John Calvin Commentary Hebrews 3:7

"Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, To-day if ye shall hear his voice," — Hebrews 3:7 (ASV)

He proceeds in his exhortation that they should obey Christ speaking to them. To add more weight to this, he confirms it with the testimony of David. For since they needed to be sharply goaded, it was better, to avoid causing offense, to bring forward another person.

If he had simply reproached them for the unbelief of the fathers, they would have listened to him less favorably; but when he brought David forward, it was less offensive. Now, the meaning of the whole is this: As God from the beginning willed his voice to be obeyed, and could not tolerate perverseness without punishing it severely, so today he will not lightly punish our stubbornness, unless we become teachable.

But the discourse is suspended until we come to the words, Take heed, brothers, lest there be at any time in any of you... Then, so that the passage may flow better, it would be appropriate to include the rest in parentheses. Let us now consider the words in order.

As the Holy Ghost says, etc. This was much more effective in touching their hearts than if he had quoted David by name. And it is useful for us to familiarize ourselves with such expressions, so that we may remember that the words cited from the books of the prophets are those of God and not of men.

But as this sentence, , Today, if you will hear his voice, is part of an earlier verse, some have not inappropriately rendered it this way: “Would to God you would this day hear his voice.”

It is indeed certain that when David called the Jews God’s people, he immediately drew this conclusion: that God’s voice ought to have been heard by them.

For concerning those whom he invited there to sing praises to God and to celebrate his goodness, he reminded them at the same time that obedience was the chief worship which he required, and that it was better than all sacrifices. The most important thing, then, was to obey the word of God.