Oecumenius

For some, having heard the promises of God, just as we hear them, provoked God to anger through unbelief. For He desires to save them just as He saves those who have heard, and they are of no benefit from merely hearing the promise. Thus, he says, you also will not be fulfilled if you have only heard the preaching, unless you also believe. And that there is a need for faith, from those who heard long ago, but because they did not believe, they perished, is confirmed by the word. For just as it was not sufficient for those to be deemed worthy of the voice of God, but having not believed they perished, so it will not be sufficient for you either to become hearers of faith, unless you also believe sincerely. Moreover, these thought that it was enough to have self-sufficiency from merely having heard the preaching. For this also indicates, in saying, "For we are also evangelized," just as they were.
"For some, having heard, provoked, but not all who came out of Egypt." If indeed Caleb and Joshua were not unbelievers, they also entered the land of promise.
"To whom was he angry?" This is according to the question for clarity and to avoid contradiction; for things posed as questions are based on what is agreed upon. Against whom, he says, did he bear resentment? He also adds the punishment. For, he says, their limbs fell in the desert, those large and thigh-like parts; and by parts, he showed the whole bodies.
"To whom did he swear?" This is to be read as a question. Against whom, He says, did He have a hostile spirit?
"And we see that they were not able to enter." Behold, he says, before our eyes lies the punishment of unbelief. For they, having been unbelief, did not enter the promised land.

“Let us therefore fear.” In the saying, he says, "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion (Heb. 3:15), let us therefore fear." And the "therefore" has been added. For the sake of being lengthy, so that the construction may not seem incoherent, the "therefore" has been placed. Let us fear, he says, lest any of you should seem to come short of entering into his rest. For the promise of entering into his rest still remains for those who wish. And this is the kingdom of heaven.
"lestany one of you may seem to have come short of it." They are lacking in entering. However, he did not say, "They have come short," but rather, "may seem to have come short."
“For we are also evangelized just as they were.” We have been evangelized about the good things to come, just as they were in a symbolic way about the earth.
"but the word which they heard did not profit them." You see that this is what he says, that nothing will profit you from becoming hearers of the preaching, if you do not also bring in what is from yourselves, namely faith; for the word which you heard by itself has not benefited even those in the past. But see how on our part the matter was called the gospel, as a promise of true goods, and as given from a crown and victory; but on their part, a matter of hearing.
"not being mixed with faith." That is to say, do not be mixed with it [the word]. From this, the idea of believing without hesitation is hinted at. And he says that those who believed heard. For they truly heard, those who also believed. Paul speaks about Joshua and Caleb. And this he says: The word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed and as if blended and united with faith in those who heard it, namely, those who believed concerning Jesus.

The testimony also judges from which it makes that apparent. And see how it establishes that. In any case, he says, it is necessary that some enter into the rest of God, lest the promise be made in vain and rashly. Therefore, since they did not enter (for he swore that they shall not enter), it is necessary for us, as long as we wish, to enter, not now into a figurative rest, but into the true kingdom of heaven. For although their children entered the promised land, now another rest is defined through David. For what else does it mean: "Today, if you hear his voice"? (Heb. 3:15)
As I swore in my wrath. But this testimony is not meant for those of us who have believed, who enter into the rest of God, but for those who do not enter: indeed, he says, since they did not enter, we must enter. For he speaks more openly in this progression. Now, indeed, besides this, he wishes to show that just as the rest of the Sabbath does not prevent another rest of the promised land from being called rest, so neither does the rest of the promised land prevent the kingdom of heaven from being called rest.
Therefore, he also adds: although his works were finished from the foundation of the world, from which God rested, did not prevent the land of promise from being called rest.
"from all his works.” Then, since he had called it rest (it was said, however, to be the rest of the Sabbath), he himself resolves that and says: Now that the rest of the works is made, he also calls this rest, namely the land of promise.
“And God rested.” You see, he says, that there are two rests? One on the seventh day, in which God rested from his works: and one of the land of promise, about which David is now speaking. Therefore, he says: Just as the first rest did not prevent the second from being called rest: so neither will the second prevent the third, namely the kingdom of heaven. This, however, he asserts, because he will say that we can enter into his rest. Let him not hear: But they have entered: and finally, he says that there is another rest.
Indeed, he says, "the third rest is the kingdom of heaven. And there again, “If they shall enter into my rest.” Behold, therefore, two works, the other indeed of which David said: “If they shall enter into my rest."

