So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The writer shifts from the common word for "rest" to a unique term that emphasizes observing a Sabbath. This isn't just about ceasing labor, but about a sacred, joyful repose, pointing beyond earthly rest to an eternal communion with God. It highlights that this promised rest is a divine appointment, a celebration of God's completed work and our perfected place within it.
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author has been contrasting the temporary rest God's people found in the Promised Land with an ongoing, deeper rest. Having shown that this promised rest wasn't fully realized even in Joshua's time or David's, he now draws a powerful conclusion. Since God's promise of rest still stands and has never been superseded, there remains a definitive, ultimate Sabbath rest for all who belong to God.
The author of Hebrews has been talking about rest, but what if you haven't entered it yet? This verse insists the promise isn't void.
The word "therefore" (Greek: ara) here is crucial. It signals a conclusion drawn from the previous verses. Because God established a rest after creation, and because that rest has not been fully entered by His people throughout history (Israel failed to enter it, and David spoke of it as a future hope), it means this rest is still available. It "remains" not just as a possibility, but as a divine provision for God's people.
This isn't just about a historical event or a past promise; it's about a present and future reality. The author is building a case: God's promise of rest is enduring, and it's for us, His people, today.
We often think of 'rest' as simply stopping work. But this verse uses a special word that hints at something deeper, something sacred.
Hebrews 4:9 introduces a unique term: "sabbath-rest" (Greek: sabbatismos). This is distinct from the common word for rest (Greek: katapausis), which simply means a cessation from labor. Sabbatismos carries the specific flavor of a "keeping of the Sabbath" – a sacred, holy repose.
This isn't just about the absence of toil, but the presence of God. It points back to God's own rest on the seventh day of creation, a state of perfect completion and satisfaction. It's a rest that reflects His order and peace, a foretaste of the eternal state where all things are perfectly reconciled to Him.
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For the "people of God" – those who belong to Him by faith – this sabbath-rest is their ultimate inheritance, a state of being in perfect fellowship with Him, free from the struggle and brokenness of this world.
Who exactly is this rest for? The verse specifies "the people of God." What does that mean for us today?
The phrase "the people of God" (Greek: tō law tō tou theou) is significant. It refers not just to ethnic Israel in the past, but to all who have faith in God, particularly those who have trusted in Jesus Christ. This is the "true Israel" who inherit the promises by faith.
This rest isn't automatically granted; it's appropriated by those who belong to God. Historically, many within Israel failed to enter God's rest due to unbelief and disobedience. The author is drawing a clear line: this eternal sabbath-rest is the inheritance of a believing community, a people set apart for God.
It's a collective destiny, a shared future of perfect peace and communion with God, earned not by our striving, but by His grace through Christ, and received by our trusting faith.
Understand the original words
sabbatismos · Greek Noun
Refers to the unique, eternal, and spiritual rest belonging to those who have been redeemed by God. It signifies the enjoyment of the finished work of Christ and the anticipation of eternal life.
This passage describes God resting on the seventh day after creation, setting the precedent for the ultimate 'Sabbath rest' that Hebrews speaks of, a rest with God Himself.
Joshua 21:43-45This passage highlights the fulfillment of God's promise to give the Israelites rest in the Promised Land, serving as a historical example of a divinely-given rest that, as Hebrews argues, was not the final or ultimate rest.
Psalm 95:11Quoted in Hebrews 4:3 and 4:11, this verse directly speaks of entering God's rest and warns against disobedience, reinforcing the idea that entering this rest is contingent upon faith and obedience, not just geographical location.
Matthew 11:28-30Jesus invites all who are weary to come to Him for rest, presenting a fulfillment of the ultimate 'Sabbath rest' that is found in Him, contrasting with the burdensome religious observances of the day.
Revelation 14:13This verse describes those who die in the Lord as resting from their labors, directly echoing the concept of an eternal Sabbath rest for God's people in the heavenly realm.
wesleyHebrews 4:9: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
4:9 Therefore - Since he still speaks of another day, there must remain a farther, even an eternal, rest for the people of God.
ellicottHebrews 4:9: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
(9) There remaineth therefore. —Or, therefore there is (still) left: the word is the same as in Hebrews 4:6 . It is tacitly assumed that no subsequent fulfilment has altered the relation of the promise. Few things in the Epistle are more striking than the constant presentation of the thought that Scripture language is permanent and at all times present. The implied promise, therefore, repeated whenever the “to-day” is heard,…
The writer shifts from the common word for "rest" to a unique term that emphasizes observing a Sabbath. This isn't just about ceasing labor, but about a sacred, joyful repose, pointing beyond earthly rest to an eternal communion with God. It highlights that this promised rest is a divine appointment, a celebration of God's completed work and our perfected place within it.
The author has been contrasting the temporary rest God's people found in the Promised Land with an ongoing, deeper rest. Having shown that this promised rest wasn't fully realized even in Joshua's time or David's, he now draws a powerful conclusion. Since God's promise of rest still stands and has never been superseded, there remains a definitive, ultimate Sabbath rest for all who belong to God.
The author has been contrasting the temporary rest God's people found in the Promised Land with an ongoing, deeper rest. Having shown that this promised rest wasn't fully realized even in Joshua's time or David's, he now draws a powerful conclusion. Since God's promise of rest still stands and has never been superseded, there remains a definitive, ultimate Sabbath rest for all who belong to God.
"So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God," — The writer shifts from the common word for "rest" to a unique term that emphasizes observing a Sabbath. This isn't just about ceasing labor, but about a sacred, joyful repose, pointing beyond earth…
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Last reviewed October 2026