Hebrews 3:9

Hebrews 3:9 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years.

Context of Hebrews 3:9

7So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where 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.’ 11So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”

Hebrews 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 yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
• Exodus 20:22Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:
• Deuteronomy 4:3You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor,
• Deuteronomy 11:7But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.
• Deuteronomy 29:2Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land.
• Joshua 23:3You yourselves have seen everything the Lord your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the Lord your God who fought for you.
• Joshua 24:7But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.
• Luke 7:22So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
• Numbers 14:33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.
• Deuteronomy 8:2Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
• Joshua 5:6The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord. For the Lord had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
• Amos 2:10I brought you up out of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness to give you the land of the Amorites.
• Acts 7:36He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.
• Acts 13:8But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

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

• Procrastination
• Prophecy
• Quotations and Allusions
• Self-Will
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Apostle
• Holy Ghost
• Moses
• Unbelief
• Congregation
• Faint
• Faithful; Faithfulness
• 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