Hebrews 2:8

8 You gave them authority over all things.” Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority.

Hebrews 2:8 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 2:8

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet
Good angels, men and devils, all things in heaven, earth, and sea; see ( 1 Peter 3:22 )

for in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that
is not put under him;
there is no one person or thing that is not subject to Christ; the subjection is the most universal, either voluntary or involuntary; whether they will or not, they are, and must be subject; God has left nothing but what he has put under his power:

but now we see not yet all things put under him;
this seems to be an objection, and even a contradiction to what is before said; which may be removed by observing, that though this general subjection is not seen by us, it does not follow that it is not; and though it is not as yet visible, yet it will be: and besides, the apostle's sense may be, that no such general subjection to any mere man has ever been seen and known; as not to Solomon, nor Ahasuerus, nor Cyrus, nor Alexander the great, nor Julius, nor Augustus Caesar, nor any other; and this he may observe, to show the non-application of this passage to any but to Jesus Christ; and this sense is confirmed by what follows.

Hebrews 2:8 In-Context

6 For in one place the Scriptures say, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him?

7 Yet you made them only a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.

8 You gave them authority over all things.” Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority.

9 What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.

10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ps 8:4-6 (Greek version).