Глава четвертая

Hebrews 4:1. Let us therefore beware lest, while the promise of entering into His rest remains, Here is a return to the place where it is said: “Today, when you hear His voice” (Heb. 3:7), and then in order: “Let us be afraid” lest the same thing happen to us. The word “therefore” is used to resume speech interrupted by a long repetition. none of you 4 turned out to be late. That is, so as not to somehow completely lose the opportunity to enter this promised peace. Softening and weakening his speech, he did not say: “so as not to be late,” but: “so as not to be late.” Hebrews 4:2. For it was announced to us as well as to those; but the word they heard did not benefit them, And we received the gospel concerning future blessings, just as they did in a representative manner about the Promised Land. But it will be completely useless for us if we do not also believe and put aside all cowardice, just as hearing did not bring any benefit to those. Pay attention to how in relation to us he called the matter the gospel, that is, the promise of future benefits, and, moreover, those that are given as a reward for victory: so in relation to those he called “the word heard.” not dissolved (μη συγκεκραμένος 5) by the faith of those who heard. That is, those who were not united through faith and who did not agree with those who heard, on the contrary, those who separated from them. He calls here those who believed who have heard; for they can truly be said to have heard. Saint John Chrysostom meant by those who did not hear the supporters of Caleb and Joshua, for they did not take part in the uprising, did not mix, did not rebel and did not die along with the other rebels, who all had the same opinion. Who is this with? With those who heard and did not receive any benefit. This saint said this out of his great and deep wisdom, but he did not allow me, unworthy, to understand in what sense he said this. Hebrews 4:3. And we who have believed enter into rest, since He said: “I swore in My wrath that they should not enter My rest” (cf. Ps. 95:11). How can we see that we who have believed will enter into rest? From what God said, those who do not believe will not enter. This becomes clear from the contrast: just as for those who did not believe, the reward for their unbelief was that they did not enter into rest, so, on the contrary, we who have believed will receive as a reward for our faith that we will enter. although His works were finished at the beginning of the world. Hebrews 4:4. For nowhere is it said about the seventh day like this: and God rested on the seventh day from all His works. (cf. Gen. 2:2) Hebrews 4:5. And here again: “they will not enter My rest.” (Ps.94:11) It would seem that this speech is incongruous, but in fact it is not so: it says that no one can say that David is talking about the Sabbath rest. For how does he speak about him when he was a long time ago and when the world was dispensated from the very beginning? It is clear that David is talking about some other kind of peace. This peace belongs to the future, since, obviously, someone must enter after this. And just as the Sabbath in Scripture is called rest, and nothing prevented the entry into the Promised Land from being called rest after this; so now nothing prevents the future one from being named after this ancient rest, I mean the Kingdom of Heaven, into which those who do not believe will not enter. Hebrews 4:6. So, since it remains for some 6 to enter into it, but those to whom it was first announced did not enter into it because of disobedience, Hebrews 4:7. it also defines a certain day, “today,” speaking through David, after such a long time, as it is said above: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (cf. Ps.94:8, Heb.3:8) Hebrews 4:8. For if Joshua had given them rest, no other day would have been spoken of after that. With all this he is trying to show that Joshua could not lead into this peace, which both David and we are talking about now. Since Joshua did not enter, but David “after such a long time” again says: “do not harden your hearts,” like the fathers who, due to unbelief, did not enter, and gives us reason to conclude by contradiction that we will enter if we believe. It is obvious that this is the peace to come, and it awaits us. For, without a doubt, David was not talking about Palestine: they already owned it then; We are also not talking about the seventh day: it was from the creation of the world. Consequently, there is a third peace, the Kingdom of Heaven, into which the true Jesus and faith in Him lead. Hebrews 4:9. Therefore there still remains a Sabbath for the people of God. He did not say: peace, but “Saturday”, using exactly the name that pleased their listeners and was quite understandable to them. This is what he calls the Kingdom of Heaven. For just as on the Sabbath the law commanded to abstain from all carnal arbitrary deeds and for priests to perform only deeds of service to God and deeds beneficial to the soul: so then everything will be spiritual and divine, nothing carnal, nothing painful, where there is no illness, no sorrow, no sighing. Listen to what he himself says. Hebrews 4:10. For whoever entered into His rest also rested from his own works, just as God did from His. He explains in what sense he called such peace “Sabbath.” Because, he says, we too rest from our works, just as God, having rested from His works after the creation of the world, called this day Sabbath. For here, even for the righteous, there is a lot of work, and struggle, and all kinds of efforts in virtue; and there there is no care and moral virtue, there is immeasurable pleasure in God. So, what they wanted to hear, namely, that they would get rid of their current labors, he said to please them. Hebrews 4:11. So let us try to enter into this peace, After showing that there is a third peace, he finally encourages them to enter it. He said it perfectly: “we’ll try.” For faith in itself is not sufficient to lead one into it if a good life is not combined with it. lest anyone, following the same example, fall into disobedience. “Following the same example” - like the Israelis. For just as they, although they had already walked most of the way and suffered disasters, nevertheless fell for unbelief, so you also see to it that after so many exploits that you have endured, you will not fall without retaining courage to the end. For it really means to fall. Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword: Just as then, he says, it was not war, not the sword that destroyed them, but the word of God: for they fell of their own accord, so it will be with us. For the same word that punished them will also punish us: it always lives and has not perished. And in another sense he said: “alive,” so that when you hear the word, you would not consider it an empty saying, he says: “alive,” that is, essential and effective, and no matter what soul it falls on, it inflicts blows. Notice his adaptation, how he remembered the sword and the blow, common and known to us, and this in order to show us from this the superiority of the power of the word of God. it penetrates to the separation of soul and spirit, He says something terrible, or that the word of God separates the spirit from the soul and leaves it deprived of the holiness that comes from it, which the Lord called in the Gospel cutting (Matthew 24:51). For, just as a king first removes his belt and dignity from a leader who has committed a crime, and then punishes him, so in this case a person is deprived of his spiritual dignity, and then he is punished. Or that it penetrates even the most incorporeal beings. Some have understood this word, in my opinion, inconsistent with the intention of the apostle himself: that the word of God, having entered the soul, divides and dismembers it into parts, making it capable of perceiving and containing mystery. For, just as an arrow, cutting a body, thus penetrates into it, so the word, if it had not separated the united parts of the soul, could not enter it. So that, hearing about the parts of the soul, they do not become careless in the assumption that this is an unknown punishment, he also suggests about the bodily members. For what is more obvious and open has a stronger effect. and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Here shows the deity of the Word. For it is God’s nature to judge, that is, to test and know thoughts. “For,” he says, “You search the hearts and the bellies,... God” (Ps. 7:10). Hebrews 4:13. And there is no creature hidden from Him, Not only, he says, he tests and knows the hearts of people, but even if you point out the angels and archangels, the cherubim and seraphim, everything is open before Him. Nothing can hide from His eyes. but everything is naked and open before His eyes: In order to more clearly imagine how everything is naked and visible in the face of the Word of God, he used a figurative expression taken from sheep when they are flayed. Just as with them, when their head is cut off, or a knife is thrust into their neck and stabbed to death, after the skin is removed, all their insides are exposed: so everything is open to God. Some understood the word “open” (τετραχηλισμένα) in the sense of decorations from the neck 7, more precisely, hanging on the neck. And others - in the sense of going down and bending the neck, so that you cannot look closely at the glory of your Judge and God Jesus Christ. You accept the first explanation. To him, he says, we will give an answer and an account of our deeds. Do you see how he elevated the matter? So that when you hear: “following the same example,” you do not think that the same punishment for us and the Israelis shows through this that our punishment is more terrible. Hebrews 4:14. Therefore, having a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, As if asking someone to give us advice so that we do not lose heart and give in to cowardice, he says that what has been said is enough to teach us fear and to make us more firm. But in addition, we also have a “High Priest” who can help us if only we keep our confession; for He is not small and not accidental, but great - He is the Son of God. And not like Moses. He neither entered into rest nor led the people in; and this One, having passed through heaven, sits with the Father and can give us entrance into heaven, and has made us heirs of the promised rest. Let us hold fast to our confession. He does not attribute everything to the High Priest, but he also demands our participation. He can, but on condition that we are also worthy. What kind of confession is he talking about here? That there is a resurrection, there is a reward, and countless blessings there, that Christ is God. Let us adhere to this confession. Let's not let it dry up in us. What we confessed at the beginning of faith, we will firmly maintain, and everything terrible will disappear. Hebrews 4:15. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, Exhorting them with all conviction, he confirms his speech by saying that this High Priest knows our condition, not like most high priests, who do not even know what suffering is; why they are not able to help the suffering. On the contrary, our High Priest experienced everything, and after experiencing it, he ascended to be able to “sympathize.” but who has been tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. That is, He was subjected to persecution, spitting on, slander, expulsion, and finally crucifixion. He endured all this in our likeness, that is, like us, but except for sin. For He committed no sin at all, and when He suffered this, He did not say or do anything sinful. Therefore, you too, while in affliction, can be kept from sin. So why are you set free and delivered? Some understood the expression: “except for sin” in the sense that He endured this without being punished for sins. Hebrews 4:16. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with confidence, Since, he says, we have a sinless High Priest who has overcome the world, Who said: “Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33), then we must approach with boldness, that is, not with a painful consciousness, without hesitation, but with full faith in the High Priest. For even if we have sins, He is sinless. And His throne is the throne of grace, not judgment; therefore we We must approach with boldness, in the hope that He will grant us everything that we desire. There are two thrones: one now is the throne of grace, and those who approach it receive liberation from sins by divine grace; the other is the throne of the second coming of Jesus Christ, no longer the throne of grace, for then no one will receive forgiveness, but the throne of judgment, so that when you hear that He is the High Priest, you will not think that He is standing before. God. For although, as a man, He is called the High Priest by blessing and condescension towards us, yet He sits on the divine throne. to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. If we approach now, we will receive mercy and grace; for we come at an opportune time. If we then proceed, we will not receive; for then there will be no throne of grace. Now the King sits on it, bestowing grace; and then He will rise in judgment, for it is said: “Arise, O God, judge the earth” (Ps. 82:8). The words “of you” from the blj. Theophylact are omitted. At the blzh. Theophylact reads: μη συγκεκραμένους. This was agreed upon by the blzh. Theophylact not with λόγος, as in our text, but with εκείνους. Remarkably, he did not say: those who did not agree - but: those who did not mix (μη σογκεκροιμένους) (Num. 11:30–31), to indicate the highest degree of unity. In glory translation instead of: “remains to some” it reads: “deprived of nets”: but St. Zlatoust and Bl. Theophylact read: “remains to some.” The commentary refers to the original Greek. – Approx. ed. You might be interested in: