1 WHEREFORE, 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,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

1Wherfore holy brethrē, partakers of the heauenly calling, consider the Apostle and high Priest of our profession Christ Iesus,

2Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithfull in all his house.

3For this man was counted worthy of more glory then Moses, in as much as he who hath builded the house, hath more honour then the house.

4For euery house is builded by some man, but hee that built all things is God.

5And Moses verely was faithfull in all his house as a seruant, for a testimonie of those things which were to be spoken after.

6But Christ as a Sonne ouer his owne house, whose house are wee, if we hold fast the confidence, and the reioycing of the hope firme vnto the end.

7Wherfore as the holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will heare his voyce,

8Harden not your hearts, as in the prouocation, in the day of temptation in the wildernesse:

9When your fathers tempted me, prooued me, and saw my works fourty yeeres.

10Wherefore I was grieued with that generation, and sayd, They doe alway erre in their hearts, and they haue not knowen my wayes.

11So I sware in my wrath: they shall not enter into my rest.

12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeleefe, in departing from the liuing God.

13But exhort one another dayly, while it is called To day, least any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne.

14For wee are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast vnto the end.

15Whilest it is sayd, To day if yee will heare his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the prouocation.

16For some when they had heard, did prouoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

17But with whom was he grieued fourty yeeres? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wildernesse?

18And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that beleeued not?

19So we see that they could not enter in, because of vnbeleefe.

 

1 Therefore, holy "brothers," sharing in a heavenly calling, reflect on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was "faithful in (all) his house." 3 But he is worthy of more "glory" than Moses, as the founder of a house has more "honor" than the house itself. 4 Every house is founded by someone, but the founder of all is God. 5 Moses was "faithful in all his house" as a "servant" to testify to what would be spoken, 6 but Christ was faithful as a son placed over his house. We are his house, if (only) we hold fast to our confidence and pride in our hope. 7 Therefore, as the holy Spirit says: "Oh, that today you would hear his voice, 8 'Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion in the day of testing in the desert, 9 where your ancestors tested and tried me and saw my works 10 for forty years. Because of this I was provoked with that generation and I said, "They have always been of erring heart, and they do not know my ways." 11 As I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter into my rest."'" 12 Take care, brothers, that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God. 13 Encourage yourselves daily while it is still "today," so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin. 14 We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end, 15 for it is said: "Oh, that today you would hear his voice: 'Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.'" 16 Who were those who rebelled when they heard? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt under Moses? 17 With whom was he "provoked for forty years"? Was it not those who had sinned, whose corpses fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did he "swear that they should not enter into his rest," if not to those who were disobedient? 19 And we see that they could not enter for lack of faith.

v 1. Since Jesus is our faithful high priest (2:17), those of us as saints who share in the heavenly calling should attentatively consider Jesus who we confess as Savior.
v 2. Christ has been faithful in calling and performing, Phil. 1:6, 1 Thess.5:24, which would impress Jews who knew of Moses’ faithfulness, Num. 12:7. Some think “house” refers to the tabernacle, but it surely must refer to Israel.
v 3-5. To “build” here implys also the planning, furnishing, establishing and ownership. God is the owner and the Son in Him has more importance than the house and than Moses, who was just a servant, a testimony of the Christ who would follow. Servant  in this instance is not a slave, but as a doctor cares for sick.
v 6. Believers of all time are now a part of the spiritual house owned by Christ (God’s family of believers, the Church). We are not made that way by confidence and rejoicing, but they are the proof of our triumphal hope in Christ.
v 7-10. Here is a repetition of the divine inspiration in Ps. 95:7-11, to not live in the unbelief which kept Israel from entering the promised land. This was not just a test of them, but they were trying God’s patience and putting Him to the test.  It is significant that the test concerning the supply of water was given in both the first year, Ex. 17, and fortieth year, Num. 20. It was a grief to the Lord that they had not become progressively better, but they still did not believe in their hearts that He could supply their needs. (They were “saved” because of the application of blood the night of the death angel. This would have represented salvation, crossing the Red Sea represented baptism, the wilderness represented the struggles of the Christian walk, and crossing the Jordan represented victory in the Christian,  not entrance into heaven.)
v 11. It was true that their hearts were hardened, because after all the miracles they had experienced, they had no reason for doubting God. He had planned all sorts of restful things for them in the promised land, so He was just in not  allowing them in.
v 12. These were brethren, so this is fair warning to believers today not to have wicked unbelieving hearts which rob us of fellowship and blessing from God. We tend to think, “My faith is weak.” But God doesn’t call it a weakness, He calls it an evil heart. 1 There are unsaved with evil hearts.  2. There are professing Christians but with evil hearts of unbelief. 3. There are true believers who become busy, neglectful, leading to  compromise, actions which destroy their testimony, finally hearts of unbelief and doubt. 
v13. It’s not enough to take heed for ourselves, but we need to have a proper, loving concern for other Christians, ranging from encouraging to admonishing, before they become hardened in rebellion and the deceitfulness of sin.
v 14. Believers are in Christ, but cannot share in all He has for us unless we remain as confident and unshaken to the end, as we did when we were first saved.
v 15-19. We can’t undo yesterday and the future is uncertain, so we must act today. The alternative is re-emphasized by a reminder of the Israelites who had come out of Egypt. They were given every opportunity to reach the promised land, but their persistent disobedience, unbelief, their unwillingness to rely on God, shut them out, even though they had believed to the point of salvation the night of the death angel.