Instead of Revised Standard Version‘s “For,” some manuscripts have a stronger word, “Therefore,” but this is less likely to be original. It would be wrong, however, to translate the Greek word as being an explicit or immediate causal conjunction, since the first clause of verse 3 is not the cause for the last part of verse 2. The Greek word in question may be translated by some such term as then (as in Good News Translation).
Who believe is emphasized in the Greek text, and Good News Translation expresses this by beginning the sentence We who believe. It may be possible to express this even more clearly: “(So) it is we who believe who do enter a resting place” (compare New English Bible); similarly Jerusalem Bible “We, however, who have faith, shall reach a place of rest.” We who believe may be rendered as “we who do trust God” or “… trust what God has said.”
In Greek as in English, the expression meaning We … do receive that rest is a present tense in grammar, but it refers to a future event, as Bible en français courant‘s “we are going to enter” shows. It may be essential to show that the receiving of rest is a future event, not something that has already taken place. Hence, do receive that rest which God promised may be rendered as “will rest even as God has promised us.”
“We … enter” (Revised Standard Version) is almost certain to be the correct text, rather than “let us enter,” as in a few manuscripts. Both Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version have that rest, meaning “the rest referred to” (New English Bible); literally “the rest.” Some important manuscripts, however, have simply “rest,” which may mean “a rest” or “a resting place,” like “a day” in verse 7.
As in 3.15, where a different Greek verb is used, the meanings he said and “it (Scripture) says” are both grammatically possible. The tense suggests a permanent record, which survives from the past into the present. However, here, as in 1.13; 10.9; and 13.5 (compare 10.15), he said is probably the best translation, since God is the speaker in the quotation which follows. In 4.4, on the other hand, the same word translated there as this is said probably implies in the Scriptures, though it may mean “he says” or “he said.” Each case must be decided in the light of the context.
It is just as he said may be somewhat misleading if rendered literally, since It must refer back to the content of verse 18. It may therefore be more satisfactory to translate It is just as he said as “As God had said.”
The quotation in the second part of verse 3 should be translated as in 3.11, since the Greek text is the same.
The last clause, his work had been finished from the time he created the world, involves a number of complications, both linguistic and theological. The term work (which in Greek is plural) implies a whole series of activities and not merely something which was done once and for all at the time of creation. This may be translated “all God made,” but not “all God did,” since this would wrongly suggest that God had done nothing since creation. In Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch the final part of verse 3 is rendered as a question, “Are not all of God’s works already ready since the creation of the world?” By introducing a question one can recognize more readily the reason for the writer of Hebrews having introduced such a statement, especially in view of the content of the preceding direct quotation, which suggests God’s having altered his plan. Since it is God’s plan for action which was ready from the foundation of the world, it may be advisable to render the last sentence of verse 3 as “God said this even though his plans for what he would do were complete from the time he created the world.”
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .