Hebrews 3:19

In Hebrews and the Old Testament, unbelief and disobedience are closely linked (Numbers 14:11; Deuteronomy 9:23; Psalm 78:22, 32). Because of their disobedience, they could not enter God's rest by entering the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 3:20; 12:10; Joshua 1:13).

These verses use a series of quick questions and answers, a common rhetorical method. The three questions follow the ideas in Psalm 95:8–11: The people of Israel rebelled against God, God was angry, and God swore they would never enter his rest. The answers come from other Old Testament passages about the Israelites' rebellion in the wilderness (Numbers 14; Deuteronomy 9; Psalm 106). The author emphasizes the severe consequences of disobeying God.

The author of Hebrews points to important words from Psalm 95. These include heart, today, hear, enter, rest, and unbelief. In the ancient world, Bible teachers would cite a passage from the Old Testament and then explain it. They often highlighted key words from the passage, much like preachers do today. This style of explanation was called midrash (a type of Jewish Bible interpretation).

This passage serves as a warning, showing the negative example of those who wandered in the wilderness for forty years and died there. The wilderness wanderings symbolize disobedience to God and its consequences (see Numbers 32:7–11; Deuteronomy 1:19–35; Psalm 106:24–26).