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Hebreus 4

ARC · Chapter 4/13

1Temamos pois que, porventura, deixada a promessa de entrar no seu repouso, pareça que algum de vós fique atraz.

2Porque tambem a nós nos foi evangelizado, como a elles, mas a palavra da prégação de nada lhes aproveitou, porquanto não estava misturada com a fé n'aquelles que a ouviram.

3Porque nós, os que temos crido, entramos no repouso, como disse: Portanto jurei na minha ira que não entrarão no meu repouso: posto que já as suas obras estivessem acabadas desde a fundação do mundo

4Porque em certo logar disse assim do dia setimo: E repousou Deus de todas as suas obras no setimo dia.

5E outra vez n'este logar: Não entrarão no meu repouso.

6Visto pois, que resta que alguns entrem n'elle, e que aquelles a quem primeiro foi evangelizado, não entraram por causa da desobediencia,

7Determina outra vez um certo dia, que chama Hoje, dizendo por David, muito tempo depois, como está dito: Hoje, se ouvirdes a sua voz, não endureçaes os vossos corações.

8Porque, se Josué lhes houvesse dado repouso, depois d'isso não fallaria de outro dia.

9Portanto resta ainda um repouso para o povo de Deus.

10Porque, aquelle que entrou no seu repouso, tambem elle mesmo repousou de suas obras, como Deus das suas.

11Procuremos pois entrar n'aquelle repouso, para que ninguem caia no mesmo exemplo de desobediencia.

12Porque a palavra de Deus é viva e efficaz, e mais penetrante do que espada alguma de dois gumes, e penetra até á divisão da alma e do espirito, e das junturas e medullas, e é apta para discernir os pensamentos e intenções do coração.

13E não ha creatura alguma encoberta diante d'elle; antes todas as coisas estão nuas e patentes aos olhos d'aquelle com quem tratamos.

14Visto que temos um grande summo sacerdote Jesus, Filho de Deus, que penetrou nos céus, retenhamos firmemente a nossa confissão.

15Porque não temos um summo sacerdote que não possa compadecer-se das nossas fraquezas; mas um que como nós, em tudo foi tentado, excepto no peccado.

16Cheguemos pois com confiança ao throno da graça, para que possamos alcançar misericordia e achar graça, para sermos ajudados em tempo opportuno.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The author continues the theme of God's 'rest,' explaining that a promise of spiritual rest is still available to God's people, different from the mere physical rest of the land of Canaan. He describes the Word of God as living and able to discern the innermost thoughts.

Explanation

The 'rest' mentioned here is not merely geographic (the promised land), but spiritual: a state of trust and peace that comes from truly believing in God, something the wilderness generation lost through unbelief. The reference to the seventh day of rest at creation (Genesis 2:2) connects this theme to the broader idea that God offers genuine rest to a weary humanity. The chapter ends with an encouraging invitation to 'come boldly to the throne of grace,' since Jesus, as high priest, understands human weaknesses. Today's practical application is to seek this inner rest through faith, rather than trying to reach it only through one's own effort.

Fun facts

  • The image of the Word of God as a 'two-edged sword piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit' (4:12) is one of the most widely used metaphors in the history of Christian preaching to describe the transforming power of Scripture.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Hebreus 4:1The letter continues the previous chapter's reasoning with a warning: since the promise of entering God's rest still stands, it's necessary to fear being left behind like that generation in the wilderness.
  2. Hebreus 4:2The letter compares the two situations: both the ancient people and today's readers received the same good news, but hearing it does no good unless it's mixed with real faith.
  3. Hebreus 4:3Only those who truly believe enter that rest, says the letter, quoting Psalm 95 again, even though this rest of God has been ready since the creation of the world.
  4. Hebreus 4:4The letter cites the account of creation in Genesis, where God rests on the seventh day, linking the idea of ‘rest’ to that original rest of God.
  5. Hebreus 4:5The same warning is quoted again here, exactly as the verse puts it: “If they shall enter into my rest” — an old idiomatic way of swearing a solemn “never,” underscoring the point a second time.
  6. Hebreus 4:6The letter explains that, since that first generation didn't enter because of disobedience, there's still a chance for someone else to enter that rest.
  7. Hebreus 4:7Proof of this is that, long after Joshua, David still speaks of a “Today” for entering the rest, which shows that the promise remained open.
  8. Hebreus 4:8The letter argues that if Joshua had really given the people the final rest by entering the promised land, David wouldn't have spoken of another day after that.
  9. Hebreus 4:9Saying that Joshua didn't actually give the people the final rest is the argument for affirming that “there remaineth therefore a rest” — here the word points to Sabbath rest. The idea is that entering the promised land, in Joshua's time, was only a shadow of a greater rest still to come.
  10. Hebreus 4:10The letter compares believers' spiritual rest to God's own rest after creation: whoever enters that rest also rests from their own works.
  11. Hebreus 4:11The practical conclusion is a direct invitation: let us labor to enter that rest, avoiding falling into the same kind of disobedience that kept the wilderness generation out.
  12. Hebreus 4:12Comparing God's word to a sword “sharper than any twoedged sword” means it cuts deep, discerning even thoughts and intentions a person may not notice in themselves. It's an image of penetrating power, not of violence.
  13. Hebreus 4:13After describing God's word as a sword that pierces deep, the letter adds that nothing is hidden from God — everything lies exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we will one day answer.
  14. Hebreus 4:14Calling Jesus a “great high priest” who “passed into the heavens” picks up the idea that He carries out, on the heavenly plane, the function priests carried out in the earthly temple: representing the people before God. The difference is that He doesn't need to repeat the ritual, because He has already entered for good.
  15. Hebreus 4:15Saying that Jesus was tempted “in all points” like any human being, yet without sinning, is what supports the idea that He truly understands human weakness — not in theory, but from having gone through it Himself.
  16. Hebreus 4:16The “throne of grace” is a way of describing the direct access to God that the letter argues for throughout the whole book: instead of needing a human priest as a go-between, the reader can approach directly, with confidence, to ask for help.

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