Hebrews 3:9 kjv
When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Hebrews 3:9 nkjv
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
Hebrews 3:9 niv
where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.
Hebrews 3:9 esv
where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.
Hebrews 3:9 nlt
There your ancestors tested and tried my patience,
even though they saw my miracles for forty years.
Hebrews 3 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 95:7-9 | ...Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. | Original passage quoted in Hebrews |
| Exod 17:1-7 | ...They tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” | Israel tested God for water at Massah and Meribah |
| Num 14:11, 22 | And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?" ...notwithstanding all the signs which I did... yet they have put me to the test these ten times... | God's dismay at their unbelief after many signs |
| Deut 1:34-35 | "And the Lord heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and he swore, ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers..." | God's wrath due to their disobedience and unbelief |
| Deut 6:16 | "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah." | Direct command against testing God |
| Psa 78:17-19 | Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness?" | Israelites' persistent rebellion and doubt despite provision |
| Psa 78:40-42 | How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power... | Repetitive testing and forgetting God's works |
| Psa 106:13-14 | But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; so he gave them their request... | They forgot God's works and lusted, testing Him |
| Neh 9:20-21 | You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell. | God's faithful provision despite their unfaithfulness |
| Amos 2:10 | "Also it was I who brought you up out of the land of Egypt and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite." | God reminds Israel of His leading for 40 years |
| 1 Cor 10:9 | We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents... | New Testament warning against repeating their sin of testing God |
| Heb 3:10-11 | "Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’" | God's reaction to their continuous unbelief and the consequence |
| Heb 3:12 | "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God." | Direct application and warning to the readers of Hebrews |
| Heb 3:17-19 | And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. | Confirmation that unbelief was the cause of their failure |
| Heb 4:1 | "Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it." | Further warning for current believers based on Israel's example |
| Jude 1:5 | Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. | God's judgment on the unbelieving generation |
| Psa 78:32-33 | In spite of all this, they still sinned; they did not believe in his wondrous works. So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror. | Their refusal to believe despite His works led to their demise |
| Isa 63:10 | But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy and himself fought against them. | Their rebellion and grief caused to God |
| Jer 7:25-26 | From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have sent you all my servants the prophets, day after day, rising early and sending them. Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. | Later generations continuing the pattern of rebellion |
| John 6:26, 30-31 | Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” ... “What sign do you do, that we may see it and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness..." | A new generation still demanding signs despite Jesus' works, echoing old Israel's demanding spirit |
| Rom 11:20-22 | "That is true. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off." | Warning to gentiles from Israel's example, stressing the consequence of unbelief |
| Acts 7:42-43 | But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets... | Stephen's sermon highlights Israel's long history of idolatry and rebellion. |
Hebrews 3 verses
Hebrews 3 9 Meaning
This verse describes how the ancestral Israelites in the wilderness challenged God's authority and tested His patience. Despite continuously witnessing His miraculous interventions and mighty acts over a period of forty years, they persistently doubted and provoked Him, exhibiting a profound lack of faith and obedience.
Hebrews 3 9 Context
Hebrews chapter 3 forms part of the author's argument for the superiority of Christ over Moses and, by extension, the new covenant over the old. This particular passage (3:7-19) issues a strong warning against the sin of unbelief, directly quoting Psalm 95:7b-11. The historical context it references is the wilderness journey of the Israelites after their Exodus from Egypt. Despite God's mighty acts of deliverance, provision (manna, water), and guidance (pillar of cloud and fire), this generation persistently hardened their hearts, questioned God's power and presence, and ultimately rebelled against His commands, famously failing to enter the promised land. This serves as a solemn object lesson for the original Hebrew Christian readers, encouraging them to persevere in faith and avoid the spiritual pitfalls of their ancestors, particularly the danger of falling away from Christ through unbelief.
Hebrews 3 9 Word analysis
- Where: (Gk. hou) Denotes the specific location or occasion; in this context, the wilderness, a place that served as a profound setting for both God's miracles and Israel's spiritual failure.