For if some must enter, and those who entered have not entered into the rest of the promised land, it again defines a third rest, so that, as he says, some may enter into it. For if God did not have a third rest, He would not have said: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts," so that there may be a rest into which those should enter who do not harden their hearts. Since obedience would be completely useless if there were neither rest nor reward. You have seen how he confirms it? "Do not harden your hearts so that you may enter into the rest," he says. For by saying that those who hardened their hearts did not enter into the rest, he implies that those who do not harden their hearts will enter. For every command of God has also a future reckoning.
"For if Joshua had given them rest." For if that were the only rest, namely the promised land into which they entered under the leadership of Joshua, he would not have spoken of another day of rest through David. But therefore, he mentions it, saying: Today, and he gave a command, saying: Do not harden your hearts: as if there exists a third rest into which it is necessary for those who are obedient to enter.

"For the word of God is living." It gradually shows that Christ alone was the one who acted in what happened concerning the children of Israel. For it is living, he says, and will live forever. But lest they think that those who sin and provoke Christ are only frustrated by the earth as the ancients were, he adds a more terrible deed.
"sharper than any two-edged sword." As those who did not hear the speech might fear something more terrible, it expresses what has been said, adapting examples that are among us: for it could not be understood in any other way than what is said, cutting from both sides with any sword.
"piercing to the division of soul and spirit." He says something fearful: either that the spirit separates from the soul, and leaves it desolate of the holiness that the Lord in the gospel called division; (for just as a king, when a ruler sins, is stripped of his belt and his office beforehand, and then punished; so here too the spiritual dignity is first taken away from the person, then he is punished;) or that it even reaches the incorporeal themselves.
The holy Cyril certainly received in a certain place: piercing to the division of soul and spirit: He says that the preaching concerning God divides and distinguishes the parts of the soul, making them receptive and capable of the things heard. That it also reaches them, he says, of the incorporeal beings, and punishes the soul. That it works a division of soul and spirit. It is indeed fearful.
In another way.

"And no creature is hidden from his sight." But what do I say about men, he says? Nor can any other creature hide or be concealed from that watchful eye, whether you speak of angels, or Cherubim, or Seraphim.
"but all are naked." Nothing can be hidden from the inspecting power of Christ. All things are bare before Him, and no covering or character can allow anyone to conceal themselves from those eyes.
"exposed to the eyes." To make it clearer how all things are naked and visible before the Word of God, He used a metaphor from the flayed sheep. For just as those sheep, having been flayed, that is, having had the knife taken to their neck and been slaughtered, after the skin is removed, everything inside is exposed; so it is with God, everything is evident. Or, flayed, He says naked, by metaphor from the sheep hung by the neck and stripped of their skin. Or, the term flayed, instead of those bowing down and stooping necks, because they cannot look upon the glory of that judge and God, our Jesus Christ. But you accept the first.
"to whom we must give account." To Him, he says, we must give an account of our actions, and we must respond to Him, to whom we also have the word [ὁ λόγος]. Do you see where the matter concluded? For in order that, having heard, you should not think that the same punishment is for us and for the Israelites on the same pattern of disobedience, he shows through these things that ours are much more terrible.

