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 was faithful as a Son over his household. And we are that household if we hold on to our confidence and the hope in which we boast. 7Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9where your ancestors tested me, tried me, and saw my works 10for forty years. Therefore I was provoked to anger with that generation and said, “They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.”

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 3:12Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
• Exodus 8:15But when Pharaoh saw there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
• 1 Samuel 6:6Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When he afflicted them, didn’t they send Israel away, and Israel left?
• 2 Kings 17:14But they would not listen. Instead they became obstinate like their ancestors who did not believe the Lord their God.
• 2 Chronicles 30:8Don’t become obstinate now like your ancestors did. Give your allegiance to the Lord, and come to his sanctuary that he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God so that he may turn his burning anger away from you,
• 2 Chronicles 36:13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He became obstinate and hardened his heart against returning to the Lord, the God of Israel.
• Nehemiah 9:16But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to your commands.
• Job 9:4God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed him and come out unharmed?
• Proverbs 28:14Happy is the one who is always reverent, but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
• Proverbs 29:1One who becomes stiff-necked, after many reprimands will be shattered instantly — beyond recovery.
• Jeremiah 7:26However, my people wouldn’t listen to me or pay attention but became obstinate; they did more evil than their ancestors.
• Ezekiel 3:7But the house of Israel will not want to listen to you because they do not want to listen to me. For the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted.
• Daniel 5:20But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him.
• Zechariah 7:11But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they closed their ears so they could not hear.
• Matthew 13:15For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back — and I would heal them.
• Acts 19:9But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

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