THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE HEBREWS - Chapter 4 - Verse 6

Verse 6. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein. That is, "Since there is a rest spoken of in the Scriptures, implying that it is to be enjoyed by some, and since they to whom it was first promised did not inherit it, it follows that it must still be in reserve." This is the conclusion which the apostle draws from the argument in the previous verses, and is connected with Heb 4:9, where he says that "there remaineth a rest to the people of God"—the point to which the whole argument tended. The statement in Heb 4:7,8, is to be regarded as an interruption in stating the conclusion, or as the suggestion of a new thought or a new argument bearing on the subject, which he sets down even while stating the conclusion from his argument. It has the appearance of being suggested to him as a new thought of importance, and which he preferred to place even in the midst of the summing up of the argument rather than omit it altogether. It denotes a state of mind full of the subject, and where one idea came hastening after another, and which it was deemed important to notice, even though it should seem to be out of place. The position in this verse (Heb 4:6) is, that it was a settled or indisputable matter that some would enter into rest. The implied argument to prove this is,

(1.) that there was a "rest" spoken of which deserved to be called a divine rest, or the "rest of God;"

(2) it could not be supposed that God would prepare such a rest in vain; for it would follow, that if he had fitted up a world of rest he designed that it should be occupied. As he knew, therefore, that they to whom it was first offered would not enter in, it must be that he designed it for some others, and that it remained to be occupied by us now.

And they to whom it was first preached, Marg. The Gospel. Gr. Evangelized; that is, to whom the good news of the rest was first announced—the Israelites.

Entered not in because of unbelief. See Barnes "Heb 3:19".

{a} "they" Heb 3:19 {*} "preached" "To whom glad tidings were first preached"