Hebrews 4 · Verse 8

Hebrews 4:8

For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

Hebrews 4:8, King James Version

Hebrews 4:8 in other translations

BSB	For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.
WEB	For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.
ASV	For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.
YLT	for if Joshua had given them rest, He would not concerning another day have spoken after these things;
DARBY	For if Jesus had brought them into rest, he would not have spoken afterwards about another day.
BBE	For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have said anything about another day.
Webster	For if Jesus had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day.

What does Hebrews 4:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

8. Answer to the objection which might be made to his reasoning, namely, that those brought into Canaan by Joshua (so "Jesus" here means, as in Ac 7:45) did enter the rest of God. If the rest of God meant Canaan, God would not after their entrance into that land, have spoken (or speak [Alford]) of another (future) day of entering the rest.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 8. For if Jesus Marg. "That is, Joshua." The Syriac renders it, "Joshua the Son of Nun." Jesus is the Greek mode of writing Joshua, and there can be no doubt that Joshua is here intended. The object is to prove that Joshua did not give the people of God such a rest as to make it improper to speak of a "rest" after that time. "If Joshua had given them a complete and final rest; if, by his conducting them to the promised land, all had been done which had been contemplated by the promise, then it would not have been alluded to again, as it was in the time of David." Joshua did give them a rest in the promised land; but it was not all which was intended, and it did not exclude the promise of another and more important rest.

Then would he not. Then God would not have spoken of another time when that rest could be obtained. The "other day" here referred to is that which is mentioned before by the phrase "to-day," and refers to the time in which it is spoken of long after Joshua, to wit, in the time of David.

(2) "Jesus" "that is, Joshua"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 8 For if Jesus had given them rest - It is truly surprising that our translators should have rendered the Ιησους of the text Jesus, and not Joshua, who is most clearly intended. They must have known that the יהושע Yehoshua of the Hebrew, which we write Joshua, is everywhere rendered Ιησους, Jesus, by the Septuagint; and it is their reading which the apostle follows. It is true the Septuagint generally write Ιησους Ναυη, or Υἱος Ναυη, Jesus Nave, or Jesus, son of Nave, for it is thus they translate יהושע בן נון Yehoshua ben Nun, Joshua the son of Nun; and this is sufficient to distinguish it from Jesus, son of David. But as Joshua, the captain general of Israel, is above intended, the word should have been written Joshua, and not Jesus. One MS., merely to prevent the wrong application of the name, has Ιησους ὁ του Ναυη, Jesus the son of Nave. Theodoret has the same in his comment, and one Syriac version has it in the text. It is Joshua in Coverdale's Testament, 1535; in Tindal's 1548; in that edited by Edmund Becke, 1549; in Richard Cardmarden's, Rouen, 1565; several modern translators, Wesley, Macknight, Wakefield, etc., read Joshua, as does our own in the margin. What a pity it had not been in the text, as all the smaller Bibles have no marginal readings, and many simple people are bewildered with the expression. The apostle shows that, although Joshua did bring the children of Israel into the promised land, yet this could not be the intended rest, because long after this time the Holy Spirit, by David, speaks of this rest; the apostle, therefore, concludes,

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 4:1-10

The privileges we have under the gospel, are greater than any had under the law of Moses, though the same gospel for substance was preached under both Testaments. There have been in all ages many unprofitable hearers; and unbelief is at the root of all unfruitfulness under the word. Faith in the hearer is the life of the word. But it is a painful consequence of partial neglect, and of a loose and wavering…

Read the full comment on Hebrews 4:1-10 →

Hebrews 4:8 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΕἰEiIfG1487

γὰρgarforG1063

αὐτοὺςautousto themG846

ἸησοῦςIēsousJoshuaG2424

κατέπαυσεν,katepausengave rest,G2664

οὐκouknotG3756

ἂνanthen wouldG302

περὶperiaboutG4012

ἄλληςallēsanotherG243

ἐλάλειelaleiwas he speakingG2980

μετὰmetaafterG3326

ταῦταtautathisG3778

ἡμέρας·hēmerasday;G2250

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hebrews 4:8

Joshua 1:15
Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
Joshua 22:4
And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan.
Deuteronomy 12:9
For ye are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance, which the Lord your God giveth you.
Hebrews 11:13-15
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Joshua 23:1
And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.
Acts 7:45
Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
Psalms 78:55
He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Psalms 105:44
And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;
Deuteronomy 25:19
Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Jesus, that is, Joshua.
Ac 7:45
had.
11:13-15; De 12:9; 25:19; Jos 1:15; 22:4; 23:1; Ps 78:55; 105:44

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Hebrews 4:7
Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Hebrews 4:8
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Hebrews 4:9
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Read all of Hebrews 4

Hebrews 4:8 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Porque si Josué les hubiera dado el reposo, no hablaría después de otro día.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Car si Josué leur avait donné le repos, il n’aurait pas parlé après cela d’un autre jour.
German Elberfelder 1871	Denn wenn Josua sie in die Ruhe gebracht hätte, so würde er danach nicht von einem anderen Tage geredet haben.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Nam si eis Jesus requiem præstitisset, numquam de alia loqueretur, posthac, die.