Hebrews 3 · ESV Study Bible

The Founder of Salvation

Jesus Greater Than Moses

HEBREWS 3 [†]Therefore, holy brothers, [1] you who share in r a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, s the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2[†]who was faithful to him who appointed him, t just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s [2] house. 3[†]For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4(For every house is built by someone, but u the builder of all things is God.) 5 v Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house w as a servant, x to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6[†]but Christ is faithful over God’s house as y a son. And z we are his house if indeed we a hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. [3]

7[†]Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

b “Today, if you hear his voice,

8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,

on the day of testing in the wilderness,

9 where your fathers put me to the test

and saw my works for c forty years.

10 Therefore I was provoked with that generation,

and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;

they have not known my ways.’

11 d As I swore in my wrath,

‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

12[†]Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from e the living God. 13But f exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by g the deceitfulness of sin. 14[†]For we have come to share in Christ, h if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15[†]As it is said,

b “Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

16For i who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not j all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, k whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did he swear that l they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that m they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

HEBREWS—NOTE ON 3:1–6 Jesus Is Greater than Moses. While Moses was one of God’s most faithful servants (vv. 2, 5), Jesus is the faithful high priest and Son of God. Thus Jesus is worthy of more glory (vv. 1–2, 6). This leads to exhortations and warnings (3:6–4:13).

HEBREWS—NOTE ON 3:14 For we have come to share in Christ. The evidence of the Christian truly partaking of Christ’s salvation involves endurance to the end. The condition (if indeed) has been understood in various ways. Some have argued that the condition (“if”) indicates that true Christians can lose their salvation. Scripture is clear, however, that true believers cannot lose their salvation, as evidenced, e.g., by John 10:27–29 (“no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand”), Eph. 1:4 (“he chose us in him before the foundation of the world”), and many other Scripture passages (e.g., John 6:39–40; Rom. 8:35, 38–39; Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:3–5). Hebrews 3:14 should be understood in connection with v. 13, as is indicated by the linking word “for” (Gk. gar). That is, v. 14 is linked to the exhortation not to become hardened (in unbelief and sin). Thus the logic of the argument is that those who are hardened or who become hardened (v. 13) give outward evidence that they are not (and never have been) genuine believers who “share in Christ,” because genuine believers do not become hardened; instead they persevere—that is, they hold on to their original confidence firm to the end. Of course, Scripture also encourages believers to pray for and seek to bring back any who have fallen away (James 5:20; 1 John 5:16), in the hope that they will turn back. Still, this passage should be viewed as a sober warning—intended as a means that God uses to keep Christians resolved in faith and obedient until the end. The ongoing experience of perseverance results in “confidence” and assurance that one does in fact “share in Christ.” This verse then provides a grave warning to everyone who claims to be saved—that is, to examine oneself carefully to be sure that one is in fact a genuine believer, because if there is no evidence of perseverance in faith and obedience, then there is real reason to doubt that such a person has ever been saved.

HEBREWS—NOTE ON 3:2 faithful. Jesus and Moses fulfilled their God-appointed roles (2:17; 3:5; cf. Num. 12:7; 1 Chron. 17:14 lxx). Although Jesus is superior to Moses, Moses still receives significant respect (cf. Num. 12:7–8), which elevates Jesus all the more.

HEBREWS—NOTE ON 3:1–10:18 Jesus Is Superior to the Mosaic Law. Having concluded that Jesus is superior to the mediators of the Mosaic law (i.e., angels, 2:2), the author now establishes the superiority of Jesus to Moses himself (3:1–6), of Jesus to the Aaronic high priesthood (4:14–7:28), of the new covenant in Jesus’ blood to the former covenant (8:1–13), and of Jesus’ death to the Mosaic sacrifices (9:1–10:18). This exposition also leads to three prolonged exhortations to Christian perseverance (3:7–4:13; 5:11–6:12; 10:19–39).

HEBREWS—NOTE ON 3:15–19 Quoting Ps. 95:7–8 again for emphasis, the author draws several points from the failure of the exodus generation (see esp. Ex. 17:1–7; Num. 14:20–38). They had witnessed God’s salvation in the exodus; in fact, they had left Egypt led by Moses, which means that they had personally witnessed many of God’s mighty miracles. Yet in spite of this, they had responded in disobedience and unbelief. The result was their death and consequent inability to enter into the rest of the Promised Land. The parallel structure in Heb. 3:18–19 stresses that disobedience flows from unbelief.

HEBREWS—NOTE ON 3:3–6 more glory. Despite Moses’ great faithfulness in following God’s redemptive plan in the exodus and in recording the law, Jesus is superior (on Jesus’ glory, see 1:3; 2:9; 13:21). The house analogy shows that Jesus as the Son of God (who was also actively involved in creation; see 1:2–3) has a privileged place in the household of God (1 Chron. 17:14), while Moses remains a servant in that household (Num. 12:7).

HEBREWS—NOTE ON 3:6 Christ. First mentioned here in Hebrews (cf. v. 14; 5:5; etc.), this title is the Greek equivalent of “Messiah,” meaning “anointed one” (see 1:9). (The name “Jesus” first appears in Hebrews in 2:9.) we are his house. Like other NT building metaphors for the church (see esv cross-references), this speaks to the corporate identity of the church as God’s own abode. If indeed we hold fast introduces a series of exhortations and warnings. Given this confident message of hope, the Christian life involves endurance. See note on 3:14.

HEBREWS—NOTE ON 3:1 Therefore. That is, in light of Jesus’ high priesthood (2:17). holy brothers. Members of the family of God (3:12; 10:19; 13:22); also called “saints” or sanctified ones (13:24). heavenly calling. “Heavenly” elsewhere describes God’s perfect order (8:5; 9:23) and the future life with God (11:16; 12:22); for “calling,” see 2:11 and 9:15. Jesus is an apostle in the most basic sense of that term (“one who is sent,” cf. “messenger,” John 13:16; and references to Jesus as one who is “sent”: Luke 4:18; 9:48; 10:16; John 3:17; 6:57). our confession. The gospel, possibly already codified in an oral creed (see Heb. 4:14; 10:23; cf. 2 Cor. 9:13; 1 Tim. 6:12).