Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 10:19-23 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Matthew 7:7-11 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Hebrews 4:11–end
In this latter part of the chapter the apostle concludes, first, with a serious repeated exhortation, and then with proper and powerful motives.
I. Here we have a serious exhortation: Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, Heb 4:11. Observe, 1. The end proposed - rest spiritual and eternal, the rest of grace here and glory hereafter - in Christ on earth, with Christ in heaven. 2. The way to this end prescribed-labour, diligent labour; this is the only way to rest; those who will not work now shall not rest hereafter. After due and diligent labour, sweet and satisfying rest shall follow; and labour now will make that rest more pleasant when it comes. The sleep of the labouring man i…
come--rather as Greek, "approach," "draw near."
boldly--Greek, "with confidence," or "freedom of speech" (Eph 6:19).
the throne of grace--God's throne is become to us a throne of grace through the mediation of our High Priest at God's right hand (Heb 8:1; Heb 12:2). Pleading our High Priest Jesus' meritorious death, we shall always find God on a throne of grace. Contrast Job's complaint (Job 23:3-8) and Elihu's " IF," &c. (Job 33:23-28).
obtain--rather, "receive."
mercy--"Compassion," by its derivation (literally, fellow feeling from community of suffering), corresponds to the character of our High Priest "touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Heb 4:15).
find grace--corresp…
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace - The allusion to the high priest, and his office on the day of atonement, is here kept up. The approach mentioned here is to the כפרת kapporeth, ἱλαστηριον, the propitiatory or mercy-seat. This was the covering of the ark of the testimony or covenant, at each end of which was a cherub, and between them the shechinah, or symbol of the Divine Majesty, which appeared to, and conversed with, the high priest. Here the apostle shows the great superiority of the privileges of the new testament above those of the old; for there the high priest only, and he with fear and trembling, was permitted to approach; and that not without the blood of the…
The Church Fathers
Let us imitate him so that we may be "without sin" like him, so that "we may approach with confidence the throne of his grace" in the hour of retribution. "Let us obtain his mercy," for instance, through prayers, so that he may be with us in the hour of our fight with the devil.
As God, Christ the Lord has kingship by nature, an eternal throne: "Your throne, O God, is forever," Scripture says, remember. But as man, high priest and apostle of our confession he hears the words "Sit at my right hand"; it is to this the divine apostle referred by "throne of grace." In my view he hints also at the lovingkindness he will employ in judging, adding the comment, "so as to receive mercy and find grace by way of timely assistance": making our approach in the present life and giving evidence of unalloyed and sincere faith, we shall on the day of judgment attain lovingkindness.
"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.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Access To God · To obtain mercy and grace — To obtain mercy and grace
Boldness · Of THE RIGHTEOUS — Of THE RIGHTEOUS
Boldness, Holy · Have, in prayer — Have, in prayer
Communion With God · Saints: Have, in prayer — Saints: Have, in prayer
Grace · God’s throne, the throne of — God’s throne, the throne of
Mercy-Seat · The shekinah upon — The shekinah upon
Prayer · .Enjoined — .Enjoined
Time · Particular periods of, mentioned: The time of need — Particular periods of, mentioned: The time of need
Types Of Christ · Mercy-seat — Mercy-seat
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,.... Either to Christ, who is before spoken of as an high priest, and who was typified by the mercy seat, to which there seems to be an allusion; and coming to him as a priest upon his throne is very proper: to him saints come for pardon and cleansing, and for a justifying righteousness, for the acceptance of their persons, and the presentation of their services, and for every supply of grace; and to him they may come "boldly", since he stands in the relations of a Father, husband, and brother, and from him they may expect receive mercy, since it is kept for him, and with him, and is only dispensed through him; and in him they may hope to f…
Hebrews 4:14-16
14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
14. Habentes igitur ponticem magnum qui coelos ingressus est, Iesum filium Dei, teneamus confessionem.
15. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
15. Neque enim habemus pontificem, qui compati non possit infirmitatibus nostris; sed in omnibus tentatum, secundum similitudinem, absque peccato.
16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
16. Ac…
The verb translated let us come could be translated to indicate ongoing action: let us continually come. • As our compassionate High Priest, Jesus has opened the way for people to enter God’s presence boldly (see 6:19-20; 10:19-23), where we can obtain his mercy and grace to help us when we need it most.
