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:
• 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,
• New Living Translation (NLT)don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness.

Context of Hebrews 3:8

6But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. 7So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, 9where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. 10That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, 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 3:12See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
• Exodus 8:15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
• 1 Samuel 6:6Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?
• 2 Kings 17:14But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God.
• 2 Chronicles 30:8Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the Lord. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the Lord your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you.
• 2 Chronicles 36:13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath in God’s name. He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.
• Nehemiah 9:16“But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands.
• Job 9:4His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
• Proverbs 28:14Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.
• Proverbs 29:1Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.
• Jeremiah 7:26But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their ancestors.’
• Ezekiel 3:7But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate.
• Daniel 5:20But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.
• Zechariah 7:11“But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears.
• Matthew 13:15For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’
• Acts 19:9But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily 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