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Hebrews 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Hebrews 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. Introduction[a]
Chapter 1
1 In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; 2 in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe,(A)
3 who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
When he had accomplished purification from sins,
he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,(B)
4 as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.(C)
II. The Son Higher Than the Angels
Messianic Enthronement.[b] 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say:
“You are my son; this day I have begotten you”?(D)
Or again:
“I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me”?
6 And again, when he leads[c] the first-born into the world, he says:
“Let all the angels of God worship him.”(E)
7 Of the angels he says:
“He makes his angels winds
and his ministers a fiery flame”;(F)
8 but of the Son:
“Your throne, O God,[d] stands forever and ever;
and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.(G)
9 You loved justice and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, anointed you
with the oil of gladness above your companions”;
10 and:
“At the beginning, O Lord, you established the earth,(H)
and the heavens are the works of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain;
and they will all grow old like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a cloak,
and like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”
13 But to which of the angels has he ever said:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool”?(I)
14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent to serve, for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?(J)
Footnotes
- 1:1–4 The letter opens with an introduction consisting of a reflection on the climax of God’s revelation to the human race in his Son. The divine communication was initiated and maintained during Old Testament times in fragmentary and varied ways through the prophets (Hb 1:1), including Abraham, Moses, and all through whom God spoke. But now in these last days (Hb 1:2) the final age, God’s revelation of his saving purpose is achieved through a son, i.e., one who is Son, whose role is redeemer and mediator of creation. He was made heir of all things through his death and exaltation to glory, yet he existed before he appeared as man; through him God created the universe. Hb 1:3–4, which may be based upon a liturgical hymn, assimilate the Son to the personified Wisdom of the Old Testament as refulgence of God’s glory and imprint of his being (Hb 1:3; cf. Wis 7:26). These same terms are used of the Logos in Philo. The author now turns from the cosmological role of the preexistent Son to the redemptive work of Jesus: he brought about purification from sins and has been exalted to the right hand of God (see Ps 110:1). The once-humiliated and crucified Jesus has been declared God’s Son, and this name shows his superiority to the angels. The reason for the author’s insistence on that superiority is, among other things, that in some Jewish traditions angels were mediators of the old covenant (see Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19). Finally, Jesus’ superiority to the angels emphasizes the superiority of the new covenant to the old because of the heavenly priesthood of Jesus.
- 1:5–14 Jesus’ superiority to the angels is now demonstrated by a series of seven Old Testament texts. Some scholars see in the stages of Jesus’ exaltation an order corresponding to that of enthronement ceremonies in the ancient Near East, especially in Egypt, namely, elevation to divine status (Hb 1:5–6); presentation to the angels and proclamation of everlasting lordship (Hb 1:7–12); enthronement and conferral of royal power (Hb 1:13). The citations from the Psalms in Hb 1:5, 13 were traditionally used of Jesus’ messianic sonship (cf. Acts 13:33) through his resurrection and exaltation (cf. Acts 2:33–35); those in Hb 1:8, 10–12 are concerned with his divine kingship and his creative function. The central quotation in Hb 1:7 serves to contrast the angels with the Son. The author quotes it according to the Septuagint translation, which is quite different in meaning from that of the Hebrew (“You make the winds your messengers, and flaming fire your ministers”). The angels are only sent to serve…those who are to inherit salvation (Hb 1:14).
- 1:6 And again, when he leads: the Greek could also be translated “And when he again leads” in reference to the parousia.
- 1:8–12 O God: the application of the name “God” to the Son derives from the preexistence mentioned in Hb 1:2–3; the psalmist had already used it of the Hebrew king in the court style of the original. See note on Ps 45:7. It is also important for the author’s christology that in Hb 1:10–12 an Old Testament passage addressed to God is redirected to Jesus.
Hebrews 1
New Catholic Bible
Hebrews 1
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 1
Prologue[a]
1 In previous times, God spoke to our ancestors
in many and various ways
through the Prophets,[b]
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us
through his Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things
and through whom he created the universe.
3 He is the reflection of God’s glory
and the perfect expression of his very being,[c]
sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Achieving purification from sins,
he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
4 So he became as far superior to the angels
as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
The Son of God, Superior to the Angels[d]
Messianic Enthronement.[e] For to which of the angels did God ever say,“You are my Son;
this day I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son”?[f]
6 And again, when he brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all the angels of God pay him homage.”
7 Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his servants flames of fire.”
