Hebrews 3:16

Contemporary English Version

Who were those people that heard God's voice and rebelled? Weren't they the same ones that came out of Egypt with Moses?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it all who came out of Egypt under Moses?

King James Version (1611)
For some when they had heard, did prouoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

King James Version
For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

English Standard Version
For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?

New American Standard Bible
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

New Century Version
Who heard God's voice and was against him? It was all those people Moses led out of Egypt.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

Legacy Standard Bible
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

Berean Standard Bible
For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?

Complete Jewish Bible
who were the people who, after they heard, quarrel ed so bitter ly? All those whom Moshe brought out of Egypt.

Darby Translation
(for who was it, who, having heard, provoked? but [was it] not all who came out of Egypt by Moses?

Easy-to-Read Version
Who were those who heard God's voice and turned against him? It was all the people Moses led out of Egypt.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For some when they heard, prouoked him to anger: howbeit, not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

George Lamsa Translation
Who are those who have heard and provoked him? Were they not those who came out of Egypt under Moses, although not all of them?

Good News Translation
Who were the people who heard God's voice and rebelled against him? All those who were led out of Egypt by Moses.

Lexham English Bible
For who, when they heard it, were disobedient? Surely it was not all who went out from Egypt through Moses?

Literal Translation
For hearing, some provoked Him , but not all those coming out of Egypt through Moses.

Amplified Bible
For who were they who heard and yet provoked Him [with rebellious acts]? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?

American Standard Version
For who, when they heard, did provoke? nay, did not all they that came out of Egypt by Moses?

Bible in Basic English
Who made him angry when his voice came to them? was it not all those who came out of Egypt with Moses?

Hebrew Names Version
For who, when they heard, did provoke? No, didn't all those who came out of Mitzrayim by Moshe?

International Standard Version
Now who heard him and provoked him? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt ledled">[fn] by Moses?Numbers 14:2,4, 11,24, 30; Deuteronomy 1:34,36, 38,11, 24,30;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For who are they who heard and provoked him? Not all they who came out of Metsreen by the hand of Musha.

Murdock Translation
But who were they that heard, and angered him? It was not all they, who came out of Egypt under Moses.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For some when they had hearde, dyd prouoke: howe be it, not all that came out of Egypt by Moyses.

English Revised Version
For who, when they heard, did provoke? nay, did not all they that came out of Egypt by Moses?

World English Bible
For who, when they heard, did provoke? No, didn't all those who came out of Egypt by Moses?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For who, when they had heard, provoked God?

Weymouth's New Testament
For who were they that heard, and yet provoked God? Was it not the whole of the people who had come out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For summen heringe wraththiden, but not alle thei that wenten out of Egipt bi Moises.

Update Bible Version
For who, when they heard, provoked? Indeed, did not all those that came out of Egypt by Moses?

Webster's Bible Translation
For some, when they had heard, did provoke: yet, not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

New English Translation
For which ones heard and rebelled? Was it not all who came out of Egypt under Moses' leadership?

New King James Version
For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?

New Living Translation
And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn't it the people Moses led out of Egypt?

New Life Bible
Who heard God's voice and turned against Him? Did not all those who were led out of the country of Egypt by Moses?

New Revised Standard
Now who were they who heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, who, though they heard, caused embitterment? Nay, indeed! did not all who come forth out of Egypt through Moses?

Douay-Rheims Bible
For some who heard did provoke: but not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

Revised Standard Version
Who were they that heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For some whe they hearde rebelled: howbe it not all yt ca out of Egypt vnder Moses.

Young's Literal Translation
for certain having heard did provoke, but not all who did come out of Egypt through Moses;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For some whan they herde, prouoked. Howbeit not all they yt came out of Egipte by Moses.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for some when they had heard his voice, did provoke him: however, not all that were brought out of Egypt by Moses did so.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Think about it. Who was it who turned their backs on God even though they clearly heard his voice? It was the very people Moses gathered up out of Egypt.

