harden

The Greek that is translated as “to harden” or similar in English is translated in Mwera as “to become stubborn.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also harden heart and hardness of heart..

complete verse (Hebrews 3:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 3:15:

  • Uma: “Strengthen each others’ heart every day, like what is written in the verse that we read earlier that said: ‘Today, if you hear the voice of God, don’t any longer harden your hearts, like your grandparents long ago who rejected [him].'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “This is what the holy-book says, ‘When/if you hear God’s voice this day, don’t cause your livers to be hard as your ancestors of old who really did not want to follow/obey God.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For it’s like the word of God which I have already written which says, ‘Today if you will hear the words of God to you, it’s necessary that your breath not become hard like your breath was long time ago when you resisted God.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Let us think again of what God caused-to-be-written which says, ‘Today, if you hear God’s words, do not harden your minds like your ancestors did when they opposed God.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I will again remind you of that which is contained in the writing of the past which says, ‘Now/today, if you have heard what God is saying, hopefully don’t harden your heads like what those (people) did in that they opposed him.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “It is written in the Holy Book the word which says: ‘Concerning this day, listen to the word God speaks to you. Do not reject the word God speaks now. Do not do like the old-time people did in the desert when they rejected what God said,’ it says.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Hebrews 3:15

It is difficult to see exactly how this verse is related to its context. The possibilities are as follows:
(a) Good News Translation and other common language translations solve the problem by making it a separate sentence, unrelated to anything else. This is the simplest practical solution and probably the best.
(b) Put verse 14 in round brackets (parentheses) and thus link “while it is said” (Revised Standard Version) with verse 13. This raises almost as many problems as it solves.
(c) Link “while it is said” with hold firmly to the end (verse 14) is a rather awkward way of introducing a repetition of the quotation; compare Moffatt “this word ever sounding in our ears, To-day…” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). This is the construction and punctuation chosen by the UBS Greek New Testament, first to third editions.
(d) Some editions of the Greek text, followed by Knox, Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible, link verses 15 and 16. New American Bible has “When Scripture says, ‘Today, if you should hear his voice, harden not your hearts as at the revolt,’ who were those that revolted when they heard that voice?” This translation rightly assumes that the writer of Hebrews goes on quoting the psalm until he reaches the word “rebel,” because he wishes to comment on that word.

This is what the scripture says must often be restructured, as in other instances, as “This is what one may read in the Scriptures” or “… at one place in the holy writings.”

The content of this passage should be translated in essentially the same manner as these words are rendered in verses 7b-8a.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .