Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Hebrews 3:19
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
19. So we see ] Lit. “ and we observe.” The translators of the A. V. seem by their version to regard the words as a logical inference from the previous reasoning. It is better, however, to regard them as the statement of a fact “we see by the argument,” or ex historia cognoscimus. Grotius. See Psa 106:24-26.
that they could not enter in ] They did make the attempt to enter, but failed because they lacked the power which only God could give them (Num 14:40-45).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
So we see … – We see from the direct testimony of the Old Testament that unbelief was the reason why they were excluded from the promised land. Let us learn in view of the reasoning and exhortations here:
(1) The evil of unbelief. It excluded that whole generation, consisting of many hundred thousand souls, from the land of promise – the land to which they had looked with ardent hopes, and with warm desires. It will exclude countless millions from heaven. A lack of confidence in God is the great source of evil in this world, and will be the cause of wretchedness to all eternity of unnumbered hosts. But surely that was not a small or unimportant thing which strewed the desert with the bones of that whole generation whom God had in so remarkable a manner rescued from Egyptian servitude. And that cannot be a small matter which will cause multitudes to sink down to infinite wretchedness and despair.
(2) Let us who are professed Christians be cautious against indulging unbelief in our hearts. Our difficulties all begin there. We lose confidence in God. We doubt his promises, his oaths, his threatenings. In dark and trying times we begin to have doubts about the wisdom of his dealings, and about his goodness. Unbelief once admitted into the heart is the beginning of many woes. When a man loses confidence in God, he is on a shoreless ocean that is full of whirlpools, and rocks, and quicksands, and where it is impossible to find a secure anchorage. There is nothing to which he may moor his driven bark; and he will never find safety or peace until he comes back to God.
(3) Let us live a life of faith. Let us so live that we may say with Paul, The life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. So living, we shall have peace. The mind will be at rest. Storms and tempests may blow, but we shall be secure. Others may be troubled in the vicissitudes of life, but our minds will be at peace.
(4) Let us live expecting the future rest that remains for us. Let us keep our eye fixed upon it. To us there is a rest promised, as there was to the Hebrews whom God had delivered from the land of oppression; and we may by faith attain to that rest as they might have reached the land of Canaan.
(5) Let us persevere to the end. He that draws back must be lost. He that does not endure to the end of life in the ways of religion can never have been a Christian. There is nothing which will furnish certain evidence of religion unless our piety is such as to lead us to persevere until death. The man who enters on the professed Christian life expecting to fall away, or who can look upon the possibility of falling away without concern, has never known anything of the nature of true religion. He cannot be a Christian. He may have had raptures and visions; he may be a loud professor and a noisy and zealous partisan, but he has no evidence that he has ever known anything about religion. That religion which is not connected with a firm and determined purpose by the grace of God to persevere to the end of life, is no true religion; and a man who expects to fall away and go back again to the world, or who can look at such an idea without alarm, should regard it as a settled matter that he has no true knowledge of God.
(6) No man should delay the work of salvation to a future time. today is the accepted time; today the only time of which we have any security. God speaks today, and today his voice should be heard. No man on any subject should defer until tomorrow what ought to be done today. He who defers religion until a future time neglects his own best interest; violates most solemn obligations; and endangers his immortal soul. What security can anyone have that he will live to see another day? What evidence has he that he will be any more disposed to attend to his salvation then than he is now? What evidence can he have that he will not provoke God by this course, and bring condemnation on his soul? Of all delusions, that is the most wonderful by which dying people are led to defer attention to the concerns of the soul to a future period of life. Nowhere has Satan such advantage as in keeping this delusion before the mind; and if in respect to anything the voice of warning and alarm should be lifted loud and long, it is in reference to this. O why will not people be wise today? Why will they not embrace the offer of salvation now? Why will they not at once make sure of eternal happiness? And why, amidst the changes and trials of this life, will they not so secure the everlasting inheritance as to feel that that is safe – that there is one thing at least that cannot be shaken and disturbed by commercial embarrassment and distress; one thing secure though friends and kindred are torn away from them; one thing safe when their own health fails, and they lie down on the bed where they will bid adieu to all earthly comforts, and from which they will never rise?
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. So we see that they could not enter in] It was no decree of God that prevented them, it was no want of necessary strength to enable them, it was through no deficiency of Divine counsel to instruct them; all these they had in abundance: but they chose to sin, and would not believe. Unbelief produced disobedience, and disobedience produced hardness of heart and blindness of mind; and all these drew down the judgments of God, and wrath came upon them to the uttermost.
