Solemn promise (Good News Bible first edition vow) avoids the misunderstanding of “swear” as “curse,” but promise usually has a positive meaning, while in this context the meaning is negative. Since the expression solemn promise in English suggests something positive rather than negative, it is essential to avoid the wrong kind of connotation. It would be possible to say “I solemnly promised myself,” but in general it is usually far more satisfactory to say “I declared.”
In a number of languages the usual term for “vow” or “oath” is “to make a declaration in the presence of God” or “… with God witnessing.” However, since it is God himself who makes the vow in this context, such a normal expression cannot be employed. In some languages the concept of “vow” may be expressed as “I said with strong words” or “I declared with unchangeable words.”
The second half of the verse gives the content of the vow or promise and introduces a keyword of chapter 4, rest. Translators generally deal with the word rest in one of three ways: (a) they translate it literally, raising the problems (i) what does it mean to “enter” a “rest”? and (ii) how can one enter anyone else’s rest? (b) They replace the noun rest by a verbal expression, as early editions of Good News Bible did with come in and rest with me. This is excellent in this verse but is difficult to do consistently throughout chapter 4. (c) Good News Translation fourth edition, Jerusalem Bible, and Bijbel in Gewone Taal consistently translate land where I would have given them rest, taking rest to mean “place of rest” or “resting place.” In this way they can speak quite naturally of “entering,” and later of a resting place “remaining” in existence even when no one is yet occupying it (4.1). There is strong evidence that both the Septuagint and the Hebrew Old Testament used words for “rest” in the sense of “resting place.”
They will never enter: in Greek this has the form of a conditional sentence but the meaning of a strong negative statement, “They will certainly not enter.”
In many languages it is impossible to speak of “giving no rest to someone.” The more normal expression is a causative one; for example, “I would have caused them to rest.” In choosing a word for rest it is important to avoid the concept of “lying down.” The emphasis should be upon recuperating strength or relaxing after hardship, or finding peace and prosperity after a period of difficult trial and testing.
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .