Hebrews 2:5-15

5 But not to angels God subjected the world that is to coming [Forsooth not to angels God subjected the roundness of the earth to come], of which we speak.

6 But some man witnessed in a place, and said [Soothly some man witnessed in some place, saying], What thing is man, that thou art mindful of him, or man's son, for thou visitest him?

7 Thou hast made him a little less than angels [Thou madest him a little less from angels]; thou hast crowned him with glory and honour; and thou hast ordained him on [upon] the works of thine hands.

8 Thou hast made all things subject under his feet. And in that that he subjected all things to him, he left nothing unsubject to him [he left nothing unsubjected to him]. But now we see not yet all things subject to him;

9 but we see him that was made a little less than angels, Jesus, for the passion of death crowned with glory and honour, that he through [the] grace of God should taste death for all men.

10 For it beseemed him, for whom all things, and by whom all things were made, which had brought many sons into glory, and was author of the health of them, that he had an end by passion. [+Forsooth it became him, for whom all things, and by all things, the which had led together many sons into glory, the maker of the health of them, to end, either make perfect, by passions.]

11 For he that halloweth, and they that be hallowed, be all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 saying, I shall tell thy name to my brethren; in the middle of the church I shall praise thee.

13 And again, I shall be trusting into him; and again, Lo! I and my children, which God gave to me.

14 Therefore for children communed to flesh and blood, and he also took part of the same, that by death he should destroy him that had lordship of death, that is to say, the devil,

15 and that he should deliver them that by dread of death [and should deliver them that by dread of death], by all life were bound to servage.

Hebrews 2:5-15 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.