Psalm 95:8

 Psalm 95:8

Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.

a. ASV: Harden not your heart, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness;  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: Harden not your heart as in Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,   [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified: Harden not your hearts as at Meribah and as at Massah in the day of temptation in the wilderness, [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. NLT: The LORD says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah,

as they did at Massah in the wilderness.  [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

e. Tehillim/Psalms: Do not harden your hearts as at Merivah, as on the day of Massah in the Wilderness.  [THE ARTSCROLL TANACH SERIES TEHILLIM / PSALMS PERSONAL SIZE EDITION VOL.1 Ⓒ Copyright 1977, 1985, 1996 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.]

f. The Israel Bible: Do not be stubborn as at meribah, as on the day of Massah, in the wilderness.  [The English Translation was adapted by Israel 365 from the JPS Tanakh. Copyright Ⓒ 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved.]

1. “Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.”

a. Harden [Strong: 7185 qashah kaw-shaw' a primitive root; properly, to be dense, i.e. tough or severe (in various applications):--be cruel, be fiercer, make grievous, be ((ask a), be in, have, seem, would) hard(-en, (labour), -ly, thing), be sore, (be, make) stiff(-en, (-necked)).]

b. not [Strong: 408 'al al a negative particle (akin to 3808); not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing:--nay, neither, + never, no ,nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.]

c. heart [Strong: 3824 lebab lay-bawb' from 3823; the heart (as the most interior organ); used also like 3820:--+ bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, ((faint), (tender-)heart((-ed)), midst, mind, X unawares, understanding.]

d. [as in the] provocation [Strong: 4808 mriybah mer-ee-baw' from 7378; quarrel:--provocation, strife.]

e. [and as in the] day [Strong: 3117 yowm yome from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.]

f. [of] temptation [Strong: 4531 maccah mas-saw' from 5254; a testing, of men (judicial) or of God (querulous):--temptation, trial.]

g. [in the] wilderness [Strong: 4057 midbar mid-bawr' from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech, wilderness.]

1). Institute Of Creation Research Daily Devotional 6/27/14It is an interesting coincidence that verses 7–11 of Psalm 95 are quoted almost verbatim in verses 7–11 of Hebrews 3. The two writers are both referring, of course, to the 40 years of wandering by the children of Israel in the wilderness. The Hebrews reference contains an important insight on biblical inspiration. It is introduced by the words “the Holy Ghost saith” (Hebrews 3:7), showing that God was actually the real author of the psalm. Then, the same phrase (“To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation”) is quoted again in Hebrews 3:15, but this time it is introduced merely by “it is said.” Then, remarkably, it is quoted still a third time (Hebrews 4:7), where it tells us that God was “saying in David” this grave warning. In other words, the same Scripture was attributed both to David and to the Holy Spirit. Perhaps even more significantly, the phrase “it is said” is seen to be equivalent to “God says.” All of this is a clear affirmation of the divine inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures. Finally, the fact that the same warning (“Harden not your hearts”) is cited three times in the space of just 19 verses, all quoting the original warning in Psalm 95:8, must mean that God considers it extremely important that we harden not our hearts! It is possible that even a child of God can become so involved in doubts concerning God’s Word that he becomes useless to God and thus simply must be allowed to die in a spiritual wilderness, never knowing the great blessings of a life of obedient faith. “The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart” (Psalm 19:8). Our hearts should rejoice at His Word, not be hardened against it. HMM

2). The verse Psalm 95:8 is the continuation of a passage found in Hebrews 3:7-11. In the passage it clearly labels the LORD God as the Person uttering the words. The inspired writer of Hebrews identifies the Person of the Godhead as the Holy Ghost.

a). Psalm 95:7-11 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

95:8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

95:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

95:10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

95:11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.

b).  Hebrews 3:7-11 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

3:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

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.

3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)