Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Heb C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13
Heb 4 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16
OET (OET-LV) again a_certain is_designating day:
today, by Dawid/(Dāvid) saying after so_much time, as has_been_previously_said:
Today if of_the voice of_him you_all_may_hear, not you_all_may_harden the hearts of_you_all.
OET (OET-RV) God designated a certain day saying:
⇔ ‘Today if you all hear his voice,
⇔ Don’t harden your hearts.’
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
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.
God again designated a certain day as “Today,”
Therefore/So God appointed another day, which he called “Today.”
Because of this, God set another special time, and he called it “Today.”
Remember that some translators begin this verse with a connector like “Therefore” or “So,” as in the GW. In the BSB, as in the Greek text, 4:6 and 4:7 are one long sentence. The Notes separates them into more than one sentence in the examples in the Display. Use an option that is natural in your language.
God again designated a certain day as “Today”: This statement indicates that God appointed another time when people can enter his rest. The word again implies that he already set one time, which was for the Israel people whom he led out of Egypt. Now he sets another time. He called this time “today.”
Some ways to translate this statement are:
So God set another day. That day is today. (GW)
again he appoints/offers a certain time and calls it “today.”
In some languages it is necessary to mention the purpose for which God set the day. God’s purpose was to give people the opportunity to enter (have) his rest. Some ways to say that are:
there is another time that God has given to people so they will have opportunity to enter, and now/today is that time.Kankanaey back translation on TW.
So God set another time for entering his rest and that time is today. (NLT)
God again designated a certain day: The phrase God…designated a certain day indicates that God chose a particular time. The phrase a certain day refers to a particular time or to an opportunity. Some ways to translate this phrase are:
there is still a time set by GodWestern Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.
he proclaims a further opportunity (JBP)
In some languages it may be more natural to use a present form of the verb. For example:
again he appoints a certain day (ESV)
God again designates a certain day
a certain day as “Today”: Here the BSB puts the word “Today” in quotation marks to emphasize it. It also uses quotation marks because it occurs in the psalm that the author will quote later in this verse. These quotation marks are not part of the original Greek text, and some other English versions use different punctuation. You should use natural punctuation in your language here.
Some other ways to translate the phrase a certain day as “Today” are:
a certain day that he calls Today
another day which God prearranged for people to enter. That day is called “This Day.”Yakan back translation on TW.
“Today”: The word “Today” is used in part of Psalm 95, which he quoted in 3:7 and 3:15 and will quote again in 4:7e–f. The author emphasized this word “Today” several times to indicate that it is important for those who hear God’s voice to respond now. The time that he calls “Today” will not continue forever. Emphasize this meaning in a natural way in your language. Refer to the other notes and the Display of 4:7a for examples.
when a long time later He spoke through David
After a long time, he spoke about this by causing David to say
He said this a long time after the Israelites came out of the desert. At that time, he told David
when a long time later He spoke through David: The phrase spoke through David indicates that God inspired David to write the words that the author quotes in 4:7d–e. These words are from Psalm 95. They were written hundreds of years after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.
Some ways to translate this clause are:
God announced this through David a long time later (NLT)
For a long time after the time of those first people who did not believe, God inspired His word in King David and David saidWestern Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.
a long time later: David lived many years after the Israelites traveled through the desert. However, he also lived a long time before the book of Hebrews was written. Make sure you choose the right time phrase to make this clear.
as was just stated:
the words that were already quoted:
what I already repeated/quoted to you from scripture:
as was just stated: The phrase as was just stated refers to what the author said in 3:15. There he quoted the same words that he will quote again in 4:7d–e. Some ways to translate this clause are:
in the same Scripture used before (NCV)
in the words already quoted from the Psalms (REB)
what I said/quoted a little earlier from God’s Word, which said…
These examples indicate that the words that the author quoted are from the Scriptures. You may also refer to the Scriptures in an accepted way in your language.
“Today, if you hear His voice,
“Today as you(plur) hear his voice,
“Listen(plur) to what he says today:
“Be(plur) sure to listen to these words of his today.
Today, if you hear His voice: Translate this clause in the same way as you did in 3:7. For more information on how to translate it, see the notes on 3:7b.
do not harden your hearts.”
do(plur) not become stubborn and refuse to obey me.”
