C h a p t e r Four
ὑστερέω [hustereo /hoos·ter·eh·o/] (fallen short) v1
This fall short is the same word used in Rom 3:23. It means to not understand because of ignorance or illiteracy. Not to fully comprehend because of a dullness of mind. The readers may try to claim ignorance, but as the author states in verse 2 this excuse will not fly.
εὐαγγελίζω [euaggelizo /yoo·ang·ghel·id·zo/] (gospel preached) v2
This verb would be better-translated "thoroughly and completely good news-ed". The author reminds the readers that they are more than familiar with the facts of the gospel. They cannot claim ignorance or illiteracy as to the claims and the saving power of the gospel. This verb speaks of an action being completely completed in the past with remaining present consequences of failure to comply.
Note: In this verse the author obliterates the excuse of ignorance, in the fact that just as Israel had the good news of rest in Canaan indelibly pressed on their minds by God's many promises and miracles; they too have had the gospel thoroughly preached to them. The author, having pointed out that the readers are accountable just as ancient Israel was, explains why Israel fell.
συγκεράννυμι [sugkerannumi /soong·ker·an·noo·mee/] (combine) v2
A word meaning to mix together, commingle, to unite one thing to another. It is a compound word which means to stir or blend until two things become one. It paints a neat picture of a believer hearing the word, taking it to heart, and mixing it completely with belief until it becomes one thing, an unshakable faith. This is what Israel failed to do.
Note: In verses 3 through 5 the author makes the point of stating that the "rest" of God is still available to those who believe. The author shows extreme patience here in reiterating a point one, two and sometimes even three times. He wants to be sure that he leaves no one behind.
In verses 6 through 8 the author ties together his thoughts and points them to the conclusion of verse 9. Since this rest remains, which the author proves in verse 7 by stating that the offer was made through David to Israel again years later in Psalm 95, we as believers ought to now finally fulfill God's wishes and enter this rest. God's personal rest.
ἀπολείπω [apoleipo /ap·ol·ipe·o/] (remains) v6
This word lends itself nicely to the flow of the author's thoughts. It means " left over from past times". Stating that since the promise wasn't appropriated by Israel 500 years before, and it is still left over from the past in David's time.
ὁρίζω [horizo /hor·id·zo/] (Today) v7
This means to mark out a boundary or to define limits. In God's frame, today is always the day of salvation not tomorrow when you have time but today.
Note: The author is saying that if Joshua had given them God's perfect rest, God would not have made the offer again. This leads to the conclusion in verse 9.
σαββατισμός [sabbatismos /sab·bat·is·mos/] (Sabbath rest) v9
In verse 9 the author switches words he has been using for rest and uses Sabbath rest. This points back to God's original rest, His perfect rest, and His ideal rest. It still remains for us as believers to enter into it.
Muỉ Importantẻ Notẻ: Let’s talk about rest.
SABBATISMOS (σαββατισμός , (4520)), a Sabbath–keeping, is used in Heb. 4:9, R.V., “a sabbath rest,” A.V. marg., “a keeping of a sabbath” (akin to sabbatizō, to keep the sabbath, used, e.g., in Ex. 16:30, not in he N.T.); here the sabbath–keeping is the perpetual sabbath rest to be enjoyed uninterruptedly by believers in their fellowship with the Father and the Son, in contrast to the weekly Sabbath under the Law. Because this sabbath rest is the rest of God Himself, 4:10, its full fruition is yet future, though believers now enter into it. In whatever way they enter into Divine rest, that which they enjoy is involved in an indissoluble relation with God.¶[1]
R.V. Revised Version, 1881—1885
A.V. Authorized Version (King James’), 1611
marg. margin
e.g. exempli gratia, for example
N.T. New Testament
¶ ¶ indicates that all the N.T. occurrences of the Greek work under consideration are mentioned under the heading or sub–heading.
[1]Vine, W., & Bruce, F. (1981; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996). Vine's Expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (Vol. 2, Page 288). Old Tappan NJ: Revell.
Uno mas importantẻ Notẻ: Let’s talk some more about rest.
The word κατάπαυσις in the LXX denotes on the one side the gift of God which Israel would experience in the land as rest from all its enemies round about (Dt. 12:9 f. cf. also Dt. 25:19; Jos. 21:44[42]) and on the other the Sabbath rest which is to be observed as a cessation from all work on the seventh day (Ex. 34:21; 35:2; 2 Macc. 15:1). Thus in a kind of deduction Heb. 4:9 can speak, not of κατάπαυσις, but of the σαββατισμός which still remains for the people of God and which will bring a perfect Sabbath when man can cease from all his works as God did from His after completing creation, Hb. 4:10. This rest of which Heb. speaks is related, however, neither to possession of the land nor to the Sabbath of the OT and Jewish Law. It is a purely heavenly blessing towards which the pilgrim people of God moves.[1]
OT Old Testament.
[1]Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (Vol. 7, Page 34). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
σπουδάζω [spoudazo /spoo·dad·zo/] (every effort) v11
This word means, "to hasten, make haste, to exert ones self, endeavor, give diligence". It is used in manuscripts for do your best, take care, hurry along. Again the author is emphasizing the importance for action today, right now.
Note: And if any of these readers think they can deceive God and circumvent God's word. The author hits them with what is a perfect and wonderfully intimidating picture of the infallibility of God's word.
ζάω [zao /dzah·o/] (living) v12
To live, be alive, actively alive, tense indicates constantly actively alive.
