Geoff Hudson

Note: I have revised Heb.3:19 slightly and the note for v.(19).

(18)And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who DISOBEYED?

(19)SO WE SEE that they were not able to [enter] {receive his Spirit}, because of their [unbelief] {DISOBEDIENCE}.

Notes:
v.(7) “Spirit” is explicit. One hears the Spirit’s voice – also in v.(15).
v.(13) “Sins deceitfulness” in the extanct text is derived from the Jewish idea of the “spirit of deceit”.
v.(17) “Disobeyed” agrees with the explicit “disobeyed” of v.(18).
v. (16) The Spirit spoke to the people who Moses led out of Egypt – they HEARD the Spirit and rebelled or disobeyed.
v.(19) “Disobedience” also agrees with the explicit “disobeyed” of v.(18). “So we see” implies that a conclusion is to be drawn – the conclusion being that they were not able to RECEIVE the spirit because of disobedience. “Receive” is a key word in connection with the Spirit, and it occurs explicitly in subsequent chapters.




Chapter 4

THE PROMISE OF RECEIVING HIS SPIRIT TODAY

(1)Therefore, since the PROMISE of [entering] {RECEIVING} his [rest] {Spirit} still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have [fallen short of] {DISOBEYED} it.

(2)For we also have had the [gospel] {Spirit} preached to us, just as they did;

but the [message] {SPIRIT} they HEARD was of no value to them, because those who HEARD did not [combine] {OBEY} it [with faith].

(3)Now we who have [believed] {OBEYED} [enter] {RECEIVE} that [rest] {Spirit}, just as God has [said,] {PROMISED.}

[“So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”]

And yet his work has {NOT} been finished since the creation of [the world] {men}.

(4)For (continued at v.(6))

[somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words:
"And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."
(5)And again in the passage above he says,
"They shall never enter my rest."]

(6)it still remains that some will [enter] {RECEIVE} [that rest] {the Spirit}, and those who formerly had the [gospel] {Spirit} preached to them did not [go in] {RECEIVE IT}, because of their DISOBEDIENCE.

(7)Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it TODAY, when a long time later he spoke through [David] {the Spirit}, as was said before:
"TODAY, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."

(8)For if [Joshua] {God} had given them [rest] {the Spirit}, [God] {he} would not have spoken later about [another] to{DAY} .

(9)There remains, then, [a Sabbath-rest] {TODAY} for the [people] {Spirit} of God;

(10)for anyone who [enters] {RECEIVES} God's [rest] {Spirit} also [rests from] {OBEYS} his [own work] {Spirit.}

[, just as God did from his.]

(11)Let us, therefore, make every effort to [enter that rest] {OBEY the Spirit}, so that no-one will fall by following their example of DISOBEDIENCE.

(12)For the [word] {SPIRIT} of God is [living and active] sharper than any double-edged sword,

it penetrates even to dividing [soul] {body} and spirit

[, joints and marrow];

it judges the [thoughts and attitudes of] the [heart] {spirit}.

(13)Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s [sight] {Spirit}.

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the [eyes] {Spirit} of him to whom we must give account.

Notes:
v.(1) “Disobedience” to agree with explicit “disobeyed” of Heb.3:18.
v.(4) References to the “seventh day” and “Sabbath rest” (verse (9)) are editor’s obfuscations possibly to encourage observation of such in the established church.
v.(3) “Promised” agrees with the explicit “promise” of v.(1). The Spirit’s work did NOT end with the creation.
v.(5) Those who lived at the time of Moses had the Spirit preached to them, not the “gospel” – a post first century term.
v.(7) “spoke through the Spirit” agrees with “as the “Holy Spirit says” of Heb.3:7 where Ps. 95:7,8 is also quoted.
v.(9) “Another day” agrees with v.(8).
v.(12) The writer would understand that the Spirit was “living and active”. The Spirit divides the immortal spirit of a person from the body when a person dies. The Spirit judges the spirit of a person, whether it is pure or impure.
v.(13) The writer would understand that God’s Spirit had “sight” and “eyes”.

Geoff Hudson

THE SPIRIT THE PURE HIGH PRIEST

(14)Therefore, since we have a [great] {pure} high priest who has [gone] {come} through the heavens, [Jesus]
the [Son] {Spirit} of God, let us [hold firmly to] {OBEY} the [faith] {Spirit} [we profess] .

(15)For we do not have a high priest who is unable to [sympathise with] {purify} our [weaknesses] {IMPURITIES}, but we have one
[who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was]
without [sin] {IMPURITY}.

(16)Let us then approach [the throne] {Spirit} of [grace] {God} with confidence, so that we may RECEIVE [mercy and find grace] {him} to [help] {purify} us in our [time of need] {IMPURITIES}.

Notes:

v.(14) A literalist editor used “gone” to allude to Jesus’ resurrection, and inserted “Jesus the Son”.
v.(15) “who has been tempted in every way just as we are” is also a later literalist insertion, alluding to Jesus’ humanity.
v.(16) In spirit language, one “receives” the Spirit.

Geoff Hudson

Chapter 5

THE ETERNAL PRIESTHOOD (IN THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK) FOR ALL WHO OBEY THE SPIRIT

(1)Every [high] priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters of [righteousness] {PURITY} to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for [sins] {IMPURITIES}.

(2)He is able to deal gently with those who are [ignorant and are going astray] {IMPURE}, since he himself is subject to [weakness] {IMPURITY}.

(3)This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own [sins] {IMPURITIES}, as well as for the [sins] {IMPURITIES} of the people.

(4)No-one takes this honour upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

(5)So [Christ] {David} did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a [high] priest. But God said to him,

[“You are my Son; today I have become your Father.”
(6)And he says in another place,]

"You are A PRIEST for ever, in the order of Melchizedek." (Ps.110:4)

(7)During the day's of [Jesus’] {David’s} [life] {spirit} on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the [one] {Spirit} who could [save] {purify} him from [death] {impurities}, and he was heard because of his REVERENT [submission] {OBEDIENCE}.

(8)Although he was a [son] {king}, he LEARNED OBEDIENCE from [what] {the Spirit} he [suffered] {REVERED}.

(9)and, once made [perfect] {pure}, he became the [source] {EXAMPLE} of eternal [salvation] {priesthood} for all who OBEY [him] {the Spirit}.

(10)and was designated by God to be [high] priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Notes:
v.(1) “Priest” as distinct from “high priest” agrees with the explicit “a priest” of Ps.110:4.
v.(5) “You are my Son” etc., is a literalist editor’s later addition.
v.(6) God was telling David he was a priest for ever like Melchizedek.
v.(7) After the writer quotes David in v.(6), one expects a reference to him in v.(7). Melchizedek was THE priest of the God Most High – not God’s “high priest” (Gen.14:18). “Obedience” agrees with the explicit “learned obedience” of v.(8).
v.(8) The explicit “learned obedience” agrees with the explicit “obey” in v.(9). One expects a son to obey a parent, but here it was king David who learned obedience. The literalist editor changed “king” to “son” alluding to Jesus. “Revered” agrees with “reverent” in v.(7).
v.(9) David became the “example” for those who obey the Spirit, just as those Moses led out of Egypt were an “example” of disobedience (Heb.4:11). Because he obeyed, David was designated to be a priest in the order of Melchizedek v.(10).

Geoff