Hebrews 3:16

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?

Parallel Translations

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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?

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?

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?

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.

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

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?

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.

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

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.

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

King James Version
For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came 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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

Contextual Overview

⁷ Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, when 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 forty years. ¹⁰ Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their hearts; they have not known my ways.' ¹¹ As I swore in my wrath, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" ¹² Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we share in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end, ¹⁵ while it is said, "Today, when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." ¹⁶ Who were they that heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of 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
Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?"

Genesis 3:6
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.

Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.

Genesis 3:8
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:9
But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"

Genesis 3:10
And he said, "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."

Genesis 3:11
He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

Genesis 3:12
The man said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."

Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."

Genesis 3:17
And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

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.