‘Do(plur) not reject my words.’ ”
Do(plur) not refuse to obey him.”
do not harden your hearts: Translate this clause in the same way as you translated it in 3:8. For more information on how to translate it, see the notes on 3:8a.
Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns
πάλιν & ὁρίζει
again & ˓is˒_designating
Here, just as in [4:3–4](../04/03.md), the word he could refer to: (1) the Holy Spirit, whom the author identifies as the speaker of the Psalms quotation (See: [3:7](../03/07.md)). Alternate translation: [God’s Spirit again sets] (2) God considered as a unity. Alternate translation: [God again sets]
πάλιν
again
The word again indicates that the Holy Spirit had already “set” a day and now does it for a second time. The first time was when God promised the “rest” to the Israelite ancestors. The second time (again) was when the Spirit spoke the quote from Psalm 95 through David. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that refers to doing something “once more” or “for a second time.” Alternate translation: [for a second time]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
σήμερον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πάλιν τινά ὁρίζει ἡμέραν Σήμερον ἐν Δαυίδ λέγων μετά τοσοῦτον χρόνον καθώς προείρηται Σήμερον ἐάν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε μή σκληρύνητε τάς καρδίας ὑμῶν)
The author speaks about a time that we call Today. We call every day Today, so this phrase means that the rest is available right now. However, since the author uses Today because the author of the quotation uses it, make sure that you use the same words that you used to translate Today in [3:7](../03/07.md). Alternate translation: [calling it “This day”]
ἐν Δαυεὶδ λέγων
by (Some words not found in SR-GNT: πάλιν τινά ὁρίζει ἡμέραν Σήμερον ἐν Δαυίδ λέγων μετά τοσοῦτον χρόνον καθώς προείρηται Σήμερον ἐάν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε μή σκληρύνητε τάς καρδίας ὑμῶν)
The Holy Spirit called the certain day “Today” when he was speaking through David. The author knows that David wrote the psalm that he is quoting, but he also knows that David was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Use a form in your language that refers to how someone speaks through or by means of someone else. Alternate translation: [using David to speak]
Note 3 topic: writing-quotations
καθὼς προείρηται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πάλιν τινά ὁρίζει ἡμέραν Σήμερον ἐν Δαυίδ λέγων μετά τοσοῦτον χρόνον καθώς προείρηται Σήμερον ἐάν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε μή σκληρύνητε τάς καρδίας ὑμῶν)
The author uses the phrase just as it has already been said to requote a part of the quotation that he introduced earlier (See: especially [3:7b–8a](../03/07.md); [3:15](../03/15.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces something that has already been quoted. Alternate translation: [just as we read in the passage we are discussing]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
προείρηται
˓has_been˒_previously_said
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. The author uses the passive form here to focus on the words that have been said rather than on the person doing the saying. If you must state who did the action, the author implies that he himself did it. Alternate translation: [I have already said] or [I have already quoted]
σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: πάλιν τινά ὁρίζει ἡμέραν Σήμερον ἐν Δαυίδ λέγων μετά τοσοῦτον χρόνον καθώς προείρηται Σήμερον ἐάν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε μή σκληρύνητε τάς καρδίας ὑμῶν)
Since the author repeats here the same words that he quoted in [3:7b–8a](../03/07.md), you should translate these words in exactly the same way as you did in those verses.
4:7 So God set another time . . . and that time is today: The logic here is that David wrote Ps 95 much later than the wilderness debacle, so God’s rest cannot be limited to that earlier generation. The words already quoted are from Ps 95:7-8; these words encourage us not to harden our hearts when hearing God’s voice so that we might enter the rest that the people in the wilderness were denied. This opportunity is available today (see Heb 3:13).
OET (OET-LV) again a_certain is_designating day:
today, by Dawid/(Dāvid) saying after so_much time, as has_been_previously_said:
Today if of_the voice of_him you_all_may_hear, not you_all_may_harden the hearts of_you_all.
OET (OET-RV) God designated a certain day saying:
⇔ ‘Today if you all hear his voice,
⇔ Don’t harden your hearts.’
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.
Open Bible Data site copyright © 2023–2026 Freely-Given.org.
Python source code for creating these static pages is available on GitHub under an open licence.
For Bible data copyrights, see the details for each displayed Bible version.
The Open English Translation (OET) main site is at OpenEnglishTranslation.Bible or OET.Bible.