Christian salvation, having been presented as lordship over the world to come, and as deliverance from the fear of death, is now to be presented as participation in the rest of God. The purpose of vv. 1-11 is to confirm the hope of that rest, and to warn against forfeiting it. There is a possibility of your forfeiting it. The rest of God was proclaimed to your fore- fathers, but they did not enter into it because of their unbe- lief. It has been proclaimed to you. You may fail as did they, and for the same reason.
1. Being left (cataXeropevns). Still remaining: not being neglected. lt is not a reason for fearing that is given, but a circumstance connected with the thing to be avoided. As there is now left a promise, let us fear. Being left announces the thought which is afterward emphasised, and on which the whole treatment of the subject turns— that God’s original promise of rest remains unchanged, and still holds good. Such being the case, he who doubts the promise itself, or thinks that it is too late for him to enjoy its fulfilment, runs a risk.
Should seem to come short (Soxn botepnxévac). Accord- ing to this rendering, the meaning is that one must avoid the appearance of having failed to enter into the rest; the per- fect tense (doTepnxévat) placing the reader at the parousia, when judgment will be pronounced. This is forced, tame, and irrelevant to the previous discussion. Rend. lest any
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one of you think he has come too late for it. This accords with the previous admonitions against unbelief. For one to think that he has come too late to inherit the promise is to disbe- lieve an immutable promise of God. Hence the writer may well say, “Since this promise remains, let us fear to distrust it.” “TLorepeiv is to be behind; to come late; to come short; hence, to suffer need, as Philip. iv. 12; of material deficiency, L. xv. 14; J. ii. 3; of moral and spiritual shortcoming, Rom. iii. 23; 1 Cor. viii. 8; Heb. xii. 15.
2. For unto us was the gospel preached (xal yap écpev evnyyedtopevor). Lit. we have had good tidings proclaimed to us. The translation of the A. V. is unfortunate, since it conveys the technical and conventional idea of preaching the gospel, which is entirely out of place here. The reference is to the special announcement of the rest of God; the glad tidings that God has provided a rest for his people. This announcement was made to the fathers, and signified to them the promise of the rest in Canaan. It has been proclaimed to us, and to us is the announcement of the heavenly rest. The emphasis is on the entire statement, “we have had the good tidings proclaimed to us,” rather than on we as con- trasted with they.
The word preached (0 Adyos tis axons). Lit. the word of the message. See onl Th. ii. 18.
Not being mixed with faith in them that heard it (jy) ovvKeKepacpevous TH WloTeL Tois akovoacw). Rend. because not incorporated by faith in them that heard.* A body of obedient hearers with whom the erring Israelites were not in-
* There is a difference of reading: cuvcexepacuévovs and cuvKexepacpévos. According to the former, the participle agrees with éxelvous them: ‘the word did not profit them, (they) not having been united, etc.,’’ or, ‘‘since they were not united.’’ According to the latter, the participle agrees with 6 \éyos the word: ‘*the word not having been united, etc.’’ I prefer the second reading, although the external authority for the other is stronger. So Tisch- endorf and Weiss. Westcott and Hort read cuvkexepacpuévovs, but suspect a primitive corruption. Westcott, however, adopts the other in his commentary.
422 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. ([Cz. IV.