Hebrews 2:7

7 You made them a little[a] lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor

Hebrews 2:7 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
English Standard Version (ESV)
7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,
New Living Translation (NLT)
7 Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
The Message Bible (MSG)
7 You made them not quite as high as angels, bright with Eden's dawn light;
American Standard Version (ASV)
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, And didst set him over the works of thy hands:
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
7 You made him a little lower than the angels. You crowned him with glory and honor.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
7 You made him lower than the angels for a short time; You crowned him with glory and honor
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
7 You made him a little lower than the angels. You placed on him a crown of glory and honor.

Hebrews 2:7 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 2:7

Thou madest him a little lower than the angels
In the Hebrew text it is, "than Elohim", which some render, "than God"; but it is rightly rendered by the apostle, "than angels"; and so the Targum, Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, interpret it. Christ was made a little lower than the angels, through the assumption of the human nature, which is inferior to angels, especially the corporeal part of it, and in this Kimchi makes the lessening to be; and more especially as that was assumed by Christ, with the infirmities of it; and by reason of the straits and indigencies he was brought into in it; besides, he was in it made under the law, which was given by angels, and to some parts of which they are not subject; and sometimes he stood in need of the ministry and support of angels, and had it; particularly he was made lower than they, when he was deprived of the gracious presence of God, and in the time of his sufferings and death; and which seem chiefly to be respected, as appears from ( Hebrews 2:9 ) and the word "little" may not so much intend the degree of his humiliation, as the duration of it; for it may be rendered, "a little while"; in which sense it is used in ( Acts 5:34 ) as the Hebrew word (jem) is in ( Psalms 37:10 ) and so may respect the time of his suffering death; and at most the time from his incarnation to his resurrection; for he could not continue long in this low estate, which is matter of joy to us; he could not be held by the cords of death, but must rise, and be exalted above angels, as he is: and he was made so low by God, Jehovah the Father, whose name is excellent in all the earth, ( Psalms 8:1 ) he preordained him to this low estate; he prepared a body for him, and had a very great hand in his sufferings and death; though neither of these were contrary to his will:

thou crownest him with glory and honour;
with that glory he had with the Father before the world was, and which followed upon his sufferings and death; for through them he entered into it, and upon his resurrection had it, and he is ascended on high, where he has the honour to sit at the right hand of God, which none of the angels have; and therefore is now above them, though once for a while below them, and they are now subject to him:

and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
over angels, principalities, and powers; over the kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of it, and all things in it, and made him higher than the heavens, and gave him a name above every name.

Hebrews 2:7 In-Context

5 It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.
6 But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him?
7 You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor
8 and put everything under their feet.”In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.
9 But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Or "them for a little while"
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