Hebrews 3

King James Version (1769) · Tap a verse to see it in context

About this chapter

AI-assisted, sourced

The readers are to "consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus," who is "counted worthy of more glory than Moses": Moses was faithful as a servant in God's house, "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast." The writer quotes the warning of the Psalm, "To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." Those who sinned, "whose carcases fell in the wilderness," "could not enter in because of unbelief," so "exhort one another daily, while it is called To day." Hebrews 3:1 Hebrews 3:3 Hebrews 3:5 Hebrews 3:6 Hebrews 3:7 Hebrews 3:8 Hebrews 3:13 Hebrews 3:16 Hebrews 3:17 Hebrews 3:19

Who, where, when, and the key verses

Who

Christ Jesus and Moses; the readers, "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling"; and the generation that came out of Egypt. Hebrews 3:1 Hebrews 3:2 Hebrews 3:16 Hebrews overview

Where

The warning recalls the wilderness after Israel "came out of Egypt by Moses." The letter does not say where it was written or sent. "They of Italy salute you" may mean the writer was in Italy or was writing to it. Hebrews 3:8 Hebrews 3:16 Egypt Hebrews overview

When

Traditionally dated before AD 70, since the letter speaks of the tabernacle service as still going on and never mentions the temple's fall. Most scholars date it about AD 60-90 and say the writer is unknown. Hebrews overview

How it fits

Chapter 2 ended with Jesus as "a merciful and faithful high priest." Chapter 4 continues the warning about God's rest: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." Hebrews 2:17 Hebrews 3:1 Hebrews 3:19 Hebrews 4:1

Key verses

Verse 6
"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." Hebrews 3:6
Verse 8
"Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." This quotes Psalm 95, "To day if ye will hear his voice." Hebrews 3:7 Hebrews 3:8 Psalms 95:7
Verse 13
"Exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:12 Hebrews 3:13

Takeaway

Hold fast to Christ, and encourage one another every day so that no one's heart is hardened by sin's deceit. Hebrews 3:6 Hebrews 3:13

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a separate AI reader. Updated 2026-11-01.

Christ above Moses

¹Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; ²Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. ³For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. ⁴For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. ⁵And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; ⁶But 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.

Harden not your hearts

⁷Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, ⁸Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: ⁹When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. ¹⁰Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. ¹¹So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) ¹²Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. ¹³But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; ¹⁵While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. ¹⁶For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. ¹⁷But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? ¹⁹So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.