HEB 3:8 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:7–19: Warning: Do not reject God’s offer of rest

In the earlier sections of Hebrews the author showed that Jesus was greater than both the angels and Moses. In 2:1–4 he gave a first warning not to refuse the message which Jesus brought. Here in 3:7–19 he gave a second warning not to refuse Jesus’ message, especially the “rest” that God offers through Jesus. The author quoted from Psalm 95, which says that God wanted to give the people of Israel a land where they could have rest from their enemies. When they were slaves in Egypt, he sent Moses to lead them to that land, but they rebelled against God in the wilderness. Then God did not allow them to enter the land of rest.

It is often difficult to decide how to translate “rest” in this section and in chapter 4. Psalm 95 and Hebrews do refer to the time when Moses was alive and God promised to give the people of Israel land. However, King David was already in that land when he wrote the psalm, so the “rest” could not refer to the land. It refers to a different type of “rest.” That rest is a way of trusting God and depending on him for everything. We especially trust him to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. Because of the rest that God gives, we can have peace even when we suffer.

Be careful not to imply that the rest that God promises his people today is a certain place or land. Some scholars believe that the rest refers to heaven. It is true that we will have perfect rest in heaven, but Hebrews indicates that the rest that God provides for us begins on earth when we trust in Jesus.

Some other headings for this section are:

Rest for God’s People

Warning Against Unbelief (NIV)

We Must Continue to Follow/Obey God

Scholars differ about where to end this warning section. Some scholars end the warning at 3:19. Others make the warning section continue to 4:13. In these notes, 3:19 is the end of this second warning section, and the following section is 4:1–13.

Paragraph 3:7–11

This paragraph contains a long quotation. You should use the format which you usually use for such quotations. This quotation from Psalm 95:7b–11 refers to the years when the people of Israel were traveling through the desert to the land of Canaan. God did many miracles for them, but they often complained against him.

In 3:8a–9a the quotation from Psalm 95 probably refers to a specific time when the people of Israel complained.There are two main views about which “rebellion” and “day of testing” the author referred to here:(a) He referred to the time that the Israelites rebelled against God at Kadesh Barnea. They refused to enter the land of Canaan that God promised to give them (Numbers 14:22).(b) He referred to the time that the Israelites rebelled against God at the place that was later named Meribah and Massah. They complained that they had no water, and they made God angry by their attitude and by what they said (Exodus 17:1–7).Option (a) is probably more likely in this context. It may refer to Exodus 17:1–7, when they did not find water to drink where they camped. However, it is more likely that it refers to Numbers 14, where they refused to enter the land that the Lord wanted to give them. That interpretation fits well with the theme of “rest” in Hebrews 4.

In 3:9b–11 the author referred to what the people of Israel did during the whole forty year period when they wandered through the desert. In 3:7–8a he indicates that followers of Jesus must not stubbornly reject what God tells them to do, as the people of Israel did in the desert.

3:8a

do not harden your hearts,

do^(plur) not become stubborn/disobedient,
‘Do^(plur) not reject my words.
Do^(plur) not refuse to obey him

do not harden your hearts: The clause do not harden your hearts is figurative. It means “do not be obstinate” or “do not refuse to listen.” Some other ways to translate the clause are:

do not be stubborn (GNT)

do not rebel

do not refuse to do what he says

your hearts: The Jews speak of their hearts as the part of a person that thinks, feels, and makes decisions. This word occurs eleven times in Hebrews, four of which are in this chapter. It also occurs often in quotations from the Old Testament.

In many languages, people use a different part of the body, such as the stomach or the liver, as the part of a person that thinks and feels. In other languages people do not use a part of the body to refer to the source of feelings or thoughts. They may use a different idiom or no idiom at all. Other ways to translate “harden your hearts” are:

make your ears hard/dull

refuse to listen/obey

Use a natural expression in your own language. For more information, see heart, sense 1(b) in KBT.

3:8b

as you did in the rebellion,

as you^(plur) did when you rebelled
Do not be stubborn as your ancestors were when they refused to obey me.
as your ancestors refused to obey

3:8c

in the day of testing in the wilderness,

and provoked me in the wilderness.
Do not test me, as they did in the desolate area where no people live.
and tested him in the wilderness.

3:8b–c

as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness: The phrases in 3:8b and 3:8c refer to a time when the ancestors of the Hebrews rebelled against God. After God took them from slavery in Egypt, they rebelled against him as he led them through the wilderness.

There are two different views about which rebellion and day of testing the author referred to:

He referred to the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea. There the Israel people refused to enter the land of Canaan that God promised to give them (Numbers 14:22).
He referred to the rebellion at the place that was later named Meribah and Massah. There the people of Israel complained that they had no water. They made God angry by their attitude and by what they said (Exodus 17:1–7).

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It fits well with the theme of a resting place in Hebrews 4. Your translation should indicate that rebellion and day of testing refer to the same event. For example:

when they continually rejected what I said until they caused me to become angry

where your ancestors challenged my authority and tried my patience

rebellion: The Greek word that the BSB translates as rebellion refers here to a revolt against God.παραπικρασμός, BDAG, page 770. The ancestors of the Hebrews rebelled against God and refused to enter the land, as he told them to do. They refused to believe that God would help them conquer the land that he promised them.

Some other ways to translate rebellion are:

your ancestors rebelled against God

they refused to do what God told them to do

the day of testing in the wilderness: The phrase the day of testing in the wilderness refers to the same occasion as “the rebellion.” It implies that the Israelites tested God when they rebelled against him.

testing: The Greek word that the BSB translates as testing can refer either to a test or to a temptation. It is an action that a person does to see what someone else will do (or not do).πειρασμός meaning 1, BDAG, page 793. The word may also refer to tempting someone to sin or to become angry. The choice between these meanings depends on the context where the word is used. In this context the people tested God to see what he would do.

Some ways to translate testing in this context are:

as they were that day in the desert when they put him to the test (GNT)

when they tested God’s patience in the wilderness (NLT)

in the wilderness: The word wilderness means an uninhabited place. Some ways to translate this word are:

in the land where no people liveWestern Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.

the uninhabited place

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: μή σκληρύνητε τάς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ κατά τήν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ)

When someone “hardens their heart,” it means that the person becomes stubborn and refuses to listen or respond to someone else. If you have a figurative or idiomatic way to refer to this behavior, you could use it here. If you do not have a figurative way to refer to this behavior, you could express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [do not be stubborn] or [do not be headstrong]

Note 2 topic: writing-background

ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ, κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ, ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ

as in the rebellion (Some words not found in SR-GNT: μή σκληρύνητε τάς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ κατά τήν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ)

While the quotation primarily refers to the story about how the Israelites did not enter the land that God promised them (See: [Numbers 14:1–38](../../num/14/01.md)), there is another story that the author of the quotation may be referring to. In [Exodus 17:1–7](../../exo/17/01.md), the Israelites are thirsty while they are in the wilderness, and they “provoke” and “test” God by complaining. God provides water for them, and Moses names one of the places where they were testing” (See: [Exodus 17:7](../../exo/17/07.md)). It is quite possible that the author of the quotation is thinking about this story. If it would be helpful in your language, you could include some extra information or use a footnote to refer to the stories. Alternate translation: [as when the Israelite ancestors provoked God during the day in which they tested him in the wilderness]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ

in the rebellion

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of provocation, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “provoke.” Alternate translation: [when God was provoked] or [when they provoked God]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ

The author uses the possessive form to identify a day on which testing occurred. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea without using a possessive form. Alternate translation: [the day when they tested God]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear HEB 3:8