Hebrews 2:1-9 Bible Study
Notes
Transcript
text: Hebrews 2:1-9
1 We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment,
3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
4 and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.
5 For it is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.
6 But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
7 You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor
8 and placed everything under his feet.” When God subjected all things to him, He left nothing outside of his control. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
Pay close attention to Jesus because He’s greater than angels
Pay close attention to Jesus because He’s the greatest human
Notes and Commentary
Notes and Commentary
Commentary from Schreiner:
Introduction to 2:1-4
… the main point of the paragraph can be summarized as follows: pay attention and don’t drift away from the message proclaimed by the Son, for there is no escape for those who neglect such a great salvation.
v. 1
v. 1
1 We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
My translation:
Because of this, it is so much more necessary that we should give undivided attention to the things heard, lest we should drift away.
προσέχω: (literally, hold close; pay close attention to _) 2 Peter 1:19; Acts 8:6; 20:28; the present tense indicates the need for continued, ongoing action
τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσιν: (The things having been heard): referring to God’s speaking in His Son (Hebrews 1:2).
παραρυῶμεν (drift away): only time used in the NT; gives the image of flowing downstream. Falling away from Christ is usually a result of gradual neglect rather than an immediate decision. They are like the middle two kinds of seed in the parable of the Sower (Mark 4:16-19).
v. 2
v. 2
2 For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment,
My translation:
For if the word which was spoken by angels was reliable, and every transgression and refusal to listen received a right recompense,
βέβαιος: of something that can be relied on not to cause disappointment, reliable; also, (legally) binding, in force, valid; the “through-angels-having-been-spoken-word” was or became or proved to be reliable, trustworthy, firm, sure. This word is used of our anchor in heaven in Hebrews 6:19 to say that it is firm and secure; also used in 2 Peter 1:19 regarding the “more reliable word” - the written word that trumps personal experience.
παράβασις καὶ παρακοὴ: παρακοὴ = refusal to listen and so be disobedient, unwillingness to hear, disobedience; παράβασις may imply accidental or unintentional sins, whereas παρακοὴ would be more rebellious rejection of God’s law.
μισθαποδοσίαν: a general word for recompense or payment that can be either a positive or negative consequence; it’s used positively in Hebrews 10:35, 11:26; the related adjective μισθαποδότης is used of God in Hebrews 11:6 to say that He is the rewarder or recompenser of those who sincerely seek Him. ἔνδικον implies that this recompense is just, right, or deserved.
v. 3
v. 3
3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
My translation:
how shall we escape, having neglected such a great salvation, which, first having received (it) to be spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by the ones who heard,
ἐκφευξόμεθα: Related to the word fugitive; How will we escape? This corresponds to the final warning passage in Hebrews 12:25.
ἀμελήσαντες: to have no care for, to neglect, be unconcerned about someone or something; disregard; pay no attention to something. Just as many paid no attention to the King’s wedding invitation in Matthew 22:1-14, we are warned against neglecting or disregarding salvation.
ἐβεβαιώθη: related to the adjective from v. 2, meaning confirmed or established; just as the law given by angels was sure or reliable or established, so the salvation message given by the Lord and attested by the apostles is confirmed or reliable or established.
Commentary from Schreiner:
(regarding the final phrase, that the gospel message was confirmed to us by those who heard the Lord): this verse functions as strong evidence against Pauline authorship. Even though he wasn’t an eyewitness, he nowhere describes himself as dependent on others for the gospel he proclaimed. He emphasizes instead that Jesus called him to be an apostle on the Damascus Road and that his knowledge of the gospel was not dependent on the other apostles (Gal 1:11–17).
v. 4
v. 4
4 and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.
My translation:
while God also was bearing witness at the same time through signs and wonders and various miracles and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to His will?
συνεπιμαρτυροῦντος - “with-upon-bearing witness”; that is, adding to the witness of Jesus and the apostles, God bears witness together with them through the various means mentioned.
Commentary from Schreiner:
The NT nowhere teaches that an initial acceptance of the saving message is sufficient without perseverance in faith… Koester rightly remarks, “Warnings are not designed to rob people of hope, but to steer them away from danger in order to preserve them so that they might persevere and inherit what has been promised.”
v. 5
v. 5
5 For it is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.
My translation:
For it was not to angels that He subordinated the inhabited earth to come, about which we are speaking;
οἰκουμένην - this word was used in Heb 1:6 to mention when God brings His firstborn Son into the world, the angels will worship Him; so perhaps 1:6 is talking about the Second Coming rather than the resurrection or exaltation of Jesus.
ὑπέταξεν - to subject or subordinate (used 4 times in this section; here in v. 5 & three times in v. 8); angels are not lords of God’s creation - mankind is, and supremely, Jesus, the true Son of Man.
Again, he doesn’t want these people to have too high a view of angels, since humans will one day be superior to them, and the ultimate Man, Jesus, is the greatest human. So they should pay attention to Jesus, who has secured our rule over the world to come, rather than angels, over whom we will rule.