1. THIS whole chapter, as the epistle in general, reads a most awful lesson against backsliders, triflers, and loiterers in the way of salvation. Every believer in Christ is in danger of apostasy, while any remains of the evil heart of unbelief are found in him. God has promised to purify the heart; and the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. It is therefore the highest wisdom of genuine Christians to look to God for the complete purification of their souls; this they cannot have too soon, and for this they cannot be too much in earnest.
2. No man should defer his salvation to any future time. If God speaks to-day, it is to-day that he should be heard and obeyed. To defer reconciliation to God to any future period, is the most reprehensible and destructive presumption. It supposes that God will indulge us in our sensual propensities, and cause his mercy to tarry for us till we have consummated our iniquitous purposes. It shows that we prefer, at least for the present, the devil to Christ, sin to holiness, and earth to heaven. And can we suppose that God will be thus mocked? Can we suppose that it can at all consistent with his mercy to extend forgiveness to such abominable provocation? What a man sows that shall he reap. If he sows to the flesh, he shall of the flesh reap corruption. Reader, it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
3. Unbelief has generally been considered the most damning of all sins. I wish those who make this assertion would condescend to explain themselves. What is this unbelief that damns and ruins mankind? Their not permitting their minds to be persuaded of the truths which God speaks. , from , negative, and , faith, signifies faithless or to be without faith. And this is an effect from another cause. In Heb 4:11, these very people are said to have fallen through unbelief; but there the word is , from , negative, and , to persuade. They heard the Divine instructions, they saw God’s stupendous miracles; but they would not suffer themselves to be persuaded, that he who said and did such things would perform those other things which he had either threatened or promised: hence they had no faith, because they were unpersuaded; and their unbelief was the effect of their unpersuaded or unpersuadable mind. And their minds were not persuaded of God’s truth, because they had ears open only to the dictates of the flesh; see on Heb 4:2. Here then is the damning sin, the not inferring, from what God has said and done, that he will do those other things which he has either threatened or promised. And how few are there who are not committing this sin daily! Reader, dost thou in this state dream of heaven? Awake out of sleep!
4. Where there are so many snares and dangers it is impossible to be too watchful and circumspect. Satan, as a roaring lion, as a subtle serpent, or in the guise of an angel of light, is momentarily going about seeking whom he may deceive, blind, and devour; and, when it is considered that the human heart, till entirely renewed, is on his side, it is a miracle of mercy that any soul escapes perdition: no man is safe any longer than he maintains the spirit of watchfulness and prayer; and to maintain such a spirit, he has need of all the means of grace. He who neglects any of them which the mercy of God has placed in his power, tempts the devil to tempt him. As a preventive of backsliding and apostasy, the apostle recommends mutual exhortation. No Christian should live for himself alone; he should consider his fellow Christian as a member of the same body, and feel for him accordingly, and have, succour, and protect him. When this is carefully attended to in religious society, Satan finds it very difficult to make an inroad on the Church; but when coldness, distance, and a want of brotherly love take place, Satan can attack each singly, and, by successive victories over individuals, soon make an easy conquest of the whole.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The execution of the matter sworn was felt by these Hebrews, which should make them and all that read it to dread both their sin and punishment, which the gospel would as justly inflict on them, if unbelievers. It is to be seen in Gods written record of it, and the experienced downfal of such, that Gods oath had shut the door as to their entrance there, and his judgments consumed them in the wilderness, because of their denial of resting on Gods word, and the impious practices that issued from it, in their rejecting promises, rebelling against precepts, and murmuring against providence. God is no respecter of persons; if we sin so against his Son and gospel, how much sorer punishment will overtake us! Heb 10:27,29.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. they could not enterthoughdesiring it.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
So we see that they could not enter in,…. To God’s rest, the land of Canaan, for they died by the plague before the Lord, and their carcasses fell in the wilderness, before they came to it,
Nu 14:37 and the reason was,
because of unbelief; their distrust of God, his power, and his providence; this instance is produced by the apostle, to show the evil nature of unbelief, and the sad effects of it; to deter persons from it, and that they might take heed of encouraging it; and which instance he further improves in the following chapter.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And we see ( ). Triumphant conclusion of the exegesis of Ps 95. “So we see.”
