Ephrem the Syrian : "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees," that is, "make straight paths for your feet" throughout the afflictions caused by your persecutors, so that they may not slip. [Do this] "so that what is lame," that is, those who transgressed through the denial of faith, "may not be put out of joint" and increase the power of sin "but rather be healed," so that, through his healing, sin may be affected by sickness. — COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE Hebrews 12 John Chrysostom : He speaks as to runners, and boxers, and warriors. Seest thou how he arms them, how he encourages them? "Walk straight," he says. Here he speaks with reference to their thoughts; that is to say, not doubting. For if the chastisement be of love, if it begin from loving care, if it end with a good result (and this he proves both by facts and by words, and by all considerations), why are ye dispirited? For such are they who despair, who are not strengthened by the hope of the future. "Walk straight," he says, that your lameness may not be increased, but brought back to its former condition. For he that runs when he is lame, galls the sore place. Seest thou that it is in our power to be thoroughly healed? — Homily on Hebrews 30 Oecumenius : "Therefore, strengthen your limp hands." Limp, loosened. He spoke of the whole by mentioning a part. For not only the hands and knees were loosened by afflictions, but together with the whole body, both mind and soul. Indeed, this is caused by deep sadness and sorrow. — The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews Oecumenius : However, he did not speak of the knees and hands, but of the thoughts that limp and are loosened by a multitude of afflictions and temptations. — The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews Oecumenius : "and make straight paths for your feet," or "and make straight paths for your footprints": as if speaking to the runners and boxers themselves. He indicates, however, that it is necessary for thoughts to be confirmed (which arise not from hatred, but from God's governance, corrections, and afflictions) and thoughts about faith and doctrines. For when they were still infants, they clung to certain Jewish matters in life and conduct. Let not the initiated evil (for this he calls a limp) become incurable, but rather let it be corrected. Behold, he has clearly admitted repentance, and take note of this because of the Novatians. — The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews Origen of Alexandria : Nevertheless, with Jesus reciting the law to you and revealing to your hearts the spiritual understanding: neither do you, proselytes, that is, catechumens, remain catechumens any longer, but hasten to receive the grace of God, that you too may be numbered in the assembly of the children of Israel; and you, "children," "do not become boys in your understanding, but in malice be little ones, yet in your understanding be perfect," as the Apostle too says to the Hebrews: "leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us be borne on to perfection"; but you also, who under the name of "women" are weak and slack and languid, be admonished, so that you may "raise up the slackened hands and the loosened knees," that is, so that you may rouse your negligent and slothful minds and take up a manly constancy in fulfilling the precepts of the law and the Gospel, and may quickly press on to the perfection of strong men. — HOMILIES ON Joshua 9.9 Theodore of Mopsuestia : Where are those who say that the apostle in this epistle precludes repentance by saying, "It is impossible to renew again thereafter to repentance those once enlightened"? How then do they understand these words: "Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees"? What sort of healing of the lame does this apostle, who allegedly does not believe in a repentance for those who have sinned, wish to take place? It is clear he writes these things to believers in that he says to them: "Recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings." — FRAGMENTS ON THE EPISTLE TO THE Hebrews 12.12-13