Hebrews 2
J.B. Phillips New Testament
The angels had authority in past ages: today the Son is the authority
2 1-4 We ought, therefore, to pay the greatest attention to the truth that we have heard and not allow ourselves to drift away from it. For if the message given through angels proved authentic, so that defiance of it and disobedience to it received appropriate retribution, how shall we escape if we refuse to pay proper attention to the salvation that is offered us today? For this salvation came first through the words of the Lord himself: it was confirmed for our hearing by men who had heard him speak, and God moreover has plainly endorsed their witness by signs and miracles, by all kinds of spiritual power, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, all working to the divine plan.
5 For though in past ages God did grant authority to angels, yet he did not put the future world of men under their control, and it is this world that we are now talking about.
6-7 But someone has said: ‘What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you take care of him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honour, and set him over the works of your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet’.
8 Notice that the writer puts “all things” under the sovereignty of man: he left nothing outside his control. But we do not yet see “all things” under his control.
Christ became man, not angel, to save mankind
9-12 What we actually see is Jesus, after being made temporarily inferior to the angels (and so subject to pain and death), in order that he should, in God’s grace, taste death for every man, now crowned with glory and honour. It was right and proper that in bringing many sons to glory, God (from whom and by whom everything exists) should make the leader of their salvation a perfect leader through the fact that he suffered. For the one who makes men holy and the men who are made holy share a common humanity. So that he is not ashamed to call them his brothers, for he says: ‘I will declare your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to you’.
13 And again, speaking as a man, he says: ‘I will put my trust in him’. And, one more instance, in these words: ‘Here am I and the children whom God has given me’.
14-18 Since, then, “the children” have a common physical nature as human beings, he also became a human being, so that by going through death as a man he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might also set free those who lived their whole lives a prey to the fear of death. It is plain that for this purpose he did not become an angel; he became a man, in actual fact a descendant of Abraham. It was imperative that he should be made like his brothers in nature, if he were to become a High Priest both compassionate and faithful in the things of God, and at the same time able to make atonement for the sins of the people. For by virtue of his own suffering under temptation he is able to help those who are exposed to temptation.
Hebrews 2
New King James Version
Do Not Neglect Salvation
2 Therefore we must give [a]the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word (A)spoken through angels proved steadfast, and (B)every transgression and disobedience received a just [b]reward, 3 (C)how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, (D)which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was (E)confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4 (F)God also bearing witness (G)both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and (H)gifts[c] of the Holy Spirit, (I)according to His own will?
The Son Made Lower than Angels(J)
5 For He has not put (K)the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. 6 But one testified in a certain place, saying:
(L)“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
7 You have made him [d]a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
[e]And set him over the works of Your hands.
8 (M)You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now (N)we do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, (O)who was made [f]a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death (P)crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death (Q)for everyone.
Bringing Many Sons to Glory
10 For it was fitting for Him, (R)for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation (S)perfect through sufferings. 11 For (T)both He who [g]sanctifies and those who are being sanctified (U)are all of one, for which reason (V)He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying:
(W)“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”
13 And again:
(X)“I will put My trust in Him.”
And again:
(Y)“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He (Z)Himself likewise shared in the same, (AA)that through death He might destroy him who had the power of (AB)death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who (AC)through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not [h]give aid to angels, but He does [i]give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had (AD)to be made like His brethren, that He might be (AE)a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 (AF)For in that He Himself has suffered, being [j]tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 2:1 all the more careful attention
- Hebrews 2:2 retribution or penalty
- Hebrews 2:4 distributions
- Hebrews 2:7 Or for a little while
- Hebrews 2:7 NU, M omit the rest of v. 7.
- Hebrews 2:9 Or for a little while
- Hebrews 2:11 sets apart
- Hebrews 2:16 Or take on the nature of
- Hebrews 2:16 Or take on
- Hebrews 2:18 tested
Hebrews 2
King James Version
2 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.
6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
