(11) So.—Rather, as (Hebrews 4:3). It is with these as it was with their fathers, the generations that came out of Egypt, unto whom God sware, “They shall not enter into My rest” (Numbers 14:21-24). The form in which these words appear below (Hebrews 4:3; Hebrews 4:5) in the Authorised version, “If they shall enter into my rest,” is an imitation of the original construction. See Numbers 14:23, where “they shall not see” is. as the margin shows, expressed in Hebrew by “if they (shall) see” the land.

Into my rest.—Into the land where Jehovah shall give rest to His people and shall dwell with them. (See Deuteronomy 12:9; 1Kings 8:56; Psalm 132:14; Isaiah 66:1; 1Chronicles 6:31; 2Chronicles 6:41.)

3:7-13 Days of temptation are often days of provocation. But to provoke God, when he is letting us see that we entirely depend and live upon him, is a provocation indeed. The hardening of the heart is the spring of all other sins. The sins of others, especially of our relations, should be warnings to us. All sin, especially sin committed by God's professing, privileged people, not only provokes God, but it grieves him. God is loth to destroy any in, or for their sin; he waits long to be gracious to them. But sin, long persisted in, will make God's wrath discover itself in destroying the impenitent; there is no resting under the wrath of God. Take heed: all who would get safe to heaven must look about them; if once we allow ourselves to distrust God, we may soon desert him. Let those that think they stand, take heed lest they fall. Since to-morrow is not ours, we must make the best improvement of this day. And there are none, even the strongest of the flock, who do not need help of other Christians. Neither are there any so low and despised, but the care of their standing in the faith, and of their safety, belongs to all. Sin has so many ways and colours, that we need more eyes than ours own. Sin appears fair, but is vile; it appears pleasant, but is destructive; it promises much, but performs nothing. The deceitfulness of sin hardens the soul; one sin allowed makes way for another; and every act of sin confirms the habit. Let every one beware of sin.So I sware in my wrath - God is often represented in the Scriptures as "swearing" - and usually as swearing by himself, or by his own existence. Of course this in figurative, and denotes a strong affirmation, or a settled and determined purpose. An oath with us implies the strongest affirmation, or the expression of the most settled and determined purpose of mind. The meaning here is, that so refractory and perverse had they showed themselves, that he solemnly resolved that they should never enter into the land of Canaan.

They shall not enter into my rest - Margin, As in the original, "if they shall enter." That is, they shall not enter. The word (אם ‛im) "if" has this negative meaning in Hebrew, and this meaning is transferred to the Greek word "if;" compare 1 Samuel 3:17; 2 Samuel 3:35; 2 Kings 6:31. It is called "my rest" here, meaning that it was such rest as God had provided, or such as he enjoyed. The particular "rest" referred to here was that of the land of Canaan, but which was undoubtedly regarded as emblematic of the "rest" in heaven. Into that rest God solemnly said they should never enter. They had been rebellious. All the means of reclaiming them had failed. God had warned and entreated them; he had caused his mercies to pass before them, and had visited them with judgments in vain; and he now declares that for all their rebellion they should be excluded from the promised land. God speaks here in the manner of human beings. Men are affected with feelings of indignation in such circumstances, and God makes use of such language as expresses such feelings. But we are to understand it in a manner consistent with his character, and we are not to suppose that he is affected with the same emotions which agitate the bosoms of people. The meaning is, that he formed and expressed a deliberate and solemn purpose that they should never enter into the promised land. Whether this "rest" refers here to heaven, and whether the meaning is that God would exclude them from that blessed world, will be more appropriately considered in the next chapter. The particular idea is, that they were to be excluded from the promised land, and that they should fall in the wilderness. No one can doubt, also, that their conduct had been such as to show that the great body of them were unfit to enter into heaven.

11. So—literally, "as."

I sware—Bengel remarks the oath of God preceded the forty years.

not—literally, "If they shall enter … (God do so to me and more also)," 2Sa 3:35. The Greek is the same, Mr 8:12.

my rest—Canaan, primarily, their rest after wandering in the wilderness: still, even when in it, they never fully enjoyed rest; whence it followed that the threat extended farther than the exclusion of the unbelieving from the literal land of rest, and that the rest promised to the believing in its full blessedness was, and is, yet future: Ps 25:13; 37:9, 11, 22, 29, and Christ's own beatitude (Mt 5:5) all accord with this, Heb 3:9.

So I sware in my wrath: such were their provocations and temptations of their Redeemer, that he determined their punishment; the certainty of which he fixed by an irreversible oath, which is the highest confirmation of vengeance when it cometh from wrath; as of his promise, when it issueth from grace, Numbers 14:27-36 Psalm 95:11: compare Hebrews 6:17,18. And the spring of it here is wrath, enraged by their murmurings and unbelief.

They shall not enter into my rest: the punishment is expressed in an expostulatory form, which is vehemently asserting the negative of the question; They shall never enter into my rest. If they enter in, then I am neither true nor God. The rest literal was the land of Canaan, Deu 12:9; in the truth of that type, heaven. It is the Redeemer who speaks this, whose rest is by way of efficiency, purchase, and donation; he gives entrance into it, and shuts out of it, Matthew 7:21-23. This is a shutting them out of all peace, into eternal sorrow, anguish, distress, and trouble, and every other evil contrary unto this rest.

So I sware in my wrath,.... Swearing is ascribed to God, to show the certainty of the thing spoken of; as of mercies, when he swears in love, and by his holiness; so here, of punishment, when he swears in wrath, in indignation, in sore displeasure, and the threatened evil is irrevocable and inevitable:

they shall not enter into my rest; into the land of Canaan, called God's rest, because he promised it, and gave it to the Israelites as their rest; and where he himself had a place of rest; and where he gave the Messiah, the author of peace and rest; and which was a type of heaven, that rest from toil and labour, which remains for the people of God; and into which it is said this generation did not enter; for the Jews say (f),

"the generation of the wilderness have no part in the world to come:''

but this seems too harsh, for doubtless there were many who died in the wilderness, that went safe to heaven, notwithstanding all their sins and provocations.

(f) Tzeror Hammor, fol. 118. 1.

So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)