ἐναργής, ἐνεργής [energes /en·er·gace/] (active) v12
Active, energizing, powerful; word from which our word energy comes from.
τομός [tomoteros /tom·o·ter·os/] (sharper) v12
To cut, surgically sharp.
μερισμός [merismos /mer·is·mos/] (dividing) v12
Division of one thing from another. This is important. This doesn't mean cutting your arm off, it means cutting through something in such a manner as to expose different things, like a cutaway or a clinical dissection
κριτικός [kritikos /krit·ee·kos/] (judges) v12
Comes from the New Testament word krino meaning to divide or separate, thus to judge. So the word of God is able to penetrate the furthermost recesses of a person’s spiritual being, sift out and analyze the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Translation. For actively alive is the Word of God and energetic, and sharper than any two-edged sword, going through even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a sifter and analyzer of the reflections and conceptions of the heart.[1]
[1]Wuest, K. S. (1997, c1984). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (Heb 4:12). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Note: A. T. Robertson says "The surgeon who carries a bright and powerful light for every dark crevice and a sharp knife for the removal of the puss revealed by the light."
τραχηλίζω [trachelizo /trakh·ay·lid·zo/] (laid bare before) v13
This is the word where we get tracheotomy. It has different shades of meaning but here it's most likely meaning is the one where it is used of a victim's neck being laid bare before a would be executioner.
Note: The author closes in verse 13 with the final point that every person is going to have to stand before God and settle their own account of how they handled the superior revelation of Jesus.
Now after threats and promises of threats to those who don't or won't, or fail to continue to believe. The author now continues and explains the thought introduced in 3:1:
"...fix your thoughts on Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest whom we confess."
Starting here and continuing to Heb 10:18 is the brunt or main point of the author's argument for a doing away of Old Testament sacrifices, simply because, as he continues to prove, they have now been outmoded and superseded by Jesus' work on the cross. What the author is going to be comparing in these passages is the priesthood as God gave it to Aaron and priesthood that God bestows on Jesus.
διέρχομαι [dierchomai /dee·er·khom·ahee/] (gone through) v14
The first point of superiority as well as another "mini-exhortation is all caught up in the meaning of this word. Jesus accomplished something no heavenly angel or earthly priest ever accomplished he passed through the heavens. Aaron as an earthly priest passed through the outer tabernacle (Court of the Tabernacle), through the Holy Place, into the Holy of Holies. We have learned that these are only a type or shadow of what Jesus was to accomplish in reality. Jesus arose, passed through the Heaven of Clouds, the Heaven of Stars, and entered THE Holy of Holies or Heaven of Heavens (Paul's third Heaven in 2 Cor 12:2).
"…having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (Colossians 2:14-15, NIV) [1]
[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Note: Let's look at Col 2:15 to see how Jesus accomplished this. After Jesus' death it was necessary he complete his task by entering into God's presence to present his blood, and complete the atonement of our sins. As he made his way to the presence of God, Satan's demons (powers and authorities) (see Eph 6:12) tried to hinder Him. Jesus disarmed or ἀπεκδύομαι [apekduomai /ap·ek·doo·om·ahee/] (disarmed in Col 2:15) them. This word means to totally and completely strip off from one's self, for ones own advantage, to despoil therefore to disarm. Jesus easily and completely shed the "principalities and powers in the heavenly places" mentioned in Eph 6:12 and triumphed or θριαμβεύω [thriambeuo /three·am·byoo·o/] ( triumphing in Col 2:15) over them. This is a word used among Romans of a triumphal procession where a conquering general home from the wars would lead a parade of his captives. Because of this tremendous accomplishment in the second half the verse 14 we are again exhorted to "hold firmly to the faith."
συμπαθέω [sumpatheo /soom·path·eh·o/] (sympathize) v15
The author again having reminded us of the great High Priest we do have now , lists a quality that again, would make him very appealing to his readers. This word is a compound coming from pascho meaning to suffer and sun meaning with. The word has the idea of suffering with somebody to the extent of entering into and feeling the heartache itself. This is a continuation of the thought the author touched one in 2:17.
Note: The reason Jesus can be so compassionate and understanding is:
" ...who has been tempted in every way, just as we are..."
We learned in Chapter 2 that Jesus came along side of us and took on flesh. When Jesus did this, he also took on "human weaknesses" or the things that undermine our resistance to temptation, and make it easier to sin. The only thing Jesus didn't have was the experimental knowledge of sin. He also had no temptation that arose from a previous sin. He was really tested in all things as we are. Expositor's says:
"The writer wishes to preclude the common fancy that there was some peculiarity in Jesus which made his temptation wholly different from ours, that he was a mailed champion exposed to toy arrows. On the contrary, he has felt in his own consciousness, the difficulty of being righteous in the world. He has felt pressing upon himself the reasons and inducements that incline men to choose sin that they may escape suffering and death. In every part of his human constitution he has known the pain and conflict with which alone temptation can be overcome. He has been so tempted that had he sinned, he would have had a thousand-fold better excuse that man ever had. Even though his divinity may have ensured his triumph, his temptation was true and could only be overcome by means that are open to all. The one difference between our temptations and those of Jesus is that his were without sin."
Because we have the sympathetic High Priest, we are to approach, with a reverent confidence, God's throne of grace for believers, His throne of judgment for non-believers, that we may obtain or receive mercy and find grace or charity that is obtainable through Jesus our Advocate.
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