SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 2020 – Page 3

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 4:10

4:10a–b

For: The word For introduces an explanation of 4:9. The verse explains why the author used the word “Sabbath rest” to describe the rest that God’s people will enter. In some languages it is not necessary to introduce 4:10 with a connector. Connect the explanation to 4:9 in a natural way in your language.

whoever enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His: The phrase God’s rest refers to the rest that God offers to his people. The author compares that rest to God’s rest on the Sabbath after he created the world. There are two main ways to interpret the phrase rests from his own work here:

(1) It means that God’s people should not try to earn God’s approval by doing certain actions that they themselves decide to do.

(2) It means that God’s people will not work after they “enter God’s rest” by dying and going to heaven.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). English versions are ambiguous, but the theme of Hebrews supports interpretation (1). The author did not want his hearers to try to earn God’s approval by their own sacrifices or other work. He indicated that they must trust in Jesus, their great high priest. He made the perfect sacrifice to reconcile them with God.

Some other ways to translate this are:

whoever enjoys resting with God has ceased doing things ⌊to gain God’s favor⌋ just as God ceased doing his work ⌊of creating everything⌋.
-or-
anyone who rests with God stops doing special actions/work ⌊to earn his approval⌋. ⌊He rests from doing that,⌋ as God rested from his work ⌊of creation⌋.

whoever enters God’s rest: The phrase enters God’s rest is also used in 4:1a, 4:3a, 4:5b, and 4:6a. You should translate it in the same way here. See the note on 4:1a for more information.

just as God did from His: The clause just as God did from His means “as God stopped his ⌊work⌋ ” (after he created the world). See the note on 4:4b for an explanation of the similar phrase “rested from all his works.” You should translate the phrase here in a similar way.

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 4:9

Paragraph 4:9–10

4:9

This verse is important in Section 4:1–13. It tells what readers should conclude from 4:1–8. In those verses the author used two OT scriptures (Psalm 95 and Genesis 2:2) to lead to this conclusion in 4:9: God still provides a sabbath rest for his people.

There remains, then: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as then introduces a deduction or conclusion from 4:1–8. It implies that the statement in 4:9 will tell what readers should realize and conclude from the preceding verses.

Some other ways to introduce it are:

That is how we know that…
-or-
This shows that…
-or-
So from all this we know/conclude that…

There remains…a Sabbath rest for the people of God: This clause indicates that a Sabbath rest is still available for God’s people to enjoy. Some other ways to translate it are:

there is still opportunity for the people of God to get rest with him. That rest is like God’s rest on the seventh day.
-or-
as for us, God’s people, it is possible for us to have rest like God’s rest on that seventh day
-or-
there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God (New Living Translation (2004))

remains: Here the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as remains means “to be reserved.” It indicates here that a sabbath rest is still available for God’s people. In this context it is God who has reserved (provided) this rest for his people. Some ways to translate it in this verse are:

is still waiting/provided
-or-

⌊ God⌋has reserved
-or-
is still coming (New Century Version)

Sabbath rest: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Sabbath rest is a rare word. It occurs only here in the Greek New Testament. The Jews rested on the seventh (final) day of every week. They called this weekly rest day the Sabbath. The phrase Sabbath rest is related to the word for “sabbath.” It is used in a figurative way here to refer to a special type of rest.

There are two main views about what this Sabbath rest refers to:

(1) It refers to a spiritual rest that begins on earth when a person believes in Christ. Then the person depends on God for salvation and for the strength to do God’s will.

(2) It refers to rest in heaven with God after a believer in Christ dies. It is symbolized in the OT by the rest that God promised the people of Israel in the land of Canaan.

Probably the word implies both of these meanings here. Some other ways to translate it are:

rest like God’s resting on the seventh day (Good News Translation)
-or-
special rest (New Living Translation (2004))

people of God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as people often refers to a group of people who share kinship. It can also refer to people who share a common culture but are not related by blood. God created everyone, so all people belong to him. However, in the Bible the term “God’s people” is usually used in a special way to refer to the people who believe in him and obey him.

Some other ways to translate people of God here are:

the people who worship/serve God
-or-
God’s worshippers/subjects

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 4:8

4:8a–b

if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day: Here the author asked his audience to imagine something that did not happen. The clause if Joshua had given them rest implies that Joshua did not give the people the type of rest that God promised. If the people already had the rest that God promised, God would not need to promise it again.

Some other ways to translate this sentence are:

We know that Joshua did not lead the people into that rest, because God spoke later about another day. (New Century Version)
-or-
Joshua was not able to cause people to rest as God promised, that is why God spoke again about another day.
-or-
Suppose that Joshua gave the people rest. Then God would not need to speak about a future day ⌊when he will give them rest⌋.

