God’s Word Translation
Hebrews 3:9
9That is where your ancestors tested me,
Hebrews 3:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
- New International Version (NIV)where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.
- English Standard Version (ESV)where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
Context of Hebrews 3:9
7As the Holy Spirit says, “If you hear God speak today, don’t be stubborn. 8Don’t be stubborn like those who rebelled and tested me in the desert. That is where your ancestors tested me, 10although they had seen what I had done for 40 years. That is why I was angry with those people. So I said, ‘Their hearts continue to stray, and they have not learned my ways.’ 11So I angrily took a solemn oath that they would never enter my place of rest.”
Read all of Hebrews 3Hebrews 3:9 word by word
οὗ ἐπείρασαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἐν δοκιμασίᾳ καὶ εἶδον τὰ ἔργα μουRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whenοὗhou · whitherG3757
- yourσύsu · youG4771
- fathersὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- fathersπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- temptedπειράζωpeirazō · to test/tempt: testG3985
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- provedδοκιμάζωdokimazō · to testG1381
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
- worksἔργονergon · workG2041
- fortyτεσσαράκονταtessarakonta · fortyG5062
- yearsἔτοςetos · yearG2094
Cross-references for Hebrews 3:9
- Exodus 19:4‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to my mountain.
- Exodus 20:22The Lord said to Moses, “This is what you must say to the Israelites: You’ve seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven.
- Deuteronomy 4:3With your own eyes you saw what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed everyone among you who worshiped the god Baal while you were at Peor.
- Deuteronomy 11:7You saw with your own eyes all these spectacular things that the Lord did.
- Deuteronomy 29:2Moses summoned all the people of Israel and said to them: You’ve seen with your own eyes everything that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to his whole country.
- Joshua 23:3You have seen for yourselves everything the Lord your God did to all those nations. The Lord your God fought for you!
- Joshua 24:7When your ancestors cried out to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians. He made the sea flow back and cover them. You saw for yourselves what I did to Egypt. Then you lived in the desert for a long time.
- Luke 7:22Jesus answered John’s disciples, “Go back, and tell John what you have seen and heard: Blind people see again, lame people are walking, those with skin diseases are made clean, deaf people hear again, dead people are brought back to life, and poor people hear the Good News.
- Numbers 14:33Your children will be shepherds in the desert for 40 years. They will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies dead in the desert.
- Deuteronomy 8:2Remember that for 40 years the Lord your God led you on your journey in the desert. He did this in order to humble you and test you. He wanted to know whether or not you would wholeheartedly obey his commands.
- Joshua 5:6For 40 years the Israelites wandered through the desert until all their soldiers who left Egypt died. They died because they disobeyed the Lord. The Lord swore that he would not let them see this land flowing with milk and honey which he had sworn to give our ancestors.
- Amos 2:10I brought you out of Egypt. I led you through the desert for 40 years so that you could take possession of the land of the Amorites.
- Acts 7:36This is the man who led our ancestors out of Egypt. He is the person who did amazing things and worked miracles in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the desert for 40 years.
- Acts 13:8Elymas, whose name means astrologer, opposed them and tried to distort the meaning of the faith so that the governor wouldn’t believe.
Commentaries on Hebrews 3:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9When your fathers tempted me - It would be better to translate ̔ where than when, as the Vulgate has done in its ubi; and this translation has been followed by Wiclif, Coverdale, Tindal, and our first translators in general. In my old MS. Bible the 7th, 8th, and 9th verses stand thus: - Wherefore as the Holy Gost seith, to-day gif yhe han herde his voyce: nye yhe herden ghour hertis as in wrath-thinge, after the day of temptacioun in desert. Where ghoure…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9Proved me - “As if they would have made an experiment how much it was possible for me to bear.” - Doddridge. The meaning is: “they put my patience to a thorough trial.” And saw my works - That is, my miracles, or my interpositions in their behalf. They saw the wonders at the Red Sea, the descent on Mount Sinai, the supply of manna, etc., and yet while seeing those works they rebelled. Even while sinners look on the doings of God, and are surrounded by 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. 9-10Even after witnessing the miracles God performed for them, the people of Israel tested God's patience by not trusting him in the wilderness (Numbers 14:11, 22). Their rebellion stemmed from their hearts consistently turning away from God. They did not want to obey God. As a result, God became angry with them.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 3:9
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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