1God, Who at various times and in various ways spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, 2has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds; 3Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His essence, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself made purification for our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. 5For to which of the angels did He ever say: You are My Son, today I have begotten You? And again: I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son? 6And again, when He brings the Firstborn into the world, He says: Let all the angels of God do homage to Him. 7And of the angels He says: Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire. 8But to the Son He says: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your Kingdom. 9You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness, beside Your companions. 10And: You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. 11They will be destroyed, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; 12like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail. 13But to which of the angels has He ever said: Sit at My right hand, till I place Your enemies as Your footstool? 14Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who are about to inherit salvation.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE HIGHEST OF ALL REVELATIONS IS GIVEN US NOW IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO IS GREATER THAN THE ANGELS, AND WHO, HAVING COMPLETED REDEMPTION, SITS ENTHRONED AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND. (
Εβρ. 1:1-
Εβρ. 1:14)
at sundry times--Greek, "in many portions." All was not revealed to each one prophet; but one received one portion of revelation, and another another. To Noah the quarter of the world to which Messiah should belong was revealed; to Abraham, the nation; to Jacob, the tribe; to David and Isaiah, the family; to Micah, the town of nativity; to Daniel, the exact time; to Malachi, the coming of His forerunner, and His second advent; through Jonah, His burial and resurrection; through Isaiah and Hosea, His resurrection. Each only knew in part; but when that which was perfect came in Messiah, that which was in part was done away (
1Κορ. 13:12).
in divers manners--for example, internal suggestions, audible voices, the Urim and Thummim, dreams, and visions. "In one way He was seen by Abraham, in another by Moses, in another by Elias, and in another by Micah; Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel, beheld different forms" [THEODORET]. (Compare
Αρ. 12:6-
Αρ. 12:8). The Old Testament revelations were fragmentary in substance, and manifold in form; the very multitude of prophets shows that they prophesied only in part. In Christ, the revelation of God is full, not in shifting hues of separated color, but Himself the pure light, uniting in His one person the whole spectrum (
Εβρ. 1:3).
spake--the expression usual for a Jew to employ in addressing Jews. So Matthew, a Jew writing especially for Jews, quotes Scripture, not by the formula, "It is written," but "said," &c.
in time past--From Malachi, the last of the Old Testament prophets, for four hundred years, there had arisen no prophet, in order that the Son might be the more an object of expectation [BENGEL]. As God (the Father) is introduced as having spoken here; so God the Son,
Εβρ. 2:3; God the Holy Ghost,
Εβρ. 3:7.
the fathers--the Jewish fathers. The Jews of former days (
1Κορ. 10:1).
by--Greek, "in." A mortal king speaks by his ambassador, not (as the King of kings) in his ambassador. The Son is the last and highest manifestation of God (
Ματθ. 21:34,
Ματθ. 21:37); not merely a measure, as in the prophets, but the fulness of the Spirit of God dwelling in Him bodily (
Ιωάν. 1:16;
Ιωάν. 3:34;
Κολ. 2:9). Thus he answers the Jewish objection drawn from their prophets. Jesus is the end of all prophecy (
Αποκ. 19:10), and of the law of Moses (
Ιωάν. 1:17;
Ιωάν. 5:46).
2 in these last days--In the oldest manuscripts the Greek is. "At the last part of these days." The Rabbins divided the whole of time into "this age," or "world," and "the age to come" (
Εβρ. 2:5;
Εβρ. 6:5). The days of Messiah were the transition period or "last part of these days" (in contrast to "in times past"), the close of the existing dispensation, and beginning of the final dispensation of which Christ's second coming shall be the crowning consummation.
by his Son--Greek, "IN (His) Son" (
Ιωάν. 14:10). The true "Prophet" of God. "His majesty is set forth: (1) Absolutely by the very name "Son," and by three glorious predicates, "whom He hath appointed," "by whom He made the worlds," "who sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" thus His course is described from the beginning of all things till he reached the goal (
Εβρ. 1:2-
Εβρ. 1:3). (2) Relatively, in comparison with the angels,
Εβρ. 1:4; the confirmation of this follows, and the very name "Son" is proved at
Εβρ. 1:5; the "heirship,"
Εβρ. 1:6-
Εβρ. 1:9; the "making the worlds,"
Εβρ. 1:10-
Εβρ. 1:12; the "sitting at the right hand" of God,
Εβρ. 1:13-
Εβρ. 1:14." His being made heir follows His sonship, and preceded His making the worlds (
Παρ. 8:22-
Παρ. 8:23;
Εφεσ. 3:11). As the first begotten, He is heir of the universe (
Εβρ. 1:6), which He made instrumentally,
Εβρ. 11:3, where "by the Word of God" answers to "by whom"' (the Son of God) here (
Ιωάν. 1:3). Christ was "appointed" (in God's eternal counsel) to creation as an office; and the universe so created was assigned to Him as a kingdom. He is "heir of all things" by right of creation, and especially by right of redemption. The promise to Abraham that he should be heir of the world had its fulfilment, and will have it still more fully, in Christ (
Ρωμ. 4:13;
Γαλ. 3:16;
Γαλ. 4:7).
worlds--the inferior and the superior worlds (
Κολ. 1:16). Literally, "ages" with all things and persons belonging to them; the universe, including all space and ages of time, and all material and spiritual existences. The Greek implies, He not only appointed His Son heir of all things before creation, but He also (better than "also He") made by Him the worlds.
3 Who being--by pre-existent and essential being.
brightness of his glory--Greek, the effulgence of His glory. "Light of (from) light" [Nicene Creed]. "Who is so senseless as to doubt concerning the eternal being of the Son? For when has one seen light without effulgence?" [ATHANASIUS, Against Arius, Orations, 2]. "The sun is never seen without effulgence, nor the Father without the Son" [THEOPHYLACT]. It is because He is the brightness, &c., and because He upholds, &c., that He sat down on the right hand, &c. It was a return to His divine glory (
Ιωάν. 6:62;
Ιωάν. 17:5; compare Wisdom 7:25-26, where similar things are said of wisdom).
express image--"impress." But veiled in the flesh.
The Sun of God in glory beams
Too bright for us to scan;
But we can face the light that streams
For the mild Son of man. (
2Κορ. 3:18)
of his person--Greek, "of His substantial essence"; "hypostasis."
upholding all things--Greek, "the universe." Compare
Κολ. 1:15,
Κολ. 1:17,
Κολ. 1:20, which enumerates the three facts in the same order as here.
by the word--Therefore the Son of God is a Person; for He has the word [BENGEL]. His word is God's word (
Εβρ. 11:3).
of his power--"The word" is the utterance which comes from His (the Son's) power, and gives expression to it.
by himself--omitted in the oldest manuscripts.
purged--Greek, "made purification of . . . sins," namely, in His atonement, which graciously covers the guilt of sin. "Our" is omitted in the oldest manuscripts. Sin was the great uncleanness in God's sight, of which He has effected the purgation by His sacrifice [ALFORD]. Our nature, as guilt-laden, could not, without our great High Priest's blood of atonement sprinkling the heavenly mercy seat, come into immediate contact with God. EBRARD says, "The mediation between man and God, who was present in the Most Holy Place, was revealed in three forms: (1) In sacrifices (typical propitiations for guilt); (2) In the priesthood (the agents of those sacrifices); (3) In the Levitical laws of purity (Levitical purity being attained by sacrifice positively, by avoidance of Levitical pollution negatively, the people being thus enabled to come into the presence of God without dying,
Δευτ. 5:26)" (Lev. 16:1-34).
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high--fulfilling
Ψαλ. 110:1. This sitting of the Son at God's fight hand was by the act of the Father (
Εβρ. 8:1;
Εφεσ. 1:20); it is never used of His pre-existing state co-equal with the Father, but always of His exalted state as Son of man after His sufferings, and as Mediator for man in the presence of God (
Ρωμ. 8:34): a relation towards God and us about to come to an end when its object has been accomplished (
1Κορ. 15:28).
4 Being made . . . better--by His exaltation by the Father (
Εβρ. 1:3,
Εβρ. 1:13): in contrast to His being "made lower than the angels" (
Εβρ. 2:9). "Better," that is, superior to. As "being" (
Εβρ. 1:3) expresses His essential being so "being made" (
Εβρ. 7:26) marks what He became in His assumed manhood (
Φιλ. 2:6-
Φιλ. 2:9). Paul shows that His humbled form (at which the Jews might stumble) is no objection to His divine Messiahship. As the law was given by the ministration of angels and Moses, it was inferior to the Gospel given by the divine Son, who both is (
Εβρ. 1:4-
Εβρ. 1:14) as God, and has been made, as the exalted Son of man (
Εβρ. 2:5-
Εβρ. 2:18), much better than the angels. The manifestations of God by angels (and even by the angel of the covenant) at different times in the Old Testament, did not bring man and God into personal union, as the manifestation of God in human flesh does.
by inheritance obtained--He always had the thing itself, namely, Sonship; but He "obtained by inheritance," according to the promise of the Father, the name "Son," whereby He is made known to men and angels. He is "the Son of God" is a sense far exalted above that in which angels are called "sons of God" (
Ιώβ 1:6;
Ιώβ 38:7). "The fulness of the glory of the peculiar name "the Son of God," is unattainable by human speech or thought. All appellations are but fragments of its glory beams united in it as in a central sun,
Αποκ. 19:12. A name that no than knew but He Himself."
5 For--substantiating His having "obtained a more excellent name than the angels."
unto which--A frequent argument in this Epistle is derived from the silence of Scripture (
Εβρ. 1:13;
Εβρ. 2:16;
Εβρ. 7:3,
Εβρ. 7:14) [BENGEL].
this day have I begotten thee-- (
Ψαλ. 2:7). Fulfilled at the resurrection of Jesus, whereby the Father "declared," that is, made manifest His divine Sonship, heretofore veiled by His humiliation (
Πράξ. 13:33;
Ρωμ. 1:4). Christ has a fourfold right to the title "Son of God"; (1) By generation, as begotten of God; (2) By commission, as sent by God; (3) By resurrection, as "the first-begotten of the dead" (compare
Λουκ. 20:36;
Ρωμ. 1:4;
Αποκ. 1:5); (4) By actual possession, as heir of all [BISHOP PEARSON]. The Psalm here quoted applied primarily in a less full sense to Solomon, of whom God promised by Nathan to David. "I will be his father and he shall be my son." But as the whole theocracy was of Messianic import, the triumph of David over Hadadezer and neighboring kings (2Sa. 8:1-18;
Ψαλ. 2:2-
Ψαλ. 2:3,
Ψαλ. 2:9-
Ψαλ. 2:12) is a type of God's ultimately subduing all enemies under His Son, whom He sets (Hebrew, "anointed,"
Ψαλ. 2:6) on His "holy hill of Zion," as King of the Jews and of the whole earth. the antitype to Solomon, son of David. The "I" in Greek is emphatic; I the Everlasting Father have begotten Thee this day, that is, on this day, the day of Thy being manifested as My Son, "the first-begotten of the dead" (
Κολ. 1:18;
Αποκ. 1:5). when Thou hast ransomed and opened heaven to Thy people. He had been always Son, but now first was manifested as such in His once humbled, now exalted manhood united to His Godhead. ALFORD refers "this day" to the eternal generation of the Son: the day in which the Son was begotten by the Father is an everlasting to-day: there never was a yesterday or past time to Him, nor a to-morrow or future time: "Nothing there is to come, and nothing past, but an eternal NOW doth ever last" (
Παρ. 30:4;
Ιωάν. 10:30,
Ιωάν. 10:38;
Ιωάν. 16:28;
Ιωάν. 17:8). The communication of the divine essence in its fulness, involves eternal generation; for the divine essence has no beginning. But the context refers to a definite point of time, namely, that of His having entered on the inheritance (
Εβρ. 1:4). The "bringing the first-begotten into the world" (
Εβρ. 1:6), is not subsequent, as ALFORD thinks, to
Εβρ. 1:5, but anterior to it (compare
Πράξ. 2:30-
Πράξ. 2:35).
6 And--Greek, "But." Not only this proves His superiority, BUT a more decisive proof is
Ψαλ. 97:7, which shows that not only at His resurrection, but also in prospect of His being brought into the world (compare
Εβρ. 9:11;
Εβρ. 10:5) as man, in His incarnation, nativity (
Λουκ. 2:9-
Λουκ. 2:14), temptation (
Ματθ. 4:10-
Ματθ. 4:11), resurrection (
Ματθ. 28:2), and future second advent in glory, angels were designed by God to be subject to Him. Compare
1Τιμ. 3:16, "seen of angels"; God manifesting Messiah as one to be gazed at with adoring love by heavenly intelligences (
Εφεσ. 3:10;
2Θεσ. 1:9-10;
1Πέτ. 3:22). The fullest realization of His Lordship shall be at His second coming (
Ψαλ. 97:7;
1Κορ. 15:24-25;
Φιλ. 2:9). "Worship Him all ye gods" ("gods," that is, exalted beings, as angels), refers to God; but it was universally admitted among the Hebrews that God would dwell, in a peculiar sense, in Messiah (so as to be in the Talmud phrase, "capable of being pointed to with the finger"); and so what was said of God was true of, and to be fulfilled in, Messiah. KIMCHI says that the ninety-third through the hundred first Psalms contain in them the mystery of Messiah. God ruled the theocracy in and through Him.
the world--subject to Christ (
Εβρ. 2:5). As "the first-begotten" He has the rights of primogeniture (
Ρωμ. 8:29);
Κολ. 1:15-
Κολ. 1:16,
Κολ. 1:18). In
Δευτ. 32:43, the Septuagint has, "Let all the angels of God worship Him," words not now found in the Hebrew. This passage of the Septuagint may have been in Paul's mind as to the form, but the substance is taken from
Ψαλ. 97:7. The type David, in the
Ψαλ. 89:27 (quoted in
Εβρ. 1:5), is called "God's first-born, higher than the kings of the earth"; so the antitypical first-begotten, the son of David, is to be worshipped by all inferior lords, such as angels ("gods,"
Ψαλ. 97:7); for He is "King of kings and Lord of lords" (
Αποκ. 19:16). In the Greek, "again" is transposed; but this does not oblige us, as ALFORD thinks, to translate, "when He again shall have introduced," &c., namely, at Christ's second coming; for there is no previous mention of a first bringing in; and "again" is often used in quotations, not to be joined with the verb, but parenthetically ("that I may again quote Scripture"). English Version is correct (compare
Ματθ. 5:33; Greek,
Ιωάν. 12:39).
7 of--The Greek is rather, "In reference TO the angels."
spirits--or "winds": Who employeth His angels as the winds, His ministers as the lightnings; or, He maketh His angelic ministers the directing powers of winds and flames, when these latter are required to perform His will. "Commissions them to assume the agency or form of flames for His purposes" [ALFORD]. English Version, "maketh His angels spirits," means, He maketh them of a subtle, incorporeal nature, swift as the wind. So
Ψαλ. 18:10, "a cherub . . . the wings of the wind."
Εβρ. 1:14, "ministering spirits," favors English Version here. As "spirits" implies the wind-like velocity and subtle nature of the cherubim, so "flame of fire" expresses the burning devotion and intense all-consuming zeal of the adoring seraphim (meaning "burning),
Ησ. 6:1. The translation, "maketh winds His messengers, and a flame of fire His ministers (!)," is plainly wrong. In the
Ψαλ. 104:3-
Ψαλ. 104:4, the subject in each clause comes first, and the attribute predicated of it second; so the Greek article here marks "angels" and "ministers" as the subjects, and "winds" and "flame of fire," predicates, Schemoth Rabba says, "God is called God of Zebaoth (the heavenly hosts), because He does what He pleases with His angels. When He pleases, He makes them to sit (
Κρ. 6:11); at other times to stand (
Ησ. 6:2); at times to resemble women (
Ζαχ. 5:9); at other times to resemble men (
Γέν. 18:2); at times He makes them 'spirits'; at times, fire." "Maketh" implies that, however exalted, they are but creatures, whereas the Son is the Creator (
Εβρ. 1:10): not begotten from everlasting, nor to be worshipped, as the Son (
Αποκ. 14:7;
Αποκ. 22:8-
Αποκ. 22:9).
8 O God--the Greek has the article to mark emphasis (
Ψαλ. 45:6-
Ψαλ. 45:7).
for ever . . . righteousness--Everlasting duration and righteousness go together (
Ψαλ. 45:2;
Ψαλ. 89:14).
a sceptre of righteousness--literally, "a rod of rectitude," or "straightforwardness." The oldest manuscripts prefix "and" (compare
Εσθ. 4:11).
9 iniquity--"unnrighteousness." Some oldest manuscripts read, "lawlessness."
therefore--because God loves righteousness and hates iniquity.
God . . . thy God--JEROME, AUGUSTINE, and others translate
Ψαλ. 45:7, "O God, Thy God, hath anointed thee," whereby Christ is addressed as God. This is probably the true translation of the Hebrew there, and also of the Greek of Hebrews here; for it is likely the Son is addressed, "O God," as in
Εβρ. 1:8. The anointing here meant is not that at His baptism, when He solemnly entered on His ministry for us; but that with the "oil of gladness," or "exulting joy" (which denotes a triumph, and follows as the consequence of His manifested love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity), wherewith, after His triumphant completion of His work, He has been anointed by the Father above His fellows (not only above us, His fellow men, the adopted members of God's family, whom "He is not ashamed to call His brethren," but above the angels, fellow partakers in part with Him, though infinitely His inferiors, in the glories, holiness, and joys of heaven; "sons of God," and angel "messengers," though subordinate to the divine Angel--"Messenger of the covenant"). Thus He is antitype to Solomon, "chosen of all David's many sons to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel," even as His father David was chosen before all the house of his father's sons. The image is drawn from the custom of anointing guests at feasts (
Ψαλ. 23:5); or rather of anointing kings: not until His ascension did He assume the kingdom as Son of man. A fuller accomplishment is yet to be, when He shall be VISIBLY the anointed King over the whole earth (set by the Father) on His holy hill of Zion,
Ψαλ. 2:6,
Ψαλ. 2:8. So David, His type, was first anointed at Bethlehem (
1Σαμ. 16:13;
Ψαλ. 89:20); and yet again at Hebron, first over Judah (
2Σαμ. 2:4), then over all Israel (
2Σαμ. 5:3); not till the death of Saul did he enter on his actual kingdom; as it was not till after Christ's death that the Father set Him at His right hand far above all principalities (
Εφεσ. 1:20-
Εφεσ. 1:21). The forty-fifth Psalm in its first meaning was addressed to Solomon; but the Holy Spirit inspired the writer to use language which in its fulness can only apply to the antitypical Solomon, the true Royal Head of the theocracy.
10 And--In another passage (
Ψαλ. 102:25-
Ψαλ. 102:27) He says.
in the beginning--English Version,
Ψαλ. 102:25, "of old": Hebrew, "before," "aforetime." The Septuagint, "in the beginning" (as in
Γέν. 1:1) answers by contrast to the end implied in "They shall perish," &c. The Greek order here (not in the Septuagint) is, "Thou in the beginning, O Lord," which throws the "Lord" into emphasis. "Christ is preached even in passages where many might contend that the Father was principally intended" [BENGEL].
laid the foundation of--"firmly founded" is included in the idea of the Greek.
heavens--plural: not merely one, but manifold, and including various orders of heavenly intelligences (
Εφεσ. 4:10).
works of thine hands--the heavens, as a woven veil or curtain spread out.
11 They--The earth and the heavens in their present state and form "shall perish" (
Εβρ. 12:26-
Εβρ. 12:27;
2Πέτ. 3:13). "Perish" does not mean annihilation; just as it did not mean so in the case of "the world that being overflowed with water, perished" under Noah (
2Πέτ. 3:6). The covenant of the possession of the earth was renewed with Noah and his seed on the renovated earth. So it shall be after the perishing by fire (
2Πέτ. 3:12-13).
remainest--through (so the Greek) all changes.
as . . . a garment-- (
Ησ. 51:6).
12 vesture--Greek, "an enwrapping cloak."
fold them up--So the Septuagint,
Ψαλ. 102:26; but the Hebrew, "change them." The Spirit, by Paul, treats the Hebrew of the Old Testament, with independence of handling, presenting the divine truth in various aspects; sometimes as here sanctioning the Septuagint (compare
Ησ. 34:4;
Αποκ. 6:14); sometimes the Hebrew; sometimes varying from both.
changed--as one lays aside a garment to put on another.
thou art the same-- (
Ησ. 46:4;
Μαλ. 3:6). The same in nature, therefore in covenant faithfulness to Thy people.
shall not fail--Hebrew, "shall not end." Israel, in the Babylonian captivity, in the hundred second Psalm, casts her hopes of deliverance on Messiah, the unchanging covenant God of Israel.
13 Quotation from
Ψαλ. 110:1. The image is taken from the custom of conquerors putting the feet on the necks of the conquered (
Ιησ. 10:24-
Ιησ. 10:25).
14 ministering spirits--referring to
Εβρ. 1:7, "spirits . . . ministers." They are incorporeal spirits, as God is, but ministering to Him as inferiors.
sent forth--present participle: "being sent forth" continually, as their regular service in all ages.
to minister--Greek, "unto (that is, 'for') ministry."
for them--Greek, "on account of the." Angels are sent forth on ministrations to God and Christ, not primarily to men, though for the good of "those who are about to inherit salvation" (so the Greek): the elect, who believe, or shall believe, for whom all things, angels included, work together for good (
Ρωμ. 8:28). Angels' ministrations are not properly rendered to men, since the latter have no power of commanding them, though their ministrations to God are often directed to the good of men. So the superiority of the Son of God to angels is shown. They "all," how ever various their ranks, "minister"; He is ministered to. They "stand" (
Λουκ. 1:19) before God, or are "sent forth" to execute the divine commands on behalf of them whom He pleases to save; He "sits on the right hand of the Majesty on high" (
Εβρ. 1:3,
Εβρ. 1:13). He rules; they serve.