The train of thought in this opening chapter of the epistle is the following: God, who in past ages has given various partial revelations, has now made a full revelation of himself through his Son, who is the brightness of his glory, the maker and upholder of all things, and exalted above all the an... [ Continue Reading ]
HEIR OF ALL THINGS; Christ is the only begotten Son of God, in the high and incommunicable sense of possessing equality with the Father in nature. By virtue of this his sonship, God has made him heir of all that he possesses, that is, of the universe, and constituted him the sovereign Lord and Ruler... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY; in him the glory of the Father shines forth, so that in and through him the Father's glory is seen. John 1:14; John 14:9; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:6. THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON; he in whom the very being of God is represented to us, as far as we are able to apprehend it. The... [ Continue Reading ]
BETTER; in dignity and office. BY INHERITANCE OBTAINED; obtained as his just right. See note to verse Hebrews 1:2. A MORE EXCELLENT NAME; that of the Son of God. Angels and men are called sons of God; but Christ alone is "the Son of God" in a high and peculiar sense, because, as Son, he has the sa... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ARE MY SON; see the following note on the quotation from 2 Samuel 7:14. THIS DAY HAVE I BEGOTTEN THEE; some understand these words of Christ's eternal sonship, supposing that with God, to whom time is nothing, "this day" may include eternity. But they are more commonly taken in a declarative s... [ Continue Reading ]
BRINGETH IN THE FIRST - BEGOTTEN INTO THE WORLD; by his incarnation and the events that followed it, thus establishing in and through him "the kingdom of heaven" among men. It is of this kingdom that the ninety-seventh Psalm, from which the apostle immediately proceeds to quote, speaks. It describes... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OF THE ANGELS HE SAITH; Psalms 104:4. God indicates the nature and office of angels by calling them SPIRITS and A FLAME OF FIRE. The quotation, as usual in this epistle, is made from the Greek version of the Seventy.... [ Continue Reading ]
THY THRONE, O GOD, IS FOR EVER AND EVER; taken from Psalms 45:6-7, where the Messiah appears in the character of the husband of the church.... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOVE THY FELLOWS; in power and office; for God has made him "King of kings, and Lord of lords," Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16; exalting him not only above all human kings, but above all heavenly principalities and powers. Ephesians 1:21; PHILIPPIANS 2:9-10; COLOSSIANS 1:18.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING; taken from Psalms 102:25-27, another psalm which prays for the coming of God in glory to build up Zion, verse Psalms 102:16, and which, like Psalms 97:1-12, has its true fulfilment in Christ, who is God manifested in the flesh.... [ Continue Reading ]
As Christ made, sustains, and governs all things, and will remain unchangeable for ever, it is safe to trust in him, and to commit all our interests to his care and disposal.... [ Continue Reading ]
SIT ON MY RIGHT HAND; PSALMS 110:1. The Saviour interprets these words of himself. Matthew 22:41-45.... [ Continue Reading ]
MINISTERING SPIRITS; GENESIS 19:1-23; PSALMS 34:7; PSALMS 103:21; DANIEL 6:22; DANIEL 7:10. Christians are highly honored and greatly blessed; their attendants are more exalted than those of any earthly kings, and they are themselves to be kings and priests unto God, and to reign with him for ever a... [ Continue Reading ]