Hebrews 3:8

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) In the day of temptation.—Better, like the day of the temptation. As in the LXX., so here, two words which in the Hebrew are proper names (“as at Meribah, and as in the day of Massah”) are translated according to their intrinsic meaning. (For the former see Exodus 17:7; Numbers 20:13; and for the latter Exodus 17:7.) We may believe that these places are here chosen for reference partly on account of their significant names; but it is noteworthy that the rebellions recorded in the names belonged to the beginning and to the close of the years of wandering.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:7-13 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 improvement of this day. And there are none, even the strongest of the flock, who do not need help of other Christians. Neither are there any so low and despised, but the care of their standing in the faith, and of their safety, belongs to all. Sin has so many ways and colours, that we need more eyes than ours own. Sin appears fair, but is vile; it appears pleasant, but is destructive; it promises much, but performs nothing. The deceitfulness of sin hardens the soul; one sin allowed makes way for another; and every act of sin confirms the habit. Let every one beware of sin.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Harden 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 heart. It is in two ways:

(1) The very refusal to do this tends to harden it. And,

(2) in order to resist the appeals of God, people must resort to the means of "voluntarily" hardening the heart. This they do by setting themselves against the truth; by the excuses which they offer for not becoming Christians: by plunging into sin in order to avoid serious impressions; and by direct resistance of the Holy Spirit. No inconsiderable part of the efforts of sinners consists in endeavoring to produce insensibility in their minds to the truth and the appeals of God.

As in the provocation - Literally, "in the embittering" - ἐν τῶ παραπικρασμῶ en tō parapikrasmō. Then it means what embitters or provokes the mind - as disobedience. Here it refers to what they did to "embitter" the mind of God against them; that is to the course of conduct which was adopted to provoke him to wrath.

In the day of temptation - In the time of temptation - the word "day" being used here, as it is often, to denote an indefinite period, or "time" in general. The word "temptation" here refers to the various provocations by which they "tried" the patience of God. They rebelled against him; they did what put the divine patience and forbearance to a trial. It does not mean that they tempted God to do evil, but that his long-suffering was "tried" by their sins.

In the wilderness - The desert through which they passed. The word "wilderness" in the Scriptures commonly means a "desert;" see the notes at Matthew 3:1. "One provocation was in demanding bread at Sin; a second for want of water at Massah or Meribah; a third time at Sinai with the golden calf; a fourth time at Taberah for want of flesh; a fifth time at Kadesh when they refused to go up into Canaan, and the oath came that they should die in the wilderness. A like refusal may prevent us from entering into rest." - Dr. John P. Wilson, Manuscript Notes.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

8. Harden not your hearts—This phrase here only is used of man's own act; usually of God's act (Ro 9:18). When man is spoken of as the agent in hardening, the phrase usually is, "harden his neck," or "back" (Ne 9:17).

provocation … temptation—"Massah-meribah," translated in Margin "tentation … chiding," or "strife" (Ex 17:1-7). Both names seem to refer to that one event, the murmuring of the people against the Lord at Rephidim for want of water. The first offense especially ought to be guarded against, and is the most severely reproved, as it is apt to produce many more. Nu 20:1-13 and De 33:8 mention a second similar occasion in the wilderness of Sin, near Kadesh, also called Meribah.

in the day—Greek, "according to the day of."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Harden not your hearts: to help in the former duty the Spirit subjoins this negative counsel. That is styled hard, which will not yield to any impression: make not your heart a stone, so as not to understand, believe, or obey God’s voice to it, Deu 15:17 1 Samuel 6:6; for God requires them to be fleshy tables, to write his will on, 2 Corinthians 3:3. The hardening of this part is the hardening of the whole person, and when hardened by themselves, is provoking God’s judicial hardening of them to their destruction.

As in the provocation; en tw parapikrasmw, in the bitter contention, comprehending in it both work, season, and place; called Meribah, Numbers 20:13,14; names of places and persons by words of the same signification, though not of the same sound.

In the day of temptation in the wilderness; in the day of Massah, when Israel in the wilderness did murmur, and strive against, and vexed God, (after he had divided the sea for them), for their want of water, Exodus 17:2,7 Deu 6:16 33:8; that bitter contest of unbelief after the sight of so many miracles, when they cried out: Is the Lord among us? Psalm 95:8. It may also refer to the whole forty years’ time of their murmuring and tempting him in the wilderness.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Harden not you hearts,.... There is a natural hardness of the heart; the heart of man is like a stone, destitute of spiritual life, motion, and activity; it is senseless, stupid, impenitent, stubborn, and inflexible, on which no impressions can be made, but by powerful grace: and there is an acquired, habitual, and voluntary hardness of heart, to which men arrive by various steps; as entertaining pleasing thoughts of sin; an actual commission of it, with frequency, till it becomes customary, and so habitual; an extenuation or justification of it, and so they become hardened against all reproofs and sermons, and to all afflictions and judgments; are insensible and past feeling, and openly declare for sin, and glory in it: and there is a hardness which God's people are liable to, and should guard against; and which is brought on by a neglect of private and public worship, and by keeping bad company, and through the ill examples of others, and by giving way to lesser sins; for all sin is of an hardening nature:

as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness; the Jews provoked God in the wilderness by their unbelief, murmurings, ingratitude, and idolatry; and they tempted him there by distrusting his power and goodness; hence one of the places in which they murmured against him was called Massah and Meribah, Exodus 17:7 and it is an aggravation of their sin, that it was in the wilderness, after they had been just brought out of bondage into liberty, and had lately had such an instance of the power and goodness of God, in bringing them through the Red sea; and where they could have no human supplies, and therefore should have been entirely dependent on God, and trust in him.