In some languages a rhetorical question may be a natural way to translate this sentence. For example:

If Joshua had given them rest, would God speak later about a different day ⌊when he will give it to them⌋ ?

4:8a

For: The word For introduces an explanation or reason for the previous statement. Many English versions leave it implied.

if Joshua had given them rest: Here the author referred to background information about 4:8a. Most people who heard or read Hebrews already knew that Joshua led the people of Israel into the land of Canaan. God wanted to give them rest there, but they disobeyed him. So they did not receive the true rest, which is a life of depending on God.

Some ways to translate if Joshua had given them rest are:

If Joshua had given the people the rest that God had promised… (Good News Translation)
-or-
Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest (New Living Translation (2004))

For more information about Joshua, see the OT book of Joshua, especially Joshua 11:23 and 23:1. God did use Joshua to give the people of Israel the promised land. But the book of Judges shows that they did not gain true rest because they did not obey the Lord.

Joshua: After Moses died, Joshua became the leader of the Israelites. It was Joshua who led the Israelites into Canaan, the land God promised them. See Joshua 1:1–11:23 to read about those events.

The name Joshua and the name “Jesus” are different forms of the same name. The King James Version has the form “Jesus” in this verse to refer to the Joshua who led the Israelites into Canaan. It is recommended that you spell the names Joshua and “Jesus” differently so that readers will not become confused.

4:8b

God would not have spoken later about another day: Here the author implies that sometime after Joshua died, God spoke again about another day when he will give his people rest. The author refers here to the quotation from Psalm 95:7b–11, where God used King David to repeat that promise about rest. King David lived hundreds of years after Joshua died.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

there would no longer have been any of God’s words speaking of another day
-or-
it would not be necessary for God to tell us again about a different ⌊future⌋ time

about another day: In this context, the phrase about another day refers to another time for people to have the opportunity to obtain God’s rest.

General Comment on 4:6b–8b

In some languages it is more natural to combine verses 4:6b–8b to tell the events in the order that they happened. One way these three verses can be combined is:

6b Those who first heard the Good News did not receive that rest, 6c because they did not believe/obey God. 8a If Joshua had given the people the rest that God had promised, 8b God would not have spoken later about another day. 7a But many years later God set another day, which he called “Today.” 7b He spoke of it through David 7c in the Scripture already quoted: 7d If you hear God’s voice today, 7e do not be stubborn.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 4:7

4:7a

Remember that some translators begin this verse with a connector like “Therefore” or “So,” as in the God’s Word. In the Berean Standard Bible, as in the Greek text, 4:6 and 4:7 are one long sentence. The Notes separates them into more than one sentence in the examples in the Display. Use an option that is natural in your language.

God again designated a certain day as “Today”: This statement indicates that God appointed another time when people can enter his rest. The word again implies that he already set one time, which was for the Israel people whom he led out of Egypt. Now he sets another time. He called this time “today.”

Some ways to translate this statement are:

So God set another day. That day is today. (God’s Word)
-or-
again he appoints/offers a certain time and calls it “today.”

In some languages it is necessary to mention the purpose for which God set the day. God’s purpose was to give people the opportunity to enter (have) his rest. Some ways to say that are:

there is another time that God has given to people so they will have opportunity to enter, and now/today is that time.
-or-
So God set another time for entering his rest and that time is today. (New Living Translation (2004))

God again designated a certain day: The phrase God…designated a certain day indicates that God chose a particular time. The phrase a certain day refers to a particular time or to an opportunity. Some ways to translate this phrase are:

there is still a time set by God
-or-
he proclaims a further opportunity (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

In some languages it may be more natural to use a present form of the verb. For example:

again he appoints a certain day (English Standard Version)
-or-
God again designates a certain day

a certain day as “Today”: Here the Berean Standard Bible puts the word “Today” in quotation marks to emphasize it. It also uses quotation marks because it occurs in the psalm that the author will quote later in this verse. These quotation marks are not part of the original Greek text, and some other English versions use different punctuation. You should use natural punctuation in your language here.

Some other ways to translate the phrase a certain day as “Today” are:

a certain day that he calls Today
-or-
another day which God prearranged for people to enter. That day is called “This Day.”

“Today”: The word “Today” is used in part of Psalm 95, which he quoted in 3:7 and 3:15 and will quote again in 4:7e–f. The author emphasized this word “Today” several times to indicate that it is important for those who hear God’s voice to respond now. The time that he calls “Today” will not continue forever. Emphasize this meaning in a natural way in your language. Refer to the other notes and the Display of 4:7a for examples.

4:7b

when a long time later He spoke through David: The phrase spoke through David indicates that God inspired David to write the words that the author quotes in 4:7d–e. These words are from Psalm 95. They were written hundreds of years after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

God announced this through David a long time later (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
For a long time after the time of those first people who did not believe, God inspired His word in King David and David said

a long time later: David lived many years after the Israelites traveled through the desert. However, he also lived a long time before the book of Hebrews was written. Make sure you choose the right time phrase to make this clear.

