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Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Hebrews 3:18

And to whom was God talking when he promised that they would never enter his rest? He was talking to those who did not obey him.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Assurance;   Backsliders;   Oath;   Procrastination;   Reprobacy;   Unbelief;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Anger of God, the;   Assurance;   Punishment of the Wicked, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Moses;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Covenant;   Exodus;   Type, typology;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Endurance;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Moses;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hebrews;   Perseverance;   Security of the Believer;   Wilderness;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Mo'ses;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Unbelief;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Wrath (Anger);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed?
King James Version (1611)
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that beleeued not?
King James Version
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
English Standard Version
And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
New American Standard Bible
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
Legacy Standard Bible
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
Berean Standard Bible
And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed?
Contemporary English Version
And who did God say would never enter his place of rest? Weren't they the ones that disobeyed him?
Complete Jewish Bible
And to whom was it that he swore that they would not enter his rest ? Those who were disobedient.
Darby Translation
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to those who had not hearkened to the word?
Easy-to-Read Version
And which people was God talking to when he promised that they would never enter his place of rest? He was talking to those who did not obey him.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but vnto them yt obeyed not?
George Lamsa Translation
And against whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest, except against those who did not listen?
Good News Translation
When God made his solemn promise, "They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest"—of whom was he speaking? Of those who rebelled.
Lexham English Bible
And to whom did he swear they would not enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?
Literal Translation
And to whom did "He swear" "they would not enter into His rest," except to those not obeying? LXX-Psa. 94:11; MT-Psa. 95:11
Amplified Bible
And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]?
American Standard Version
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient?
Bible in Basic English
And to whom did he make an oath that they might not come into his rest? was it not to those who went against his orders?
Hebrew Names Version
To whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
International Standard Version
And to whom did he swear that they would never enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed him?Numbers 14:30; Deuteronomy 1:34-35;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And of whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest, but of them who would not be persuaded?
Murdock Translation
and of whom swore he, that they should not enter into his rest, but of those who believed not?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And to who sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but vnto them that were not obedient?
English Revised Version
And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient?
World English Bible
To whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he, that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
Weymouth's New Testament
And to whom did He swear that they should not be admitted to His rest, if it was not to those who were disobedient?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And to whiche swoor he, that thei schulden not entre in to the reste of hym, not but to hem that weren vnbileueful?
Update Bible Version
And to whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest, but to those that were disobedient?
Webster's Bible Translation
And to whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
New English Translation
And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?
New King James Version
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?
New Living Translation
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?
New Life Bible
Who did He say could never go into His rest? Was it not those who did not obey Him?
New Revised Standard
And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, unto whom, sware he, that they should not enter into his rest, - save unto them who were obstinate?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And to whom did he swear, that they should not enter into his rest: but to them that were incredulous?
Revised Standard Version
And to whom did he swear that they should never enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
To whom sware he that they shuld not enter into his rest: but vnto them that beleved not?
Young's Literal Translation
and to whom did He swear that they shall not enter into His rest, except to those who did not believe? --
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
To whom sware he, yt they shulde not enter in to his rest, but vnto the yt beleued not?
Mace New Testament (1729)
and who were they, who, he sware, should not enter into his rest, but those that did not believe? so we see that they could not enter in,
Simplified Cowboy Version
Who do you think God was talking about when he said they wouldn't come through his gate for rest or grub? It was the people who refused to ride for him and chose to ride for themselves.

Contextual Overview

7 So it is as the Holy Spirit says: "Today listen to what he says. 8 Do not be stubborn as in the past when you turned against God, when you tested God in the desert. 9 There your ancestors tried me and tested me and saw the things I did for forty years. 10 I was angry with them. I said, ‘They are not loyal to me and have not understood my ways.' 11 I was angry and made a promise, ‘They will never enter my rest.'" Psalm 95:7–11 12 So brothers and sisters, be careful that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that will turn you away from the living God. 13 But encourage each other every day while it is "today." Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you. 14 We all share in Christ if we keep till the end the sure faith we had in the beginning. 15 This is what the Scripture says: "Today listen to what he says. Do not be stubborn as in the past when you turned against God." Psalm 95:7–8 16 Who heard God's voice and was against him? It was all those people Moses led out of Egypt.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

to whom: Hebrews 3:11, Numbers 14:30, Deuteronomy 1:34, Deuteronomy 1:35

but: Numbers 14:11, Numbers 20:12, Deuteronomy 1:26-32, Deuteronomy 9:23, Psalms 106:24-26

