Hebrews 1:1

God’s Final Word: His Son

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

Read Chapter Compare

PREVIOUS Philemon 1:25 NEXT Hebrews 1:2

Hebrews 1:1 in Other Translations

KJV

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,

NLT

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.

MSG

1 Going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries.

CSB

1 Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways.

Hebrews 1:1 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 1:1

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners
The apostle begins the epistle with an account of the revelation God has made of his mind and will in former times: the author of this revelation is God, not essentially, but personally considered, even God the Father, as distinguished from his Son in the next verse; for the revelation under the Old Testament is divine, as well as that under the New; in this they both agree, in whatsoever else they differ: and this revelation was made at several times, at different seasons, and to different persons; and consisted of a variety of things relating to doctrine and worship, and concerning the Messiah, his person and office; of whom, at different times, there were gradual discoveries made, both before and after the giving of the law, from the beginning of the world, or the giving forth of the first promise, and in the times of the patriarchs, of: Moses, David, Isaiah, and other prophets: and this was delivered in various manners; sometimes by angels; sometimes in a dream; at other times by a vision; and sometimes by Urim and Thummim: and this he

spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets;
by Moses, and other succeeding prophets, as David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Zechariah, Malachi, and others; who were sent to the Jewish fathers, the ancestors of the people of the Jews, to whom they prophesied and declared the will of God, as they were moved and inspired by the Holy Ghost: and the apostle suggests, by this way of speaking, that it was a long time since God spake to this people; for prophecy had ceased ever since the times of Malachi, for the space of three hundred years; and this time past includes the whole Old Testament dispensation, from the beginning to the end of it, or of prophecy in it.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Hebrews 1:1 In-Context

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father” ? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son” ?