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “So we see,” (kai blepomen) “And we see, behold, or observe,” from this. This is an object lesson of warning to God’s children who might doubt, or hesitate to keep his commands, 1Co 10:5-9; to be a friend of Jesus one must do what he commands, Mat 12:50; Joh 14:15; Joh 15:14.
2) “That they could not enter in,” (hoti ouk edunethesan eiselthein) “That they were not able to go in or enter,” the land of promise, or rest from bondage and wilderness wandering; How many blessings children of God forego or forfeit by failing to trust and obey him in his call to service and fruit-bearing; Mat 7:24-29.
3) “Because of unbelief,” (di’ apistian) “Because or on account of disbelief,” because they, the leaders, doubted, discouraged the hearts of the people, the masses from going in to face the, obstacles, though God had promised to go before them. So the disbelief, doubt, and discouragement of leaders can infect followers to doubt, disbelief, and judgement from God. As Mary said, “Whatsoever he saith unto thee, do it,” at the wedding in Galilee, Joh 2:5, so should every servant of God, Eph 5:17; Eph 2:10; For there is an accounting day of judgement for every doubting believer, 1Co 3:10-15; 2Co 5:9-15; 2Co 5:20.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(19) So we see.Rather, And we see. It is not the general conclusion that is here expressed; but, as in Heb. 3:18 we read of the oath of exclusion, this verse records the fact, and also states the cause under an aspect which is most suitable for the exhortation which is in the writers thought. There is force in could not enter:not only disobedience, but cowardice and weakness, sprang from unbelief.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
19. So we see Conclusion from the whole history, deeply bearing on our own case.
Unbelief Want, not merely of intellectual acknowledgment of the divine facts, but want of fidelity of heart and the spirit of obedience to God, and harmony with his divine and glorious purposes. Full, hearty accord with God would have made Israel great and glorious, a divine, triumphant theocracy, thrilling the world with the greatness and glory of Jehovah. As it was, Israel barely lived along until the Messiah came and chose another, a spiritual, Israel, in Israel’s place. To that spiritual Israel our author now addresses the warning not to fail by like unbelief.
This chapter ought to have closed at close of Heb 4:2.
‘And we see that they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.’
Note the sequence. They provoked (Heb 3:16), they sinned (Heb 3:17), they were disobedient (Heb 3:18), they were guilty of unbelief (Heb 3:19). Their hearts became harder and harder. And thus they could not enter into God’s rest (Deu 12:9; Exo 33:14). To enter God’s rest was to be settled in the land and delivered from surrounding enemies (Deu 3:20; Deu 25:19; Jos 1:15; Jos 21:44; Jos 22:4; Jos 23:1).
So the lessons up to this point are on the danger of being entrapped by sin and allowing it to develop within; and the danger of assuming that the majority is always right; and the danger of disobedience and unbelief; and the danger of turning away from God’s appointed deliverer; all of which in Israel’s case had resulted in God’s judgment. All these will cause us to fail to enter into His rest, a rest obtained by becoming partakers in Christ (Heb 3:14).
Heb 3:19. So we see, &c. “And thus we see, and it is as clear as possible, that the reason why they could not enter into the place designed for their rest, after their wandering in the wilderness, was because of their unbelief and disobedience.”
Inferences.With what incomparable dignity does our Lord Jesus Christ transcend Moses, in his person and office! Moses was merely a man, and a servant! and the best that can be said of him is, that he was a part of God’s house, and faithful in his ministry: but Christ is more than a mere man or servant; he is the God that governs the church, and orders all its affairs; and is the Lord Proprietor and Ruler of it! and in all his administrations is faithful to his Father that appointed him to his office, as a divine Mediator and Saviour. How worthy is he of our highest regard! All, that profess to be partakers of the heavenly calling, should think frequently and honourably of him, as the great Apostle and High-priest of their profession, and hold fast the beginning of their confidence, and their rejoicing therein, to the end, as ever they would prove themselves to be faithful members of his family, in which he dwells. How watchful should we be against the first workings of unbelief, and much more against the prevalence of it! This is a mother-sin, which leads the way to all others: it proceeds from the corruption of the heart, and is in itself exceeding sinful: it is no less than a departure from the living God and Saviour, in whom is all our help, hope, and happiness. And, ah, how dreadful are the effects of apostacy! It is the highest provocation to God, and hardening of the heart against him. It is a shameful distrust of him; a grief to his good Spirit; and a contemptuous neglect of all his dispensations of mercy and judgment; and brings the heaviest vengeance upon apostates themselves. How should the examples of the unbelief of others, and of their rebellion against God, and of their punishment, be a solemn warning to us, that we may not tread in their steps; but may be excited to an obedient faith without delay, while the door of mercy is opened in the gospel! It is our greater interest and duty to attend, and yield ourselves up to what the Holy Ghost says in his word, and in secret suggestions to our souls; and not harden our hearts against it, lest God should, ere we are aware, swear in his wrath, that we shall never enter into the rest, which he has provided for his faithful people. But how great is the deceitfulness of sin to stupify the conscience! And what need have believers themselves to be daily cautioned, and to caution one another against it! No outward privileges or professions of religion will secure us from divine wrath, if our hearts are not right with God: but, blessed be his name, there are many of a more excellent spirit, like Caleb and Joshua. They are already partakers of Christ, and of the benefits of his purchase, and shall for ever enjoy him in the glorious state of heavenly rest, if faithful unto death.
