Hebrews 2

Paul. Again, the former revelation was given in a great variety of ways, and by a succession of prophets, through many generations; the latter by the ministry of Jesus, and his apostles, within the space of a few years. Another circumstance, far more striking and important, was the different ranks and importance of the messengers—God ‘hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,” &c., and whose rank and dignity now demand our special consideration. 1. He is the Son—so called in distinction from all the adopted sons of God; and he is therefore elsewhere called God’s own, and only begotten Son. ((Romans 8:3); and (John 1:14, 18).) As such he is declared to be “heir of all things,”

and “Lord of all” creatures; by whom also he made the worlds, as is stated by St. John, ((Hebrews 1:3).) He is also asserted to be the “brightness,” effulgence, and beaming forth of the Father’s glory, and the express character of his person; so that whatever perfections exist in the nature of the eternal Father, have an exact counterpart in the person of the Son; just as every mark or character of a seal is imprinted on the melted wax to which it is applied; language which certainly can be applied to no mere creature without confounding opposites in nature. When it is said, “upholding all things by the word of his power,” it has been questioned whether the pronoun [his] should be referred to the Father or the Son; but so united, so completely the same, are the divine perfections of the sacred Three, that it is in vain to attempt to distinguish them: if they are one in nature, so must they be in every divine perfection.

It is added, “when he had by himself purged our sins;” that is, when, by the sacrifice which he offered on the cross, he had atoned for our sins, he then took his place at the right hand of the Majesty on high: and here we may remark a striking difference of expression. Before his incarnation, the Son was in the bosom of the Father; after his ascension, he took his place at his right hand—his person, his character, his achievements for our redemption were acknowledged, and gloriously “Being made, or having become, so much better than the angels, as he hath by right of inheritance, as the Son of God, obtained a more excellent and honourable name than they’ any one of them thus emphatically—“Thou art my Son!”

much less exalted any other being as an object of worship to the heavenly hosts, saying, “Let all the extn of God worship.” And here we may remark how much the sacred writers (and Paul especially) delight in heaping honours upon our Saviour. Speak of him as a man, and he is “fairer than (all) the sons of men” beside. Speak of him as a king, and he excels both in the equity and benignity of his throne; he is “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” Thus is he anointed with the oil of gladness and of grace, above all with whom he may be reckoned or associated. ‘‘In all things he hath the pre-eminence.” ((Colossians 1:18).) What is said, verse 7, concerning the angels, is generally understood as a comparison between those celestial beings and the material agents of air and fire, as we have explained it, in the exposition of (Psalms 104:4), from whence these words are quoted; and Doddridge here paraphrases the passage thus: ‘He who rules the winds and the lightnings, has his angels under equal command; and employs them with the strength of winds, and the rapidity of lightnings, in his service.” With respect to the doctrine of angels, we know that they are all ministering spirits, employed by Christ in the government of the world and of the church. Sometimes they direct the tempest or the pestilence, and at others, they wait upon the church or its ministers, (see (2 Kings 19:35); (1 Kings 19:5) &c.;) but we never read of their being seated upon thrones, or authorized to receive the homage of their fellow creatures, which, indeed, when offered, they have conscientiously refused.

((Revelation 22:8-9).) When it is said, They “are all ministering spirits,” the word all “is here emphatical, denoting (says Dr. Macknight) that even the highest orders of angels bow the knee to Jesus; ministering in the affairs of the world according to his direction. But though the Scriptures speak of all the angels as thus ministering, this does not imply that every angel is thus actually employed, in ministering for the heirs of salvation, but that every one of them is subject to be so employed.” And these angels are ministers who belong to Christ, not to men, though employed for their benefit: nor will this passage prove that each sage of salvation has a guardian angel individually assigned to him, as some have supposed.