Contextual Overview

⁷ It is just as the Holy Spirit says, "If you hear God's voice today, ⁸ don't be stubborn! Don't rebel like those people who were tested in the desert. ⁹ For forty years your ancestors tested God and saw the things he did. ¹⁰ "Then God got tired of them and said, ‘You people never show good sense, and you don't understand what I want you to do.' ¹¹ God became angry and told the people, ‘You will never enter my place of rest!'" ¹² My friends, watch out! Don't let evil thoughts or doubts make any of you turn from the living God. ¹³ You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called "today." If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn. ¹⁴ We were sure about Christ when we first became his people. So let's hold tightly to our faith until the end. ¹⁵ The Scriptures say, "If you hear his voice today, don't be stubborn like those who rebelled." ¹⁶ Who were those people that heard God's voice and rebelled? Weren't they the same ones that came out of Egypt with Moses?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

some: Hebrews 3:9, Hebrews 3:10, Numbers 14:2, Numbers 14:4, Numbers 26:65, Psalms 78:17

not: Numbers 14:24, Numbers 14:30, Numbers 14:38, Deuteronomy 1:36, Deuteronomy 1:38, Joshua 14:7-11, Romans 11:4, Romans 11:5

Reciprocal: Exodus 23:21 - provoke him not Numbers 14:11 - provoke Numbers 32:13 - until all 2 Kings 19:3 - blasphemy Jeremiah 44:8 - ye provoke Matthew 17:17 - O faithless Acts 13:18 - about Hebrews 7:8 - he liveth

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
The snake was sneakier than any of the other wild animals that the Lord God had made. One day it came to the woman and asked, "Did God tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"

Genesis 3:6
The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too.

Genesis 3:7
Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.

Genesis 3:8
Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the Lord God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.

Genesis 3:9
The Lord called out to the man and asked, "Where are you?"

Genesis 3:10
The man answered, "I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!"

Genesis 3:11
"How did you know you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat any fruit from that tree in the middle of the garden?"

Genesis 3:12
"It was the woman you put here with me," the man said. "She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it."

Genesis 3:16
Then the Lord said to the woman, "You will suffer terribly when you give birth. But you will still desire your husband, and he will rule over you."

Genesis 3:17
The Lord said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate fruit from that tree. And so, the ground will be under a curse because of what you did. As long as you live, you will have to struggle to grow enough food.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For some, when, they had heard,.... The Arabic version adds, "his voice"; the law on Mount Sinai; the voice of words, with the voices and thunderings that attended it; the book of the covenant read; the whole system of laws and ordinances delivered to Moses, and by him to them; and also the Gospel, for that was preached to the Israelites in the wilderness, and heard by them; as appears from Hebrews 4:2 and which seems chiefly intended: and yet some of the hearers of it

did provoke; not only Moses, to speak unadvisedly with his lips; but they provoked Jehovah himself, and the angel of his presence, and his Holy Spirit, by their idolatry, ingratitude, and unbelief: and the aggravation of their sin is, that they did it when they had heard the Gospel, and while they were hearing it; which shows that the Gospel may be heard to no advantage; as when it is heard in a careless and indifferent manner; when it makes no impression, takes no place, and has no root; when the world and the things of it are the great concern of the mind, while hearing it; when it is not attended with the power and Spirit of God; when it is not received in love, nor mixed with faith, nor put in practice: and hence the Gospel heard, comes to be an aggravation of men's condemnation:

howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses; that is, they did not all provoke, but some did; which is another aggravation of their sin; they were just come out of Egyptian bondage; brought out of it by the Lord, with the mighty and outstretched arm of his power; and yet they provoked him: and this was done by Moses; by the hand of Moses, as the Syriac version renders it; by his means, by him as an instrument; and yet they provoked him: but however all did not, yet these were but few; it seems only Caleb and Joshua, out of six hundred thousand; God will have a few to serve him in the worst of times.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For some - Some of the Hebrews who came out of Egypt. The truth was that a large proportion of them rebelled against God, and provoked him to indignation. It is somewhat remarkable that though “all” the Hebrews seem to have joined in the provocation - except a very small number - Paul should have used language which would seem to imply that the number which rebelled was comparatively small. Another version, therefore, has been given to this passage by some of the most eminent critics, consisting merely in a change in the punctuation, by which a different view is given of the whole sentence. According to this, it would be a question, and would mean, “But who were they who when they had heard did provoke? Were they not all indeed who came out of Egypt under Moses? And with whom was He angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?” This version was adopted by Chrysostom, Theodoret, and others of the Fathers; and is adopted by Rosenmuller, Clarke, Stuart, Pyle, and some others. In favor of it, it may be alleged:

(1)That the Greek will bear it, all the change required being in the punctuation;

(2)That it avoids the difficulty which exists in the other interpretation of supposing the apostle to imply that but few of them rebelled, when the truth was that it was nearly all;

(3)It thus accords with the remainder of the exhortation, which consists in a series of questions; and,

(4)It agrees with the scope and design of the whole.