- your fathers: (Gk. hoi pateres hymōn) Refers to the previous generation of Israelites who were delivered from Egypt but died in the wilderness. The author uses this phrase to establish a genealogical and spiritual link between the current Jewish readers of Hebrews and their ancestors, thereby personalizing the historical warning.
- tested (Gk. epeirasan from peirazō): To put someone or something to the proof; to try, examine, scrutinize. In this negative context, it carries the sense of a malicious, doubting, or defiant challenge to God's character, power, or faithfulness. It's not a sincere inquiry but a presumptuous act of pushing boundaries.
- me: Refers to God Himself. This emphasizes that their rebellion was directly against the divine Being, His authority, and His trustworthiness. It was a personal affront.
- by proving (Gk. en dokimasia from dokimazō): This phrase further emphasizes the nature of the testing. Dokimasia implies putting to the test, examination, or probation, often with the intent to discern worth or genuineness. Here, it signifies their deliberate and ongoing attempt to "verify" God's nature or presence, despite clear evidence. It underscores the active, experiential, and culpable nature of their unbelief.
- and saw (Gk. kai eidón): From horao, to perceive by sight, to behold, to understand. This highlights the sensory, direct, and undeniable nature of their experience. They were eyewitnesses; their disbelief was not due to a lack of observable proof but to an inward spiritual blindness.
- my works: (Gk. ta erga mou) Refers to God's miraculous deeds, His powerful acts of deliverance, provision, and judgment throughout the wilderness journey. Examples include the parting of the Red Sea, the provision of manna and quail, water from the rock, the pillar of cloud and fire, and divine protection from enemies. These were undeniable displays of God's power and faithfulness.
- forty years: (Gk. tessarakonta etē) Refers to the entire duration of the Israelites' wanderings in the wilderness (Num 14:33-34). This prolonged period underscores God's incredible patience and sustained faithfulness in continually performing His works, even while the people continuously sinned. It also highlights the extended and persistent nature of their unbelief and rebellion, demonstrating a pattern, not just an isolated incident.
Words-group analysis:
- "your fathers tested me, by proving me": This grouping highlights the deliberate, sustained, and antagonistic nature of their unbelief. It wasn't merely a moment of weakness but an ongoing pattern of challenging God, driven by distrust and dissatisfaction. The repetition of "tested" and "proving" emphasizes the intensity and intentionality of their rebellious spirit.
- "and saw my works forty years": This phrase creates a stark contrast and exposes the utter inexcusability of their actions. Their skepticism was not born of ignorance or a lack of divine manifestation. They had generations of firsthand evidence of God's power and benevolence, constantly sustained by His miracles, yet chose to harden their hearts over four decades. This points to a deeper issue of spiritual rebellion rather than intellectual doubt.
Hebrews 3 9 Bonus section
The direct quote from Psalm 95 reinforces that God viewed their actions as "provoking" (Maribah, meribah meaning "contention," Exod 17:7) and "testing" (Massah, massah meaning "testing," Exod 17:7). This was not a passive failing but an active challenge to the Divine. The wilderness period, spanning forty years, represented both God's persistent grace and the people's persistent rejection of His path. It serves as a potent reminder that prolonged exposure to divine truth and miracles can harden rather than soften hearts if not accompanied by faith and obedience. The implication for believers is that genuine faith must manifest as ongoing trust and perseverance, even amidst trials, not as a continuous demand for new proofs.
Hebrews 3 9 Commentary
Hebrews 3:9 draws a powerful parallel between the Israelites' wilderness journey and the spiritual pilgrimage of new covenant believers. It condemns the historical generation's egregious sin of unbelief: they tested God, aggressively scrutinizing His promises and power, even while being the direct beneficiaries and eyewitnesses of His profound works for a sustained forty years. This verse exposes a heart problem rather than a knowledge problem. Their repeated "testing" of God stemmed from a stubborn, faithless, and defiant spirit, questioning His presence, ability, and lovingkindness despite overwhelming evidence. The consequences of such hardened hearts are clear, setting a solemn precedent for those who, with even greater revelation in Christ, might entertain similar doubts or rebellions. The warning implicit in this verse is timeless: consistent experience of God's grace and power does not guarantee faithfulness if the heart is not receptive and submissive to Him.