Geneva Study Bible

Harden not your hearts, as in the {g} provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

(g) In the day that they troubled the Lord, or struggled with him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Hebrews 3:8. Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation (contumacy), on the day of temptation in the wilderness. In the original, παραπικρασμός and πειρασμός are proper names (“as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the wilderness” [כִּמְרִיבָה כְּיו̇ם מַסָּה בַּמִּדְבָּר]), which, however, are understood by the author in the appellative sense (comp. Hebrews 3:16), in that he takes κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ as an epexegetical note of time to ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ. On the history, comp. Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:1-13.

τοῦ πειρασμοῦ] in the active sense: the tempting of God by contumacious behaviour, comp. Hebrews 3:9.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Hebrews 3:8. μὴ σκληρύνητε, the prohibitory subjunctive, v. Burton, p. 162. “The figure is from the stiffening by cold or disease, of what ought to be supple and pliable” (Vaughan). [The verb occurs first in Hippocrates, cf. Anz. 342.] It is ascribed to τὸν τράχηλον (Deuteronomy 10:16), τὸν νῶτον (2 Kings 17:14), τὴν καρδίαν (Exodus 4:21), τὸ πνεῦμα (Deuteronomy 2:30). Sometimes the hardening is referred to the man, sometimes it is God who inflicts the hardening as a punishment. Here the possible hardening is spoken of as if the human subject could prevent it. τὰς καρδίας, the whole inner man. ὡς ἐν τῷ … ἐρήμῳ. This stands in the psalm as the translation of the Hebrew which might be rendered: [“Harden not your hearts] as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah in the wilderness,” Meribah being represented by παραπικρασμός and Massah by πειρασμός. The tempting of God by Israel in the wilderness is recorded in Exodus 17:1-7, where the place is called “Massah and Meribah”. This occurred in the first year of the wanderings. παραπικρασμός is found only in this psalm (although παραπικραίνειν is frequent) its place being taken by λοιδόρησις in Exodus 17:7 and by ἀντιλογία in Numbers 20:12. It means “embitterment,” “exacerbation,” “exasperation”, κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν is rendered by the Vulgate “secundum diem,” rightly. It means “after the manner of the day”. Westcott, however, prefers the temporal sense.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

8. harden not your hearts] Comp. Acts 19:9. Usually God is said to harden man’s heart (Exodus 7:3, &c.; Isaiah 63:17; Romans 9:18) an anthropomorphic way of expressing the inevitable results of neglect and of evil habit. But that this is man’s own doing and choice is always recognised (Deuteronomy 10:16; 2 Kings 17:14, &c.).

as in the provocation] Lit., “in the embitterment.” The LXX. here seem to have read Marah (which means “bitter” and which they render by πικρία in Exodus 15:23) for Meribah which, in Exodus 17:1-7, they render by Loidoresis “reproach.” This is not however certain, for though the substantive does not occur again, the verb “I embitter” is frequently used of provoking God to anger. For the story of Meribah, see Numbers 20:7-13.

in the day of temptation] Rather, “of the temptation,” i.e. at Massah; Exodus 17:7; Deuteronomy 6:16, though the allusion might also be to Numbers 14.

Bengel's Gnomen

Hebrews 3:8. Παραπικρασμῷ—πειρασμοῦ, in the provocation—in the temptation) By Chiasmus, in Hebrews 3:9, as compared with Hebrews 3:8, temptation is first treated, then provocation; ὕστερον πρότερον ἑβραιδὸν, as Franc. Junius says, when he observed the same figure occurring several times in this epistle. Both refer to the History, Exodus 17:7, as the first offence; comp. below Hebrews 3:16, they that came (went) out. The first offence ought to be guarded against; for more very easily spring up from it, and the first is wont to be most severely reproved.—κατὰ, according to) that is, as in the day. So the Hebrew text.—ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, in the wilderness) the theatre of very great events.

Hebrews 3:8

Vincent's Word Studies

Harden not (μὴ σκληρύνητε)

In N.T. mostly in this epistle. Comp. Acts 19:9; Romans 9:18, see note. The group of kindred words consists of σκληρός hard (see on Matthew 25:24; see on Jde 1:14); σκλψρότης hardness (Romans 2:5); σκληρύνειν to harden (Acts 19:9; Romans 9:18); and the compounds σκληροκαρδία hardness of heart (Matthew 19:8; Mark 10:5), and σκληροτράχηλος stiff-necked (Acts 7:5). All occur in lxx, with the addition of σκληρῶς hardly, painfully (not in N.T.).

In the provocation (ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ)

Only here and Hebrews 3:15. In lxx only Psalm 94:8. The verb παραπικραίνεινto provoke, only in Hebrews 3:16. Often in lxx. The simple verb πικραίνειν to make bitter, Colossians 3:19; Revelation 8:11; Revelation 10:9, Revelation 10:10. From πικρός bitter, pungent: hence to stir up to bitterness, to irritate. Comp. lxx Ezekiel 2:4.

In the day (κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν)

Κατὰ in a temporal sense, as Acts 12:1; Acts 19:23; Acts 27:27. Comp. κατ' ἀρχάς in the beginning, Hebrews 1:10.

Of temptation (τοῦ πειρασμοῦ)

Rend. "of the temptation," referring to a definite event, the murmuring against Moses at Rephidim on account of the lack of water, Exodus 17:1-7. In that passage the lxx gives for the two proper names Massah and Meribah, πειρασμὸς temptation, which is correct, and λοιδόρησις railing or reviling, which is loose, since Meribah signifies strife. In Psalm 94, lxx renders Meribah παραπικρασμός provocation, which is inexact, and Massah πειρασμὸς temptation, which is correct.