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we hear, but it was of no benefit to them. Do not think, therefore, that from hearing the preaching you will be benefited; since they also heard, but gained nothing, because they did not believe. Those then with Caleb and Joshua, since they were not mixed with those who disbelieved, that is, they did not agree, escaped the punishment brought against those others. And see something wonderful: he did not say, they did not agree, but, "they were not mixed"; that is, they stood apart without sedition, while all those others held one and the same opinion. Here it seems to me he also hints at sedition. For we who have believed, he says, are entering into the rest. Then, confirming this, he added: "As he has said, As I swore in my wrath, If they shall enter into my rest;" although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Since it was likely someone would say, "And yet this is not indicative of our entering, but of their not having entered;" what does he do? He is eager to show for the time being that just as that rest does not prevent another rest from being spoken of, so neither does this one prevent the one of 63.57 heaven. For the time being, then, he wants to show that they did not obtain the rest. For that he says this is clear from what he adds: "For he has spoken somewhere of the seventh day in this way: And God rested on the seventh day from all his works;" and in this place again, "If they shall enter into my rest." Do you see how that one does not prevent this one from being a rest? Since, therefore, it remains, he says, for some to enter into it, and those who first received the good news did not enter because of disobedience; he again sets a certain day, "Today," saying in David: "After so long a time," as has been said before. What is it that he says? Since, therefore, some must, he says, by all means enter, and they did not enter, he again sets a third, another rest. But that it is necessary to enter, and that some must enter, let us hear from where he establishes this. Because after so many years, he says, David says again: "Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation;" for if Joshua had given them rest, he would not afterward have spoken of another day. It is clear, then, that he says these things as if some were about to obtain some reward. There remains, therefore, a sabbath-rest for the people of God. From whence? From the command, "Harden not your hearts." For if there were not a sabbath-rest, these things would not have been commanded, nor would they have been ordered not to do the same things, so that they might not suffer the same things, if they were not going to suffer the same things. But how were those who held Palestine going to suffer the same things, if there were not another rest? γʹ. And he has well concluded the argument. For he did not say, rest, but, "Sabbath-rest," the familiar name, and one which they enjoyed and ran to, calling the kingdom a sabbath-rest. For just as on the Sabbath he commands to abstain from all wicked things, and only those things to be done which are for the worship of God, which the priests performed, and whatever benefits the soul, and nothing else; so also then. But he did not say it thus, but how? "For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Just as God rested, he says, from his works, so is he who has entered into his rest. For since the argument was about rest for them, and they strongly desired to hear when this would be, he concluded the argument on this point. But he said, "Today," so that they might never despair. "Exhort one another daily," he says, "while it is called Today." That is, even if one has sinned, as long as it is Today, he has hopes. Let no one therefore despair, as long as he lives. Most of all, then, he says, let there not be an evil heart of unbelief; but if there should be, let no one despair, but let him recover himself; for as long as we are in this world, "Today" has its time. But here he speaks not only of unbelief, but also of murmurings. "Whose carcasses," he says, "fell in the wilderness." Then, lest anyone think that he will be deprived only of the rest, he adds punishment also, saying: "For the word of God is living and active, and sharper