REFLECTIONS.1st, We have, in this chapter, the application of the foregoing considerations. The excellency of our great High-priest should draw up our hearts in all holy affection and humble adoration to him.
Wherefore, holy brethren, renewed in the spirit of your minds, partakers of the heavenly calling, admitted to all the blessings and privileges of the gospel, consider the Apostle and High-priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, sent of God, appointed to his office on purpose to make reconciliation, and whom we profess to believe in as the author of all blessedness; consider his transcendent dignity, and the characters that he bears toward us.
1. With what fidelity he discharged his trust as a prophet. Who was faithful to him that appointed him, revealing to us all his Father’s will; as also Moses, who was his eminent type, was faithful in all his house; communicating to the church in the wilderness, among whom Christ in the divine Shechinah dwelt as in his own house, all the statutes and ordinances delivered unto him.
2. How far superior he is to Moses, as the builder of his own church. For this man ( ), this incarnate Jesus, was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house, hath more honour than the house. The master, owner, and builder of the house must needs be far above any member of the family which inhabits it; and Moses, though so distinguished, was but one of the many faithful in the church, of which the Lord Jesus is the maker and builder, therefore must be far inferior to him. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things, and regulated, furnished, and set in order every thing pertaining to his church, whether under the Jewish or evangelical dispensation, is God, even that Jesus who shares all the incommunicable attributes of Deity, and is very God, as well as very man.
3. Moses was but a servant; Christ is the Son over his own house. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant, principally, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; to foretel and prefigure in the rites enjoined by him, according to divine command, the great things that under the gospel should be more fully and clearly revealed. But Christ is infinitely his superior, as a Son over his own house, the church erected by him, and purchased with his blood; whose house are we that believe, the happy members of his family, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope, which the gospel inspires, unto the end of life, which alone will eternally insure to us all the blessings of his holy family. Note; (1.) Christ is the glorious object, who should ever be in our eye: the more we consider him, the more shall we honour, love, and serve him. (2.) Those who are brethren in Christ, and truly partakers of the heavenly calling, will prove it by the holiness of their walk and conversation.
2nd, As it is not nominal profession, but persevering fidelity, which can secure to us the eternal rest of heaven, the apostle proceeds to caution and warn them by former examples.
Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost saith, (Psa 95:7.) To-day, if ye will hear his voice, without delay, or trifling with God’s patience any longer, harden not your hearts, against all the calls and warnings of God, as your fathers did in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness, when by their murmurings, unbelief, and disobedience, your fathers tempted me, proved me, how mindful I am of my promise, and how long-suffering; and saw my works forty years; receiving the strongest evidences of my power and grace. Wherefore, wearied out with their perverseness, and incorrigible ingratitude and infidelity, I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart, stubborn, and wilfully rebellious; and they have not known my ways; they delight not in them, and choose their own delusions: so I sware in my wrath, justly offended by their continued impenitence, they shall not enter into my rest, the land of promise, the type of that eternal rest which remaineth for the faithful above. Note; (1.) While the day of life and hope is prolonged, we are called to seize and improve the precious moments on which eternity depends. (2.) Continued hardness of heart against the calls of grace, and the warnings of Providence, must infallibly issue in everlasting ruin. (3.) God bears long, but he will not bear always. He will swear in his wrath, that the incorrigible shall not enter into his rest.