Therefore, let us not be subjected to those tremendous punishments, since we have a great high priest, let us hold fast our profession, that is, let us not abandon the faith which is in Him, but let us firmly hold it within ourselves. What is it, then? Who has passed through the heavens? He is not, he says, like Moses who could not enter the land of promise, nor did he introduce the people, but Christ has also passed through the heavens and sits on the throne of the Father; therefore, He can also introduce us. He calls Himself a priest because He offered Himself as a victim to God the Father. For it is proper for a priest to offer sacrifices for the people.
"For we do not have a high priest." Let us therefore hold fast our profession and faith in Him: For we do not have a high priest who cannot have compassion with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows, he says, that because of many afflictions you are weak and feeble: therefore He can sympathize with us.
For He was tempted and afflicted in all things just as we are. He suffered persecution and was mocked and spat upon, and finally was even crucified. Yet He, having suffered these things, did not sin. By saying this, He signifies that they have fallen into sin because of afflictions, in that they have been overly weakened and frail.

"Let us therefore come with confidence." Let us approach, He says, to the throne of His Father, in which He sits. With confidence, or not hesitating in faith, or because He has overcome the world. Therefore, it is evident that He will also conquer those who now afflict us. Or because the throne is not now a throne of judgment, but of grace: therefore, approach even if you are a sinner.
"to the throne of grace." The throne of grace refers to the royal throne, of which David says: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand.'" (Ps. 110:1)For the throne is now the throne of grace, not of judgment. Therefore, with confidence, he says.
"that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." He rightly says: to help in time. If now, he says, you approach, you will receive grace and mercy; for you approach at the right time; but if you approach then, it will not be so, for it will be an untimely approach. For where there will be completion, then there will arise for judgment.
"to help in time." For whoever now approaches receives mercy and grace, because the approach and request for help is timely and appropriate: just as in judgment, the approach for help is demanding. For then it will not provide help out of grace as it does now, but judgment.

"among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God." Among men, he says, being appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining, he becomes in the things pertaining to God. And what are the things pertaining to God? He himself says, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins of the people.
"To deal gently." That is, to be sympathetic, to accommodate, and to forgive those who are ignorant, that is, those who sin out of ignorance and are misguided.
And for those going astray, he says, from the people.
"he himself is also surrounded by weakness." The simple interpretation, which I think is also the truer one, is this: that for this reason the high priest is gentle toward those who are ignorant; because he himself is subject to weakness; and knowing the measure of human weakness in himself, he also measures out mercy. Or the high priest differs from the people only in this, that he is gentle and shows sympathy toward those who go astray; since in other respects he too is perhaps subject to weakness like the many. By weakness he means sins, or afflictions and temptations.
But the phrase, "for sins," he clearly stated that he called weakness sin.
"And because of this, he is obligated," since he himself, he says, is under sin, and he must make the offering common for both his own and the sins for the people.
“To offer for sins.”The sacrifice concerning sins, he says, “And no one takes this honor upon himself.” He speaks of another characteristic of a priest, that he does not take it upon himself to approach the honor of the priesthood. This he also hinted at when he spoke of the priests of the Jews at that time, who were not priests by power, because they approached and had made the priesthood a service.
“just as Aaron.” For Aaron was often appointed high priest by God. For indeed, at the beginning, he was called by God through Moses and thus consecrated, not by himself taking the office (Ex. 28:1). And again, when the rod budded (Num. 17:8), it was shown that he was divinely appointed; and when fire consumed those who improperly intruded upon the priesthood. (Num. 16)
So also Christ did not glorify himself to become a high priest. He also says this: “Christ is the first high priest, that he did not enter into the priesthood from himself, but was ordained by the Father.” Therefore, showing in clear terms that he was a priest according to the custom of the priests, in other respects he indicates how much he ought to excel as God of men.
“but it was He who said to him.” He says, God having said this to him, ordained him as high priest,
“As he says also in another place.” The "And," as regards the sequence of the interpretation, is omitted.
"according to the order of Melchizedek." This one first offered an unbloody sacrifice to God, bread and wine.