Hebrews 2:10-18

10 For ¹it was fitting for Him, ²for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to ³perfect the ⁴author of their salvation through sufferings.

11 For both He who ⁵sanctifies and those who ⁶are sanctified are all ⁷from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them ⁸brethren,

12 saying, "⁹I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION I WILL SING YOUR PRAISE."

13 And again, "¹⁰I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM." And again, "¹¹BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN ME."

14 Therefore, since the children share in ¹²flesh and blood, ¹³He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that ¹⁴through death He might render powerless ¹⁵him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

15 and might free those who through ¹⁶fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

17 Therefore, He had ¹⁷to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might ¹⁸become a merciful and faithful ¹⁹high priest in ²⁰things pertaining to God, to ²¹make propitiation for the sins of the people.

18 For since He Himself was ²²tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Hebrews 2:10-18 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

• 1. Luke 24:26
• 2. Romans 11:36
• 3. Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 7:28
• 4. Acts 3:15; Acts 5:31
• 5. Hebrews 13:12
• 6. Hebrews 10:10
• 7. Acts 17:28
• 8. Matthew 25:40; Mark 3:34; John 20:17
• 9. Psalms 22:22
• 10. Isaiah 8:17
• 11. Isaiah 8:18
• 12. Matthew 16:17
• 13. John 1:14
• 14. 1 Corinthians 15:54-57; 2 Timothy 1:10
• 15. John 12:31; 1 John 3:8
• 16. Romans 8:15
• 17. Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14
• 18. Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 5:2
• 19. Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 5:5, 10; Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 7:26, 28; Hebrews 8:1, 3; Hebrews 9:11; Hebrews 10:21
• 20. Romans 15:17; Hebrews 5:1
• 21. Daniel 9:24; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10
• 22. Hebrews 4:15

Footnotes

• [a] Or "leader"
• [b] Or "being sanctified"
• [c] Lit "blood and flesh"
• [d] Lit "take hold of angels, but He takes hold of"
• [e] Lit "seed"
• [f] Lit "was obligated to be"