Hebrews 4:8 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Hebrews 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Hebrews 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

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

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

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

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Again he limiteth a certain day saying..." into verse 9's "There remaineth therefore a rest to the...", so "jesus" 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 "jesus" and "given" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.