What Does Hebrews 4:2 Mean in the King James?

For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Hebrews 4:2 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The message’s benefit comes when the heard word is joined within the hearer with trust.

THE MEANING

The same good news reaches you, but hearing it alone does not make it beneficial. Its words become joined with trust inside the hearer, so the message is received as something reliable. The verse speaks of a message that can be heard without yet being trusted.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

Exposure to the message does not by itself mean that its benefit has taken root.

THE ROOT

πίστις

pistis

GROWS FROM

πείθω

peithō

To persuade; to be persuaded or trust.

English “faith” can sound like a mental opinion, but this word belongs to a family of persuasion and trust. Here, trust is not separate from hearing: it is what joins the heard word to the hearer so that it can benefit them.

ALSO GROWS

peithō: Persuade, be persuaded, trust.

πείθω

This root family ties trust to being persuaded that something is reliable.

pisteuō: Trust, believe, entrust oneself.

πιστεύω

This verb shows the same trust as an act of reliance, not just hearing information.

συγκεκραμένος

synkekramenos

GROWS FROM

κεράννυμι

kerannymi

To mix or mingle; to bring things into combination.

The wording pictures the heard word being mixed with trust within the hearers. The message is present, but hearing alone leaves it unjoined; the image is of trust and word coming together.

ALSO GROWS

kerannymi: Mix, mingle, combine.

κεράννυμι

The base verb gives the concrete image behind the verse’s language of joining.

synkerannymi: Mix together, combine.

συγκεράννυμι

This compound is the form used in the verse, emphasizing the word’s joining with trust.

THE PATTERN

A heard word bears its intended benefit when it is received with trust.

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

2 Chronicles 20:20 · KJVThe verse joins hearing a message with trust in the LORD and in the words spoken, linking trust with being established.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17 · KJVHearing and trust meet in the same movement: the word is heard, and trust arises through that hearing.

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 · KJVThe word heard is received as reliable, and it works within those who trust it.

THE THREAD

So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Hebrews 3:19 · KJV

The word translated “unbelief” is ⁨ἀπιστία⁩ (apistia, “unbelief”), formed from the same trust family as ⁨πίστις⁩ (pistis, “faith”). Hebrews 4:2 shows the word heard without trust; here, the absence of trust is tied to not entering in.

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