Hebrews 2:12-18

12 saying, I will declare thy name to my brethren; in [the] midst of [the] assembly will I sing thy praises.
13 And again, I will trust in him. And again, Behold, I and the children which God has given me.
14 Since therefore the children partake of blood and flesh, he also, in like manner, took part in the same, that through death he might annul him who has the might of death, that is, the devil;
15 and might set free all those who through fear of death through the whole of their life were subject to bondage.
16 For he does not indeed take hold of angels [by the hand], but he takes hold of the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore it behoved him in all things to be made like to [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people;
18 for, in that himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to help those that are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:12-18 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.

Footnotes 9

  • [a]. Or 'praise thee with singing.' Lit. 'hymn thee:' see Matt. 26.30.
  • [b]. See Isa. 8.17 LXX, 'I will look for him.'
  • [c]. See Isa. 8.18.
  • [d]. Koinoneo: that is, they are in that condition, as their common lot.
  • [e]. 'In like manner' is strictly 'near to,' as Phil. 2.27, 'close to.'
  • [f]. There is an intended difference here between the words for 'partake' (koinoneo) and 'took part in' (metecho), ver. 14. The first, referring to the children, is a common equal sharing of the nature. The second, referring to Christ, means, he took a part in it; and refers always to something outside myself, but which I take, or take a part in. The first work refers to a joint participation in that which belongs to me or to known fellowship. The second is used in ch. 5.13, 'partakes of milk,' in 1Cor. 9.10, where the reaper gets a share in the sower's hope, and in 1Cor. 10.17,21,30, 'partake,' where 'partaking' (metecho) is proof of participation in fellowship (koinonia), ver. 16. The word does not say how far the taking share went.
  • [g]. Or 'who had;' lit. 'having,' without reference to time. Cf. ch. 13.20.
  • [h]. It means 'to take hold of,' but it is constantly used for 'taking up a person to help him,' though in other senses as well. We say, 'he took him by the hand,' but this may be too familiar. It is used in the sense of 'taking hold of,' literally 'deliver.' The same word is used in this verse as to 'the seed of Abraham,' and also in the quotation from Jer. 31 in ch. 8.9, but there 'hand' is added in the Greek.
  • [i]. He speaks, I apprehend, historically; it was necessary for him to do this by the alleged reason, not his present judgment of divine necessity or purpose. 'Has behoved' would speak more of continuance. It behoved him when he became a man. It is what he became as man, not what he took on him.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.