Hebräer 3:8-18

8 verhärtet eure Herzen nicht, wie in der Erbitterung, an dem Tage der Versuchung in der Wüste,

9 wo eure Väter mich versuchten, indem sie mich prüften, und sie sahen doch meine Werke vierzig Jahre.

10 Deshalb zürnte ich diesem Geschlecht und sprach: Allezeit gehen sie irre mit dem Herzen; aber sie haben meine Wege nicht erkannt.

11 So schwur ich in meinem Zorn: Wenn sie in meine Ruhe eingehen werden!"

12 Sehet zu, Brüder, daß nicht etwa in jemand von euch ein böses Herz des Unglaubens sei in dem Abfallen vom lebendigen Gott,

13 sondern ermuntert euch selbst jeden Tag, solange es "heute" heißt, auf daß niemand von euch verhärtet werde durch Betrug der Sünde.

14 Denn wir sind Genossen des Christus geworden, wenn wir anders den Anfang der Zuversicht bis zum Ende standhaft festhalten,

15 indem gesagt wird: "Heute, wenn ihr seine Stimme höret, verhärtet eure Herzen nicht, wie in der Erbitterung".

16 (Denn welche, als sie gehört hatten, haben ihn erbittert? Waren es aber nicht alle, die durch Moses von Ägypten ausgezogen waren?

17 Welchen aber zürnte er vierzig Jahre? Nicht denen, welche gesündigt hatten, deren Leiber in der Wüste fielen?

18 Welchen aber schwur er, daß sie nicht in seine Ruhe eingehen sollten, als nur denen, die ungehorsam gewesen waren?

Hebräer 3:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 3

The apostle having discoursed, in the preceding chapters, concerning the dignity of Christ's person, and his wondrous grace in the assumption of human nature, and suffering in the room and stead of his people, exhorts the Hebrews in this to a serious consideration of him, attention to him, and faith in him, and constancy in it; the arguments he uses to engage them to these things are taken from the grace and benefit they themselves were partakers of through him, from the office in which he was, and his faithfulness to his Father in the discharge of it, Heb 3:1,2 which is illustrated in the case of Moses, who was faithful in the house of God, and whom Christ excelled, and therefore was worthy of more honour; partly, because he is the builder of the house; and partly, because he is a Son in it, when Moses was only a servant; which house is Christ's own, and consists of true and steadfast believers in him, Heb 3:2-6, wherefore the exhortation to regard him is renewed, enforced, and expressed in the words of the Holy Ghost, Heb 3:7-11 which are taken out of Ps 95:7-11 and applied to the present case: hence the apostle cautions against unbelief, as being a great evil in itself, and bad in its consequence, causing persons to depart from the living God, Heb 3:12, in order to prevent which he advises to a daily exhortation of each other to their duty, that so they might not be hardened in sin through the deceitfulness of it, Heb 3:13 and the rather it became them to be concerned to hold fast their faith in Christ to the end, since this is the grand evidence of being a partaker of him, Heb 3:14. And then the exhortation in the above passage of Scripture is recited, Heb 3:15 to show, that though not all the persons spoken of, yet some did provoke the Lord by their unbelief, and unbecoming carriage, Heb 3:16 wherefore, by the example of punishment being inflicted on such, of which instances are given in the forefathers of these people, such as their carcasses falling in the wilderness, and their not entering into the land of Canaan, which they could not, because God swore they should not, being grieved and provoked by them, and because of their unbelief, they are dissuaded from the same evils, lest they should be punished in like manner, Heb 3:17-19.