Hebrews Chapter 4 verse 2 Holy Bible

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerse 2. - For truly we have had good tidings (or, a gospel) preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, not being mingled by faith with those that heard it. The meaning and purpose of the first part of this verse is plain, as is also the general intention of the second; viz. to account parenthetically for the gospel to the Israelites under Moses having failed of its purpose, and at the same time to renew the warning of their example with respect to the gospel now preached to Christians. But the passage is still one of singular difficulty, on account both of the various readings of it, and of the peculiarity of the language used whatever reading be adopted. With respect to the various readings, the main and indeed only important question is between (1) συγκεκραμένος agreeing with λόγος ἀκοῆς, and (2) συγκεκραμένους, agreeing with ἐκείνους. The variation between συγκεκραμ and συγκεκερασμ, being only different forms of the participle, does not affect the meaning. Then the readings τῶν ἀκουσάντων and τοῖς, ἀκούσθεισιν for τοῖς ἀκούσασι rest on such slight authority, and are so likely to have been substitutions (the latter to make the reading συγκεκραμένους intelligible), that they need not be considered. (1) The reading of the Textus Receptus, following the Vulgate, is μὴ συγκεκραμένος τῇ πίστει τοῖς ἀλούσασιν. But . . .

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) For unto us was.--Rather, for we have had glad tidings preached unto us, even as they had. The object of these words is to support Hebrews 4:1, "a promise being left." How fitly the good news of the promise might, alike in their case and in ours, be designated by the same word as the "gospel," will afterwards appear.The word preached.--Literally, the word of hearing, i.e., the word which was heard (1Thessalonians 2:13). But this does not mean the word heard by them. As in Isaiah 53:1 (where the same word is found in the Greek version) the meaning is "our message," "that which we have heard from God," so here the words signify what was heard by those who declared the promise to the people, especially the message which Moses received from God.Not being mixed with faith.--A change of reading in the Greek, which rests on the strongest authority, compels us to connect these words, not with the message, but with the people: "since they had not been united (literally, mingled) by faith with them that heard." That the word of Moses and those associated with him in declaring God's promise (perhaps Aaron, Joshua, Caleb) might benefit the people, speakers and hearers must be united by the bond of faith. Here the margin of the Authorised version preserves the true text, following the Vulgate and the earliest of the printed Greek Testaments (the Complutensian).