, compare; place your sufferings by the side of His.

Him that endured such contradiction.—Rather, Him that has endured such gainsaying from sinners against themselves. The word “gainsaying” (Hebrews 6:16; Hebrews 7:7) is so frequently used in the Septuagint for the rebelliousness of the people of Israel that we do not need to limit it here to contradiction in words. The change of “Himself” into “themselves” (the reading of the oldest manuscripts) is important, but it is not easy to say with what the last two words should be joined, for the meaning may be either “sinners against themselves” , or “gainsaying against themselves.”

In either case, the force of the words will be that the sin or the opposition manifested against Him was really against themselves, since it was for their salvation that He came on earth. To all His other sorrows were added the pain of their ingratitude and His grief over their aggravated guilt.

And faint.—Rather, fainting in your souls.