Hebrews 4:8 (ASV)

Passage

For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.

Nearby Context

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,

Hebrews 4:7 he again defineth a certain day, To-day, saying in David so long a time afterward (even as hath been said before), To-day if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts.

Hebrews 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day.

Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for the people of God.

Hebrews 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his works, as God did from his.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "joshua", "given", "rest", "spoken", "afterward", and "another". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "joshua" and "given", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "he again defineth a certain day To-day..." into verse 9's "There remaineth therefore a sabbath rest for...", so "joshua" and "given" belong inside that flow. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "joshua" and "given" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.