The Meaning of Hebrews 3:18 Explained

Hebrews 3:18

KJV: And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

YLT: and to whom did He swear that they shall not enter into His rest, except to those who did not believe? --

Darby: And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to those who had not hearkened to the word?

ASV: And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  to whom  sware he  that they should  not  enter  into  his  rest,  but  to them that believed not? 

What does Hebrews 3:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Hebrews 3:12-19 - "harden Not Your Hearts"
There is a peril lest familiarity with God's words should beget indifference to them. The path may be trodden hard by the sower's feet. That story of the Wilderness wanderings is for all time. Still men disbelieve and disobey; still they doubt that God is able; still they err in their hearts and therefore fail to understand with their heads; still they wander to and fro, with weary souls and restless feet. But if they who failed to believe in words given by Moses were wrapped around by the winding sheets of sand, what will not be the fate of those who refuse the words of Christ!
How wonderful it is that by just trusting we may be partners with our Lord of His rest, life, glory and resources, Hebrews 3:14! But we must listen to the inner voice, soft and low speaking in the Horeb of our hearts, 1 Kings 19:12. Obey it, and you will enter into the rest of God; refuse it, and you will be as certainly excluded from the divine rest as they from Canaan. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hebrews 3

1  Christ is more worthy than Moses;
7  therefore if we believe not in him, we shall be more worthy punishment than hardhearted Israel

Greek Commentary for Hebrews 3:18

That they should not enter [μη εισελευσεσται]
Negative μη — mē (cf. ει — ei in Hebrews 3:11) and the future middle infinitive in indirect discourse. To them that were disobedient Dative masculine plural of the articular first aorist active participle of απειτεω — apeitheō active disobedience with which compare απιστιας — apistias in Hebrews 3:12, Hebrews 3:19. [source]
To them that believed not [τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν]
Rend. to them that disobeyed. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Hebrews 3:18

Luke 9:31 He should accomplish [ἔμελλεν πληροῦν]
Better, as Rev., was about to accomplish. “Accomplish,” or “fulfilis very significant with reference to Christ's death. Moses and Joshua had begun an exodus from Egypt, but had not accomplished the going out of God's people from this present world. See Hebrews 3:18; Hebrews 4:8. [source]
Hebrews 4:6 Because of unbelief [δι ' ἀπείθειαν]
Rend. for unbelief, disobedience. Comp. Hebrews 3:18. Ἀπείθεια disobedienceis the active manifestation of ἀπιστία unbeliefi0. [source]
Hebrews 11:31 Them that believed not [τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν]
Rend. “them that were disobedient.” Simple disbelief is expressed by ἀπιστεῖν, ἀπιστία :disbelief as it manifests itself in disobedience, by ἀπειθεῖν. Ἁπειθεῖν is ἀπιστεῖν on its active side. See on John 3:36, and comp. Hebrews 3:18; Hebrews 4:6, Hebrews 4:11; Romans 11:30, Romans 11:32, contrasting with Romans 11:20, Romans 11:23. Ἁπειθεῖν here describes the failure to be persuaded that God had given the land to the Israelites, and the consequent refusal to surrender Jericho. Rahab's faith is shown Joshua 2:9-11. [source]
Hebrews 3:16 Who [Τινες]
Clearly interrogative, not indefinite (some). Did provoke First aorist active indicative of παραπικρινω — parapikrinō apparently coined by the lxx like παραπικρασμος — parapikrasmos (Hebrews 3:15) to which it points, exasperating the anger of God. Nay, did not all “A favourite device of the diatribe style” (Moffatt), answering one rhetorical question with another (Luke 17:8) as in Hebrews 3:17, Hebrews 3:18, There was a faithful minority mentioned by Paul (1 Corinthians 10:7.). [source]
Hebrews 4:11 Let us therefore give diligence [σπουδασωμεν ουν]
Volitive subjunctive aorist of σπουδαζω — spoudazō old verb to hasten (2 Timothy 4:9), to be eager and alert (1 Thessalonians 2:17). The exhortation has a warning like that in Hebrews 4:1. That no man fall Negative purpose with ινα μη — hina mē and the second aorist active subjunctive of πιπτω — piptō to fall. After the same example of disobedience The unbelief is like that seen in the Israelites (Hebrews 3:12, Hebrews 3:18; Hebrews 4:2). υποδειγμα — Hupodeigma is a late word from υποδεικνυμι — hupodeiknumi (Matthew 3:7) and means a copy (John 13:15; James 5:10). The Israelites set a terrible example and it is so easy to copy the bad examples. [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 3:18 mean?

To whom then did He swear that not shall they enter into the rest of Him if to those having disobeyed
τίσιν δὲ ὤμοσεν μὴ εἰσελεύσεσθαι εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ εἰ τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν

τίσιν  To  whom 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
ὤμοσεν  did  He  swear  that 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ὄμνυμι 
Sense: to swear.
εἰσελεύσεσθαι  shall  they  enter 
Parse: Verb, Future Infinitive Middle
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
κατάπαυσιν  rest 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: κατάπαυσις  
Sense: a putting to rest.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
τοῖς  to  those 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀπειθήσασιν  having  disobeyed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀπειθέω  
Sense: not to allow one’s self to be persuaded.