Hebrews 3:17

Hebrews 3:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
• New International Version (NIV)And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?
• English Standard Version (ESV)And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?

Context of Hebrews 3:17

15while it is said, “Today [while there is still opportunity] if you hear His voice, Do not harden your heart, as when they provoked Me [in the rebellion in the desert at Meribah].” 16For who were they who heard and yet provoked Him [with rebellious acts]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies were scattered in the desert? 18And to whom did He swear [an oath] that they would not enter His rest, but to those who disobeyed [those who would not listen to His word]? 19So we see that they were not able to enter [into His rest—the promised land] because of unbelief and an unwillingness to trust in God.

Hebrews 3:17 word by word

τίσιν δὲ προσώχθισεν τεσσεράκοντα ἔτη; οὐχὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήσασιν ὧν τὰ κῶλα ἔπεσεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• with whomτίςtis · which?G5101
• was he grievedπροσοχθίζωprosochthizō̄ · be angryG4360
• fortyτεσσαράκονταtessarakonta · fortyG5062
• yearsἔτοςetos · yearG2094
• notοὐχίouchi · not!G3780
• with them that had sinnedἁμαρτάνωhamartanō · to sinG264
• whoseὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• carcasesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• carcasesκῶλονkōlon · corpseG2966
• fellπίπτωpiptō petō · to collapseG4098
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the wildernessἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048

Cross-references for Hebrews 3:17

• Hebrews 3:10Therefore I was angered with this generation, And I said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they did not know My ways [nor become progressively better and more intimately acquainted with them]’;
• Numbers 26:64But among these there was not a man [left] of those numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the sons of Israel [for the first time] in the Wilderness of Sinai.
• 1 Corinthians 10:1For I do not want you to be unaware, believers, that our fathers were all under the cloud [in which God’s presence went before them] and they all passed [miraculously and safely] through the [Red] Sea;
• Numbers 14:22Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My [miraculous] signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice,
• Deuteronomy 2:15Moreover the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from within the camp, until they were all dead.
• Jeremiah 9:22Speak, “Thus says the Lord, ‘The dead bodies of men will fall like dung on the open field, And like sheaves [of grain] behind the reaper, And no one will gather them.’ ”
• Jude 1:5Now I want to remind you, although you are fully informed once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe [who refused to trust and obey and rely on Him].

Commentaries on Hebrews 3:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17But with whom was he grieved forty years? - I believe it was Surenhusius who first observed that "the apostle, in using the term forty years, elegantly alludes to the space of time which had elapsed since the ascension of our Lord till the time in which this epistle was written, which was about forty years." But this does not exactly agree with what appears to be the exact date of this epistle. However, God had now been a long time provoked by that race…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17But with whom was he grieved forty years? - With whom was he angry; see the notes at Hebrews 3:10. Was it not with them that had sinned - That had sinned in various ways - by rebellion, murmuring, unbelief. As God was angry with them for their sins, we have the same reason to apprehend that he will be angry with us if we sin; and we should, therefore, be on our guard against that unbelief which would lead us to depart from him; Hebrews 3:12. Whose…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-19Verses 14-19 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-19These verses use a series of quick questions and answers, a common rhetorical method. The three questions follow the ideas in Psalm 95:8–11: The people of Israel rebelled against God, God was angry, and God swore they would never enter his rest. The answers come from other Old Testament passages about the Israelites' rebellion in the wilderness (Numbers 14; Deuteronomy 9; Psalm 106). The author emphasizes the severe consequences of disobeying God.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. But--Translate, "Moreover," as it is not in contrast to He 3:16, but carrying out the same thought. corpses--literally, "limbs," implying that their bodies fell limb from limb.Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 3:17

• Anthropomorphisms
• Backsliders
• Grief
• Procrastination
• Reprobacy
• Unbelief

In the dictionaries

• Apostle
• Moses
• Unbelief
• Congregation
• Faint
• Faithful; Faithfulness
• Grief; Grieve
• Hebrews, Epistle to the
• Mark
• Papyrus

Commentaries on Hebrews 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings