Hebrews 4:6

4:1-10 The privileges we have under the gospel, are greater than any had under the law of Moses, though the same gospel for substance was preached under both Testaments. There have been in all ages many unprofitable hearers; and unbelief is at the root of all unfruitfulness under the word. Faith in the hearer is the life of the word. But it is a painful consequence of partial neglect, and of a loose and wavering profession, that they often cause men to seem to come short. Let us then give diligence, that we may have a clear entrance into the kingdom of God. As God finished his work, and then rested from it, so he will cause those who believe, to finish their work, and then to enjoy their rest. It is evident, that there is a more spiritual and excellent sabbath remaining for the people of God, than that of the seventh day, or that into which Joshua led the Jews. This rest is, a rest of grace, and comfort, and holiness, in the gospel state. And a rest in glory, where the people of God shall enjoy the end of their faith, and the object of all their desires. The rest, or sabbatism, which is the subject of the apostle's reasoning, and as to which he concludes that it remains to be enjoyed, is undoubtedly the heavenly rest, which remains to the people of God, and is opposed to a state of labour and trouble in this world. It is the rest they shall obtain when the Lord Jesus shall appear from heaven.

But those who do not believe, shall never enter into this spiritual rest, either of grace here or glory hereafter. God has always declared man's rest to be in him, and his love to be the only real happiness of the soul; and faith in his promises, through his Son, to be the only way of entering that rest.

The rest was not appropriated by those under Moses, nor, in the full sense, by those under Joshua, nor in David's time. It remaineth that some must enter therein (ἀπολείπεται τινὰς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αὐτήν) Ἀπολείπεται "remains over from past times." The promise has not been appropriated. It must be appropriated in accordance with God's provision. The rest was not provided for nothing. God's provision of a rest implies and involves that some enter into it. But the appropriation is yet in the future. It remains that some enter in. They to whom it was first preached (οἱ πρότερον εὐαγγελισθέντες) Lit. they who were first the subjects of the announcement of the glad tidings. It is desirable to avoid the word preached. See on Hebrews 4:2. The Israelites under Moses and Joshua are meant. Because of unbelief (δι' ἀπείθειαν) Rend. for unbelief, disobedience. Comp. Hebrews 3:18. Ἀπείθεια disobedience is the active manifestation of ἀπιστία unbelief.

Hebrews 4:6 . The writer now, in Hebrews 4:6-9 , gathers up the argument, and reaches his conclusion that a Sabbatism remains for God’s people. The argument briefly is, God has provided a rest for men and has promised it to them. This promise was not believed by those who formerly heard it, neither was it exhausted in the bringing in of the people to Canaan. For had it been so, it could not have been renewed long after, as it was. It remains, therefore, to be now enjoyed. “Since, therefore, it remains that some enter into it and those who formerly heard the good news of the promise did not enter, owing to disobedience.” ἀπολείπεται , there remains over as not yet fulfilled. In Hebrews 5:9 . σαββατ . is the nominative, here τινας εἰσελθεῖν might be considered a nominative but it is better, with Viteau (256), to construe it as an impersonal verb followed by an infinitive. From the fact that the offer of the rest had been made, or the promise given, “it remains” that some (must) enter in. But a second fact also forms a premiss in the argument. viz .: that those to whom the promise had formerly been made did not enter in; therefore, over and above and long after ( μετὰ τοσ . χρόνον ) the original proclamation of this gospel of rest, even in David’s time, again ( πάλιν ), God appoints or specifies a certain day ( τινὰ ὁρίζει ἡμέραν ) saying “To-day”. This proves that the offer is yet open, that the promise holds good in David’s time.

The words already quoted ( καθὼς προείρηται ) from the 95th Psalm prove this, for they run, “To-day, if ye hear His voice,” etc. They prove at any rate that the gospel of rest was not exhausted by the entrance into Canaan under Joshua, “for if Joshua had given them rest, God would not after this speak of another day”. The writer takes for granted that the “To-day” of the Psalm extends to Christian times, whether be cause of the life ( Hebrews 4:12 ) that is in the word of promise, or because the reference in the Psalm is Messianic. “This ‘voice’ of God which is ‘heard’ is His voice speaking to us in His Son ( Hebrews 1:1 ) and this ‘To-day’ is ‘the end of these days’ in which He has spoken to us in Him, on to the time when He shall come again ( Hebrews 3:13 ). In effect God has been ‘heard’ speaking only twice, to Israel and to us, and what He has spoken to both has been the same,—the promise of entering into His rest. Israel came short of it through unbelief; we do enter into the rest who believe ( Hebrews 4:3 )” (Davidson). At all events, the conclusion unhesitatingly follows: “Therefore there remains a Sabbath-Rest for the people of God”. ἄρα though often standing first in a sentence in N.T. cannot in classical Greek occupy that place. Σαββατισμός , though found here only in Biblical Greek, occurs in Plutarch ( De Superstit , c. 3). The verb σαββατίζειν occurs in Exodus 16:30 and other places.

Hebrews 4:6 . Ἐπεὶ οὖν , seeing therefore ) GOD does not wish that His rest should be empty (not filled with guests): Luke 14:23 .— πρότερον , first ) in the time of Moses.— εὐαγγελισθέντες ) A rare use of the word applied to the men of old. He is no doubt speaking of the promise of the land of Canaan, but with a view to the Gospel-preaching of eternal life.

6 . it remaineth ] The promise is still left open, is unexhausted. because of unbelief ] Rather, “because of disobedience ” ( apeitheian ). It was not the Israelites of the wilderness, but their descendants, who came to Shiloh, and so enjoyed a sort of earthly type of the heavenly rest ( Joshua 18:1 ).

(6) The substance of the preceding verses may be thus expressed: There is a rest of God, into which some are to enter with God,—a rest not yet entered at the time of the wandering in the wilderness, and therefore not that which followed the work of creation,—a rest from which some were excluded because of unbelief. These five particulars are repeated in substance in the present verse: “Seeing, therefore, it is (still) left that some should enter in, and they to whom formerly glad tidings were declared entered not in because of disobedience, He again,” &c. “Disobedience”—though Hebrews 4:2 speaks of unbelief as the cause: see Note on Hebrews 3:18 . In John 3:36 , the transition from “believeth” to “obeyeth” is equally striking.

6. it remaineth—still to be realized. some must enter—The denial of entrance to unbelievers is a virtual promise of entrance to those that believe. God wishes not His rest to be empty, but furnished with guests (Lu 14:23). they to whom it was first preached entered not—literally, "they who first (in the time of Moses) had the Gospel preached to them," namely, in type, see on [2546]Heb 4:2. unbelief—Greek, rather "disobedience" (see on [2547]Heb 3:18).