Hebrews 4:3 - Forerunner Commentary

Hebrews 4:3

The Promise of Rest

1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, ^alet us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them,¹ not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
^a“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: ^a“And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;

5 and again in this place: ^a“They shall not enter My rest.”

6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,

7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
^a“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”

8 For if¹ Joshua had ^agiven them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

The Word Discovers Our Condition

11 ^aLet us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

12 For the word of God is ^aliving and powerful, and ^bsharper than any ^ctwo-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is ^da discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 ^aAnd there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are ^bnaked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Our Compassionate High Priest

14 Seeing then that we have a great ^aHigh Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, ^blet us hold fast our confession.

Verse Comparison: Hebrews 4:3

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American Standard Version
For we who have believed do enter into that rest; even as he hath said, As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Amplified® Bible
For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest, in accordance with His declaration that those [who did not believe] should not enter when He said, As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest; and this He said although [His] works had been completed {and} prepared [and waiting for all who would believe] from the foundation of the world.

Contemporary English Version
Only people who have faith will enter the place of rest. It is just as the Scriptures say, "God became angry and told the people, 'You will never enter my place of rest!' " God said this, even though everything has been ready from the time of creation.

Darby English Version
For we enter into the rest who have believed; as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest; although the works had been completed from [the] foundation of [the] world.

Good News Bible
We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as he said, "I was angry and made a solemn promise: 'They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!' " He said this even though his work had been finished from the time he created the world.

International Standard Version
For we who have believed are entering that rest, just as he has said, "So in my anger I swore a solemn oath that they would never enter my rest," even though his works had been finished since the foundation of the world.

King James Version
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

New American Standard Bible
For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST, although His works were finished from the foundation of the world."

New International Version
Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' " And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.

New King James Version
For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“ So I swore in My wrath,
‘ They shall not enter My rest,’” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, "AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST," although His works came to a conclusion from the foundation of the world.

Young's Literal Translation
for we do enter into the rest -- we who did believe, as He said, `So I sware in My anger, If they shall enter into My rest -- ;' and yet the works were done from the foundation of the world,

New English Translation
For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’”¹ And yet God’s works² were accomplished from the foundation of the world.

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