while the promise
The "promise" here refers to God's assurance of rest, a theme deeply rooted in the Old Testament. The Greek word "epangelia" signifies a divine pledge, emphasizing the certainty and reliability of God's word. This promise is not just a historical artifact but a living reality, inviting believers to trust in God's faithfulness. It is a reminder that God's promises are enduring and applicable to all generations.

of entering His rest
"His rest" is a profound concept that transcends mere physical rest. In the Greek, "katapausis" implies a cessation from labor, but in a spiritual sense, it represents the peace and fulfillment found in God's presence. This rest is both a present experience and a future hope, symbolizing the ultimate salvation and eternal life with God. It calls believers to strive for a deeper relationship with God, where true rest is found.

still stands
The phrase "still stands" underscores the ongoing availability of God's promise. The Greek word "apoleipetai" suggests something that remains or is left over, indicating that the opportunity to enter God's rest is not limited to the past but is accessible to believers today. This is a call to seize the moment, to recognize that God's invitation is open and active, urging us to respond with faith and obedience.

let us be careful
This exhortation to "be careful" is a call to vigilance and self-examination. The Greek word "phobeomai" can also mean to fear or be cautious, highlighting the seriousness of the matter. It is a warning against complacency and a reminder to diligently pursue God's rest. This phrase encourages believers to be mindful of their spiritual condition, to ensure that they are walking in faith and not drifting away.

that none of you be deemed
The concern that "none of you be deemed" reflects the communal aspect of the Christian faith. The Greek word "dokei" implies judgment or consideration, suggesting that each believer is accountable not only for themselves but also for their brothers and sisters in Christ. This phrase emphasizes the importance of mutual encouragement and accountability within the body of Christ, fostering a community that supports one another in the pursuit of God's rest.

to have fallen short of it
"Fallen short" is a sobering phrase that warns against missing the mark. The Greek word "hystereo" conveys a sense of deficiency or failure to reach a goal. In the context of Hebrews, it serves as a caution against unbelief and disobedience, which prevented the Israelites from entering the Promised Land. This phrase challenges believers to examine their faith and commitment, ensuring that they do not fall short of the glorious rest that God offers.

Lest, a promise being left us.--Rather, lest haply, a promise being (still) left. No word must be inserted here that can diminish the generality of the words; in the sequel the statement will be repeated with all possible clearness. Here it is simply said that such a promise remains unexhausted, waiting for complete fulfilment. No Hebrew Christian would doubt this. As in Hebrews 1, the writer's aim is not to establish a truth absolutely new, but to show that in this and in that Scripture a received truth lies contained. Most of our earlier versions (following Luther and Erasmus) give to this clause a different turn, which cannot be correct: "Lest any of you by forsaking the promise of entering in His rest."

Any of you should seem to come short of it.--Rather, any one of you should be accounted to have come short of it. The difficulty here lies in the words rendered "seem" or "be accounted." It appears impossible that the meaning can be "should even seem," or "should think himself," or "should show himself," to have failed. It may be that the writer avoids positive and direct language in speaking of what lies beyond mortal ken, and therefore reverently says "should seem to have come short of it." It is more probable that he is influenced by the figure contained in the next word, the falling short of a mark; and is thus led to refer to the judge who witnesses and declares the failure,--"Lest any one . . . be held (or, be adjudged) to have come short of" the promise.

(1) The word φοβήθωμεν suggests rather (like βλέπετε) a warning against conduct that might lead to forfeiture than a correction of an inadequate conception; and οϋν connects the warning with what has gone before, in which the view of what the true rest is has not entered.

(2) Though δοκεῖν is most frequently used in the New Testament in its sense of "thinking," "seeming to one's self," yet it has there, as in Greek generally, the sense also of "appearing," "seeming to others;" and certainly, as far as the word itself is concerned, may have this sense here. Also the verb ὑστερεῖν, though its primary idea (as of ὕστερος) is that of "coming after," is nevertheless invariably used in the New Testament to express "deficiency," or "falling short" (cf. especially in this Epistle, Hebrews 12:15): it is never elsewhere (though capable of the meaning) used to express lateness in time.

(3) The phrase, δοκῇ ὑστερήκεναι, in the sense of "seem to have fallen short" (rather than ὑστερήσῃ) is capable of being accounted for. One explanation of it, adopted by Alford, is indeed hardly tenable. He accounts for the past tense by supposing reference to the final judgment; taking it to mean, "lest any one of you should then appear [i.e. be found] to have fallen short." But the word δοκεῖν, which, however used, refers, not to what is made evident, but to what is thought or seems, refuses to be thus misinterpreted. It is better to take it as a softening expression. We may suppose that the writer (with a delicacy that reminds us of St. Paul) was unwilling to imply his own expectation of any failure; and so he only bids his readers beware of so living as even to present the appearance of it or suggest the thought of it to others. According to this view, the tense of ὑστερήκεναι is intelligible, the supposed deficiency spoken of being previous to its being perceived or suspected. It is not necessary to supply an understood genitive, such as "the promise," or "the rest," after ὑστερήκεναι. It may be used (as elsewhere) absolutely, to express deficiency or failure; i.e. in the conditions required for attainment. One view of its meaning is that it has reference to the idea of being behindhand in a race: but there is nothing in the context to suggest this figure. . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...