3rdly, The example which he had quoted, the apostle applies, (4.) It calls for all our watchfulness and prayer, that our souls do not suffer shipwreck on this fatal rock. 3. He encourages them to end well, as they had begun. For we are made partakers of Christ, or, we have been admitted to all the blessings and privileges which spring from vital union with him, if we hold the beginning of our confidence ( ), or subsistence in him, steadfast unto the end, and perseveringly abide in this holy fellowship, without which our former experience will avail us nothing. Note; Every believer is a partaker of Christ, and all things are ours if we are his; his merit, grace, and Spirit.
4. He returns to the subject that he began with, to fortify them against apostacy. Improve the present moment while it is said, To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation; to-morrow you may be launched into eternity, and time be to you no more. For some, when they had heard, notwithstanding every warning, did provoke God to abandon them: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses; Caleb and Joshua, and those under twenty years of age, still survived. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, who bore the righteous vengeance due to their iniquities, and whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, nor possess the promised Canaan, but to them that believed not, and rejected their own mercies? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Note; (1.) Unbelief of God’s promises is among the most common and highly provoking iniquities. (2.) They who wilfully reject the counsel of God against their own souls, have only themselves to blame for their ruin. (3.) Such fearful instances should awaken in us a holy jealousy to make our calling and election sure.
Heb 3:19 . Closing result from Heb 3:15-18 .
] thus we see then . Grotius (to whom Carpzov and others assent): “Ex historia cognoscimus.” But more correctly Seb. Schmidt (with whom Owen, Bleek, Alford, and others agree): “ non de lectione aut cognitione historiae, sed de convictione animi e disputatione seu doctrina praemissa.”
] on account of (their) unbelief . Placed with emphasis at the end.
REFLECTIONS
PAUSE, my soul, and cheerfully obey, the Lord the Spirit, and consider, as thou art commanded and hast such abundant reason to do; consider, the Apostle and High Priest of thy profession Christ Jesus! Yes! thou glorious God and Savior! I would desire to contemplate thy Person, character, offices, and relations! I would desire grace, and a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of thee, to behold thee in all that concerns thy Mediatorial glory, in thy faithfulness to thy Father, and to thy people. I would gaze on thee, until my whole soul was swallowed up in the contemplation; and until that I found myself one with my Lord in that house, over which, as his own, Christ is the rightful owner; and which house, is Christ’s body the Church, and He the fullness which filleth all in all.
And do thou, Almighty God the Holy Ghost, give me continual grace, to keep in remembrance thy precious exhortation to thy people. Lord! let nothing of sin cleave to my poor fallen nature; neither suffer me to be at any time hardened with the deceitfulness of it. Oh! the long suffering of my God, to the forty years provocation of the people in the wilderness! Oh! the numberless years of the Lord’s long suffering now! Cause me, 0 Lord, to mark that grace which kept back thy people from murmuring then, when the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt by Moses; that though some, (even the Israel after the flesh,) when they had heard, did provoke; yet not all, (even those whom grace restrained.) They fell not after the same example of unbelief. And cause me, 0 Lord, to know now, that it is grace, and grace alone, by which any are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Do thou, 0 Lord the Holy Ghost! who here so sweetly holds forth our great and glorious Apostle, and High Priest, Jesus Christ, to thy Church’s view, give grace to the apprehension and knowledge of Him; that through thy blessed influences thy people may all rejoice in him, to the praise of the glory of His grace, who hath made us accepted in the Beloved.
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Ver. 19. Because of unbelief ] A bloody sin, Joh 3:19 . No sin will gripe so in hell as this. The devil will keep a holy day there, in respect of unbelievers.
19 .] And ( thus ) we see (Grot., al. give it, “ex historia cognoscimus:” but Bleek quotes from Seb. Schmidt, and it seems the correcter view, “ non de lectione aut cognitione histori, sed de convictione animi e disputatione seu doctrina prmissa”) that they were not able to enter in (however much they desired it: they were incapacitated by not fulfilling the condition of inheriting all God’s promises, belief and resulting obedience) on account of unbelief (see above on Heb 3:12 . This verse forms a kind of ‘quod erat demonstrandum’ (as Ebrard), clenching the argument which has been proceeding since Heb 3:12 . The Writer now proceeds to make another use of the example on which he has been so long dwelling).
