Albert Barnes Commentary Hebrews 4:2

"For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard." — Hebrews 4:2 (ASV)

For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them. This translation by no means conveys the sense of the original. According to this, it would seem that the Gospel, as we understand it, or the whole plan of salvation, was communicated to them, as well as to us. But this is by no means the idea. The discussion refers only to the promise of rest; and the apostle's assertion is that this good news of a promise of rest is made to us, as truly as it was made to them. "Rest" was promised to them in the land of Canaan—an emblem of the eternal rest of the people of God.

That was unquestioned, and Paul took it for granted. His object now is to show that a promise of "rest" is as truly made to us as it was to them, and that there is the same danger of failing to secure it as there was then. It was important for him to show that such a promise was made to the people of God in his time; and as he was speaking to Hebrews, he of course appealed to the Old Testament.

The literal translation would be, "For we are evangelized—esmen euhggelismenoi—as well as they." The word evangelize means to communicate good news, or glad tidings; and the idea here is that the good news or glad tidings of "rest" is announced to us as truly as it was to them. The apostle proves this in the following verses.

But the word preached. (Margin: Of hearing). The word preach we also use now in a technical sense, denoting a formal proclamation of the gospel by ministers of religion. But this is not the idea here. It means, simply, the word which they heard, and refers particularly to the promise of "rest" which was made to them. That message was communicated to them by Moses.

Did not profit them. They derived no advantage from it. They rejected and despised it and were, therefore, excluded from the promised land. It exerted no influence over their hearts and lives, and they lived and died as though no such promise had been made. Thus, many people live and die now.

The offer of salvation is made to them. They are invited to come and be saved. They are assured that God is willing to save them and that the Redeemer stands with open arms to welcome them to heaven.

They are trained under the gospel, are led early in life to the sanctuary, and are in the habit of attending the preaching of the gospel all their days; yet what they hear still exerts no saving influence on their hearts. At the close of life, all that could be truly said of them is that they have not been profited; it has been no real advantage to them, regarding their final destiny, that they have enjoyed so many privileges.

Not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Margin: "Or, because they were not united by faith to"). There are some variant readings on this text, and one of these has led to the version in the margin. Many manuscripts, instead of the common reading—sugkekramenos, where the word mixed would be joined to ho logos ("the word")—have another reading: sugkekramenous. According to this, the word mixed would refer to "them" and would mean that those who heard the word and rejected it were not mixed, or united, with those who believed it.

The former reading makes the best sense and is the best sustained; the idea is that the message which was preached was not received into the heart by faith. They were destitute of faith, and the message did not profit them. The word mixed is supposed by many of the best critics to refer to the process by which food is made nutritive, by being properly mixed with saliva and gastric juice, and thus converted into chyme and chyle, and then changed into blood.

If suitably mixed in this manner, it contributes to the life and health of the bodily frame; if not, it is the means of disease and death. So it is supposed the apostle meant to say of the message which God sends to humanity. If properly received—if mixed or united with faith—it becomes the means of spiritual support and life; if not, it furnishes no aliment to the soul and will be of no advantage.

As food, when properly digested, incorporates itself with the body and gives it support, so those critics suppose it to be with the word of God: that it incorporates itself with the internal and spiritual person, and gives support and life. It may be doubted, however, whether the apostle had any such allusion as this, and whether it is not rather a refinement of the critics than of Paul.

The word used here properly denotes a mixing or mingling together, like water and wine ; a uniting together in proper proportions and order, as of the body (1 Corinthians 12:24); and it may refer here merely to a proper union of faith with the word, so that it might be profitable.

The idea is that merely to hear the message of life with the outward ear will be of no advantage. It must be believed, or it will be of no benefit. The message is sent to humankind at large. God declares His readiness to save all. But this message is of no advantage to multitudes—for such reasons as these:

1. Many do not attend to it at all. They do not even listen respectfully to it. Multitudes do not go near the place where the gospel is proclaimed; and many, when there, and when they seem to attend, have their minds and hearts on other things.

2. Many do not believe it. They have doubts about the whole subject of religion or about the particular doctrines of the gospel; and while they do not believe it, how can they be benefited by it? How can a person be profited by the records of history if they do not believe them? How can one be benefited by the truths of science if one does not believe them? And if a person was assured that by going to a certain place they might close a bargain that would be a great advantage to them, of what use would this information be to them if they did not believe a word of it? So it is with the knowledge of salvation, the facts of the history recorded in the Bible, and the offer of eternal life.

3. People do not allow the message of life to influence their conduct, and of course, it is of no advantage to them. Of what use can it be if they steadily resist all the influence which it would have, and ought to have, on their lives? They live as though it were ascertained that there is no truth in the Bible, no reason for being influenced by the offered hope of eternal life or alarmed by the threatened danger of eternal death.

Resolved to pursue a course of life that is at variance with the commands of God, they cannot be profited by the message of salvation. Having no faith that influences and controls the heart, they are not in the least benefited by the offer of heaven.

When they die, their condition is in no way made better by the fact that they were trained in a pious family, that they were instructed in the Sabbath school, that they had the Bible in their dwellings, and that they sat regularly under a preached gospel.

For any advantage to be derived from all this in the future world, they might as well have never heard the message of life. Nay, it would have been better for them. The only effect of these privileges is to harden them in guilt and to sink them deeper into hell. (See Barnes on 2 Corinthians 2:16).