Hebrews 3:9

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

When, [ Hou (G3739)] - 'Where;' namely, in the wilderness.

Your fathers. The authority of the ancients is not conclusive (Bengel).

Tempted me, proved me. 'Aleph (') A B Delta f read [ en (G1722) dokimasia (G1381a) for edokimasan (G1381) (C)] 'tempted (me) in the way of testing' - i:e., putting (me) to the proof whether I was able and willing to relieve them, not believing that I am so.

Saw my works forty years - they saw, without being led to repentance, my works in affording miraculous help, also in executing vengeance, forty years. The "forty years," joined in the Hebrew and the Septuagint, and Hebrews 3:17, with "I was grieved," is here joined with they "saw." Both are true: during the same 40 years that they were tempting God by unbelief, God was being grieved. The lesson to the Hebrew Christians is, their "to day" is to last only between the first preaching of the Gospel and Jerusalem's impending overthrow-namely, FORTY YEARS; exactly the number of years of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, until, the full measure of guilt having been filled up, all the rebels were overthrown.