Psalms 95:7-9

95:7 For he is our God;

we are the people of his pasture,

the sheep he owns. ¹ 

Today, if only you would obey him! ² 

95:8 He says, ³  “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, ⁴ 

like they were that day at Massah ⁵  in the wilderness, ⁶ 

95:9 where your ancestors challenged my authority, ⁷ 

and tried my patience, even though they had seen my work.

Numbers 14:22

14:22 For all the people have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tempted ⁸  me now these ten times, ⁹  and have not obeyed me, ¹⁰ 

Hebrews 3:7-8

Exposition of Psalm 95: Hearing God’s Word in Faith

3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ¹¹ 

“Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! ¹² 

3:8 “Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness.

Hebrews 3:15

3:15 As it says, ¹³  “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! ¹⁴  Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” ¹⁵ 

[95:7]  ¹ tn Heb “of his hand.”

[95:7]  ² tn Heb “if only you would listen to his voice.” The Hebrew particle אִם (’im, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (cf. Ps 81:8). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.

[95:8]  ³ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the following words are spoken by the Lord (see vv. 9-11).

[95:8]  ⁴ sn The name Meribah means “strife.” Two separate but similar incidents at Meribah are recorded in the Pentateuch (Exod 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13, see also Pss 81:7; 106:32). In both cases the Israelites complained about lack of water and the Lord miraculously provided for them.

[95:8]  ⁵ sn The name Massah means “testing.” This was another name (along with Meribah) given to the place where Israel complained following the Red Sea Crossing (see Exod 17:1-7, as well as Deut 6:16; 9:22; 33:8).

[95:8]  ⁶ tn Heb “do not harden your heart[s] as [at] Meribah, as [in] the day of Massah in the wilderness.”

[95:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “where your fathers tested me.”

[14:22]  ⁸ tn The verb נָסָה (nasah) means “to test, to tempt, to prove.” It can be used to indicate things are tried or proven, or for testing in a good sense, or tempting in the bad sense, i.e., putting God to the test. In all uses there is uncertainty or doubt about the outcome. Some uses of the verb are positive: If God tests Abraham in Genesis 22:1, it is because there is uncertainty whether he fears the Lord or not; if people like Gideon put out the fleece and test the Lord, it is done by faith but in order to be certain of the Lord’s presence. But here, when these people put God to the test ten times, it was because they doubted the goodness and ability of God, and this was a major weakness. They had proof to the contrary, but chose to challenge God.

[14:22]  ⁹ tn “Ten” is here a round figure, emphasizing the complete testing. But see F. V. Winnett, The Mosaic Tradition, 121-54.

[14:22]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “listened to my voice.”

[3:7]  ¹¹ sn The following quotation is from Ps 95:7b-11.

[3:7]  ¹² tn Grk “today if you hear his voice.”

[3:15]  ¹³ tn Grk “while it is said.”

[3:15]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “today if you hear his voice.”

[3:15]  ¹⁵ sn A quotation from Ps 95:7b-8.