Psalms 78:40
40, 41. There were ten temptations (Nu 14:22).
Psalms 95:10
10. err in their heart—Their wanderings in the desert were but types of their innate ignorance and perverseness.
that they should not—literally, "if they," &c., part of the form of swearing (compare Nu 14:30; Ps 89:35).Acts 7:51
51-53. Ye stiffnecked . . . ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, &c.—It has been thought that symptoms of impatience and irritation in the audience induced Stephen to cut short his historical sketch. But as little farther light could have been thrown upon Israel's obstinacy from subsequent periods of the national history on the testimony of their own Scriptures, we should view this as the summing up, the brief import of the whole Israelitish history—grossness of heart, spiritual deafness, continuous resistance of the Holy Ghost, down to the very council before whom Stephen was pleading.
Ephesians 4:30
30. grieve not—A condescension to human modes of thought most touching. Compare "vexed His Holy Spirit" (Isa 63:10; Ps 78:40); "fretted me" (Eze 16:43: implying His tender love to us); and of hardened unbelievers, "resist the Holy Ghost" (Ac 7:51). This verse refers to believers, who grieve the Spirit by inconsistencies such as in the context are spoken of, corrupt or worthless conversation, &c.
whereby ye are sealed—rather, "wherein (or 'in whom') ye were sealed." As in Eph 1:13, believers are said to be sealed "in" Christ, so here "in the Holy Spirit," who is one with Christ, and who reveals Christ in the soul: the Greek implies that the sealing was done already once for all. It is the Father "BY" whom believers, as well as the Son Himself, were sealed (Joh 6:27). The Spirit is represented as itself the seal (Eph 1:13, for the image employed, see on Eph 1:13). Here the Spirit is the element IN which the believer is sealed, His gracious influences being the seal itself. unto—kept safely against the day of redemption, namely, of the completion of redemption in the deliverance of the body as well as the soul from all sin and sorrow (Eph 1:14; Lu 21:28; Ro 8:23).Hebrews 3:10
10. grieved—displeased. Compare "walk contrary," Le 26:24, 28.
that generation—"that" implies alienation and estrangement. But the oldest manuscripts read, "this." said—"grieved," or "displeased," at their first offense. Subsequently when they hardened their heart in unbelief still more, He sware in His wrath (Heb 3:11); an ascending gradation (compare Heb 3:17, 18). and they have not known—Greek, "But these very persons," &c. They perceived I was displeased with them, yet they, the same persons, did not a whit the more wish to know my ways [BENGEL]; compare "but they," Ps 106:43. not known my ways—not known practically and believingly the ways in which I would have had them go, so as to reach My rest (Ex 18:20).Hebrews 3:17
17. But—Translate, "Moreover," as it is not in contrast to Heb 3:16, but carrying out the same thought.
corpses—literally, "limbs," implying that their bodies fell limb from limb.