Hebrews 3:17

But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? BUT, [ De (G1161)] - 'Moreover;' not in contrast to Hebrews 3:16, but carrying out the same thought. CARCASES - `limbs;' their bodies wasted away limb from limb. [Psalms 141:7, koola (G2966) are the larger limbs; melee, the smaller.]...

17._But with whom was he grieved, _or _angry, etc. _He means that God had never been angry with his people except for just causes, as Paul also reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:5. Therefore as many chastisements of God as we read were inflicted on the ancient people, so many grievous sins shall we find which provoked God’s vengeance. At the same time we must come to this conclusion, that unbelief was the chief of all their evils; for though he mentions this the last, he yet means that it was the primary cause of their curse; and no doubt from the time they once became unbelievers, they never ceased to add one sin to another, and thus they brought on themselves new scourges continually. Hence those very persons who through unbelief rejected the possession of the land offered to them, pursued their own obstinacy, now lusting, then murmuring, now committing adultery, then polluting t

14-19 The saints' privilege is, they are made partakers of Christ, that is, of the Spirit, the nature, graces, righteousness, and life of Christ; they are interested in all Christ is, in all he has done, or will do. The same spirit with which Christians set out in the ways of God, they should maintain unto the end. Perseverance in faith is the best evidence of the sincerity of our faith. Hearing the word often is a means of salvation, yet, if not hearkened to, it will expose more to the Divine wrath. The happiness of being partakers of Christ and his complete salvation, and the fear of God's wrath and eternal misery, should stir us up to persevere in the life of obedient faith. Let us beware of trusting to outward privileges or professions, and pray to be numbered with the true believers who enter heaven, when all others fail because of unbelief. As our obedience follows according to th...

Verse 17. _BUT WITH WHOM WAS HE GRIEVED FORTY YEARS?_] I believe it was _Surenhusius_ who first observed that "the apostle, in using the term forty years, elegantly alludes to the space of time which had elapsed since the ascension of our Lord till the time in which this epistle was written, which was about forty years." But this does not exactly agree with what appears to be the exact date of this epistle. However, God had now been a long time provoked by that race rejecting the manifested Messiah, as he was by the conduct of their forefathers in the wilderness; and as that provocation was punished by a very signal judgment, so they might expect this to be punished also. The analogy was perfect in the crimes, and it might reasonably be expected to be so in the punishment. And was not the destruction of Jerusalem a proof of the heinous nature of their crimes, and of the justice of God's...

BUT WITH WHOM WAS HE GRIEVED FORTY YEARS? - With whom was he angry; see the notes at Hebrews 3:10. WAS IT NOT WITH THEM THAT HAD SINNED - That had sinned in various ways - by rebellion, murmuring, unbelief. As God was angry with them for their sins, we have the same reason to apprehend that he will be angry with us if we sin; and we should, therefore, be on our guard against that unbelief which would lead us to depart from him; Hebrews 3:12. WHOSE CARCASSES FELL ... - Numbers 14:29. That is, they all died, and were left on the sands of the desert. The whole generation was strewed along in the way to Canaan.

EXPOSITION THE SON SUPERIOR TO MOSES. Here begins the second section of the argument of the first four chapters (see summary given under Hebrews 1:5). But though a new branch of the argument begins, it is linked, after the artistic manner of the Epistle, to what has gone before in a continuous chain of thought. This sequence is denoted by the initiatory. HEBREWS 3:1 WHEREFORE, HOLY BRETHREN, PARTAKERS OF A HEAVENLY CALLING, CONSIDER THE APOSTLE AND HIGH PRIEST OF OUR CONFESSION, JESUS (Χριστὸν before Ἰησοῦν is ill supported, and to be rejected from the text). Reference to what has gone before is perceptible throughout this verse. The persons addressed are "holy," as

BUT WITH WHOM WAS HE GRIEVED FORTY YEARS?.... As is said in Psalms 95:10, Hebrews 3:10, WAS IT NOT WITH THEM THAT HAD SINNED; not merely by committing personal iniquities, and particular provocations, which all men are guilty of, but by committing public sins; they sinned as a body of men; they joined together in the commission of sin; every sin is grieving to God, because it is contrary to his nature, is an act of enmity to him, is a transgression of his righteous law, and a contempt of his authority; but especially public sins, or the sins of a multitude, and when they are persisted in, which was the case of the Israelites; they sinned against him during the forty years they were in the wilderness; and so long was he grieved with them: the Alexandrian copy reads, "with them

Hebrews 3:1. _Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus._ Would God we considered him more! He is supremely worthy of our perpetual consideration from all points of view. And the more you consider him the more you may, for there is a depth and breadth about his wondrous personality, his work, and his offices well worthy of our deepest thought and admiring worship. Holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, we may well consider him. Hebrews 3:2. Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Mossses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by s

SINNED SIN (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:23). _...

CHAPTER 3 _ 1. As Son over the house of God, greater than Moses (Hebrews 3:1)_ 2. The danger of unbelief (Hebrews 3:7) 3. The need of faith (Hebrews 3:14) Hebrews 3:1 He now addresses believing Hebrews as “holy brethren and partakers of the heavenly calling,” and exhorts them to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus.” Hebrews address each other as “brethren” (Acts 2:29; Acts 7:2;...