4:7c

as was just stated: The phrase as was just stated refers to what the author said in 3:15. There he quoted the same words that he will quote again in 4:7d–e. Some ways to translate this clause are:

in the same Scripture used before (New Century Version)
-or-
in the words already quoted from the Psalms (Revised English Bible)
-or-
what ⌊I⌋ said/quoted a little earlier from God’s Word, which said…

These examples indicate that the words that the author quoted are from the Scriptures. You may also refer to the Scriptures in an accepted way in your language.

4:7d

Today, if you hear His voice: Translate this clause in the same way as you did in 3:7. For more information on how to translate it, see the notes on 3:7b.

4:7e

do not harden your hearts: Translate this clause in the same way as you translated it in 3:8. For more information on how to translate it, see the notes on 3:8a.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 4:6

Paragraph 4:6–8

It is important to notice that the clauses in this paragraph are closely connected. However, the author did not always talk about events in the order in which they happened. In some languages it is more natural to use a different order. For examples, see the General Comment on 4:6b–8b at the end of 4:8b.

4:6a

Since, then: In this verse the author repeats the two facts in 4:5. He gives them as the basis for his conclusion in 4:7. In many languages it is more natural to have a word like then at the beginning of 4:7, rather than here in 4:6.

The word Since implies that the facts were already mentioned (in 4:5), and the author is about to repeat them. In some languages it may be natural to leave the connection implied. Some other ways to introduce the facts in 4:6 are:

So we learned from this that…
-or-
All this teaches/implies that…
-or-
So/Now we see/understand that

Make these connections clear in your language.

it remains for some to enter His rest: This statement tells what the first scripture in 4:4 teaches people. That scripture says that God rested on the seventh day. By that statement, God implied that his people may also rest. See the notes on 4:1a for more advice about how to translate this statement.

Some other ways to translate the meaning are:

it is still allowed/possible for others to enter that rest
-or-
now ⌊God⌋ gives others the opportunity to enjoy that rest

4:6b–c

and: The word and introduces the second reason why God set another time for people to enter his rest. That second reason contrasts with 4:6a, so some versions indicate that contrast with a word like “but.” Introduce this reason in a natural way in your language.

those who formerly heard the good news: The phrase those who formerly heard the good news is more literally “those-who at a previous time were-evangelized.” It uses the same passive verb (“were evangelized”) that was used in 4:2. You should translate it in a similar way here. For example:

those who earlier heard/received the good news
-or-
those who were told that good message in the past

formerly: The word formerly means “first,” “in the past” or “previously.” It refers to the time when the Israel people were rescued from Egypt and God promised them rest in a new land. Some other ways to refer to this time are:

first (Good News Translation)
-or-
in the past (God’s Word)

heard the good news: As in 4:2a, the good news refers to the good news about the rest that God promised his people. It does not refer to the good news about Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to refer to the good news more specifically. For example:

heard the good news ⌊about his rest⌋

4:6c

did not enter because of their disobedience: This part of the verse has two actions:

(a) They failed to enter God’s rest.

(b) They disobeyed God.

The second action is the cause of the first. In some languages it is more natural to change the order of these actions. For example:

they disobeyed God and so were unable to enter his rest

Translate this cause and its result in a way that is natural in your language.

did not enter: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as did not enter indicates that the people did not enter the rest that God wanted to give them. In some languages it is necessary to make this phrase more specific. For example:

did not receive that rest (Good News Translation)
-or-
did not get rest with God

because of their disobedience: The people of Israel could not enter God’s rest because they disobeyed God. Notice that in 3:19 the author said that the Israelites could not enter the land because of unbelief.

Disobedience and unbelief are similar. The Israelites did not believe that God was able to help them conquer the people living in the land, so they disobeyed God and refused to enter the land. Not believing God and not obeying him are sins. Both of these sins caused the people of Israel not to be able to enter the land.

