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).
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.
Hébreux 3
Segond 21
Christ supérieur à Moïse et Josué
3 Ainsi donc, frères et sœurs saints, vous qui avez part à l’appel céleste, portez vos pensées sur l’apôtre et le grand-prêtre de la foi que nous professons, Jésus[-Christ]. 2 Il est resté fidèle à celui qui l'a établi tout comme Moïse l'a été dans [toute] sa maison.
3 En effet, il a été jugé digne d'une gloire supérieure à celle de Moïse, dans la mesure où celui qui a construit une maison reçoit plus d'honneur que la maison elle-même. 4 Toute maison est construite par quelqu'un, mais celui qui a construit toute chose, c'est Dieu. 5 Moïse a été fidèle dans toute la maison de Dieu comme serviteur[a], pour témoigner de ce qui allait être dit, 6 mais Christ l'est comme Fils à la tête de sa maison. Or sa maison, c'est nous, pourvu que nous retenions [fermement jusqu'à la fin] la confiance et l'espérance dont nous tirons notre fierté.
7 C’est pourquoi, comme le dit le Saint-Esprit, aujourd'hui, si vous entendez sa voix, 8 n'endurcissez pas votre cœur comme lors de la révolte, comme le jour de la tentation dans le désert: 9 là, vos ancêtres m’ont provoqué, ils m’ont mis à l'épreuve et ils m’ont vu agir pendant 40 ans. 10 C'est pourquoi j’ai été irrité contre cette génération et j’ai dit: ‘Ils ont toujours un cœur qui s'égare, ils n'ont pas connu mes voies.’ 11 Aussi, j’ai juré dans ma colère: ‘Ils n'entreront pas dans mon repos!’[b]
12 Faites attention, frères et sœurs: qu’aucun de vous n'ait un cœur mauvais et incrédule qui le détourne du Dieu vivant. 13 Au contraire, encouragez-vous les uns les autres chaque jour, aussi longtemps qu'on peut dire: «Aujourd'hui», afin qu’aucun de vous ne s'endurcisse, trompé par le péché. 14 En effet, nous sommes devenus les compagnons de Christ, pourvu que nous retenions fermement jusqu'à la fin notre position première, 15 aussi longtemps qu’il est dit: Aujourd'hui, si vous entendez sa voix, n'endurcissez pas votre cœur comme lors de la révolte. 16 Qui s’est en effet révolté après avoir entendu? N’est-ce pas tous ceux qui étaient sortis d'Egypte sous la conduite de Moïse? 17 Contre qui Dieu a-t-il été irrité pendant 40 ans? N’est-ce pas contre ceux qui avaient péché et dont les cadavres sont tombés dans le désert? 18 Et à qui a-t-il juré qu'ils n'entreraient pas dans son repos, sinon à ceux qui avaient désobéi? 19 Ainsi nous voyons qu'ils n'ont pas pu y entrer à cause de leur incrédulité.
Footnotes
- Hébreux 3:5 Moïse… serviteur: citation de Nombres 12.7.
- Hébreux 3:11 Aujourd’hui… repos: citation du Psaume 95.7-11.
Version Segond 21 Copyright © 2007 Société Biblique de Genève by Société Biblique de Genève