Hebrews 4:10 kjv
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:10 nkjv
For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
Hebrews 4:10 niv
for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:10 esv
for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Hebrews 4:10 nlt
For all who have entered into God's rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.
Hebrews 4 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:2-3 | And on the seventh day God ended his work... and he rested... and blessed... | God's creation rest. |
| Ex 20:8-11 | Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy... for in six days the Lord made... | Old Covenant Sabbath as a shadow of rest. |
| Deut 5:12-15 | Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it... that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest... | Sabbath tied to redemption from Egypt. |
| Ps 95:10-11 | Forty years long was I grieved... I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest. | Warning against missing God's rest due to unbelief. |
| Heb 3:7-19 | Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice... | Contextual warning against hardening hearts and missing rest. |
| Heb 4:1-3 | Let us therefore fear, lest... any of you should seem to come short... for we which have believed do enter into rest... | Entering rest is by faith. |
| Heb 4:6 | Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not... | Opportunity to enter rest still open. |
| Heb 4:9 | There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. | The true "Sabbath-rest" for believers. |
| Matt 11:28-30 | Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. | Jesus offers spiritual rest to the weary. |
| Eph 2:8-9 | For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works... | Salvation is by grace, not works. |
| Rom 3:20-22 | Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified... But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested... | Justification is apart from the law, through faith. |
| Rom 3:28 | Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. | Faith, not legal works, brings justification. |
| Rom 4:4-5 | Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth... | Righteousness is imputed by faith, not earned. |
| Tit 3:5 | Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us... | Salvation is based on mercy, not personal merit. |
| Gal 2:16 | Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ... | Justification is by faith in Christ. |
| John 6:28-29 | Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered... This is the work of God, that ye believe... | The "work" God desires is belief in Christ. |
| Col 2:16-17 | Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come... | Old Testament practices are shadows; Christ is the substance. |
| Phil 3:7-9 | But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ... that I might be found in him, not having mine own righteousness... | Paul's rejection of self-righteousness. |
| Rev 14:13 | Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours... | Eschatological rest for faithful believers. |
| Heb 12:2 | Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith... | Faith fixed on Christ's completed work. |
Hebrews 4 verses
Hebrews 4 10 Meaning
Hebrews 4:10 teaches that the one who has truly entered into God's spiritual rest has ceased from their own attempts to earn righteousness or secure salvation through personal effort. This cessation mirrors God's rest after completing creation, indicating a profound trust in Christ's finished work. It signifies an abandonment of legalism and self-striving for a faith-based reliance on divine provision.
Hebrews 4 10 Context
Hebrews 4:10 is embedded within the author's extended exhortation to spiritual perseverance, particularly regarding "God's rest" (Heb 3:7-4:13). This section strongly warns against the unbelief that led ancient Israel to fail in entering God's promised land (Ps 95:7-11), which the author uses as an analogy for a deeper, spiritual rest. The preceding verses clarify that this rest is not merely the physical Sabbath day or the geographical Promised Land, but a profound spiritual state available "today" to those who believe. The historical context for the original Jewish Christian audience was a temptation to revert to the perceived security of the Old Covenant rituals, which emphasized legalistic observance. The author argues that Christ offers a superior reality to these shadows, a rest found in His finished work, liberating believers from the striving for righteousness under the law.
Hebrews 4 10 Word analysis
- For (γαρ, gar): This conjunction serves as a logical connector, introducing an explanation or a reason for the preceding statements about the availability and nature of "rest" (Heb 4:9). It provides the theological basis for the "Sabbath-rest" concept.
- he that is entered (ὁ εἰσελθὼν, ho eiselthōn): Lit. "the one who entered." This is an aorist active participle, indicating a decisive, completed action of entering. It implies a conscious act of faith, yielding lasting results. The focus is on the individual's commitment to Christ that grants access to this rest.
- into his rest (εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ, eis tēn katapausin autou): "Katapausis" (κατάπαυσις) means a cessation from activity, a quiet repose, a place of dwelling or rest. This specific word links back to God's rest on the seventh day after creation (Gen 2:2-3, Septuagint's use of katapausis). "Autou" (αὐτοῦ) refers to God's own rest, suggesting believers participate in God's completed work, not their own.
- he also hath ceased (καὶ αὐτὸς κατέπαυσεν, kai autos katepausen): "and he himself ceased." The verb form (katepausen) is from the same root as "rest" (katapausis). It emphasizes an active, decisive act of cessation on the part of the one who has entered rest. This is not passive inactivity but a deliberate relinquishing of certain types of "work."
- from his own works (ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ, apo tōn ergōn autou): This phrase is pivotal. "Works" (erga) refers specifically to efforts aimed at establishing one's own righteousness or gaining divine favor, characteristic of a legalistic mindset or reliance on self-effort for salvation. It does not refer to works of faith, love, or service which are the fruits of salvation (Jas 2:17-26).
- as God did from his (ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ὁ Θεός, hōsper apo tōn idiōn ho Theos): "just as God [rested] from his own [works]." This draws a direct, striking parallel to God's perfect and complete work of creation. God rested not because He was tired, but because His work was finished and perfect. Similarly, believers rest because Christ's redemptive work for them is complete and perfect. The emphasis on God's own (idiōn) works highlights their unique, unassisted nature, mirroring the believer's complete cessation from their own self-saving efforts.
Hebrews 4 10 Bonus section
The concept of "rest" in Hebrews 3-4 is multifaceted, encompassing various layers of fulfillment. It refers initially to God's creative rest (Gen 2:2), then to the rest in the Promised Land which Israel failed to enter (Num 14; Deut 12:9-10), and ultimately points to a present spiritual reality and a future eschatological inheritance for believers. This "rest" (often linked to the Greek sabbatismos, a "Sabbath-rest" in Heb 4:9) signifies the ultimate completion of redemptive history in Christ. He is our true Sabbath, the one who fulfills the shadow of Old Testament observances. The rest spoken of in Hebrews 4:10 is an experiential participation in God's own rest, made possible by Christ's completed work, signifying not idleness but an end to fruitless toil and striving, and a profound peace and assurance found in God.
Hebrews 4 10 Commentary
Hebrews 4:10 beautifully illustrates the nature of true spiritual rest available to believers in Christ. It's a cessation, not from all activity, but specifically from the laborious, futile effort to earn salvation or righteousness through personal achievement or adherence to legal codes. This "resting from one's own works" is the very essence of living by grace through faith. Just as God "rested" from His magnificent, perfect work of creation because it was complete and wholly sufficient, so the believer enters into Christ's perfect, complete, and wholly sufficient work of redemption.
This verse offers a profound comfort: one does not need to add to or perfect Christ's work for their salvation. True rest is found in relinquishing that burden and trusting completely in what Christ has already accomplished on the cross. It calls for a profound shift in mindset from self-reliance and merit-based systems to a dependent faith. Practically, this means believers can find peace and freedom from the relentless cycle of trying to be "good enough" for God, and instead, serve Him out of love and gratitude, empowered by His grace, rather than out of a need to gain approval or avoid condemnation. It is a daily resting in His finished work even while actively living for Him.