Hebrews 2:5-18

The Founder of Salvation

5 Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world 1to come, of which we are speaking.
6 It has been testified somewhere, 2"What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,[a]
8 putting everything in subjection under his feet."Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, 3we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.
9 But we see him 4who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, 5crowned with glory and honor 6because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might 7taste death 8for everyone.
10 For it 9was fitting that he, 10for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons 11to glory, should make the 12founder of their salvation 13perfect through suffering.
11 For 14he who sanctifies and 15those who are sanctified 16all have one source.[b] That is why he is not ashamed to call them 17brothers,[c]
12 saying, 18"I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the 19congregation I will sing your praise."
13 And again, 20"I will put my trust in him."And again, 21"Behold, I and the children 22God has given me."
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise 23partook of the same things, that 24through death he might 25destroy 26the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and deliver all those who 27through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he 28helps the offspring of Abraham.
17 Therefore he had 29to be made like his brothers in every respect, 30so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest 31in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For because he himself has suffered 32when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:5-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO HEBREWS 2

In this chapter the apostle, from the superior excellency of Christ, by whom the Gospel revelation is come, discoursed of in the preceding, urges the believers he writes to, to a more diligent attention to the Gospel, and the doctrines of it; to which he adds another motive inducing thereunto, lest those things should be let slip, and be lost, Heb 2:1 and then, by another argument from the less to the greater, that if the law, which was given by angels, could not be broken with impunity, then how should such escape divine punishment that neglected and despised the Gospel, which is a doctrine of salvation, was delivered by the Lord himself, and confirmed by various testimonies and miracles, Heb 2:2-4. And besides the Gospel dispensation is not put into the hands of angels, but into the hands of Christ, to whom all things are subject, which is proved out of Ps 8:4-6 and which proof shows, that though Christ, on account of his sufferings and death, was for a while made lower than the angels, yet being now crowned with glory and honour, he is above them, and they are subject to him, since all things are, Heb 2:5-9. And this anticipates an objection that might be taken from hence against what the apostle had asserted in the foregoing chapter, concerning the superiority of Christ to angels; and this leads him on to observe the reason of the sufferings and death of Christ, and also of his incarnation; that the moving cause of Christ's sufferings and death was the grace and good will of God; that he did not suffer for himself, but for others, for everyone of those described in the context; that inasmuch as he was the surety of those persons, it was agreeable to the justice of God, and it could not be otherwise, but he must be made perfect through suffering; and this was the way to bring many sons to glory, Heb 2:9,10 and as for his incarnation, or his becoming man, that was necessary, that the sanctifier and the sanctified might be of the same nature, that he might be able to call them brethren and children, Heb 2:11-13 as he does, for which are cited \Ps 22:22 18:2 Isa 8:18\ and because the children he engaged to bring to glory were partakers of flesh and blood; and also that he might be capable of dying, and by dying destroy the devil, and deliver his timorous people, who, through fear of death, lived in a continual state of bondage, Heb 2:14,15 for which reason he did not take upon him the nature of angels, but of the seed of Abraham, Heb 2:16 And besides, it was necessary he should be in all things like unto his brethren, that he might be merciful to them, and faithful to God, and be in a state and condition capable of sympathizing with them, and succouring them under their temptations, which he was able to do by suffering through temptation himself, Heb 2:17,18.

Cross References 32

  • 1. Hebrews 6:5
  • 2. Cited from Psalms 8:4-6
  • 3. [1 Corinthians 15:25]
  • 4. ver. 7
  • 5. Acts 3:13; 1 Peter 1:21; See Acts 2:33
  • 6. Philippians 2:7-9; See John 10:17
  • 7. Matthew 16:28; John 8:52
  • 8. See John 12:32
  • 9. [Luke 24:26]
  • 10. Romans 11:36
  • 11. [Hebrews 3:1; Romans 8:30]
  • 12. [Hebrews 5:9]
  • 13. Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 7:28; Luke 13:32; [Philippians 3:12]
  • 14. Hebrews 13:12
  • 15. Hebrews 10:10, 14, 29
  • 16. Acts 17:28
  • 17. Matthew 25:40
  • 18. Cited from Psalms 22:22
  • 19. Hebrews 12:23
  • 20. [Psalms 18:2; Isaiah 8:17; Isaiah 12:2]
  • 21. Cited from Isaiah 8:18
  • 22. See John 17:2
  • 23. See John 1:14
  • 24. See 1 Corinthians 15:54-56
  • 25. [Colossians 2:15; 2 Timothy 1:10]
  • 26. 1 John 3:8; [John 16:11]
  • 27. See Romans 8:15
  • 28. Isaiah 41:8, 9; [Hebrews 8:9]
  • 29. Philippians 2:7
  • 30. Hebrews 4:15, 16; [Hebrews 5:2, 7, 8]
  • 31. Hebrews 5:1; Romans 15:17
  • 32. Hebrews 4:15; Luke 22:28

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Some manuscripts insert and set him over the works of your hands
  • [b]. Greek all are of one
  • [c]. Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated "brothers") refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God's family, the church; also verse 12
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.