Hebrews 3

The apostle goes unto the offices of Christ especially the priestly office between both speaking of his kingly office and beginneth from the prophetical office teaching that they must be obedient unto the word 2 compares Christ with Moses and declareth the he is so much greater than Moses as the builder of the house is greater than the house 5. And as the son of the house is greater than the servant7 strengthens his exhortation with a like exhortation of David to the Israelites out of the 95 Psalm 12 and warns the Hebrews that they are not also harden with their hearts 14 but continue steadfast in the faith 15 interpreteth the recited place of the Psalm and applies it to the Hebrew 17. and warns them not to follow the example of their disobedience if they be not partakers of their punishments.

1. For this cause [namely seeing we have understood that Christ is true God and is made partaker of one nature with us as is proved in the former chapters]holy brethren who are partakers of the heavenly calling [that is which is from heaven Philippians 3:14 and exhorteth and bringeth us unto heavenly things 2Thesallonians 2.14 and so he distinguisheth the believing Jews from the unbelieving and stiff-necked] observe[so that ye continue obedient unto him the Greek word signifieth an offering with great attention] the apostle [that is ambassador of the father to reveal us the counsel of God concerning our salvation see John 20:21] and high priest[namely to reconcile us unto God of which office he will treat more at large in the fifth and the following chapters] of our profession [that is of the doctrine of the gospel whereof we make profession] Christ Jesus

2. Who is faithful to him that appointed him [Gr that made him namely an apostle prophet and high priest see 1 Samuel 12:6 Acts 2:36] even as Moses also was in his whole house [that is his church which is called the house of god because he dwells in the same by his word grace and spirit see Matthew 18:20 1Timothy 3.15]

3. for this man [namely Christ the apostle and high priest of our profession]was counted worthy of so much greater glory then Moses as he built [or furnished prepared]the house hath greater honor then the house [namely that is built by him namely his church whereof Moses was a member]

4. For every house is built by some man but he hath built all this [that is accomplished what belongeth to the welfare of his church]is God [from whence then necessarily followeth that Christ is also the true God who built all this as he hath testifieth in the third verse]

5. And Moses indeed was faithful in his whole house as a servant for testifying [or for a testimony this the apostle saith of the predictions and ceremonies of the old testament which were propounded by Moses and the prophets and afterwards by Christ and more largely expounded as Moses himself testifieth Deuteronomy 18:15] of the things which afterwards should be spoken .

6. But Christ as the son [that is as the proper son and heir for otherwise Moses was a son of God by faith] over his own house whose house are[that is church or of his household as verse 2] if we do but hold hast courage [that is faith and confidence in Christ whereby we have a bold access unto God as an unto our father see afterwards chapter 10.22 and Romans 8:15 &c] and the glory of hope [that is hope whereby we dare to boast of Gods favor and our future glory Romans 5:2,3.] unto the end.

7. Therefore as the holy ghost saith [namely by the mouth of the prophet David as is added Acts 1:16 see also 2 Samuel 23:2 and 2 Peter 1:21] today if ye hear [or will hear whereby the prophet sheweth that he doth not understand this of his voice who spoke then of yet another voice namely of the Messiah who afterwards should yet speak unto them] his voice [namely Gods or Messiahs voice whereby God should also speak unto them Hebrews 1:1.]

8. Harden not your hearts [men are said to harden their hearts when they take not the Lords voice to heart or let it not enter into the hearts to believe and obey it see zach7.11 &c] as it came to pass in the provocation [that is in the time of provocation when the Israelites by their rebellion provoked God which was done divers times of forty years but especially Exodus 17:7 Numbers 20:17]in the day of temptation when they tempted me in the wilderness and the apostle propounds this example unto them because they always boasted of their forefathers ] in the wilderness:

9. Where your fathers tempted me [man is said to tempt God when he willfully calls Gods promises or power into question or despised the ordinary means of Gods government and desired extraordinary as the Israelites here did & the Pharisees tempt Christ Matthew 16:1]they proved me [some take this for an explication of the former word tempt but is by others taken in good part for having sufficient proof or experience of Gods power and good will in delivering them and feeding them all that foregoing as the following words also imports the sense] and saw my works for forty years .

10. Therefore I was wrath with that generation and said they always ere either the heart [that is turn away from me a erring men and from the obedience which they owe me] and they have not known [that is not laid to heart or not sought to hold them in their knowledge duly to acknowledge and observe them] my ways [that is my commandments which I have given them and my benefits which I have done them.]

11. So then I swear in my wrath if they shall enter [a form of taking an oath usual with the Hebrews see mark 8.12 that is that they shall not enter] into my rest [so the Canaan is here called because it was an end of wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness & is here with all propounded as a type of the rest to come after this life in eternal life as Paul in the following chapter will further declare]

12. Take heed brethren [so he here calls the Hebrews who made profession of Christ and exhorts them now in particular to take heed that they did not follow the greater part of the stiff-necked Jews as many of their fathers had done in the wilderness and therefore were excluded out of the rest of the land of Canaan] lest at any time there be in any of you a wicked unbelieving heart [Gr a wicked heart of unbelief that is that under a show of being a Christian nevertheless is unbelieving and consequently easily to be brought to apostasy from his profession see Matthew 13 verse 20,21] to turn away from the living God

13. But exhorts one another everyday [namely to steadfastness and increasing in faith it may also be translated exhort yourself but the following words lest any one of you seem to require the first translation as this Greek word heautous is also taken Ephesians 4:32 Colossians 3:16 1Thessalonians 5.13] whilst it is called today [that is whilst the Lord gives you time and opportunity for it and called you thereunto which calling we must take heed to for otherwise the Lord by his justice often times sends a power of error upon men who obey not the gospel for a punishment of their unthankful ness see 2Thessalonians 2.11,12] lest anyone of you of you should be hardened the seduction of sin .

14. For we are become partakers of Christ [or Christ’s partners namely his heavenly inheritance Romans 8:17 1Peter 1.3,4] if so he e retain from the beginning of this firm ground [Gr hypostaseous that is subsistence so he calleth faith and firm confidence in Christ because the same confirms Gods promises to us and causeth them to subsist in us the like signification of this word see 2 Corinthians 9:4 and chapter 11.17 and hereafter chapter 11 verse 1 although the same word before chapter 1.3 be taken in another sense]even unto the end.

15. While it is said [namely unto you also by the spirit of Christ and his messengers as in former time it was said by Moses to your fathers] today if ye hear his voice harden not your heart as was done in the provocation

16. For some when they had heard the same provoked him yet not all went out of Egypt by Moses [namely as Joshua Caleb many Levites and others which the apostle adds to show that God always kept his remnant among the people and therefore will also preserve he like among them not withstanding the hardening of many.]

17. Now to whom he was wroth forty years was is not with those that had sinned ?[that is had murmured against God and were become backsliders from him] whose bodies [Gr members not that all that died in the wilderness were thereupon necessarily excluded out of heaven for Aaron and Moses died there also but they that died therein without amendment and sorrow after that they had tempted God were of exclusion out of the promised land was but a type]fell in wilderness?

18. And to whom did he wear that they should not enter into the rest but to them who had been disobedient?

19. And we see that they were not able to enter by reason of their unbelief [that is because they trusted not in Gods promises but murmured against him without repentance.]