Heb 3:12-19 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Heb 3:12-19: 3:12-19 The author of Hebrews discusses the terms heart, day, today, hear, enter, rest, unbelief, and oath, all drawn from Ps 95 . Bible teachers of the ancient world would cite and then explain an Old Testament text, often highlighting significant words from the text, just as preachers do today. This form of exposition was called midrash. 3:12 hearts ... not evil and unbelieving: An evil heart stubbornly sets its will against the Lord due to unbelief, causing a person to turn away from the living God .

Summary for Heb 3:12-19: 3:12-19 ^a The author of Hebrews discusses the terms heart, day, today, hear, enter, rest, unbelief, and oath, all drawn from Ps 95 ^b. Bible teachers of the ancient world would cite and then explain an Old Testament text, often highlighting significant words from the text, just as preachers do today. This form of exposition was called midrash. 3:12 ^c hearts ... not evil and unbelieving: An evil heart stubbornly sets its will against the Lord due to unbelief, causing a person to turn away from the living God.
3:13 ^d Using the word “today” from Ps 95:7 ^e, the author challenges his hearers to warn each other every day against the deceptive and hardening power of sin.
3:14 ^f For if we are faithful: Those who persevere in the faith have assurance that they are indeed part of God’s family (see 3:6 ^g; Rom 8:9 ^h, 17 ⁱ; 11:22 ^j; 2 Cor 13:5 ^k; Col 1:22-23 ^l).
3:15 ^m This verse again quotes Ps 95:7-8 ⁿ, the exhortation from that portion of the psalm. It sums up the author’s own exhortation in Heb 3:12-14 ^o, focusing on the importance of listening and responding favorably to God’s voice.
Summary for Heb 3:16-19: 3:16-19 ^p These verses contain a rapid-fire series of questions and answers, a common rhetorical technique. The three questions follow the progression of ideas found in Ps 95:8-11 ^q: The people of Israel rebelled against God, God was angry, and God took an oath that they would never enter his rest. The answers are taken from other Old Testament passages that focus on the Israelites’ rebellion in the wilderness (Num 14 ^r; Deut 9 ^s; Ps 106 ^t). The author drives home the terrible cost of disobedience to God.
3:19 ^u Unbelief and disobedience are closely associated in Hebrews and in the Old Testament passages being discussed (Num 14:11 ^v; Deut 9:23 ^w; Ps 78:22 ^x, 32 ^y). As a consequence of disobedience, they were not able to enter his rest by entering the land of Canaan (Deut 3:20 ^z; 12:10 ^aa; Josh 1:13 ^ab).