Hebrews 3:9

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. WHEN, [ Hou (G3739)] - 'Where;' namely, in the wilderness. YOUR FATHERS. The authority of the ancients is not conclusive (Bengel). TEMPTED ME, PROVED ME. 'Aleph (') A B Delta f read [ en (G1722) dokimasia (G1381a) for edokimasan (G1381) (C)] 'tempted (me) in the way of testing' - i:e., putting (me) to the proof whether I was able and willing to relieve them, not believing that I am so. SAW MY WORKS FORTY YEARS - they saw, without being led to repentance, my works in affording miraculous help, also in executing vengeance, forty ye...

9._Tempted, etc. _This word is to be taken in a bad sense; it means to provoke in a proud and insulting manner, which we express in French by saying, _defier comme en depitant _ For though God had often brought them help, yet they forgot all, and scornfully asked, where was his power. _Proved, etc. _This clause is to be thus explained, “When yet they had proved me and seen my works”. For it enhanced the guilt of their impiety, that having been taught by so many evidences of divine power, they had made so bad a progress. For it was a marvelous supineness and stupidity to esteem God’s power as nothing, which had been so fully proved. (61) _Forty years. _These are connected by David with what follows. But we know that the Apostles in quoting passages attend more to the general meaning than to the words. And no doubt God complained that the people had been vexatious to him for forty years, b...

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, or for their sin; he waits long to be gracious to them. But sin, long persisted in, will make God's wrath discover itself in destroying the impenitent; there is no resting under the wrath of God. "Take heed:" all who would get safe to heaven must look about them; if once we allow ourselves to distrust God, we may soon desert him. Let those that think they stand, take heed lest they fall. Since to-morrow is not ours, we must make the best impro...

Verse Hebrews 3:9. _WHEN YOUR FATHERS TEMPTED ME_] It would be better to translate ου _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:- Hebrews 3:7 _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 fadris temptiden me:_ _provyden and saiden my werkis. Wherefore fourtye yeere I was_ _offendid or wrothe to this generatoun_. In behalf of this translation, Dr. Macknight very properly argues: "The word WHEN implies that

PROVED 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 proofs of his power and goodness, they rebel, and provoke him to anger. Men sin when God is filling their houses with plenty; when he opens his hand daily to supply their wants; when they behold the manifestations of his goodness on the sea and on the land; and even in the midst of all the blessings of redemption, they provoke him to wrath. FORTY YEARS - The whole time during which they were passing from Egyp

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

WHEN YOUR FATHERS TEMPTED ME,.... This the apostle cites and repeats, to expose the glorying of the Jews in their ancestors; to dissuade them from following their sinful practices; to deter them from the same by observing both their sin and punishment; and to heighten their regards to the voice and Gospel of Christ: PROVED ME; this is either an explication of the former phrase; or it may design the experience this people had of the power and goodness of God, notwithstanding their tempting and provoking the Lord by a distrust of them; which is an aggravation of their sin and ingratitude, and shows the forbearance of God, and that wicked men may partake of outward favours: AND SAW MY WORKS FORTY YEARS; that is, God's works of providence, in furnishing them with the necessaries of life, in guiding, protecting, and supporting them for the space of forty years, in the wilderness; and his mi...

Hebrews 3:1. _Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus:_ Oh, that he had more consideration at our hands! Consider him; you cannot know all his excellence, all his value to you, except he is the subject of your constant meditation. Consider him; think of his nature, his offices, his work, his promises, his relation to you: «Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;» Hebrews 3:2. _Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house._ See how our Lord Jesus Christ condescended to be appointed of the Father. In coming as a Mediator, taking upon himself our humanity, he «made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the for

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;...

HEBREWS 3:1 TO HEBREWS 4:13. As Christ is higher than the angels, so He is _greater than Moses,_ through whom the first covenant was established. The comparison with Moses, however, occupies only a few verses, and merges in a warning to avoid the fate of those Israelites whom Moses led....