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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comAdam Clarke Commentary - Hebrews 4:3 - 4:3
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For we which have believed do enter into rest - The great spiritual blessings, the forerunners of eternal glory, which were all typified by that earthly rest or felicity promised to the ancient Israelites, we Christians do, by believing in Christ Jesus, actually possess. We have peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost; are saved from the guilt and power of sin; and thus enjoy an inward rest.
But this is a rest differing from the seventh day’s rest, or Sabbath, which was the original type of Canaan, the blessings of the Gospel, and eternal glory; seeing God said, concerning the unbelieving Israelites in the wilderness, I have sworn in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest, notwithstanding the works of creation were finished, and the seventh day’s rest was instituted from the foundation of the world; consequently the Israelites had entered into that rest before the oath was sworn. See Macknight.
We who believe, Οἱ πιστευσαντες, is omitted by Chrysostom, and some few MSS. And instead of εισερχομεθα γαρ, for we do enter, AC, several others, with the Vulgate and Coptic, read εισερχωμεθα ουν, therefore let us enter; and thus it answers to φωβηθωμεν ουν, therefore let us fear, Heb 4:1; but this reading cannot well stand unless οι πιστευσαντες be omitted, which is acknowledged to be genuine by every MS. and version of note and importance. The meaning appears to be this: We Jews, who have believed in Christ, do actually possess that rest-state of happiness in God, produced by peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost - which was typified by the happiness and comfort to be enjoyed by the believing Hebrews, in the possession of the promised land. See before.
From the foundation of the world - The foundation of the world, καταβολη κοσμου, means the completion of the work of creation in six days. In those days was the world, i.e. the whole system of mundane things, begun and perfected; and this appears to be the sense of the expression in this place.