Hebrews 3
New Catholic Bible
A High Priest for Humanity[a]
Chapter 3
Christ’s Fidelity Is Superior to That of Moses.[b] 1 Therefore, holy brethren, who share in a heavenly calling, concentrate your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and the high priest of our profession of faith. 2 He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in God’s household.
3 However, he is deserving of a greater glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house is more honored than the house itself. 4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all is God.
5 Now Moses was faithful as a servant in God’s household, testifying to the things that would later be revealed, 6 whereas Christ was faithful as a son watching over his house. And we are that house if we hold firm to our confidence and take pride in our hope.
The “Today” of God.[c] 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 harden not your hearts as at the rebellion,
in the day of testing in the desert,
9 where your ancestors tried me and tested me
though they had seen what I could do 10 for forty years.
As a result I became angered with that generation,
and I said, ‘Their hearts have always gone astray,
and they do not know my ways.’
11 Therefore, I swore in my anger,
‘They will never enter into my rest.’ ”
12 Take care, brethren, that none of you will ever have an evil and unbelieving heart that will cause you to forsake the living God. 13 Rather, encourage each other every day, as long as it is today, so that none of you will become hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we will become partners with Christ only if we maintain firmly until the end the confidence we originally had, 15 as it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.”
16 Who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Were they not all those whom Moses had led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angered for forty years? Was it not with those who had sinned and whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would never enter into his rest, if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see clearly that they were unable to enter because of their refusal to believe.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 3:1 The Covenant with Israel was entered into in the wilderness. Two great figures stood out: Moses and Aaron—the two mediators of the Law and sacrifice, of authority and worship. But when the work of Christ becomes known, all of that proves to have been provisional. And to speak of Christ the author develops two ideas: fidelity to God and solidarity or sympathy with humans. In between these two developments he inserts a long exhortation to serious Christians.
- Hebrews 3:1 The fidelity of Jesus is greater than that of Moses. Both were “apostles,” sent by God to the people, and “priests,” i.e., representatives of the people before God. But Moses acted in the world as a servant who carries out a limited mandate. Christ accomplishes his work personally, in his own name, like a Son. This work belongs to him; and it is the community of believers that he establishes in the world of God.
- Hebrews 3:7 Like Israel of the Exodus, the Church is on the march, on earth, certain of the promise of God but exposed to temptation. Since the Jewish people love to cling to the great epoch in the wilderness, the author invites them to profit from the lesson of that time—which is one of fidelity—offering them a commentary on Ps 95. His argument, which follows the exegetical methods of the time, may seem somewhat complicated. The generation of Hebrews delivered from Egypt did not enter the promised land because it rebelled against God (see Ex 17:1-7; Num 14:28-35). The memory of that rebellion remained alive in the Jewish tradition (see 1 Cor 10:1-11). Ps 95, which at that period was attributed to David, was written long after the Exile, when the perspective was no longer the conquest of Canaan, which had been accomplished by Joshua. The promise to enter into the rest of God has not become something distant: it is deeply involved with the fulfillment of creation, with sharing today in the divine life by following Christ along the way he has opened up (Heb 4:14).
Yehudim in Moshiach 3
Orthodox Jewish Bible
3 For this reason, Achai Hakedoshim b’Moshiach, Chaverim and Chavrusa partners in a Kri’at Marom (High [Himel] Calling), consider carefully the Shliach and Kohen Gadol of the Hachrazah (Proclamation) of our Emunah (Faith, our Orthodox Jewish Ani Ma’amin Body of Emunah, Yd 1:3), Yehoshua, Yeshua.
2 He being ne’eman (faithful) to the One having given him s’michah as also Moshe Rabbeinu was ne’eman (faithful) in kol Beis Hashem.
3 Yet Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach is considered worthy of more kavod than Moshe Rabbeinu, because more kavod has the Boneh (Builder) of the Beis than the Beis itself.
4 For every Beis is built by someone, but the One having built everything is Hashem.
5 Now Moshe Rabbeinu was ne’eman in kol Beis Hashem as an eved, for a solemn edut of the things which were to be spoken afterward [i.e., Moshiach’s torah coming later].
6 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was ne’eman as HaBen over the Beis Hashem, whose Beis we are, if indeed the bitachon and the tikvah in which we glory we keep hold of to HaKetz.
7 Therefore, just as the Ruach Hakodesh says, "HAYOM IM BEKOLO TISHMAU ("Today, if you hear His voice" TEHILLIM 95:7f);
8 AL TAKSHU LEVAVCHEM KIMRIVAH K’YOM MASSAH BAMIDBAR ("Do not harden your heart as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert")
9 ASHER NISSUNI AVOTECHEM BEKHANUNI GAM RA’U PO’OLI ARBA’IM SHANAH ("Where your Fathers tested me and tried me though they saw my deeds forty years")
10 Therefore "AKUT BEDOR VAOMAR AM TO’EY LEVAV HEM V’HEM LO YAD’U DERAKHAI" ("I was angry with that generation and I said they are a strayingof-heart people and they have not had da’as of my ways");
11 ASHER NISHBA’ETI V’APEY IM YEVO’UN EL MENUKHATI ("Therefore I declared on oath in my anger, Never shall they enter into my Rest, Home, Abode, Place of Tranquility.") [BERESHIS 49:15; TEHILLIM 23; YESHAYAH 28:12; 66:1; RUTH 1:9; MELACHIM ALEF 8:56]
12 Beware, Achim b’Moshiach, lest there will be in any one of you a lev rah (evil heart) without Emunah, that turns away shmad from Elohim Chayyim.
13 Instead, give one another chozek (strength) each and every day, as long as it is still called "HAYOM," ("today, " TEHILLIM 95:7) lest some of you may fall into KESHI (stubbornness, hardness DEVARM 9:27) and be stubbornly hardened by the nechalim (deceitfulness) of Chet.
14 We have become chavrusa partners of Moshiach if only our bitachon (confidence) we had initially we hold firm until HaKetz;
15 As it is said, "HAYOM IM BEKOLO TISHMAU AL TAKSHU LEVAVCHEM ("Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart" TEHILLIM 95:7) as in the Meribah Mered (Rebellion) [the Ma’al shmad Defection, the Azivah Desertion, see 2Th 2:3].
16 Now who were they who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all the ones having had litzi’at Mitzrayim (going out from Egypt) under Moshe Rabbeinu?
17 And with whom was Hashem angry ARBA’IM SHANAH? Was it not with the ones having sinned, whose "PEGARIM" ("corpses" BAMIDBAR 14:29) lay where they had "fallen BAMIDBAR ("in the desert" BAMIDBAR 14:29)?
18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter into the menuchah (resting place) of Him? Was it not to the ones without mishma’at (obedience)?
19 And so we see that they were not able to enter because of lack of Emunah.
Hebrews 3
New King James Version
The Son Was Faithful
3 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as (A)Moses also was faithful in all His house. 3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as (B)He who built the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but (C)He who built all things is God. 5 (D)And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as (E)a servant, (F)for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 6 but Christ as (G)a Son over His own house, (H)whose house we are (I)if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope [a]firm to the end.
Be Faithful(J)
7 Therefore, as (K)the Holy Spirit says:
(L)“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but [b]exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:
(M)“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Failure of the Wilderness Wanderers
16 (N)For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, (O)whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And (P)to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of (Q)unbelief.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 3:6 NU omits firm to the end
- Hebrews 3:13 encourage
Hebrews 3
King James Version
3 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
