Hebrews 3 15

Hebrews 3:15 kjv

While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Hebrews 3:15 nkjv

while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

Hebrews 3:15 niv

As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."

Hebrews 3:15 esv

As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

Hebrews 3:15 nlt

Remember what it says: "Today when you hear his voice,
don't harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled."

Hebrews 3 verses

Hebrews 3 15 Meaning

Hebrews 3:15 serves as a potent spiritual warning, re-emphasizing the urgency of responding to God's divine communication in the present moment. It means that today, while God is speaking through Christ and His Word, believers must actively and willingly listen and obey. The verse sternly warns against the dangers of becoming spiritually stubborn or unreceptive, likening such a posture to the wilful defiance shown by the Israelites during their time in the wilderness. It underscores that repeated resistance to God's voice can lead to a hardened heart, preventing one from entering into His promised rest and experiencing His blessings, just as the generation of the Exodus was denied entry into the Promised Land due to their persistent rebellion and unbelief.

Hebrews 3 15 Context

Hebrews chapter 3 opens by contrasting Christ's superiority to Moses, who was a faithful servant in God's house, whereas Christ is the Son over God's house (3:1-6). The writer then introduces a solemn warning from Psalm 95 (Heb 3:7-11) about the dangers of unbelief and disobedience, drawing a parallel to the Israelites who perished in the wilderness due to their hardened hearts. This serves as a cautionary tale for the readers—Jewish Christians facing persecution and temptation to revert to their old ways or grow weary in their faith. Verse 15 reiterates this warning, bringing back the crucial "Today, if you hear His voice" phrase. The overall message is an urgent call for enduring faithfulness and immediate obedience to Christ, emphasizing that the present time is an opportunity for response before spiritual apathy or hardening sets in. The wilderness generation's failure acts as a severe illustration of the consequences of rejecting divine truth.

Hebrews 3 15 Word analysis

• Today (sēmeron - σήμερον): This word highlights immediacy and present opportunity. It signifies that the divine invitation or warning is current, requiring an immediate response without delay or procrastination. It underscores the urgency of hearing God's voice, implying that the opportunity may not extend indefinitely.
• if you hear (ean akousēte - ἐὰν ἀκούσητε): This phrase contains a conditional clause, implying a choice and responsibility. It refers not merely to a physical hearing but to an attentive, understanding, and responsive listening—a reception of God's truth with the intent to obey. It suggests discernment and active engagement with what God communicates.
• His voice (tēs phōnēs autou - τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ): This refers to God's divine revelation, communication, and authority. It includes His spoken Word, commands, the Gospel message through Christ, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It is the direct divine summons or instruction.
• do not harden (mē sklērynēte - μὴ σκληρύνητε): A strong negative imperative. Sklērynō means to make hard, stiff, or obstinate. In this context, it describes a deliberate act of the will to resist God's influence, to become stubborn and unyielding to spiritual truth, or to render oneself insensitive to divine prompting. It's a conscious choice of defiance.
• your hearts (tas kardias hymōn - τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν): The heart in biblical thought is the very center of a person's being—the seat of intellect, emotion, will, and conscience. It's where faith resides and where spiritual decisions are made. A hardened heart implies a rejection of God's Word from this core level of identity and choice.
• as in the rebellion (hōs en tō parakrismō - ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ): "As in the provocation" or "as in the bitterness." Parakrismos specifically alludes to the events at Meribah and Massah (Ex 17:1-7, Num 20:1-13), where the Israelites rebelled against God due to thirst and grumbling, provoking His wrath by testing Him. This historical event serves as a concrete, severe example of the consequence of unresponsiveness.
• Words-group analysis:
  • "Today, if you hear His voice": This group emphasizes the divine initiative and human responsibility. God speaks now, making a present demand or offer, and the critical factor is whether humanity truly hears (obeys) or merely listens passively. It points to a decisive moment.
  • "do not harden your hearts": This is the direct command and a central warning. It implies a capability and tendency within humanity to self-inflict spiritual stubbornness, urging immediate vigilance and resistance against this spiritual danger. It points to a critical choice.
  • "as in the rebellion": This phrase functions as a cautionary historical parallel. It anchors the spiritual warning in a tangible, devastating example from Israel's past, showing the dire consequences of collective and persistent spiritual stubbornness and unbelief.

Hebrews 3 15 Bonus section

The repeated emphasis on "Today" throughout Hebrews 3 and 4 (specifically 3:7, 3:13, 3:15, 4:7) highlights a concept often referred to as "the present moment of salvation." It stresses that the divine call for repentance and faith is not merely a past event, but an ever-present reality that demands continuous, moment-by-moment response. There is no future "better time" to respond to God; the opportune moment is always "Today." This reiteration of "Today" counters any spiritual apathy or presumption of grace that might lead to delaying one's response or assuming future opportunity. It also implicitly underscores the daily renewal of God's mercies and His continuous outreach, yet with the underlying warning that neglecting His voice now could lead to a permanent inability to hear later. The wilderness generation's example also reveals that unbelief (Greek: apistia) is not just an intellectual state but a disobedient posture of the will against God's authority and provision, which is what ultimately caused their hardening.

Hebrews 3 15 Commentary

Hebrews 3:15 stands as a critical reminder to God's people about the temporal nature of spiritual opportunity and the perpetual danger of a hardened heart. It is a direct quote from Psalm 95, imbued with profound new covenant significance through the Spirit's emphasis (Heb 3:7). The term "Today" underlines the immediate and ongoing call to spiritual receptivity. God is always speaking through His Word and Spirit; thus, "Today" signifies every moment of present opportunity, a continuous call to heed Him. To "harden your hearts" means to wilfully refuse to yield to God's revealed truth, to resist conviction, or to become stubborn and apathetic towards divine prompts. The writer reminds believers that this stubbornness led to the original generation of Israelites forfeiting their entrance into God's earthly rest—the Promised Land—a direct result of their unbelief and repeated provocation in the wilderness, specifically highlighted by the incidents at Massah and Meribah. The warning extends to Christians, urging them not to make the same fatal error and thus forfeit their ultimate, spiritual rest in God. This verse calls for daily spiritual diligence, mutual encouragement, and steadfast faith to avoid succumbing to the deceptive power of sin which hardens the heart.

• Examples:
  • A believer consistently neglects reading their Bible or prayer, eventually feeling less convicted by sin or truth.
  • Someone hears a sermon about forgiveness but refuses to forgive another, and finds their heart growing bitter and closed off.
  • A community member persistently rejects loving counsel from fellow believers, leading to isolation and spiritual decline.