Reciprocal: Numbers 14:22 - which have Numbers 14:23 - Surely they shall not see Numbers 26:65 - They shall Deuteronomy 1:32 - General 2 Kings 7:20 - General Psalms 78:22 - General Psalms 95:11 - I sware Psalms 106:26 - Therefore Jeremiah 22:5 - I Jeremiah 44:26 - I have sworn Ezekiel 20:15 - I lifted Matthew 25:10 - and the John 20:25 - Except Hebrews 4:2 - not being Hebrews 4:6 - entered Hebrews 4:11 - lest Hebrews 11:6 - without Hebrews 11:31 - believed not

Cross-References

Genesis 3:14
The Lord God said to the snake, "Because you did this, a curse will be put on you. You will be cursed as no other animal, tame or wild, will ever be. You will crawl on your stomach, and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
Genesis 3:15
I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants and her descendants will be enemies. One of her descendants will crush your head, and you will bite his heel."
Joshua 23:13
the Lord your God will not help you defeat your enemies. They will be like traps for you, like whips on your back and thorns in your eyes, and none of you will be left in this good land the Lord your God has given you.
Job 1:21
He said: "I was naked when I was born, and I will be naked when I die. The Lord gave these things to me, and he has taken them away. Praise the name of the Lord ."
Job 5:5
The hungry eat his harvest, even taking what grew among the thorns, and thirsty people want his wealth.
Job 31:40
then let thorns come up instead of wheat, and let weeds come up instead of barley." The words of Job are finished.
Psalms 90:3
You turn people back into dust. You say, "Go back into dust, human beings."
Psalms 104:2
you wear light like a robe. You stretch out the skies like a tent.
Proverbs 22:5
Evil people's lives are like paths covered with thorns and traps. People who guard themselves don't have such problems.
Proverbs 24:31
Thorns had grown up everywhere. The ground was covered with weeds, and the stone walls had fallen down.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest,.... As in Psalms 95:11,

but to them that believed not? the Lord; notwithstanding the signs and wonders he showed among them, they would not be persuaded by Moses and Aaron, by Joshua and Caleb, to be still and quiet, to cease murmuring, and submit to the will of God, and believe in him; they were disobedient, stubborn, and rebellious, and would go up, when they were bid not to go up; for which reason God swore in his wrath that they should not enter into the good land. Unbelief is a source of sin, and cause of judgment, being greatly provoking to God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And to whom sware he - note, Hebrews 3:11.

But to them that believed not - That did not confide in God; Deuteronomy 1:32. “Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God.” In consequence of this want of faith, God solemnly sware unto them that they should not enter into the promised land; Deuteronomy 1:34-35. “And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and sware, saying, “Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land which I sware to give unto your fathers, save Caleb,” etc. The distinct reason, therefore, assigned by Moses why they did not enter the promised land, was a want of faith, and this accords directly with the design of the apostle here. He is exhorting those whom he addressed to beware of an evil heart of unbelief; Hebrews 3:12. He says that it was such a heart that excluded the Hebrews from the promised land. The same thing, says he, must exclude you from heaven - the promised home of the believer; and if that firm confidence in God and his promises which he requires is wanting, you will be excluded from the world of eternal rest.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 18. To whom sware he — God never acts by any kind of caprice; whenever he pours out his judgments, there are the most positive reasons to vindicate his conduct.

Those whose carcasses fell in the wilderness were they who had sinned. And those who did not enter into his rest were those who believed not. God is represented here as swearing that they should not enter in, in order to show the determinate nature of his purpose, the reason on which it was founded, and the height of the aggravation which occasioned it.


 
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