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Hebrews 3 – Text and Notes
Vv.1-6 – Consider Jesus
1 Therefore [hothen (3606) – Heb.2:17; Heb.3:1; Heb.7:25; Heb.8:3; Heb.9:18; Heb.11:19; Why we should consider Jesus is fact of his relationship to us via the flesh and relationship to God (2:5-18). Chapter one shows Jesus as the Son of God; chapter two shows Him as the Son of Man.], holy [hagios (40) – “’The basic meaning is different or separate. A thing is hagios is different from other things. A person who is hagios is separate from other people. So a temple is hagios because it is different from other buildings.’ (Barclay), (Note: ‘saint’ is the same word…) (The Discovery Bible, p.535) usually translated, saints; Heb.2:4; Heb.3:1; Heb.3:7; Heb.6:4; Heb.6:10; Heb.8:2; Heb.9:1; Heb.9:2; Heb.9:3; Heb.9:8; Heb.9:12; Heb.9:24; Heb.9:25; Heb.10:15; Heb.10:19; Heb.13:11; Heb.13:24] brethren (2:11), partakers of a heavenly calling, consider [katanoeō (2657) – “fix the attention on something in such a way that its inner meaning, the lesson that it is designed to teach, may be learned” (Barclay, Hebrews, p.29) Lk.12:24 ; aorist imperative; in English the word “consider” lit. “to observe the stars,” from com- “with” + sidus (gen. sideris) “constellation.” This is perhaps a navigation metaphor which would tie in nicely with the concept of not drifting (2:2)] Jesus, the Apostle [only place Jesus called an apostle] and High Priest [see 2:17] of our confession [Heb.3:1; Heb.4:14; Heb.10:23]; [I wonder if there is a bi-directional point to be made from calling Jesus an apostle and a High Priest. An apostle – apostolos– is one who is sent, and so the emphasis is on God sending Jesus to man, therefore downward. A High Priest is one who mediates between man and God, therefore upward in emphasis. I make this point due to the fact that this is the only place Jesus is called an apostle, and there has to be a reason for it. According to Barclay, “The Sanhedrin sent out apostoloi who were clothed with its authority and the bearers of its commands.” (ibid., p.30)]
Why Both Jesus and Moses are Great – Both Appointed
2 He was faithful [lit., Being faithful] to Him who appointed [or, made] Him, as Moses also was in all His house. [Num.12:1-8]
Why Jesus is Greater than Moses
3 For He has been counted [perfect] worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house.
4 For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God [i.e., Jesus is God].
5 Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant [therapon; only time in N.T.; related to Greek word meaning “heal;” “implies that he occupied a more confidential position, that of freer service, a higher dignity…than that merely of a doulos/slave, approaching more closely to that of an oikonomos/steward in God’s house (Num.12:6-8) (Trench)], for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later;
6 but Christ was faithful as a Son [Heb.1:2; Heb.1:5; Heb.1:8; Heb.3:6; Heb.4:14; Heb.5:5; Heb.5:8; Heb.6:6; Heb.7:3; Heb.7:28; Heb.10:29] over His house – whose house we are, if [ean (1437); conditional salvation (Heb.3:6; Heb.3:14; Heb.10:38)] we hold fast [katechō (2722); Heb.3:6; Heb.3:14; Heb.10:23; aorist] our confidence [Heb.3:6; Heb.4:16; Heb.10:19; Heb.10:35] and the boast of our hope [Heb.3:6; Heb.6:11; Heb.6:18; Heb.7:19; Heb.10:23] firm [bebaios (949); Heb.2:2; Heb.3:6; Heb.3:14; Heb.6:19; Heb.9:17] until the end [3:14; 6:11]. [In looking at vv.5-6, the power words are words of contrast: in versus over; servant versus Son.]
- Heb.13:22 – Exhortations:
- 2:1-4; 3:7-4:16; 5:11-6:12; 10:19-39; and 12:1-13:22
7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, [Psalm 95 was sung on Shabbat in the Temple and remains part of the Shabbat liturgy in the synagogue.]
[Ps.95:7-11] “Today if you hear [aorist] His voice,
8 Do not harden [negative aorist imperative] your hearts as when they provoked Me [lit., in the provocation], [Verse 7 and the first part of v.8 are repeated three times in this exhortation: 3:7-8; 3:15; 4:7]
As in the day of trial in the wilderness, [Ex.17:1-7; Num.20:1-13]
9 Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me,
And saw My works for forty years.
10 “Therefore I was angry with this generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they did not know My ways’;
11 As I swore in My wrath [orge (3709) – “the anger usually of a settled attitude of disapproval” (The Discovery Bible, p.523)],
‘They shall not enter My rest.’” [i.e., the Promised Land (Deut.12:9)] [repeated in 4:3]
12 Take care [present imperative], brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away [aphistēmi] from the living God. [Extended Notes]
13 But encourage [the responsibility and privilege of all Christians, not just a supposed clergy; present imperative] one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” [i.e. Ps.95] so that none of you will be hardened [aorist] by the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have become [perfect] partakers of Christ, if [ean (1437); conditional salvation (Heb.3:6; Heb.3:14; Heb.10:38)] we hold [aorist] fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,
15 while it is said [present],
“Today if you hear [aorist] His voice,
Do not harden [negative aorist imperative] your hearts, as when they provoked Me [lit., in the provocation].” [repeated three times in this exhortation: 3:7-8; 3:15; 4:7]
16 For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?
17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
19 So we see that they were not able to enter [aorist] because of unbelief.
- Unbelief (v.19)
- Deceived by Sin (v.13)
- Disobedience (v.18)
- Provoking God (v.16)
- Anger of God (v.17)
- Punishment (v.18)
What keeps this digression from happening? “Therefore, let us fear if while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preaches to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard (4:1-2)
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