Hebrews says hope is “a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.” It adds that this hope “enters into the inner place behind the curtain,” where Jesus has gone as a forerunner (Hebrews 6:19–20). The image ties hope to access to God’s presence through Jesus.
In Hebrews 6:13–20 the writer explains why the community’s hope is dependable. God not only promised Abraham blessing and growth, but also backed that promise with an oath, swearing by himself because no higher authority exists. People use oaths to settle disputes; God used an oath to make his purpose unmistakably firm. This section follows an urgent warning and a call to perseverance (6:4–12): the writer wants the audience to keep going, not drift back or grow dull. He then supports that appeal by pointing to God’s track record with Abraham and by highlighting how God himself strengthened the promise with an oath.
Hebrews 6:13–20 argues that the community’s hope is dependable because it rests on God’s own commitment, not on changing circumstances. The writer points to Abraham: God made a promise and then confirmed it with an oath sworn “by himself,” because there is no higher authority (explicit claim).
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with Hebrews 6:19-20, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
19which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and entering into that which is within the veil;
20where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.