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reference to the Psalm, while ejkeivnou" points the contrast with Christians. oujk wjfevlhsen ] The familiar facts carry the thought of the reader beyond this negative result. The word heard and not welcomed involved those to whom it was addressed in a tragic fate.
oJ lovgo" th'" ajkoh'" ] Vulg. sermo auditu=s . Syr. the word which they heard. The phrase admits of two renderings. It may mean (1) ‘the word of the message heard,’ the simple proclamation of the divine tidings; or (2) ‘the word of hearing,’ that is, the word as heard only, according as ajkohv is taken passively or actively. The second sense which falls in perfectly with the context is justified by Ecclus. 41:23 (42:17) lovgo" ajkoh'" ‘a simple rumour’; but the former sense is more in accordance with the general (passive) usage of ajkohv itself for a message spoken and heard: Is. 53:1 (Rom. 10:16; John 12:38); Jer. 10:22 fwnh; ajkoh'" (and in 1 Thess. 2:13 logov" ajkoh'" ) seems to mean ‘a message of hearing,’ that is, a message not commended by any more authoritative form of delivery.

The argument remains the same in both cases whether the apostle speaks of ‘the simple delivery of the message’ or of ‘the message which was simply heard.’
mh; sunkek. ] The subjective negative is naturally used with the participle which gives the suggested reason (‘since they were not...’); comp. Heb. 4:15 note.


sunkekerasmevno" ] The compounds of keravnnusqai are constantly used from early times of the moral (and spiritual) union of persons. So
(
sugkekr. ) Xen. Cyr. 1.4, 1 toi'" hJlikiwvtai" sunekevkrato w{ste oijkeivw" diakei'sqai , ( ejgkekr. ) Ign. Eph. 5 tou;" ejgkekramevnou" aujtw'/ ( tw'/ ejpiskovpw/ ),
(
ajnakekr. ) Plut. Rom. p. 36 D kainai'" ajnakraqevntwn ejpigamivai" tw'n genw'n . They are used also of the union of things or qualities: 1 Cor. 12:24 oJ qeo;" sunekevrasen to; sw'ma . Plat. Legg. xii. c. 10, p. 961 E ta;" aijsqhvsei" tw'/ kubernhtikw'/ nw'/ sugkerasavmenoi ... Menander, ap. Stob. Anthol. 45, 8, speaks of lovgou duvnami" h[qei crhstw'/ sugkekramevnh . Plut. Non posse suav. vivi sec. Epic. ii. p. 1101, B bevltion ejnupavrcein ti kai; sugkekra'sqai th'/ peri; qew'n dovxh/ koino;n aijdou'" kai; fovbou pavqo" ... Comp. Ign. ad Smyrn. 3 kraqevnte" th'/ sarki; aujtou' kai; tw'/ ai{mati (al. pneuvmati ), and Lightfoot ad loc.

Heb. 4:3-7. The present experience of Christians confirms the privilege of faith (3); The fact that the rest itself is already realised is witnessed by the record of creation (4); The fact that the promise of the rest still remains is implied by the exclusion of the unfaithful from it (5); And a fresh word of God points to the end not yet reached (6, 7).

3 For we that believe enter into the rest of God; even as He hath said , As I sware in my wrath , They shall not enter into my rest; although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He hath said as we know (somewhere) of the seventh day on this wise:

And God rested on the seventh day from all His works; 5 And in this place again:
6 They shall not enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some should enter into it, and they to whom the good tidings were before preached entered not in because of disobedience ,

7 He again defineth a certain day, Today, saying in David, after


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