Gill’s
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Hebrews 4:9
[G1] therefore — because God “speaks of another day” (see on Hebrews 4:8).
[G2] remaineth — still to be realized hereafter by the “some (who) must enter therein” (Hebrews 4:6), that is, “the people of God,” the true Israel who shall enter into God’s rest (“My rest,” Hebrews 4:3). God‘s rest was a Sabbatism; so also will ours be.
[G3] a rest — Greek, “Sabbatism.”
Comments
6ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀπολείπεται τινὰς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αὐτήν, καὶ οἱ πρότερον εὐαγγελισθέντες οὐκ εἰσῆλθον δι’ ἀπείθειαν,
[G1] <<Hebrews 4:9 therefore>> [ἐπεὶ οὖν] <<— because God “speaks of another day” (see on Hebrews 4:8)>> is false, directly contradicting what the author wrote, that “God after these things would NOT speak of another day”, and no contortionist’s tricks will twist it around. Not only will omitting the Negation, “not”; nor will making “Jesus”, <Joshua>; nor will claiming the “provokers in the day of temptation in the wilderness” (3:8) under Joshua entered or did not enter into Canaan. It is all, totally irrelevant in 4:8.
[G2] <<remaineth [ἀπολείπεται] — still to be realized hereafter by the “some [τινὰς] (who) must enter [εἰσελθεῖν] therein [εἰς αὐτήν]” (Hebrews 4:6), that is, “the people of God,” [λαὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ 4:9] the true Israel who shall enter into God’s rest (“My rest,” [κατάπαυσίς μου] Hebrews 4:3).>>
κατάπαυσίς μου, “My Rest” - <<God’s rest>> in Hebrews 4:3 refers to when “the works (of God) were finished from the foundation of the world”, and “God from all his works rested [shabath] the Seventh Day”, Genesis 2:2,3— God’s works of Salvation in Christ, 3:8-24.
Hebrews 4:4 like Genesis 2:2,3 brings “these things” which God (not in the six days He created the world, but) through “the Rest-Act [shabath] of God … on the Seventh Day”, both “worked and made”, into close context and relation, but does not allow the distinction between them to fade. (LXX, “Sunetelesen ho Theos en tehi Hehmerai tehi Hektehi ta erga autou ha epoiehse kai katepause tehi Hehmerai tehi Hebdomehi apo pantohn tohn ergohn autou hohn epoiehse.”)
“The Reality is Christ” (Colossians 2:17). “Jesus” who “gave them Rest”, is “The Rest-Reality”, the Rest-Act, of “the Rest-of-God”.
εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου … αὐτήν in Hebrews 4:5,6 refers to the “Rest-of-God” just spoken of in 4:4 as in the past now, “And in this (where and when God thus) again spake, They shall not enter into My Rest”.
This is “again”, “as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw my works (of redemption from Egypt) forty years … and (God) sware in (his) wrath, They shall not enter into my Rest … (but) … their carcasses fell in the wilderness.” This was under the leadership of Joshua! “So we see that they could NOT enter because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:8-19.
While under Moses and Joshua Israel for forty years could not and did not enter Canaan, God spoke of the land of Canaan as “His (God’s) rest”. Promise and land-of-promise were identical. And both the Rest promised and the land of Promise, are being spoken of in terms of the spiritual principles of “faith” and “unbelief”, and of “knowing My (God’s) ways” and the “deceitfulness of sin”. In the estimation of God and of the author, the history of mankind since Adam and Eve, until Moses and Joshua, and until David and the prophets after him, has been one of spiritual rebellion against and in exchange for, the mercies and love of God. That is why “God again, after so long (having spoken through David), limits a single sure day, TODAY that you hear his (God’s) Voice, harden not your hearts!” Tomorrow may never come. Tomorrow you may be gone. But worse, “Once Jesus gave them Rest, be sure, GOD after these things (of before, about the beginning and the fall and Moses and Joshua above,) SHALL NOT SPEAK OF ANOTHER DAY EVER.”
But, despite, Gill goes on to say,
[G3] <<therefore — because God “speaks of another day” (see on Hebrews 4:8).>>
Negating the negation in verse 8b is an abortive attempt because it cannot be substantiated or given evidence or basis or reason or cause for positive response on the part of the People to it. Only the Affirmation, the fact, that “Jesus gave them Rest” in 8a, provides concrete basis to argue assertively, that “therefore a Sabbath-Day remains for the People of God to rest.” Imagine if Jesus did not give the People Rest, God would have had to speak of another day of opportunity for Jesus to give them Rest. But now verse 8b unequivocally states that “while Jesus gave them Rest, there therefore, thereby and therewith [‘ara’] remains, a Sabbath-Day for the People of God to rest.”
Indeed, that it is “the People OF GOD”, for whom “keeping of the Sabbath-Rest-Day remains”, alone is conclusive evidence that “Jesus, HAD GIVEN them rest”. Now, “If Jesus had given them Rest”, then why, would “God after these” fulfilled and made-true “things” in Christ, speak of yet <<another day>> for opportunity of salvation rest for them?! The Letter declares, “God would NOT speak of another day” of or for the People’s Salvation-Rest! Jesus had obtained that Rest and had had given it to them “once for all”.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Hebrews 4:9
[G1] therefore — because God “speaks of another day” (see on Hebrews 4:8).