8 But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and detested wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness far above your companions.”
10 He also says,
“In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands
11 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a cloak;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you are ever the same,
and your years will have no end.”
13 But to which of the angels has he ever said,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool”?
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
Footnotes
- Hebrews 1:1 From the opening words to the final “Amen” (Heb 13:21), readers are to keep their gaze fixed on Christ. In this magisterial sentence, “God . . . has spoken to us through his Son” (Heb 1:2), which is one of the most tightly packed and beautiful of the entire New Testament, the essence of the Letter is expressed.
God has spoken definitively in Christ, who is his real, living Word. Everything that can be said about the plan of God is made fully real in Christ. Using expressions taken from Alexandrian thought, the author says that the Son, born of the Father, is in every respect equal to him; the glorified Christ is far superior to the world of the angels, and he gives existence and salvation to every creature.
Thus, seven great theological themes are set forth: (1) Theism: God exists; (2) Revelation: God has revealed himself through the Prophets and through his Son; (3) Incarnation: God became man in Jesus Christ; (4) Creation: God created all things through Christ; (5) Providence: God upholds all things by his almighty word; Redemption: by his mediatorship and his suffering Christ made salvation possible; and Ascension: the Lord Jesus has ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. - Hebrews 1:1 Through the Prophets: this refers not only to the Prophets but to all the writers of the Old Testament, for they constituted the preparation for the coming of Christ.
- Hebrews 1:3 Perfect expression of his very being: that is, there is an identity of nature (see Wis 7:25-26).
- Hebrews 1:5 How can God, who is inaccessible and transcendent, communicate with human beings? Are not intermediaries needed to establish the link between the heavenly world and the terrestrial one? This was a question that preoccupied many Jewish circles after the Exile. In reply they insisted on the role and importance of beings who were neither human nor divine: angels. They even imagined that the intervention of the angels was needed to bring the Law to Moses (see Heb 2:2; Gal 3:19). However, if it is necessary to multiply intermediaries between God and humans, does not this mean that humanity remains decisively distant from the Lord? The perspective is completely reversed when one speaks of Christ.
5
No one is like him in intimacy with God, neither is anyone like him in proximity to humans. The link between heaven and earth is established in his very Person. It is the principal aim of the Letter to the Hebrews to hold to these two aspects of Christ: he is united through and through with God, and he is completely one with human beings. In this first part of the Letter, he is presented as Son of God and brother to human beings. - Hebrews 1:5 In Christ God has spoken in a definitive way (Heb 1:2), and the author sees this truth already proclaimed in the Old Testament. He cites a series of passages, almost all of which were regarded in the Jewish tradition as announcements of the Messiah. What are angels? Merely subordinates, mediators, and messengers ever being replaced. But the Son is the Firstborn. This is the title of honor reserved for Christ that includes a priority over creatures (see Col 1:15). He receives adoration, is enthroned, and partakes unceasingly in the status of God.
- Hebrews 1:5 I will be his Father,/and he will be my Son: before the coming of Christ, this text from 2 Sam 7:14 and the text of Ps 2 were acknowledged to be Messianic.
Hebrews 1
New International Version
Hebrews 1
New International Version
God’s Final Word: His Son
1 In the past God spoke(A) to our ancestors through the prophets(B) at many times and in various ways,(C) 2 but in these last days(D) he has spoken to us by his Son,(E) whom he appointed heir(F) of all things, and through whom(G) also he made the universe.(H) 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory(I) and the exact representation of his being,(J) sustaining all things(K) by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins,(L) he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.(M) 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.(N)
The Son Superior to Angels
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
Or again,
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn(Q) into the world,(R) he says,
7 In speaking of the angels he says,
8 But about the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;(U)
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions(V)
by anointing you with the oil(W) of joy.”[e](X)
10 He also says,
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.(Y)
11 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.(Z)
12 You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,(AA)
and your years will never end.”[f](AB)
13 To which of the angels did God ever say,
14 Are not all angels ministering spirits(AF) sent to serve those who will inherit(AG) salvation?(AH)
Footnotes
- Hebrews 1:5 Psalm 2:7
- Hebrews 1:5 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chron. 17:13
- Hebrews 1:6 Deut. 32:43 (see Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint)
- Hebrews 1:7 Psalm 104:4
- Hebrews 1:9 Psalm 45:6,7
- Hebrews 1:12 Psalm 102:25-27
- Hebrews 1:13 Psalm 110:1
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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