Hebrews 3:8

Hebrews 3:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
• New International Version (NIV)do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,
• English Standard Version (ESV)do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,

Context of Hebrews 3:8

6but Christ is faithful as a Son over His [Father’s] house. And we are His house if we hold fast our confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ]. 7Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as [your fathers did] in the rebellion [of Israel at Meribah], On the day of testing in the wilderness, 9Where your fathers tried Me by testing [My forbearance and tolerance], And saw My works for forty years [And found I stood their test]. 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]’;

Hebrews 3:8 word by word

μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Hardenσκληρύνωsklērunō · to hardenG4645
• notμήmē · notG3361
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• heartsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the provocationπαραπικρασμόςparapikrasmos · rebellionG3894
• inκατάkata · according toG2596
• the dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• of temptationπειρασμόςpeirasmos · temptation/testing: testingG3986
• the wildernessἔρημοςerēmos · desertedG2048

Cross-references for Hebrews 3:8

• Hebrews 3:12Take care, brothers and sisters, that there not be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to trust and rely on the Lord, a heart] that turns away from the living God.
• Exodus 8:15But when Pharaoh saw that there was [temporary] relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen or pay attention to them, just as the Lord had said.
• 1 Samuel 6:6Why then do you harden your hearts [allowing pride to cause your downfall] just as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them and mocked them, did they not allow the people [of Israel] to go, and they departed?
• 2 Kings 17:14However they did not listen, but stiffened their necks as did their fathers who did not believe (trust in, rely on, remain steadfast to) the Lord their God.
• 2 Chronicles 30:8Now do not stiffen your neck [becoming obstinate] like your fathers, but yield to the Lord and come to His sanctuary which He has sanctified and set apart forever, and serve the Lord your God, so that His burning anger will turn away from you.
• 2 Chronicles 36:13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel.
• Nehemiah 9:16“But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; They stiffened their necks and would not heed Your commandments.
• Job 9:4God is wise in heart and mighty in strength; Who has [ever] defied or challenged Him and remained unharmed?
• Proverbs 28:14Blessed and favored by God is the man who fears [sin and its consequence] at all times, But he who hardens his heart [and is determined to sin] will fall into disaster.
• Proverbs 29:1He who hardens his neck and refuses instruction after being often reproved (corrected, criticized), Will suddenly be broken beyond repair.
• Jeremiah 7:26Yet they did not listen to Me and obey Me or bend their ear [to hear Me], but stiffened their neck; they did more evil and behaved worse than their fathers.
• Ezekiel 3:7yet the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you and obey you, since they are not willing to listen to Me and obey Me, for the entire house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate.
• Daniel 5:20But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.
• Zechariah 7:11But they refused to listen and pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder [stiffening themselves in resistance] and stopped up their ears.
• Matthew 13:15For this nation’s heart has grown hard, And with their ears they hardly hear, And they have [tightly] closed their eyes, Otherwise they would see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, and turn [to Me] And I would heal them [spiritually].’
• Acts 19:9But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient [to the word of God], discrediting and speaking evil of the Way (Jesus, Christianity) before the congregation, Paul left them, taking the disciples with him, and went on holding daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus [instead of in the synagogue].

Commentaries on Hebrews 3:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Harden not your hearts - Which ye will infallibly do, if ye will not hear his voice. Provocation - · From , signifying intensity, and , to make bitter; the exasperation, or bitter provocation. "The Israelites provoked God first in the wilderness of Sin, (Pelusium), when they murmured for want of bread, and had the manna given them, Exodus 16:4. From the wilderness of Sin they journeyed to Rephidim, where they provoked God a second time for want of water…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8Harden not your hearts - Do not render the heart insensible to the divine voice and admonition. A hard heart is that where the conscience is seared and insensible; where truth makes no impression; where no religious effect is produced by afflictions; where preaching is listened to without interest; and where the mind is unaffected by the appeals of friends. The idea here is, that a refusal to listen to the voice of God is connected with a hardening of the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-13Verses 7-13 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8The Israelites rebelled and tested God in places like Massah and Meribah, where water was scarce (Exodus 17:1–7; Numbers 20:2–13). They especially disobeyed at Kadesh by refusing to enter the promised land (Hebrews 3:10; see Numbers 14:1–25; Deuteronomy 1:19–46; Psalm 106).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-117-11. Exhortation from Psa 95:7-11, not through unbelief to lose participation in the spiritual house. Seeing that we are the house of God if we hold fast our confidence ... (He 3:6). Jesus is "faithful," be not ye unfaithful (He 3:2, 12). The sentence beginning with "wherefore," interrupted by the parenthesis confirming the argument from Psa 95:7-11, is completed at He 3:12, "Take heed," &c. Holy Ghost saith--by the inspired Psalmist; so that the words…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 3:8

• Call
• Decision
• Heart
• Impenitence
• Obduracy (Hardness)
• Procrastination
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions
• Self-Will
• Symbols and Similitudes
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Apostle
• Day
• Holy Ghost
• Massah
• Moses
• Unbelief
• Congregation
• Faint
• Faithful; Faithfulness
• Harden

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