Hebrews 3 KJV
Jesus Greater Than Moses
Hebrews Chapter 3: Jesus Greater Than Moses
Hebrews 3 reassigns the divine voice of Psalm 95. Originally Yahweh speaking at Meribah. To the exalted Son, creating an explicit Christological rereading of the wilderness rebellion that equates rejecting Jesus with the fatal unbelief at Kadesh-barnea.
1herefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
3 For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.
4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
6 But 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.
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,cf.
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:cf.
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.cf.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.cf.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)cf.
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.cf.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.cf.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;cf.
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.cf.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.cf.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?cf.
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?cf.
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.cf.
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Did You Know?
Hebrews 3 reassigns the divine voice of Psalm 95. Originally Yahweh speaking at Meribah. To the exalted Son, creating an explicit Christological rereading of the wilderness rebellion that equates rejecting Jesus with the fatal unbelief at Kadesh-barnea.
The chapterโs house-building imagery (vv. 3โ6) draws on the rare Old Testament motif of Moses as Godโs โservantโ (Numbers 12:7) yet subverts it by placing Christ as the Son who both builds and owns the household, echoing wisdomโs role in Proverbs 9 while asserting pre-existence.
By calling Jesus the โApostle,โ the text applies to him the rarest New Testament title normally reserved for the Twelve, framing his heavenly sending as the ultimate prophetic mission that surpasses Mosesโ earthly commissioning at the burning bush.
The warning against an โevil heart of unbeliefโ (v. 12) is directed at a community tempted to return to the Mosaic covenant, making the chapterโs typology function as an anti-apostasy argument tailored to Jewish Christians facing pressure to revert after the templeโs destruction.
Hebrews 3โs โtodayโ (v. 13) collapses the historical distance between the Exodus generation and the present readers, transforming Psalm 95โs liturgical call into an eschatological ultimatum that leaves no neutral ground between entering Godโs rest and repeating Israelโs forty-year forfeiture.
Commentary & Study Notes Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871) ยท Public Domain Wherefore โ Greek, "Whence," that is, seeing we have such a sympathizing Helper you ought to "consider attentively," "contemplate"; fix your eyes and mind on Him with a view to proโฆ
Classic verse-by-verse commentary on Hebrews 3 from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown (1871). Covers: The son of God greater than Moses, wherefore unbelief towards him will incur a heavier punishment than befell unbelieving Israel in the wilderness.
- 1
- Wherefore โ Greek, "Whence," that is, seeing we have such a sympathizing Helper you ought to "consider attentively," "contemplate"; fix your eyes and mind on Him with a view to profiting by the contemplation (Heb 12:2). The Greek word is often used by Luke, Paul's companion (Lu 12:24, 27). brethren โ in Christ, the common bond of union. partakers โ "of the Holy Ghost." heavenly calling โ coming to us from heaven, and leading us to heaven whence it comes. Php 3:14, "the high calling"; Greek "the calling above," that is, heavenly. the Apostle and High Priest of our profession โ There is but one Greek article to both nouns, "Him who is at once Apostle and High Priest" โ Apostle, as Ambassador (a higher designation than "angel"-messenger) sent by the Father (Joh 20:21), pleading the cause of God with us; High Priest, as pleading our cause with God. Both His Apostleship and High Priesthood are comprehended in the one title, Mediator [BENGEL]. Though the title "Apostle" is nowhere else applied to Christ, it is appropriate here in addressing Hebrews, who used the term of the delegates sent by the high priest to collect the temple tribute from Jews resident in foreign countries, even as Christ was Delegate of the Father to this world far off from Him (Mt 21:37). Hence as what applies to Him, applies also to His people, the Twelve are designated His apostles, even as He is the Father's (Joh 20:21). It was desirable to avoid designating Him here "angel," in order to distinguish His nature from that of angels mentioned before, though he is "the Angel of the Covenant." The "legate of the Church" (Sheliach Tsibbur) offered up the prayers in the synagogue in the name of all, and for all. So Jesus, "the Apostle of our profession," is delegated to intercede for the Church before the Father. The words "of our profession," mark that it is not of the legal ritual, but of our Christian faith, that He is the High Priest. Paul compares Him as an Apostle to Moses; as High Priest to Aaron. He alone holds both offices combined, and in a more eminent degree than either, which those two brothers held apart. profession โ "confession," corresponds to God having spoken to us by His Son, sent as Apostle and High Priest. What God proclaims we confess.
- 2
- He first notes the feature of resemblance between Moses and Christ, in order to conciliate the Hebrew Christians whom He addressed, and who still entertained a very high opinion of Moses; he afterwards brings forward Christ's superiority to Moses. Who was faithful โ The Greek implies also that He still is faithful, namely, as our mediating High Priest, faithful to the trust God has assigned Him (Heb 2:17). So Moses in God's house (Nu 12:7). appointed him โ "made Him" HIGH PRIEST; to be supplied from the preceding context. Greek, "made"; so in Heb 5:5; 1Sa 12:6, Margin; Ac 2:36; so the Greek fathers. Not as ALFORD, with AMBROSE and the Latins, "created Him," that is, as man, in His incarnation. The likeness of Moses to Messiah was foretold by Moses himself (De 18:15). Other prophets only explained Moses, who was in this respect superior to them; but Christ was like Moses, yet superior.
Read all 20 notes on Hebrews 3 โ