Devine Scripture

Hebrews 3:18

What does Hebrews 3:18 mean?

A plain-English look at Hebrews 3:18 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Hebrews 3:18 means

The third question asks to whom God swore they would not enter His rest, and answers: to those who were disobedient. Disobedience is the visible fruit of unbelief. God’s oath confirms that refusal to trust Him leads inevitably to refusal to obey Him, and that path ends outside His rest. The verse links heart posture to destiny. The wilderness story is not merely about geography but about the moral and spiritual refusal that bars entry into promise. Hearing, believing, and obeying are of a piece; to sever them is to court the same judgment.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient?

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that were disobedient?

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And to whom did he make an oath that they might not come into his rest? was it not to those who went against his orders?

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and to whom did He swear that they shall not enter into His rest, except to those who did not believe? --

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And to whom did he swear, that they should not enter into his rest: but to them that were incredulous?

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to those who had not hearkened to the word?

Context

With this question-and-answer, the author clarifies the issue beneath Israel’s failure: disobedience. It prepares the way for the concluding summary. Verses 16–18 have progressively focused the lesson—who rebelled, who died, and who was excluded—so that the final verse can name the root cause with precision. The argument aims to unify hearing, faith, and obedience. Having grounded the warning in Scripture and history, the chapter will end by stating plainly why they could not enter, which sets up chapter 4’s further exploration of the promise of rest for believers today.

v.17And with whom was he displeased forty years? was it not with them that sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?

v.18This passage

v.19And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Deuteronomy 1:26

    Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God:

  • 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.

  • Numbers 14:11

    And Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?

  • Deuteronomy 9:23

    And when Jehovah sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, Go up and possess the land which I have given you; then ye rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God, and ye believed him not, nor hearkened to his voice.

  • Psalms 106:24

    Yea, they despised the pleasant land, They believed not his word,

  • Hebrews 4:6

    Seeing therefore it remaineth that some should enter thereinto, and they to whom the good tidings were before preached failed to enter in because of disobedience,

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