[G2] remaineth — still to be realized hereafter by the “some (who) must enter therein” (Hebrews 4:6), that is, “the people of God,” the true Israel who shall enter into God’s rest (“My rest,” Hebrews 4:3). God‘s rest was a Sabbatism; so also will ours be.
[G3] a rest — Greek, “Sabbatism.”
Comments
6ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀπολείπεται τινὰς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αὐτήν, καὶ οἱ πρότερον εὐαγγελισθέντες οὐκ εἰσῆλθον δι’ ἀπείθειαν,
[G1] <<Hebrews 4:9 therefore>> [ἐπεὶ οὖν] <<— because God “speaks of another day” (see on Hebrews 4:8)>> is false, directly contradicting what the author wrote, that “God after these things would NOT speak of another day”, and no contortionist’s tricks will twist it around. Not only will omitting the Negation, “not”; nor will making “Jesus”, <Joshua>; nor will claiming the “provokers in the day of temptation in the wilderness” (3:8) under Joshua entered or did not enter into Canaan. It is all, totally irrelevant in 4:8.
[G2] <<remaineth [ἀπολείπεται] — still to be realized hereafter by the “some [τινὰς] (who) must enter [εἰσελθεῖν] therein [εἰς αὐτήν]” (Hebrews 4:6), that is, “the people of God,” [λαὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ 4:9] the true Israel who shall enter into God’s rest (“My rest,” [κατάπαυσίς μου] Hebrews 4:3).>>
κατάπαυσίς μου, “My Rest” - <<God’s rest>> in Hebrews 4:3 refers to when “the works (of God) were finished from the foundation of the world”, and “God from all his works rested [shabath] the Seventh Day”, Genesis 2:2,3— God’s works of Salvation in Christ, 3:8-24.
Hebrews 4:4 like Genesis 2:2,3 brings “these things” which God (not in the six days He created the world, but) through “the Rest-Act [shabath] of God … on the Seventh Day”, both “worked and made”, into close context and relation, but does not allow the distinction between them to fade. (LXX, “Sunetelesen ho Theos en tehi Hehmerai tehi Hektehi ta erga autou ha epoiehse kai katepause tehi Hehmerai tehi Hebdomehi apo pantohn tohn ergohn autou hohn epoiehse.”)
“The Reality is Christ” (Colossians 2:17). “Jesus” who “gave them Rest”, is “The Rest-Reality”, the Rest-Act, of “the Rest-of-God”.
εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου … αὐτήν in Hebrews 4:5,6 refers to the “Rest-of-God” just spoken of in 4:4 as in the past now, “And in this (where and when God thus) again spake, They shall not enter into My Rest”.
This is “again”, “as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw my works (of redemption from Egypt) forty years … and (God) sware in (his) wrath, They shall not enter into my Rest … (but) … their carcasses fell in the wilderness.” This was under the leadership of Joshua! “So we see that they could NOT enter because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:8-19.
While under Moses and Joshua Israel for forty years could not and did not enter Canaan, God spoke of the land of Canaan as “His (God’s) rest”. Promise and land-of-promise were identical. And both the Rest promised and the land of Promise, are being spoken of in terms of the spiritual principles of “faith” and “unbelief”, and of “knowing My (God’s) ways” and the “deceitfulness of sin”. In the estimation of God and of the author, the history of mankind since Adam and Eve, until Moses and Joshua, and until David and the prophets after him, has been one of spiritual rebellion against and in exchange for, the mercies and love of God. That is why “God again, after so long (having spoken through David), limits a single sure day, TODAY that you hear his (God’s) Voice, harden not your hearts!” Tomorrow may never come. Tomorrow you may be gone. But worse, “Once Jesus gave them Rest, be sure, GOD after these things (of before, about the beginning and the fall and Moses and Joshua above,) SHALL NOT SPEAK OF ANOTHER DAY EVER.”
But, despite, Gill goes on to say,
[G3] <<therefore — because God “speaks of another day” (see on Hebrews 4:8).>>
Negating the negation in verse 8b is an abortive attempt because it cannot be substantiated or given evidence or basis or reason or cause for positive response on the part of the People to it. Only the Affirmation, the fact, that “Jesus gave them Rest” in 8a, provides concrete basis to argue assertively, that “therefore a Sabbath-Day remains for the People of God to rest.” Imagine if Jesus did not give the People Rest, God would have had to speak of another day of opportunity for Jesus to give them Rest. But now verse 8b unequivocally states that “while Jesus gave them Rest, there therefore, thereby and therewith [‘ara’] remains, a Sabbath-Day for the People of God to rest.”
Indeed, that it is “the People OF GOD”, for whom “keeping of the Sabbath-Rest-Day remains”, alone is conclusive evidence that “Jesus, HAD GIVEN them rest”. Now, “If Jesus had given them Rest”, then why, would “God after these” fulfilled and made-true “things” in Christ, speak of yet <<another day>> for opportunity of salvation rest for them?! The Letter declares, “God would NOT speak of another day” of or for the People’s Salvation-Rest! Jesus had obtained that Rest and had had given it to them “once for all”.
