Hebrews 2:5-9

Earth Subject to Man

5 For He did not subject to angels ¹the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.

6 But one has testified ²somewhere, saying, "³WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?

7 "⁴YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;

8 ⁵YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now ⁶we do not yet see all things subjected to him.

Jesus Briefly Humbled

9 But we do see Him who was ⁷made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, ⁸because of the suffering of death ⁹crowned with glory and honor, so that ¹⁰by the grace of God He might ¹¹taste death ¹²for everyone.

Hebrews 2:5-9 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. Matthew 24:14; Hebrews 6:5
• 2. Hebrews 4:4
• 3. Psalms 8:4
• 4. Psalms 8:5, 6
• 5. Psalms 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15:27
• 6. 1 Corinthians 15:25
• 7. Hebrews 2:7
• 8. Acts 2:33; Acts 3:13; 1 Peter 1:21
• 9. Philippians 2:9; Hebrews 1:9
• 10. John 3:16
• 11. Matthew 16:28; John 8:52
• 12. Hebrews 7:25

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "the inhabited earth"
• [b] Or "...him a little lower than..."
• [c] Two early mss do not contain "And...hands"
• [d] Or "a little lower"