Hebrews 4:4

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) For he spake in a certain place.—Better, For he hath spoken somewhere, another example of indefiniteness of citation. (See Note on Hebrews 2:6.)

Benson Commentary

Hebrews 4:4-8. For he spake in a certain place — Namely, Genesis 2:2; Exodus 31:17; on this wise, God did rest, &c. — These words the apostle quotes, because they show that the seventh-day rest is fitly called God’s rest, and that the seventh-day rest was observed from the creation of the world. “God’s ceasing from his works of creation is called his resting from all his works, because, according to our way of conceiving things, he had exerted an infinite force in creating the mundane system.” — Macknight. And in this place again, If they shall enter — That is, they shall not enter; into my rest — Namely, the rest of Canaan, to be entered above three thousand years after the former. This is called God’s rest, 1st, Because, after the Israelites got possession of that country, God rested from his work of introducing them; 2d, Because they were there to observe God’s sabbaths, and to perform his worship free from the fear of their enemies, Luke 1:68; Luke 1:74. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein — As if he had said, From what has been spoken, it is evident that, besides the rest of God from the foundation of the world, and a seventh-day sabbath as a pledge thereof, there was another rest, which some persons were to enter into, namely, the rest in the land of Canaan; and they to whom it was first preached — That is, published and offered by Moses in the wilderness; entered not in because of unbelief — As was said above. Again, &c. — And further, besides the two times of rest before mentioned, namely, those of the creation and of Canaan, he afterward, in this psalm, speaks of another; he limiteth a certain day — That is, the Holy Ghost specifies and appoints another determinate time or season of rest besides those before mentioned, whose season was now past; saying in David — In the psalm penned by him; after so long a time — After they had entered into the rest of Canaan, and had possessed it for about five hundred years, he yet again calls upon them to seek after another rest: therefore there is another besides that of Canaan. For if Jesus — That is, Joshua; had given them rest — If that rest which they obtained under the conduct of Joshua, who brought them into Canaan, had been all which was intended by God for them, this latter exhortation by David had been needless. Upon the whole, the apostle proves that after the original rest at the creation, there was a second promised and proposed to the people of God, namely, in Canaan; but yet neither was that the rest intended in the place of the psalm here so often referred to; but a third, which yet remained for them, and was now offered to them, and that under the same promises and threatenings with the former, namely, to be conferred on obedient believers, and withheld from the unbelieving and disobedient.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

4:1-10 The privileges we have under the gospel, are greater than any had under the law of Moses, though the same gospel for substance was preached under both Testaments. There have been in all ages many unprofitable hearers; and unbelief is at the root of all unfruitfulness under the word. Faith in the hearer is the life of the word. But it is a painful consequence of partial neglect, and of a loose and wavering profession, that they often cause men to seem to come short. Let us then give diligence, that we may have a clear entrance into the kingdom of God. As God finished his work, and then rested from it, so he will cause those who believe, to finish their work, and then to enjoy their rest. It is evident, that there is a more spiritual and excellent sabbath remaining for the people of God, than that of the seventh day, or that into which Joshua led the Jews. This rest is, a rest of grace, and comfort, and holiness, in the gospel state. And a rest in glory, where the people of God shall enjoy the end of their faith, and the object of all their desires. The rest, or sabbatism, which is the subject of the apostle's reasoning, and as to which he concludes that it remains to be enjoyed, is undoubtedly the heavenly rest, which remains to the people of God, and is opposed to a state of labour and trouble in this world. It is the rest they shall obtain when the Lord Jesus shall appear from heaven. But those who do not believe, shall never enter into this spiritual rest, either of grace here or glory hereafter. God has always declared man's rest to be in him, and his love to be the only real happiness of the soul; and faith in his promises, through his Son, to be the only way of entering that rest.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For he spake - Genesis 2:2. "And God did rest." "At the close of the work of creation he rested. The work was done. "That" was the rest of God. He was happy in the contemplation of his own works; and he instituted that day to be observed as a memorial of "his" resting from his works, and as a "type" of the eternal rest which remained for man." The idea is this, that the notion of "rest" of some kind runs through all dispensations. It was seen in the finishing of the work of creation; seen in the appointment of the Sabbath; seen in the offer of the promised land, and is seen now in the promise of heaven. All dispensations contemplate "rest," and there must be such a prospect before man now. When it is said that "God did rest," of course it does not mean that he was wearied with his toil, but merely that he "ceased" from the stupendous work of creation. He no more put forth creative energy, but calmly contemplated his own works in their beauty and grandeur; Genesis 1:31. In carrying forward the great affairs of the universe, he always has been. actively employed John 5:17, but he is not employed in the work of "creation" properly so called. That is done; and the sublime cessation from that constitutes the "rest of God."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4. he spake—God (Ge 2:2).

