John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. For unto us was the Gospel preached , etc..] The Gospel is the good news and glad tidings of salvation by Christ; and this may be said to be preached, when men preach not themselves, nor read lectures of morality, nor mix law and Gospel together, nor make justification and salvation to be by works, nor set persons to make their peace with God, or get an interest in Christ; but when they preach Christ and salvation alone by him; and so it was preached to the Hebrews, and that more fully, and with more clearness, power, and success than formerly; and which is a privilege and blessing; and is sometimes blessed for the conviction of sinners, for regeneration, for the implanting of faith, and the comfort of believers. The words may be rendered, we were evangelized; as such may be said to be, who have a spirit of liberty, in opposition to a spirit of bondage; who live by faith on Christ alone; who derive their peace and comfort, not from their works, but from him; whose repentance and obedience are influenced by the love of God; and who desire to perform all duties aright, and depend on none: now though this was true of the apostle and others, yet is not the sense here, because of what follows, as well as unto them , or even as they; for though the Gospel was preached to the Israelites in the wilderness, in the ministry of Moses, and by types and sacrifices; yet they were not evangelized by it, or cast into a Gospel mould, or brought into a Gospel spirit: however, it was preached unto them; which shows the antiquity of it; the sameness of the method of salvation in all ages; the necessity of salvation by Christ, and the unity of Christ's church under different dispensations: but the word preached did not profit them ; that is, the Gospel, which is here called the word of hearing, as it may be rendered; because it is and may be heard; and there is a necessity of hearing, in order to faith in Christ: the word signifies a rumour, or report: the Gospel is a report of Christ, his person and offices; of his great love to sinners, and of what he has done for them; but though it is a word of hearing, a report made, and the word preached, yet to some it is unprofitable; it has no good effect upon them; yea, it is the savour of death unto death to them, and the aggravation of condemnation; and the reason of the inefficacy and unprofitableness of the word to the Israelites was, its not being mixed with faith in them that heard it ; the Gospel is as food, and faith is the hand that receives it, and takes it, and tastes of it, and eats it, and concocts and digests it; and when this is the case, it is profitable and nourishing; but when it is otherwise, it is not. The Alexandrian copy, the Complutensian edition, and five of Beza's ancient copies, and as many of Stephens's, with others, read, they were not mixed referring it not to the word, but to persons; and so read the Arabic and Ethiopic versions: and the sense is, that the generality of the Israelites did not join themselves in faith, in believing in God, to Caleb and Joshua; who hearkened to the Lord, and received and obeyed his word; and so the word became useless to them: there ought to be an union or conjunction of the saints, and the bond of this union is love; and the thing in which they unite is faith, believing in Christ, and the doctrine of faith, which is but one; and though the word may be profitable to others who are not in the communion of the saints; yet forsaking the assembly of the saints, and not constantly attending with them, or not mixing with them continually in public worship, is one reason of the unprofitable hearing of the word when it is preached to them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - The privileges we have under the gospel, are greater than any had unde the law of Moses, though the same gospel for substance was preache under both Testaments. There have been in all ages many unprofitabl hearers; and unbelief is at the root of all unfruitfulness under the word. Faith in the hearer is the life of the word. But it is a painfu consequence of partial neglect, and of a loose and wavering profession that they often cause men to seem to come short. Let us then giv diligence, that we may have a clear entrance into the kingdom of God As God finished his work, and then rested from it, so he will caus those who believe, to finish their work, and then to enjoy their rest It is evident, that there is a more spiritual and excellent sabbat remaining for the people of God, than that of the seventh day, or tha into which Joshua led the Jews. This rest is, a rest of grace, an comfort, and holiness, in the gospel state. And a rest in glory, wher the people of God shall enjoy the end of their faith, and the object of all their desires. The rest, or sabbatism, which is the subject of the apostle's reasoning, and as to which he concludes that it remains to be enjoyed, is undoubtedly the heavenly rest, which remains to the people of God, and is opposed to a state of labour and trouble in this world It is the rest they shall obtain when the Lord Jesus shall appear from heaven. But those who do not believe, shall never enter into thi spiritual rest, either of grace here or glory hereafter. God has alway declared man's rest to be in him, and his love to be the only rea happiness of the soul; and faith in his promises, through his Son, to be the only way of entering that rest.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ γαρ 1063 CONJ εσμεν 2070 5748 V-PXI-1P ευηγγελισμενοι 2097 5772 V-RPP-NPM καθαπερ 2509 ADV κακεινοι 2548 D-NPM-C αλλ 235 CONJ ουκ 3756 PRT-N ωφελησεν 5623 5656 V-AAI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM λογος 3056 N-NSM της 3588 T-GSF ακοης 189 N-GSF εκεινους 1565 D-APM μη 3361 PRT-N συγκεκραμενος 4786 5772 V-RPP-NSM τη 3588 T-DSF πιστει 4102 N-DSF τοις 3588 T-DPM ακουσασιν 191 5660 V-AAP-DPM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. For unto us was the gospel preached (kai gar esmen euhggelismenoi). Lit. we have had good tidings proclaimed to us. The translation of the A.V. is unfortunate, since it conveys the technical and conventional idea of preaching the gospel, which is entirely out of place here. The reference is to the special announcement of the rest of God; the glad tidings that God has provided a rest for his people. This announcement was made to the fathers, and signified to them the promise of the rest in Canaan. It has been proclaimed to us, and to us is the announcement of the heavenly rest. The emphasis is on the entire statement, "we have had the good tidings proclaimed to us," rather than on we as contrasted with they.The word preached (o logov thv akohv). Lit. the word of the message. See on 1 Thess. ii. 13.
Not being mixed with faith in them that heard it (mh sunkekerasmenouv th pistei toiv akousasin). Rend. because not incorporated by faith in them that heard. 182 A body of obedient hearers with whom the erring Israelites were not incorporated would be an idea foreign to the discussion. Moreover, in ch. iii. 16, the writer has declared that there were practically no believing hearers. He says that although the good tidings were announced to them, they did not profit them. The word did not profit them because it (the word) was not assimilated by faith in those that heard. They did not make the promise of rest their own. Their history was marked by continual renewals and rejections of the promise.