Hebrews Context
Rule over the world hasn’t been given to angels, and thus human beings will only reach their destiny if they belong to Jesus as the son of man.
Hebrews Context
one human being has fulfilled the purpose for which he was created: Jesus.
v. 6
v. 6
6 But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
My translation:
But someone has solemnly testified somewhere: What is man that you should be concerned about him, or the son of man that you should look after him?
By saying “someone” and “somewhere” he is not demonstrating ignorance, but drawing attention to the divine authorship of Scripture. This is God’s Word, not just pretty words written by David. This is in keeping with the theme of God speaking (1:1-2; 2:1-2)
ἐπισκέπτῃ - appears to be related to episkopos, overseer; God is the one who exercises oversight over mankind.
v. 7
v. 7
7 You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor
My translation:
For a short time you made him lower than the angels, with glory and honor you crowned him [and you placed him above the works of your hands],
βραχύ - can mean little quantity or little time; here it actually seems to mean little time (this is the word used in the LXX); but the Hebrew word מְּ֭עַט in Psalm 8 means littler (lower) in rank (not in reference to time).
If the phrase καὶ κατέστησας αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου (and you placed him above the works of your hands) is not original to Hebrews 2:7, it means the author skipped this phrase from the LXX in his translation. In fact, that seems likely, that someone who knew the LXX of Psalm 8 added this “missing” phrase to complete the citation.
Hebrews Exegesis
Who and what are human beings? For a limited period of time they are lower than the angels, but they are ultimately destined for glory and honor.
Hebrews Exegesis
The reference to the angels reflects the LXX of Ps 8:5. The MT reads, “you made him little less than God”
It seems that the “poor” translation of the Septuagint was, in God’s providence, so translated to serve as another proof of Jesus’s superiority to angels (and not say that He’s less than God!)
v. 8
v. 8
8 and placed everything under his feet.” When God subjected all things to him, He left nothing outside of his control. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.
My translation:
all things you subordinated under his feet; for when he subordinated all things he left nothing insubordinate to him. But now we do not yet see all things having been subordinated to him;
ἀνυπότακτον - the opposite of the verb being used multiple times here; unsubjected, insubordinate, independent
Hebrews Exegesis
Everything was supposed to be under the rule and dominion of human beings, but sin intervened to frustrate this rule. The subsequent argument will clarify that death (which is due to sin) thwarts human dominion over the world. The glory designed for human beings has not become a reality in human history. Instead, human history is littered with the wreckage of destruction and death
v. 9
v. 9
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
My translation:
But the one who was briefly made lower than angels we see - Jesus; because of the suffering of death He has been crowned with glory and honor, so that by God’s grace on behalf of all mankind He might taste death.
The beginning of this verse makes a contrast with the previous verses 5-8, which means that the subject of the previous verses is not Jesus as the Son of Man but humanity in general, and now in v. 9 Jesus is the fulfillment of this word about humanity. Jesus is what Adam and his descendants were supposed to be. He fulfilled this role by His death, and by His death He enables us to fulfill this role. He will “bring many sons to glory.”
διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον (because of the suffering of death He has been crowned with glory and honor) - back in v. 7, God simply crowned mankind with glory and honor without any stated cause or condition; here it is because of His suffering of death that Jesus obtained His crown of glory and honor, and because His death is on our behalf (ὑπὲρ παντὸς - on behalf of all mankind), we also will share the crown.
Jesus was lower than angels because He, unlike they, became subject to death.
γεύσηται θανάτου - if anyone keeps Jesus’s word, he will never see/taste death (John 8:51-52). Those who belong to Jesus will not taste death because He tasted it for them.
Hebrews Exegesis
The destiny for human beings, however, is revealed in the person of the true human being—Jesus.
Hebrews Exegesis
Jesus is the “representative” man who has “fulfilled the vocation intended for humankind”
Hebrews Exegesis
Hebrews uses the name Jesus when referring to “the Son’s humanity and suffering.”
Hebrews Exegesis
the rest of the human race deserved to die because of its sin, but God poured out his grace by rescuing human beings from sin and death through the death of Jesus.
Hebrews Exegesis
The subsequent context will clarify what the writer means by “everyone.” It seems that he has in mind everyone without distinction instead of everyone without exception. Jesus’ death frees from futility and the fear of death the sons brought to glory (2:10), his brothers (2:11–12), the children given to him by God (2:13), i.e., all those who belong to Abraham’s family (2:16).
Hebrews Exegesis
Jesus died in the place of human beings, thus securing their triumph over sin so they can rule with him.
Hebrews Context
Because of his suffering, his death, he is now the exalted one. Hence, his death was not for himself alone but for every human being who belongs to him. Human beings will only rule the world as God intended when they triumph over death. But Jesus is the only human being who reigns over death by virtue of his suffering. The rest of humanity will only share in that victory if they belong to Jesus.
