having become by so much better than the angels, by as much as he has inherited a more excellent name than theirs.

The Son Superior to the Angels

For to which of the angels did he ever say,

“You are my son,
    today I have begotten you,”[a]

and again,

“I will be his father[b],
    and he will be my son[c]”?[d]

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“And let all the angels of God worship him.”[e]

And concerning the angels he says,

“The one who makes his angels winds,
and his servants a flame of fire,”[f]

but concerning the Son,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever[g],
and the scepter of righteous is the scepter of your kingdom.
    You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
because of this God, your God, has anointed you
    with the olive oil of joy more than your companions.[h]

10 And,

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the works of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you continue,
    and they will all become old like a garment,
12 and like a robe you will roll them up,
and like a garment they will be changed;
but you are the same, and your years will not run out.”[i]

13 But to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit down at my right hand,
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”[j]

14 Are they not all spirits engaged in special service, sent on assignment for the sake of those who are going to inherit salvation?

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 1:5 A quotation from Ps 2:7
  2. Hebrews 1:5 Literally “to him for a father”
  3. Hebrews 1:5 Literally “to me for a son”
  4. Hebrews 1:5 A quotation from 2 Sam 7:14 (cf. 1 Chr 17:13)
  5. Hebrews 1:6 A quotation from Deut 32:43 and Ps 97:7
  6. Hebrews 1:7 A quotation from Ps 104:4
  7. Hebrews 1:8 Literally “for the age of the age”
  8. Hebrews 1:9 A quotation from Ps 45:6–7
  9. Hebrews 1:12 A quotation from Ps 102:25–27
  10. Hebrews 1:13 A quotation from Ps 110:1