But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

HEBREWS 3:17KJV
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Hebrews 3:17 (KJV)

What does Hebrews 3:17 mean?

Hebrews 3:17 points out that God was angry with the Israelites for forty years because they sinned, and as a result, their bodies died in the wilderness. The verse highlights the consequence of their disobedience during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.

The writer of Hebrews is reminding readers about the generation of Israelites who left Egypt with Moses but failed to trust and obey God. Because of their repeated unbelief and rebellion, they were not allowed to enter the land God had promised, and instead, they died during the long years of wandering in the wilderness. This serves as a warning to the audience to take God's words seriously.

The Greek behind Hebrews 3:17

  • "Grieved" (προσοχθίζω, prosokhthizō) is often understood as being deeply offended or provoked. In this context, it emphasizes how God's response was not just disappointment but a strong, lasting displeasure over many years.
  • "Carcases" (κῶλον, kōlon) refers to dead bodies, a stark term that underlines the seriousness of the judgment. The use of this word makes the outcome of their disobedience vivid and sobering.
  • "Fell" (πίπτω, piptō) means to fall, often used for dying or being struck down. Here, it stresses that their deaths in the wilderness were a direct result of their actions, not just a natural occurrence.

Why Hebrews 3:17 matters

  • Hebrews 3:17 clears up that it was not just a few individuals but an entire generation who suffered the consequences of unbelief, stressing the seriousness of collective disobedience.
  • The verse connects directly to the broader warning in Hebrews 3, urging readers not to repeat the mistakes of the past by hardening their hearts against God’s guidance.
  • By recalling this history, the verse emphasizes that God’s promises are real, but so are His warnings, making the call to faith and obedience urgent for every generation.

Where else these words appear

“grieved” Greek G4360 · used in 2 verses

  • Hebrews 3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

“forty” Greek G5062 · used in 21 verses

  • Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
  • Acts 7:30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
  • Hebrews 3:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

“sinned” Greek G264 · used in 37 verses

  • Matthew 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
  • Romans 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
  • 1 Timothy 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

“years” Greek G2094 · used in 48 verses

  • Matthew 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
  • Luke 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
  • Acts 24:17 Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.