HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:1 Jesus Is Superior to Angelic Beings. Jesus’ identity (Hebrews 1:1) shows his superiority to angels. This superiority includes his uniqueness as Son of God (Hebrews 1:5) and his humanity as Son of Man. Because of both he is the perfect founder of salvation (Hebrews 2:5).... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:2 Four contrasts occur between vv. Hebrews 1:1 and Hebrews 1:2: time of revelation (“long ago” vs. THESE LAST DAYS); agent of revelation (“prophets” vs. SON); recipients of revelation (“fathers” vs. US); and the unity of the final revelation in the Son (“many times and in m... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:3 GLORY is often described as light (Isaiah 60:1; Revelation 21:23). Here the Son is God’s glorious light. Jesus is the EXACT IMPRINT of God’s real NATURE. Thus the Son is identical to God in substance, characteristics, and abilities. RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH. The... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:4 The main theme of chs. Hebrews 1:1 is announced: Jesus is SUPERIOR TO ANGELS. There was much speculation about angels in first-century Judaism. Angels minister before God’s throne. They guide and protect humans. They revealed the Mosaic law (see Hebrews 1:7; Hebrews 2:2;... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:5 YOU ARE MY SON. This quotes Psalms 2:7. In that psalm the Messiah is the Anointed One (Psalms 2:2), is king over all (Psalms 2:6), and especially is God’s Son (Psalms 2:7). TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU. A poetic expression reflecting the unique relationship of the Son to God... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:6 The FIRSTBORN son in Israelite families had first place in terms of inheritance (see Genesis 43:33; Exodus 4:22). The title as applied to Jesus does not mean that he was created (see note on Col. 1:15). LET ALL GOD’S ANGELS WORSHIP HIM may refer to either Psalms 97:7 or D... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:7 The splendor of ANGELS is acknowledged, proving that the Son, who is superior to all the angels, is all the more glorious. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:8 The quotation (Psalms 45:6) is from a psalm about the Davidic king. Only Jesus, the Davidic Messiah (the ANOINTED One), truly fits this description. YOUR THRONE, O GOD. The messianic Son is rightfully called God by God the Father. (See also John 1:1, John 1:18; John 20:28... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:10 In light of the clear statement about Christ’s deity (vv. Hebrews 1:8), the author emphasizes his role in creation and his eternality. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:13 Cited from Psalms 110:1. This psalm of David is quite significant in Hebrews 1:1 (see Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 7:17, Hebrews 7:21) and elsewhere (Matthew 22:44; Acts 2:34;... [ Continue Reading ]
HEBREWS—NOTE ON HEBREWS 1:14 MINISTERING SPIRITS. Angels SERVE believers, those WHO ARE TO INHERIT SALVATION. But salvation is possible only through Jesus (Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 9:28). The angels’ important role still pales in comparison to him. ⇐ ⇔ [ Continue Reading ]