The object was not to state that it was not all who came out of Egypt that rebelled, or that the number was small, but that the great body of them rebelled and fell in the wilderness, and that Christians should be admonished by their example. These reasons seem to be so strong as to make it probable that this is the true construction, and the sense then will be, “For who were they that having heard did provoke? Were they not all who came out of Egypt under Moses?”

When they had heard - Had heard God speaking to them, and giving them his commands.

Did provoke - Provoked him to anger; or their conduct was such as was suited to produce indignation; see the note on Hebrews 3:8.

Howbeit - Αλλά Alla. “But.” This particle “in a series of questions, and standing at the head of a question, means “but, further.” It serves to connect, and give intensity to the interrogation” - Stuart. Paul means to ask with emphasis whether the great mass of those who came out of Egypt did not apostatize? At the same time he means to intimate that there is no security that they who have witnessed - remarkable manifestations of the greatness of God, and who have partaken of extraordinary mercies, will not apostatize and perish. As the Hebrews, who heard God speak from Mount Sinai, revolted and perished, so it is possible that they who witness the mercies of God in redemption, may be in danger of abusing all those mercies, and of perishing. By the example, therefore, of the disobedient Israelites, he would admonish professed Christians of their danger.

Not all ... - According to the interpretation proposed above, “Were they not all who came out of Egypt?” Or “did not all who came out of Egypt?” The word “all” here is not to be taken in the strict sense, It is often used to denote the great body; a large proportion; or vast multitudes. Thus, it is used in Matthew 3:5, “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan.” So in John 3:26, “The same baptizeth, and all people came to him.” So Philippians 2:21, “For all seek their own;” 2 Corinthians 3:2, “Ye are our epistle, known and read of all men.” “In fact” there were two exceptions - and but two - of the adults who came out of Egypt - Caleb and Joshua; Numbers 14:30. All the others complained against the Lord, and were prohibited from entering the promised land. Of the great multitudes who came out of Egypt, and who murmured, the exception was so small that the apostle had no scruple in saying in general that they were all rebellious.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 16. For some, when they had heard, did provoke — There is a various reading here, which consists merely in the different placing of an accent, and yet gives the whole passage a different turn: - τινες, from τις, who, if read with the accent on the epsilon, τινες, is the plural indefinite, and signifies some, as in our translation; if read with the accent on the iota, τινες, it has an interrogative meaning; and, according to this, the whole clause, τίνες γαρ ακουσαντες παρεπικραναν: But who were those hearers who did bitterly provoke? αλλ' ου παντες οἱ εξελθοντες εξ Αιγυπτου δια Μωσεως; Were they not all they who came out of the land of Egypt by Moses? Or, the whole clause may be read with one interrogation: But who were those hearers that did bitterly provoke, but all those who came out of Egypt by Moses? This mode of reading is followed by some editions, and by Chrysostom and Theodoret, and by several learned moderns. It is more likely that this is the true reading, as all that follows to the end of the 18th verse is a series of interrogations.

Should it be said that all did not provoke, for Joshua and Caleb are expressly excepted; I answer, that the term all may be with great propriety used, when out of many hundreds of thousands only two persons were found who continued faithful. To these also we may add the priests and the whole tribe of Levi, who, it is very likely, did not provoke; for, as Dr. Macknight very properly remarks, they were not of the number of those who were to fight their way into Canaan, being entirely devoted to the service of the sanctuary. See Numbers 1:3; Numbers 1:45, and Numbers 1:49. And therefore what remained of them after forty years, no doubt, entered Canaan; for it appears from Numbers 34:17, and Joshua 24:33, that Eleazar, the son of Aaron, was one of those who did take possession of Canaan. Should it be still said our version appears to be most proper, because all did not provoke; it may be answered, that the common reading, τινες, some, is too contracted in its meaning to comprehend the hundreds of thousands who did rebel.