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ἡμεῖς ἀκούομεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὄφελος αὐτοῖς γέγονε. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίσητε ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀκούειν τοῦ κηρύγματος ὠφεληθήσεσθε· ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνοι ἤκουσαν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀπώναντο, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἐπίστευσαν. Οἱ οὖν περὶ Χάλεβ καὶ Ἰησοῦν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ συνεκράθησαν τοῖς ἀπιστήσασι, τουτέστιν, οὐ συνεφώνησαν, διέφυγον τὴν κατ' ἐκείνων ἐξενεχθεῖσαν τιμωρίαν. Καὶ ὅρα τι θαυμαστόν· οὐκ εἶπεν, οὐ συνεφώνησαν, ἀλλ', Οὐ συνεκράθησαν· τουτέστιν, ἀστασιάστως διέστησαν, ἐκείνων πάντων μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν γνώμην ἐσχηκότων. Ἐνταῦθά μοι δοκεῖ καὶ στάσιν αἰνίττεσθαι. Εἰσερχόμεθα γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν οἱ πιστεύσαντες. Εἶτα τοῦτο βεβαιῶν ἐπήγαγε· Καθὼς εἴρηκεν, ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου, εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου· καίτοι τῶν ἔργων ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου γενηθέντων. Ἐπειδὴ εἰκὸς ἦν εἰπεῖν τινα, καὶ μὴν τοῦτο οὐ τοῦ ἡμᾶς εἰσελεύσεσθαι δηλωτικόν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐκείνους μὴ εἰσεληλυθέναι· τί ποιεῖ; Σπουδάζει δεῖξαι τέως, ὅτι ὥσπερ ἡ κατάπαυσις ἐκείνη οὑ κωλύει ἑτέραν κατάπαυσιν λέγεσθαι, οὕτως οὐδὲ αὕτη τὴν τῶν 63.57 οὐρανῶν. Τέως οὖν θέλει δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἔτυχον ἐκεῖνοι τῆς καταπαύσεως. Ὅτι γὰρ τοῦτο λέγει, δῆλον ἐξ ὧν ἐπάγει· Εἴρηκε γάρ που περὶ τῆς ἑβδόμης οὕτω· καὶ κατέπαυσεν ὁ Θεὸς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πάλιν, Εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὐ κωλύει ἐκείνη ταύτην εἶναι κατάπαυσιν; Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀπολείπεται, φησὶ, τινὰς εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αὐτὴν, καὶ οἱ πρότερον εὐαγγελισθέντες οὐκ εἰσῆλθον δι' ἀπείθειαν· πάλιν τινὰ ὁρίζει ἡμέραν, σήμερον, ἐν ∆αυῒδ λέγων· Μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον, καθὼς προείρηται. Τί δέ ἐστιν ὅ φησιν; Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὀφείλουσι, φησὶ, τινὲς εἰσελθεῖν πάντως, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐκ εἰσῆλθον, πάλιν ὁρίζει τρίτην ἄλλην κατάπαυσιν. Ὅτι δὲ εἰσελθεῖν χρὴ, καὶ δεῖ τινας εἰσελθεῖν, ἀκούσωμεν πόθεν τοῦτο κατασκευάζει. Ὅτι μετὰ τοσαῦτα ἔτη, φησὶ, λέγει πάλιν ∆αυΐδ· Σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ· εἰ γὰρ αὐτοὺς Ἰησοῦς κατέπαυσεν, οὐκ ἂν περὶ ἄλλης ἐλάλει μετὰ ταῦτα ἡμέρας. ∆ῆλον οὖν ὅτι ὡς μελλόντων τινῶν τεύξεσθαί τινος ἀμοιβῆς, ταῦτά φησιν. Ἄρα ἀπολείπεται σαββατισμὸς τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πόθεν, Ἐκ τοῦ παραγγέλλειν, Μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ ἦν σαββατισμὸς, ταῦτα παρηγγέλλοντο, οὐδὲ ἐκελεύοντο μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖν, ἵνα μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ πάθωσιν, εἰ μὴ ἔμελλον τὰ αὐτὰ πείσεσθαι. Πῶς δὲ ἔμελλον τὰ αὐτὰ πείσεσθαι οἱ τὴν Παλαιστίνην ἔχοντες, εἰ μὴ ἑτέρα τις ἦν κατάπαυσις; γʹ. Καὶ καλῶς συνεπέρανε τὸν λόγον. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, κατάπαυσις, ἀλλὰ, Σαββατισμὸς, τὸ οἰκεῖον ὄνομα, καὶ ᾧ ἔχαιρον καὶ ἐπέτρεχον, σαββατισμὸν τὴν βασιλείαν καλῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐν τῷ Σαββάτῳ πάντων μὲν τῶν πονηρῶν ἀπέχεσθαι κελεύει, ἐκεῖνα δὲ μόνα γίνεσθαι τὰ πρὸς λατρείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἅπερ οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐπετέλουν, καὶ ὅσα ψυχὴν ὠφελεῖ, καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον· οὕτω καὶ τότε. Ἀλλ' αὐτὸς οὐχ οὕτως εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ πῶς; Ὁ γὰρ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὑτοῦ, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ὁ Θεός. Ὥσπερ ὁ Θεὸς κατέπαυσε, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὑτοῦ, οὕτως ὁ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ περὶ ἀναπαύσεως αὐτοῖς ὁ λόγος ἦν, καὶ τοῦτο σφόδρα ἐπεθύμουν ἀκοῦσαι πότε ἔσται· εἰς τοῦτο τὸν λόγον κατέκλεισε. Τὸ δὲ, Σήμερον, εἶπεν, ὥστε μηδέποτε ἀπελπίζειν αὐτούς. Παρακαλεῖτε, φησὶν, ἑαυτοὺς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ἄχρις οὗ τὸ σήμερον καλεῖται. Τουτέστι, κἄν τις ἡμαρτηκὼς ᾖ, ἕως ἂν ᾖ τὸ σήμερον, ἐλπίδας ἔχει. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν ἀπογινωσκέτω, ἕως ἂν ζῇ. Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν, φησὶ, μηδὲ ἔστω καρδία πονηρὰ ἀπιστίας· εἰ δὲ καὶ γένοιτο, μηδεὶς ἀπογινωσκέτω, ἀλλὰ ἀναλαμβανέτω ἑαυτόν· ἕως μὲν γάρ ἐσμεν ἐν τῷδε τῷ κόσμῳ, τὸ σήμερον ἔχει καιρόν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐ τὴν ἀπιστίαν μόνον λέγει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς γογγυσμούς. Ὧν τὰ κῶλα, φησὶν, ἔπεσεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ τις ὅτι ἁπλῶς τῆς ἀναπαύσεως ἀποστερηθήσεται μόνον, ἐπάγει καὶ κόλασιν εἰπών· Ζῶν γὰρ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐνεργὴς, καὶ τομώτερος