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Hebrews 3:10
ESV Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’
NIV That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’
NASB THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’;
CSB for forty years. Therefore I was provoked to anger with that generation and said, "They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways."
NLT So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’
KJV Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
NKJV Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’

What does Hebrews 3:10 mean?

This is part of a quotation of Psalm 95. This Old Testament passage warns Israel not to repeat the mistakes of their past. After leaving Egypt, the people repeatedly disobeyed, defied, and resisted God. The "last straw" was their refusal to trust God in conquering the Promised Land. As a result, God forced the people to wander aimlessly in the desert for forty years, blocking all but a tiny remnant of that generation from entering Canaan. The application for a Christian is that those who do not "hold fast" to God's word can expect to lose out on the inheritance we have been offered. This is not a loss of salvation (no more than God sent Israel back to Egypt) but it is a consequence to be avoided.

This Psalm also points out that Israel's disobedience was not a one-time event. Sadly, God's chosen people were often seen complaining, rebelling, disobeying, and criticizing God (Exodus 16:1–3; 32:1–8; Numbers 14:1–4). And yet, God still worked to save, preserve, and bless them. There was discipline, but not destruction. This is an encouraging reminder for us, today, when we see our own repeated failures.
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