There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
What does Hebrews 4:9 mean?
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.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Hebrews 4:9-10 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Hebrews 4:9
The meaning is this, that according to the Scriptures there is "now" a promise of rest made to the people of God. It did not pertain merely to those who were called to go to the promised land, nor to those who lived in the time of David, but it is "still" true that the promise of rest pertains to "all" the people of God of every generation. The "reasoning" by which the apostle comes to this conclusion is briefly this: (1) That there was a "rest" - called "the rest of God" - spoken of in the earliest period of the world - implying that God meant that it should be enjoyed.
Key words
- It means here
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It means here .
- therefore
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It followed, therefore, that there was something besides that; something that pertained to all the people of God to which the name rest might still be given, and which they were exhorted still to obtain.
- people
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The meaning is this, that according to the Scriptures there is "now" a promise of rest made to the people of God.
Context in Hebrews 4
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Hebrews 4 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as priesthood after Melchizedek. Hebrews presents Jesus as the final revelation of God, the great high priest, the once-for-all sacrifice, and the mediator of the better covenant. Read this chapter with the wider themes of Christology, priesthood, and sacrifice in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Bible verses about rest and weariness
Passages on exhaustion, sabbath, quietness, and the invitation to find rest in God rather than in mere withdrawal alone.
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Passages on peace with God, peace in the heart, peace in community, and the biblical difference between true peace and false reassurance.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.