HEB 4:6 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:1–13: We must have faith in God and enter his rest

The word “rest” is used in 4:1, and it is the important topic that connects chapter 4 to chapter 3.It is the link between chapters 3 and 4, just as 2:1 was the link between chapter 1 and chapter 2, and 3:1 was a link between chapter 2 and chapter 3. The author used the word “rest” in a figurative way to refer to depending on God. God wants his people to rest from their own work, as God rested from his work on the seventh day after he created the world. In chapter 3, God promised the people of Israel a place to rest. In chapter 4, the author used a special time of rest as a symbol. This time was one day each week, which the people called the Sabbath Day (seventh day). Both the place and the time of rest are symbols of the rest that God’s people have when they depend on him for everything.

Two sentences in this section are especially important in stating this theme:

4:9	There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God. (BSB)
4:11	Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, (BSB)

The theme of this section is clear: God has planned a good life of rest for believers when they depend on him. We must be careful to believe and obey him so that we do not miss the life of rest that he promised. Some words that are connected to this theme in chapters 3 and 4 are “faith,” “believe,” “unbelief,” and “disobedience.”

Some other examples of headings for this section are:

God’s people can still experience God’s rest

We should trust God and receive his promise of rest

Paragraph 4:6–8

It is important to notice that the clauses in this paragraph are closely connected. However, the author did not always talk about events in the order in which they happened.In the Greek text, verses 4:6–7 are one long sentence, which begins with two connecting words, epei oun, “since therefore.” “Therefore” (oun) indicates that the following statement is a conclusion of the previous argument. “Since” (epei) indicates that statement is a reason for the following statement. These two connecting words also occurred in 2:14, and oun occurred again in 4:1. The RSV and the BSB reflect the structure of this long sentence exactly. The NIV omits both connectives. In some languages it is more natural to use a different order. For examples, see the General Comment on 4:6b–8b at the end of 4:8b.

4:6a

Since, then, it remains for some to enter His rest,

¶ All this shows that it is still possible for some other people to enter that rest.
¶ These words teach that God now invites other people to receive/obtain the rest that he promised.

Since, then: In this verse the author repeats the two facts in 4:5. He gives them as the basis for his conclusion in 4:7. In many languages it is more natural to have a word like then at the beginning of 4:7, rather than here in 4:6.

The word Since implies that the facts were already mentioned (in 4:5), and the author is about to repeat them. In some languages it may be natural to leave the connection implied. Some other ways to introduce the facts in 4:6 are:

So we learned from this that…

All this teaches/implies that…

So/Now we see/understand that

Make these connections clear in your language.

it remains for some to enter His rest: This statement tells what the first scripture in 4:4 teaches people. That scripture says that God rested on the seventh day. By that statement, God implied that his people may also rest. See the notes on 4:1a for more advice about how to translate this statement.

Some other ways to translate the meaning are:

it is still allowed/possible for others to enter that rest

now God gives others the opportunity to enjoy that rest

4:6b

and since those who formerly heard the good news

It also shows that the other people who heard the gospel which was preached to them in the past
They also teach that the people who listened to the good news in past times

4:6b–c

and: The word and introduces the second reason why God set another time for people to enter his rest. That second reason contrasts with 4:6a, so some versions indicate that contrast with a word like “but.” Introduce this reason in a natural way in your language.

those who formerly heard the good news: The phrase those who formerly heard the good news is more literally “those-who at a previous time were-evangelized.” It uses the same passive verb (“were evangelized”) that was used in 4:2. You should translate it in a similar way here. For example:

those who earlier heard/received the good news

those who were told that good message in the past

formerly: The word formerly means “first,” “in the past” or “previously.” It refers to the time when the Israel people were rescued from Egypt and God promised them rest in a new land. Some other ways to refer to this time are:

first (GNT)

in the past (GW)

heard the good news: As in 4:2a, the good news refers to the good news about the rest that God promised his people. It does not refer to the good news about Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to refer to the good news more specifically. For example:

heard the good news about his restWestern Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.

4:6c

did not enter because of their disobedience,

were not able to enter that rest, because they disobeyed him.
could not receive/obtain that rest, because they refused to believe/obey.

did not enter because of their disobedience: This part of the verse has two actions:

They failed to enter God’s rest.
They disobeyed God.

The second action is the cause of the first. In some languages it is more natural to change the order of these actions. For example:

they disobeyed God and so were unable to enter his rest

Translate this cause and its result in a way that is natural in your language.

did not enter: The phrase that the BSB translates literally as did not enter indicates that the people did not enter the rest that God wanted to give them. In some languages it is necessary to make this phrase more specific. For example:

did not receive that rest (GNT)

did not get rest with GodUma back translation on TW.

because of their disobedience: The people of Israel could not enter God’s rest because they disobeyed God. Notice that in 3:19 the author said that the Israelites could not enter the land because of unbelief.

Disobedience and unbelief are similar. The Israelites did not believe that God was able to help them conquer the people living in the land, so they disobeyed God and refused to enter the land. Not believing God and not obeying him are sins. Both of these sins caused the people of Israel not to be able to enter the land.

Some ways to translate because of their disobedience are:

because they disobeyed God (GW)

because they did not submit to himUma back translation on TW.

General Comment on 4:6a–c

In some languages it may be helpful to reorder some parts of this verse to make the connections with 4:5 and 4:7 clearer. For example:

^6bThose who first heard the Good News ^6cdid not receive that rest, because they did not believe. ^6aThere are, then, others who are allowed to receive it. ^7aThis is shown by the fact that God sets another day… (GNT)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

οὖν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐπεί Οὖν ἀπολείπεται τινάς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αὐτήν καί οἱ πρότερον εὐαγγελισθέντες οὐκ εἰσῆλθον διʼ ἀπείθειαν)

The word Therefore introduces the conclusion to what the author has argued in [4:2–5](../04/02.md). Use a word or phrase that introduces this kind of conclusion. Alternate translation: [Because of all that]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αὐτήν & οὐκ εἰσῆλθον

˓to˒_come_in into it & not came_in

Here, just as in [4:1](../04/01.md), the rest which people enter could refer to: (1) the state of “resting.” Alternate translation: [to participate in it … did not participate] or [to rest with God … did not rest with God] (2) the place where people rest, particularly the land that God promised to give to his people. Alternate translation: [to enter into the place … did not enter it] or [to enter into the land … did not enter it]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

οἱ πρότερον εὐαγγελισθέντες

the_‹ones› previously ˓having_been˒_gospel_preached

Those who had the good news proclaimed to them are the same people the author mentions as “them” in [4:2](../04/02.md): the Israelite ancestors whom God led out of Egypt and who did not enter the Promised Land. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make who these people are more explicit. Alternate translation: [the Israelite ancestors who previously had the gospel proclaimed to them] or [the people of that generation who previously had the gospel proclaimed to them]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

οὐκ εἰσῆλθον δι’ ἀπείθειαν

not came_in because_of disbelief

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of disobedience, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “disobey” or an adjective such as “disobedient.” Alternate translation: [did not enter, because they disobeyed] or [did not enter, because they were disobedient]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear HEB 4:6

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)