God did rest the seventh day—a rest not ending with the seventh day, but beginning then and still continuing, into which believers shall hereafter enter. God's rest is not a rest necessitated by fatigue, nor consisting in idleness, but is that upholding and governing of which creation was the beginning [Alford]. Hence Moses records the end of each of the first six days, but not of the seventh.

from all his works—Hebrew, Ge 2:2, "from all His work." God's "work" was one, comprehending, however, many "works."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise; the Spirit proves, that the rest mentioned by David, Psalm 95:11, is not meant the seventh day’s rest, because spoken three thousand years after that rest was past; but this rest of which he speaks was to come, though spoken of and known then: for Moses had spoken of it in a well known place to them, Genesis 2:1-3, and this when he wrote of the seventh day, which was eminently noting the sabbath, and a type of God’s most excellent rest which he sware unto believers.

And God did rest the seventh day from all his works: God doth not here rest as if he were weary, Isaiah 40:28, but ceased from the creation of all kind of things he purposed to make, but not from their propagation and his providence about them, Acts 17:25. And this he did on the seventh day, which he instituted a sabbath for his people, Genesis 2:3; which resting day may type out the eternal rest of angels and men, when their work of obedience is finished: and yet was not God’s rest spoken of in the Psalm, nor promised in the gospel to believers, for this was yet to come; whereas the seventh day’s rest was entered into from the foundation of the world.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For he spake in a certain place,.... Genesis 2:2 that is, Moses, the penman of that book spoke, or God by him:

of the seventh day on this wise; of the seventh day of the world, or from the creation of the heavens and the earth:

and God did rest the seventh day from all his works: of creation, but not of providence; for in them he works hitherto; nor does this rest suppose labour with fatigue and weariness, and ease and refreshment from it; only cessation from working in a creative way, and the utmost delight, complacency and satisfaction in what he had done. The Alexandrian copy leaves out the phrase, "the seventh day".

Geneva Study Bible

For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Hebrews 4:4. Scripture proof for the thought implicitly contained in καίτοι κ.τ.λ., Hebrews 4:3, viz. that the actual existence of the divine κατάπαυσις, from which the Israelites were to be excluded, has not been wanting.

The citation is from Genesis 2:2, according to the LXX., with some non-essential variations.

Το εἴρηκεν we have to supply as subject, not ἡ γραγή] (Böhme, Kuinoel, Klee, Stein, Bisping, al.), but ὁ θεός. For although, in the citation, God is spoken of in the third person, yet in εἴρηκεν, Hebrews 4:4, the subject must be the same as in καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πάλιν, sc. εἴρηκεν, Hebrews 4:5; in this latter passage, however, the subject can only be ὁ θεός, as is proved by the following μου.

που] see on Hebrews 2:6.

περὶ τῆς ἑβδόμης] with regard to the seventh day. Comp. Winer, Gramm., 7 Aufl. p. 549; Buttmann, Gramm. des neutest. Sprachgebr. p. 71.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4. he spake in a certain place] Rather, “He hath said somewhere.” By the indefinite “He” is meant “God,” a form of citation not used in the same way by St Paul, but common in Philo and the Rabbis. The “somewhere” of the original is here expressed in the A.V. by “in a certain place,” see note on Hebrews 2:6. The reference is to Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:11; Exodus 31:17. The writer always regards the Old Testament not as a dead letter, but as a living voice.

Bengel's Gnomen

Hebrews 4:4. Εἴρηκε, He said) viz. GOD, who also speaks in Hebrews 4:5; Hebrews 4:7.—ἑβδόμης) viz. ἡμέρας.—καὶ κατέπαυσεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ, κ.τ.λ.) Genesis 2:2, LXX., καὶ κατέπαυσε τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, ὧν ἔποιησε, He rested, He withdrew Himself, so to speak, to His eternal tranquillity. It is remarkable that Moses has mentioned the end of the former days, but not of the seventh: Heb. from His work. It was one work, comprehending many works. The single term κατέπαυσεν corresponds to the Heb. מנוחה and שבת, by most suitably connecting the two passages Psalms 95 and Genesis 2.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 4, 5. - For he hath said somewhere (που cf. Hebrews 2:6) of the seventh day on this wise, And God rested the seventh day from all his works; and in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Here the argument is carried out. The first passage quoted shows what must be understood by the "rest of God;" the second shows that it still remains open, that "it remaineth that some should enter thereinto." This being the case - Hebrews 4:4

Vincent's Word Studies

What was implied in the preceding verse is now stated.

Did rest from all his works (κατέπαυσεν - ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ)

The verb only in Hebrews and Acts 14:18. Works, plural, following lxx. The Hebrew has work.