Hebrews 2

A Warning against Drifting Away

1So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

Jesus, the Man

5And furthermore, it is not angels who will control the future world we are talking about. 6For in one place the Scriptures say,

“What are mere mortals that you should think about them,

or a son of man#2:6 Or the Son of Man. that you should care for him?

7Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.#2:7 Some manuscripts add You gave them charge of everything you made.

8You gave them authority over all things.”#2:6-8 Ps 8:4-6 (Greek version).

Now when it says “all things,” it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. 9What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. 10God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

11So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.#2:11 Greek brothers; also in 2:12. 12For he said to God,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters.

I will praise you among your assembled people.”#2:12 Ps 22:22.

13He also said,

“I will put my trust in him,”

that is, “I and the children God has given me.”#2:13 Isa 8:17-18.

14Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had#2:14 Or has. the power of death. 15Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

16We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. 17Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters,#2:17 Greek like the brothers. so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

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Hebrews 2

Give Heed

1 # 2:1 This refers back to all of ch 1, not just the final verse. For this reason [that is, because of God’s final revelation in His Son Jesus and because of Jesus’ superiority to the angels] we must pay much closer attention than ever to the things that we have heard, so that we do not [in any way] drift away from truth. 2For if the message given #2:2 It was a tradition in Judaism that angels, whom the Jews highly regarded, had an important role in God’s giving of the Law to Moses. See Acts 7:38; Gal 3:19.through angels [the Law given to Moses] was authentic and unalterable, and every violation and disobedient act received an appropriate penalty, 3how will we escape [the penalty] if we ignore such a great salvation [the gospel, the new covenant]? For it was spoken at first by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us and proved authentic by those who personally heard [Him speak], 4[and besides this evidence] God also testifying with them [confirming the message of salvation], both by signs and wonders and by various miracles [carried out by Jesus and the apostles] and by [granting to believers the] gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.

Earth Subject to Man

5It was not to angels that God subjected the [inhabited] world of the future [when Christ reigns], about which we are speaking. 6But one has [solemnly] testified somewhere [in Scripture], saying,

“What is man, that You are mindful of him,

Or the son of man, that You graciously care for him?

7“You have made him for a little while lower [in status] than the angels;

You have crowned him with glory and honor,

# 2:7 Two early mss do not contain “And…hands.” And set him over the works of Your hands;

8You have put all things in subjection under his feet [confirming his supremacy].”

Now in putting all things in subjection to man, He left nothing outside his control. But at present we do not yet see all things subjected to him. [Ps 8:4-6]

Jesus Briefly Humbled

9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while [by taking on the limitations of humanity], crowned with glory and honor because of His suffering of death, so that by the grace of God [extended to sinners] He might experience death for [the sins of] everyone.

10For it was fitting for God [that is, an act worthy of His divine nature] that He, for whose sake are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the #2:10 Or pioneer, originator, champion.author and founder of their salvation perfect through suffering [bringing to maturity the human experience necessary for Him to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest]. 11Both Jesus who sanctifies and those who are sanctified [that is, spiritually transformed, made holy, and set apart for God’s purpose] are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them #2:11 Lit brethren.brothers and sisters, 12saying,

“I will declare Your (the Father’s) name to My brethren (believers),

In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” [Ps 22:22]

13And again [#2:13 By placing these two OT quotations on the lips of Jesus the author illustrates: 1) his high view of Scripture, and 2) that he views even written Scripture as the words of Jesus.He says],

“My trust and confident hope will be placed in Him.”

And again,

“Here I am, I and the children whom God has given Me.” [Is 8:17, 18]

14Therefore, since [these His] children share in flesh and blood [the physical nature of mankind], He Himself in a similar manner also shared in the same [physical nature, but without sin], so that through [experiencing] death He might make powerless (ineffective, impotent) him who had the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and [that He] might free all those who through [the haunting] fear of death were held in slavery throughout their lives. 16For, as we all know, He (Christ) does not take hold of [the fallen] angels [to give them a helping hand], but He does take hold of [the fallen] descendants of Abraham [extending to them His hand of deliverance]. [Is 41:8, 9] 17Therefore, it was essential that He had to be made like His brothers (mankind) in every respect, so that He might [by experience] become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things related to God, to make atonement (propitiation) for the people’s sins [thereby wiping away the sin, satisfying divine justice, and providing a way of reconciliation between God and mankind]. 18Because He Himself [in His humanity] has suffered in being tempted, He is able to help and provide immediate assistance to those who are being tempted and exposed to suffering.

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