Some ways to translate because of their disobedience are:

because they disobeyed God (God’s Word)
-or-
because they did not submit to him

General Comment on 4:6a–c

In some languages it may be helpful to reorder some parts of this verse to make the connections with 4:5 and 4:7 clearer. For example:

6b Those who first heard the Good News 6c did not receive that rest, because they did not believe. 6a There are, then, others who are allowed to receive it. 7a This is shown by the fact that God sets another day… (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 4:5

4:5a

And again, as He says in the passage above: The phrase And again introduces another quotation from the Scriptures. The author already quoted this Scripture in 3:11 and in 4:3. The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in the passage above is literally “that place.” The author was referring to the same quotation that he used in 4:3.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

but to repeat the verse that was quoted earlier:
-or-
This same matter is spoken of again: (Good News Translation)

4:5b

They shall never enter My rest: Here the author repeats the same verse that he just quoted in 4:3c–d. Because it is an exact repetition, you should translate it here in the same way as you did there.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 4:4

4:4a

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the basis for the author’s comment in 4:3e–f. Another way to introduce this basis is:

We know that because

Connect this basis to 4:3 in a natural way in your language.

somewhere He has spoken…in this manner: The phrase somewhere He has spoken…in this manner introduces a quotation. The word somewhere refers to a part of the Scripture. The author used a similar reference to Scripture in 2:6a, which the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as “somewhere it is testified in these words.”

Some other ways to introduce this quotation are:

somewhere in the Scriptures this is said (Good News Translation)
-or-
in God’s Word/Book it tells/says

In some languages it is more natural to use indirect speech for this verse. For example:

In fact, somewhere the Scriptures say that… (Contemporary English Version)

Use a natural way in your language to introduce a quotation from the Scriptures.

about the seventh day: The phrase about the seventh day refers to the seventh day after God began to create the world. In some languages it may be necessary to make this phrase more explicit.

Some other ways to translate the phrase about the seventh day are:

what God did on the seventh day
-or-
the seventh day ⌊after he began to create the world⌋

4:4b

And on the seventh day God rested from all His works: This clause is a quotation from Genesis 2:2b. The author used this quotation to support what he said in 4:3e–f. It indicates that on the seventh day, after God created everything, he rested.

Some other ways to translate this quotation are:

On the seventh day God rested/stopped from all his work.
-or-
It says that God rested on the seventh day, having finished the work that he had done.

on the seventh day God rested: The phrase on the seventh day God rested contrasts with the first six days, when God was creating everything. When he finished this work of creating, he rested on the seventh day. Notice that the seventh day was also mentioned in the phrase “about the seventh day” in 4:4a.

from all His works: The phrase from all His works indicates that ⌊God rested⌋ after he finished all the work of making the universe and everything in it.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 4:3

4:3a

Now we who have believed enter that rest: The word Now introduces an explanation of what the author said in 4:2. It also introduces a contrast. We who have believed contrasts with the people who did not believe what God promised. They could not enter God’s rest. Instead, we who have believed are the ones who enter the rest that he promised.

Some ways to translate this explanation and contrast are:

For only we who believe can enter his rest. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
It is only we who believe who will enter that resting-place
-or-
But as for us, because we believed ⌊the word that God spoke⌋, now we are able to enter the rest.

we who have believed: The pronoun we includes the author and everyone who believes the good news (4:2a), which is the message (4:2b) about the promise of entering his rest (4:1a). The word believed is used in the same sense as “faith” in 4:2, and the Greek words are closely related.

In some languages it is necessary to indicate what is believed. In this context they believed the good news that they heard in 4:2. Some ways to refer back to it are:

we who believed it
-or-
we who believe ⌊the message⌋
-or-
we who have trusted/accepted ⌊the good news⌋

Remember that the “message” and the “good news” in 4:2 referred to what Joshua, Caleb, and Moses told the people. They told the people that God was able to give them rest, just as he promised them. In 4:3 we also believe the good news that God still offers rest to us, and he is able to give us that rest.

enter that rest:
The phrase enter that rest has the same meaning as “entering his rest” in 4:1. Translate it in a similar way here.

4:3b

just as God has said: In this part of the verse, the author spoke again about the people who did not believe God. The phrase just as God has said introduces what God said about them. In many languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

As for those who didn’t believe, God said (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
This agrees with what God said in the Scripture about those who did not believe him:

Translate the connection in a natural way in your language.

4:3c–d

So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest’: These words from Psalm 95:11 were quoted in 3:11. You should translate them exactly as you did there.

4:3e–f

And yet His works have been finished since the foundation of the world: The word yet implies that the clause in 4:3e–f tells an unexpected fact. The clause indicates that when God finished creating the world, his work was done (and he rested). It implies that at that time, he also provided rest for his people. However, the people whom he led out of Egypt will never enjoy that rest (4:3a–d).

Some other ways to translate this unexpected fact are:

Yet from when God created the world, he has been resting.
-or-
But God’s work was finished from the time he made the world.
-or-
even though this rest has been ready since he made the world (New Living Translation (2004))

since the foundation of the world: The phrase since the foundation of the world refers to the time when God created the world (and everything in it). Then he rested. God’s “work” came before his “rest.” He finished his work of creating the world a long time before the people of Israel made their journey to Egypt.

In some languages it is more natural to translate foundation (“creation”) as a verb. For example:

the time he created the world (Good News Translation)
-or-
when he created everything

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 2020