Heb 3:19 . They did not believe God could bring them into the promised land in the face of powerful opposition and so they would not attempt its conquest when commanded to go forward. They were rendered weak by their unbelief. This is pointed out in the concluding words where the emphasis is on , they were not able to enter in, the reason being given in the words . The application to the Hebrew Christians was sufficiently obvious. They were in danger of shrinking from further conflict and so losing all they had won. They had begun well but were now being weakened and prevented from completing their victory; and this weakness was the result of their not trusting God and their leader.
So = And.
see. Greek. blepo, as in Heb 3:12.
because of. Greek. dia. App-104. Heb 3:2.
19.] And (thus) we see (Grot., al. give it, ex historia cognoscimus: but Bleek quotes from Seb. Schmidt, and it seems the correcter view, non de lectione aut cognitione histori, sed de convictione animi e disputatione seu doctrina prmissa) that they were not able to enter in (however much they desired it: they were incapacitated by not fulfilling the condition of inheriting all Gods promises, belief and resulting obedience) on account of unbelief (see above on Heb 3:12. This verse forms a kind of quod erat demonstrandum (as Ebrard), clenching the argument which has been proceeding since Heb 3:12. The Writer now proceeds to make another use of the example on which he has been so long dwelling).
Heb 3:19. , they were not able) though they afterwards had wished it.
—–
Mar 16:16, Joh 3:18, Joh 3:36, 2Th 2:12, 1Jo 5:10, Jud 1:5
Reciprocal: Num 13:31 – General Num 14:35 – this evil Deu 1:32 – General Deu 9:23 – ye believed 2Ki 7:20 – General Psa 78:22 – General Psa 106:24 – they believed Mat 17:20 – Because Mat 25:10 – and the Luk 9:41 – O faithless Joh 20:25 – Except Rom 11:20 – because Eph 5:6 – disobedience Heb 3:11 – I sware Heb 4:2 – not being Heb 4:6 – they Heb 4:11 – lest Heb 11:6 – without
Heb 3:19. All of the shortcomings the Israelites committed in the wilderness are charged up against unbelief. This is significant and teaches the fundamental truth that whenever professed disciples fail to do their duty, it may be laid to their lack of faith.
Heb 3:19. So; literally And [we see], i.e from these facts.
Heb 3:19. So we see, &c. The conclusion we draw from the whole is, that they could not enter in because of unbelief Though afterward they desired it. In looking over the whole story of the sins of the Israelites, and of Gods dealings with them, one would be apt to fix upon some other causes of their exclusion from Canaan, as the Jews, their posterity, do at this day. But our apostle here lays it absolutely and wholly on their unbelief, which he proves to have been the chief spring and cause of all their provocations. From this, in particular, proceeded that cowardice which made them refuse to march against the Canaanites, when the spies brought them information concerning the giants whom they had observed in the country, the sons of Anak, and the large and well-fortified cities. But how inexcusable was this their unbelief, considering the many astonishing miracles which God had wrought for them, before he gave them the command to enter Canaan! The conclusion, says Macknight, of the apostles reasoning concerning the sin and punishment of the ancient Israelites, contained in this verse, ought to make a deep impression on every reader, since it shows, in the strongest colours, the malignity of unbelief, and teaches us that it is the source of all the sin and misery prevalent among mankind. Our first parents sinned through their not believing God, when he said, In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die; and their posterity sin through their not believing what God hath suggested to them by their own reason, and by revelation, concerning the rewards and punishments of a future state.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
1. For their caution. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you, as was in them, an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. Note; (1.) Unbelief is the great damning sin. (2.) There may be much heart-unbelief under the most specious professions of faith. (3.) Where unbelief prevails, departure from God our Saviour necessarily follows.
2. He suggests the means of preventing the so-much-to-be- dreaded evil. But exhort and encourage one another daily, while it is called To-day; improve every opportunity during this fleeting moment of life, to excite each other to watchfulness and holy diligence; lest any of you, who have made profession of the gospel, or experienced its power, be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; your consciences lulled asleep, and your souls perverted and seduced from the simplicity of the gospel. Note; (1.) Christian brethren should maintain a holy jealousy over each other. (2.) Since the time is so short, we need be earnest to redeem it for the best purposes. (3.) Sin comes with a most alluring aspect, and lurks often under the most specious appearances. (4.) Wherever sin gains possession of the heart, hardness and insensibility naturally follow; so that they who are in the most fatal danger, are the least apprized of it.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments