Bible Strands
Hebrews 3:18
And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The writer addresses his readers by quoting a rhetorical question about God’s past oath concerning the wilderness generation. He uses this historical reference to frame the immediate warning against spiritual regression.
The words — ὤμοσεν (ōmosen) means "did He swear," and κατὰ παυσιν (katapausin) translates literally to "rest." These terms anchor the verse’s claim that a divine oath explicitly barred a specific group from entering a promised cessation.
The thread — The text directly references the wilderness judgment recorded in Numbers 14:30 and Deuteronomy 1:34. It also points forward to the unresolved promise of rest in Hebrews 4:6.
Why it lands — The passage states that disobedience and unbelief are the direct causes of exclusion from God’s rest. It requires the reader to examine their own response to God’s word, since persistent unbelief produces the same permanent exclusion.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Cross-references
- Hebrews 4:6 Since, then, it remains for some to enter His rest, and since those who formerly heard the good news did not enter because of their disobedience,
- Numbers 14:30 Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
- Deuteronomy 1:34 When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath, saying,
- Psalms 106:24 They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise.
- Numbers 20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
- Deuteronomy 1:26 But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.
- Numbers 14:11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them?
- Deuteronomy 9:23 And when the LORD sent you out from Kadesh-barnea, He said, “Go up and possess the land that I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. You neither believed Him nor obeyed Him.
- Hebrews 3:11 So I swore on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest.’”
- Hebrews 4:2 For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.