Hebrews 12:1 opens with a powerful metaphor: 'Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud (νέφος) of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.' The term denotes a dense cloud or mass, used in classical Greek for atmospheric clouds, swarms of people, or thick concentrations of anything. The author pictures the faithful of Hebrews 11 as an amphitheater crowd watching the Christian race. Their testimony—recorded in Scripture and vindicated by God—both encourages and calls to accountability. The image combines intimacy (witnesses who care) with grandeur (a numberless throng spanning generations).