Hebrews 3

10. grieved--displeased. Compare "walk contrary," Leviticus 26:24 Leviticus 26:28 .
that generation--"that" implies alienation and estrangement. But the oldest manuscripts read, "this."
said--"grieved," or "displeased," at their first offense. Subsequently when they hardened their heart in unbelief still more, He sware in His wrath ( Hebrews 3:11 ); an ascending gradation (compare Hebrews 3:17 Hebrews 3:18 ).
and they have not known--Greek, "But these very persons," &c. They perceived I was displeased with them, yet they, the same persons, did not a whit the more wish to know my ways [BENGEL]; compare "but they," Psalms 106:43 .
not known my ways--not known practically and believingly the ways in which I would have had them go, so as to reach My rest ( Exodus 18:20 ).

11. So--literally, "as."
I sware--BENGEL remarks the oath of God preceded the forty years.
not--literally, "If they shall enter . . . (God do so to me and more also)," 2 Samuel 3:35 . The Greek is the same, Mark 8:12 .
my rest--Canaan, primarily, their rest after wandering in the wilderness: still, even when in it, they never fully enjoyed rest; whence it followed that the threat extended farther than the exclusion of the unbelieving from the literal land of rest, and that the rest promised to the believing in its full blessedness was, and is, yet future: Psalms 25:13 , Psalms 37:9 Psalms 37:11 Psalms 37:22 Psalms 37:29 , and Christ's own beatitude ( Matthew 5:5 ) all accord with this, Hebrews 3:9 .

12. Take heed--to be joined with "wherefore," Hebrews 3:7 .
lest there be--Greek (indicative), "lest there shall be"; lest there be, as I fear there is; implying that it is not merely a possible contingency, but that there is ground for thinking it will be so.
in any--"in any one of you." Not merely ought all in general be on their guard, but they ought to be so concerned for the safety of each one member, as not to suffer any one to perish through their negligence [CALVIN].
heart--The heart is not to be trusted. Compare Hebrews 3:10 , "They do always err in their heart."
unbelief--faithlessness. Christ is faithful; therefore, saith Paul to the Hebrews, we ought not to be faithless as our fathers were under Moses.
departing--apostatizing. The opposite of "come unto" Him ( Hebrews 4:16 ). God punishes such apostates in kind. He departs from them--the worst of woes.
the living God--real: the distinctive characteristic of the God of Israel, not like the lifeless gods of the heathen; therefore One whose threats are awful realities. To apostatize from Christ is to apostatize from the living God ( Hebrews 2:3 ).

13. one another--Greek, "yourselves"; let each exhort himself and his neighbor.
daily--Greek, "on each day," or "day by day."
while it is called To-day--while the "to-day" lasts (the day of grace, Luke 4:21 , before the coming of the day of glory and judgment at Christ's coming, Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 10:37 ). To-morrow is the day when idle men work, and fools repent. To-morrow is Satan's to-day; he cares not what good resolutions you form, if only you fix them for to-morrow.
lest . . . of you--The "you" is emphatic, as distinguished from "your fathers" ( Hebrews 3:9 ). "That from among you no one (so the Greek order is in some of the oldest manuscripts) be hardened" ( Hebrews 3:8 ).
deceitfulness--causing you to "err in your heart."
sin--unbelief.

14. For, &c.--enforcing the warning, Hebrews 3:12 .
partakers of Christ--(Compare Hebrews 3:1 Hebrews 3:6 ). So "partakers of the Holy Ghost" ( Hebrews 6:4 ).
hold--Greek, "hold fast."
the beginning of our confidence--that is, the confidence (literally, substantial, solid confidence) of faith which we have begun ( Hebrews 6:11 , 12:2 ). A Christian so long as he is not made perfect, considers himself as a beginner [BENGEL].
unto the end--unto the coming of Christ ( Hebrews 12:2 ).

15. While it is said--connected with Hebrews 3:13 , "exhort one another . . . while it is said, To-day": Hebrews 3:14 , "for we are made partakers," &c. being a parenthesis. "It entirely depends on yourselves that the invitation of the ninety-fifth Psalm be not a mere invitation, but also an actual enjoyment." ALFORD translates, "Since (that is, 'for') it is said," &c. regarding Hebrews 3:15 as a proof that we must "hold . . . confidence . . . unto the end," in order to be "partakers of Christ."

16. For some--rather interrogatively, "For WHO was it that, when they had heard (referring to 'if ye will hear,' Hebrews 3:15 ), did provoke (God)?" The "For" implies, Ye need to take heed against unbelief: for, was it not because of unbelief that all our fathers were excluded ( Ezekiel 2:3 )? "Some," and "not all," would be a faint way of putting his argument, when his object is to show the universality of the evil. Not merely some, but all the Israelites, for the solitary exceptions, Joshua and Caleb, are hardly to be taken into account in so general a statement. So Hebrews 3:17 Hebrews 3:18 , are interrogative: (1) the beginning of the provocation, soon after the departure from Egypt, is marked in Hebrews 3:16 ; (2) the forty years of it in the wilderness, Hebrews 3:17 ; (3) the denial of entrance into the land of rest, Hebrews 3:18 . Compare Note, "with the majority of them God was displeased."
howbeit--"Nay (why need I put the question?), was it not all that came out of Egypt?" ( Exodus 17:1 Exodus 17:2 ).
by Moses--by the instrumentality of Moses as their leader.

17. But--Translate, "Moreover," as it is not in contrast to Hebrews 3:16 , but carrying out the same thought.
corpses--literally, "limbs," implying that their bodies fell limb from limb.

18. to them that believed not--rather as Greek, "to them that disobeyed." Practical unbelief ( Deuteronomy 1:26 ).

19. they could not enter--though desiring it.