While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

while it is said, Today if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

in its being said, 'To-day, if His voice ye may hear, ye may not harden your hearts, as in the provocation,'

seeing that the warning still comes to us, "To-day, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as your forefathers did in the time of the provocation."

As it is said, Today if you will let his voice come to your ears, be not hard of heart, as when you made him angry.

For it has been said: "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts, in the same manner as in the former provocation."

To use the words of scripture – 'If today you hear God's voice, Harden not your hearts, as when Israel provoked me.'

In hoc quod dicitur, Hodie si vocem ejus audieritis, ne obduretis corda vestra sicut in exacerbatione.

While it is said, etc. He intimates that the reason for making progress never ceases as long as we live, because God calls us daily. For since faith responds to the preaching of the Gospel, as preaching continues through the whole course of our life, so we ought to continue growing in faith. The phrase, then, while it is said, is the same as though he had said, "Since God never makes an end of speaking, it is not enough for us readily to receive his doctrine, except we exhibit the same teachableness and obedience tomorrow and every following day." [1]

Footnotes

1 - Most connect this verse with the preceding, as in our version, and as Doddridge thus "forasmuch as it is said;" and Macknight thus "as ye may know by the saying." So does Beza; and Calvin seems to do the same; but some connect it with the 13th and others with the 14th verse. Modern authors, such as Stuart and Blooomfield, regard it as the commencement of a paragraph, and connect it with what follows. Stuart's version is -- 15. With regard to the saying, "today while ye hear his voice, harden 16. Not your hearts as in the provocation;" who now were they that when they heard did provoke? Nay, did not all who came out of Egypt under Moses? Etc. Bloomfield approves of this version, only he considers the quotation is confined to the words, "Today, while ye hear his voice," and regards what follows, "harden not," etc., as said by the writer: See [17]Appendix N. -- Ed.

While it is said, Today - That is, persevere as long as life lasts, or as long as it can be said "today;" and by persevering in this manner you will have evidence that you are the friends of the Redeemer. This is a quotation from Psalm 95:7. Paul means, undoubtedly, to make use of this language himself as a direct exhortation to the Christians to whom he was writing. He entreats them, therefore, as long as it could be said "today," or as long as life lasted, to take care lest they should harden their hearts as had been done in the temptation in the wilderness.

While it is said, To-day - You may see the necessity of perseverance from the saying, "Today, if ye will hear his voice," therefore harden not your hearts - do not neglect so great a salvation; hold fast what ye have obtained, and let no man take your crown. See on Hebrews 3:7-9 (note) and Hebrews 3:12 (note).

(l) While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
(l) So long as this voice sounds out.

While it is said today,.... Exhort one another, and hold fast Christ and his Gospel, and faith and confidence therein; what follows is a repetition of the citation in Hebrews 3:7 in order to make a further improvement of it; which shows, that the words belong to the present times of the Gospel, and contain in them matter of moment, and great concern; and that Scripture instructions and exhortations are of perpetual use.

While it is said--connected with Hebrews 3:13, "exhort one another . . . while it is said, To-day": Hebrews 3:14, "for we are made partakers," &c., being a parenthesis. "It entirely depends on yourselves that the invitation of the ninety-fifth Psalm be not a mere invitation, but also an actual enjoyment." ALFORD translates, "Since (that is, 'for') it is said," &c., regarding Hebrews 3:15 as a proof that we must "hold . . . confidence . . . unto the end," in order to be "partakers of Christ."