Hebrews3
New Living Translation
1And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest.
2For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.
3But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself.
4For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.
5Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later.
6But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
7That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice,
8don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.
9There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
10So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’
11So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”
12Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.
13You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.
14For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.
15Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”
16And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt?
17And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness?
18And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him?
19So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Hebrews 3.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The superior worth and dignity of Christ above Moses is shown. (1–6). The Hebrews are warned of the sin and danger of unbelief. (7–13). And of necessity of faith in Christ, and of stedfastly following him. (14–19).
vv1-6
Christ is to be considered as the Apostle of our profession, the Messenger sent by God to men, the great Revealer of that faith which we profess to hold, and of that hope which we profess to have. As Christ, the Messiah, anointed for the office both of Apostle and High Priest. As Jesus, our Saviour, our Healer, the great Physician of souls. Consider him thus. Consider what he is in himself, what he is to us, and what he will be to us hereafter and for ever. Close and serious thoughts of Christ bring us to know more of him. The Jews had a high opinion of the faithfulness of Moses, yet his faithfulness was but a type of Christ's. Christ was the Master of this house, of his church, his people, as well as their Maker. Moses was a faithful servant; Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is rightful Owner and Sovereign Ruler of the Church. There must not only be setting out well in the ways of Christ, but stedfastness and perseverance therein to the end. Every meditation on his person and his salvation, will suggest more wisdom, new motives to love, confidence, and obedience.
vv7-13
Days of temptation are often days of provocation. But to provoke God, when he is letting us see that we entirely depend and live upon him, is a provocation indeed. The hardening of the heart is the spring of all other sins. The sins of others, especially of our relations, should be warnings to us. All sin, especially sin committed by God's professing, privileged people, not only provokes God, but it grieves him. God is loth to destroy any in, or for their sin; he waits long to be gracious to them. But sin, long persisted in, will make God's wrath discover itself in destroying the impenitent; there is no resting under the wrath of God. “Take heed:” all who would get safe to heaven must look about them; if once we allow ourselves to distrust God, we may soon desert him. Let those that think they stand, take heed lest they fall. Since to-morrow is not ours, we must make the best improvement of this day. And there are none, even the strongest of the flock, who do not need help of other Christians. Neither are there any so low and despised, but the care of their standing in the faith, and of their safety, belongs to all. Sin has so many ways and colours, that we need more eyes than ours own. Sin appears fair, but is vile; it appears pleasant, but is destructive; it promises much, but performs nothing. The deceitfulness of sin hardens the soul; one sin allowed makes way for another; and every act of sin confirms the habit. Let every one beware of sin.
vv14-19
The saints' privilege is, they are made partakers of Christ, that is, of the Spirit, the nature, graces, righteousness, and life of Christ; they are interested in all Christ is, in all he has done, or will do. The same spirit with which Christians set out in the ways of God, they should maintain unto the end. Perseverance in faith is the best evidence of the sincerity of our faith. Hearing the word often is a means of salvation, yet, if not hearkened to, it will expose more to the Divine wrath. The happiness of being partakers of Christ and his complete salvation, and the fear of God's wrath and eternal misery, should stir us up to persevere in the life of obedient faith. Let us beware of trusting to outward privileges or professions, and pray to be numbered with the true believers who enter heaven, when all others fail because of unbelief. As our obedience follows according to the power of our faith, so our sins and want of care are according to the prevailing of unbelief in us.
Key Words
ὅθεν (hóthen): from which place or source or cause (adverb or conjunction)
ἅγιος (hágios): sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated)
ἀδελφός (adelphós): a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like G1 (Α))
μέτοχος (métochos): participant, i.e. (as noun) a sharer; by implication, an associate
ἐπουράνιος (epouránios): above the sky
κλῆσις (klēsis): an invitation (figuratively)
κατανοέω (katanoéō): to observe fully
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs): Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua), the name of our Lord and two (three) other Israelites
ἀπόστολος (apóstolos): a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ("apostle") (with miraculous powers)
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
Cross References
Hebrews 3Direct Old Testament quotation regarding Israel's hardening in the wilderness and the promise of rest.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The foundational Old Testament praise of Moses' faithfulness in all God's house.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Moses' prophecy that God would raise up a Prophet like unto him.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Prophesies the Branch who shall build the temple of the Lord and bear the glory.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Contrasts the law given through the servant Moses with grace and truth through Jesus Christ.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The author's own exposition of the term 'Today' from Psalm 95 in the next chapter.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Historical account of Israel tempting God ten times and seeing His miracles in the wilderness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Paul's parallel warning using the wilderness generation as examples of unbelief and falling.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Christ as the sent one (Apostle) from the Father, delegating His own apostles.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Introduces Christ as the faithful and merciful High Priest, setting up this chapter's comparison.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Defines the 'house of God' as the church of the living God, supporting verse 6.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Believers built up as spiritual stones into a house, with Christ as Chief Corner Stone.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Exhorts believers to labor to enter that rest, lest they fall by the same unbelief.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the command to exhort and stir up one another daily to prevent hardening.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The fulfillment of God's oath that the wilderness generation would die in the desert.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Explains that the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole