Hebrews 4:11-13

Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.


v 11 - let us be diligent - "We must be diligent in our experience to enter the rest into which we have already entered.  The same Greek word is used in Eph. 4:3; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Peter 1:10; 3:14." (Ryrie)

v 12 - the word of God - here meaning His inspired Word, the Scriptures

living and active - It has the power to reach to the inmost parts of one's personality and to judge the innermost thoughts.

"The Hebrews are warned that the ninety-fifth Psalm is the Word of God — a death-dealing sword from whose double edge nothing escapes (v. 12).  And what is true of the ninety-fifth Psalm is true of the whole Bible.  It is living and effective.  It is living, for it is the Word of the living God (3:12); and effective, for when He said "They shall not enter" their carcases fell in the Wilderness (2:17)." (Williams)

soul and spirit - "The meaning is that the Word pierces to the depths of soul and spirit, not between the two.  They stand for the innermost facets of our immaterial nature, just as joints and marrow the material aspect.  Both soul and spirit can be involved in what please or displeases God.  (For soul, see Mark 12:30 and 1 Peter 2:11; for spirit, wee 1 Cor. 2:11 and 2 Cor. 7:1)." (Ryrie)

""Piercing" is the translation of diikneomai which means "to go through."  The words "The dividing asunder of soul and spirit," do not mean, "the dividing asunder of soul from spirit."  Nor is it "the dividing asunder of joints from marrow."  The case in Greek is the genitive of description, defining the action in the verb in this case.  It is a going through the soul, a going through the spirit.  Joints and marrow are not in contact with one another, and cannot therefore be said to be divided asunder.  The preposition prefixed to the verb is dia which means "thought," in the sense of "the sword pierced through the heart."  The dividing asunder here is not that of one from another, but of one thing in itself by the action of something separating its constituent elements from one another by piercing it.  Vincent says, "The form of the expression is poetical, and signifies that the word penetrates to the inmost recesses of our spiritual being as a sword cuts through the joints and marrow of the body.  The separation is not of one part from another, but operates in each department of the spiritual nature." (Wuest)

v 13 - with whom we have to do - "Better, to whom we must give an account — lit., to whom is our word.  A play on the Greek term for "word"; i.e., if our lives confirm to "the word of God" (v. 12), then our word (account) in the day of judgment will be acceptable to God." (Ryrie)

"The word trachelizo literally means to have the throat exposed.  It is taken from the games, and signified to bend back the neck.  Here the metaphor may be taken either from the sacrifice of a victim or from a mode of punishment.  Whatever the metaphorical sense is, the warning is that there is no hiding oneself in any part of our being from God." (Vine)