Hebrews 3:18

Hebrews 3:18

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

a. NLT: And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him?

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

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

d. Amplified Bible Classic: And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [who had not listened to His word and who refused to be compliant or be persuaded]?

1. “And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest…”

a. And [Strong: 1161 dé, deh; a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:—also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. to whom [Strong: 5101 tís, tis; probably emphatic of G5100; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions):—every man, how (much), + no(-ne, thing), what (manner, thing), where (-by, -fore, -of, -unto, - with, -withal), whether, which, who(-m, -se), why.]

c. sware [he] [Strong: 3660 omnýō, om-noo'-o; a prolonged form of a primary, but obsolete ὄμω ómō, for which another prolonged form ὀμόω omóō om-o'-o is used in certain tenses; to swear, i.e. take (or declare on) oath:—swear.]

d. [that they should] not [Strong: 3361 mḗ, may; a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas G3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:—any but (that), × forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.]

e. enter [Strong: 1525 eisérchomai, ice-er'-khom-ahee; from G1519 and G2064; to enter (literally or figuratively):—X arise, come (in, into), enter in(-to), go in (through).]

f. into [Strong: 1519 eis, ice; a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:—(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, +continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, +perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), …ward, (where-)fore, with.]

g. his [Strong: 846 autós, ow-tos'; from the particle αὖ aû (perhaps akin to the base of G109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:—her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

h. rest [Strong: 2663 katápausis, kat-ap'-ow-sis; from G2664; reposing down, i.e. (by Hebraism) abode:—rest.]

2. “...but to them that believed not?”

a. but [Strong: 1508 ei mḗ, i may; from G1487 and G3361; if not:—but, except (that), if not, more than, save (only) that, saving, till.]

b. to them [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

c. [that] believed not [Strong: apeithéō, ap-i-theh'-o; from G545; to disbelieve (wilfully and perversely):—not believe, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving.]

1). They paid a steep price for their unbelief, they lost their calling.

a). The forty years begins at Numbers 14:35 in the Biblical text, the forty years does not include the approximate 1½ years from the night of the Exodus in Exodus 12:37-42 to this point in Numbers 14. During the study I learned that the Biblical material of Exodus 12, the night of the Exodus from Egypt to Numbers 13 & 14, the sending of the spies and subsequent unbelief and rebellion of Israel comprise a time period of about 1½ years. I also learned that the Biblical material from Numbers 22 to Joshua 3 comprises another time period of about 1½  years, which leaves the 7 chapters of Numbers 15-21 to fit in 38 ½ years. Inside those 7 chapters of Numbers is the rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16, the budding of Aaron’s rod in Numbers 17, signifying again that God chose Aaron and his sons in the Priesthood. In Numbers 20 is the disobedience of Moses and Aaron in getting water out of the rock, for which disobedience neither enter into the Promised Land. In Numbers 21 is the episode of Israel’s complaining and the subsequent result of the death of many from serpent bites and the making of the brass serpent by Moses. Finally Numbers 21:20 records Israel getting to the top of Pisgah immediately before the military campaigns against Sihon and Og. These campaigns occurred approximately 1½ years before Israel went into the Promised Land. Other than those few historic Biblical events there is nothing recorded about those 38½ years. NOTHING! In early January of 2013 me and Missy were listening to a series by John Bevere entitled Honors’ Reward . In that series he made the statement that in Numbers 14 when Israel refused to believe God about going into the Promised Land, they lost their calling.