Chap. II. Ver. 1—18. We must take heed to the gospel of Christ Jesus, who became man, and suffered for our salvation. It is the manner of St. Paul to associate himself with the persons to whom he wrote as one of them; and therefore, though he had himself received the gospel immediately from the Lord Jesus, he speaks of himself as if he had only heard it preached in the same way as others, in order to press upon them the more effectually, the necessity and importance of attending to its momentous doctrines. The present chapter connects itself with the former by a ‘therefore;” deriving from the dignity of Christ’s person a forcible argument for attending to the message of his grace; “for if the word spoken by angels was steadfast,”

&c. But what was the word spoken by angels? Unquestionably the Mosaic dispensation, and especially the moral law. This, St. Stephen informs us, was “given by the disposition of angels,” ((Acts 7:38);) and St. Paul says, “It was ordained by angels in the hands of a mediator,” namely, Moses.) ((Galatians 3:19).) How far the agency of angels may be employed, it is alike useless and impertinent to inquire; but the gospel being delivered by the mouth of the Son of God himself, acquires thereby a weight superior to the law, which, though from the voice of God, was delivered by the medium of his servants. So the apostle had argued in the beginning of this epistle: “God, who in time past spoke by the prophets, hath now spoken by his Son.”

Well might he, therefore, add, ‘“How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation!” A salvation truly great in every point of view in which it can be considered; whether in reference to the ruin from which it saves, or the happiness to which it exalts; whether we consider the price it cost, or the grace it exhibits. And great also is the evidence with which its promulgation is attended—“signs and wonders, with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost.” By “the world to come,” (ver. 5,) we understand the gospel dispensation, or kingdom of Messiah, (as in (Hebrews 6:5),) which was so called, as is well known, by the ancient Rabbies; but what is the meaning of this not being subjected to the angels?

1. It implies that the old dispensation was so subjected, as we have seen in the preceding chapter; for ‘‘the law was given by the disposition of angels;’’ but, 2d, Not so the gospel; that was committed to men like ourselves—even to sinners, that they might know how to act toward their fellow sinners. Angels are appointed neither to govern, nor to instruct the church: on the contrary, when they enter the church, it is to learn “the manifold wisdom of God, as displayed in the mysteries of the gospel, which things the angels desire to look into.” (See (Ephesians 3:10). 1 Peter i. 12.) In the passage here quoted from the 8th Psalm, it is evident that the apostle considered Christ as “the second Adam,”

(as in (1 Corinthians 15:45-47),) sent to ‘restore the ruins of the first;” and to realize that government which the other forfeited by sin. And “we see Jesus (the Lord from heaven) made a little (while) lower than the angels,” that he might be capable of dying for our sins; and, as a reward for high humiliation and sufferings, raised again to glory and honour, and placed at the head of all creation, all things being in a train of subjugation to him; the final accomplishment of which will peg the mediatorial system, as we have already seen in (1 Corinthians 15:26-28), to which we must refer, to avoid repetition. While, however, there remains any enemy unsubdued, that is, till the general resurrection, (for “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death,”) his kingdom will be progressing in the world; for “he must reign till all things are put under him,”

When God is said to make the Prince, or “Captain of our salvation,” perfect, it does not imply that any imperfection was attached to his character; but only that it was necessary for him to suffer trials and temptations, that he might be fully prepared to succour such of his people as were tried and tempted; and in order thus to suffer, it was necessary that he should take upon him all the sinless infirmities of human nature. Farther, that he might dethrone, depose, and destroy the assumed tyranny of death, not only over the bodies, but also over the minds of men, it was necessary that he should

Notes on the verses

Hath in these last days—Namely, of the gospel dispensation. See note on (1 Timothy 4:1)—By his Son.—Doddridge, ‘‘The Son,” the pronoun his being an unnecessary supplement. Heir—That is, Lord or proprietor— all things.—So Paul teaches us, (Galatians 4:1). ‘The heir is “Lord of all,” which title Peter also ascribes to Christ, ((Acts 10:36).) Pye Smith remarks, that the Greek word for heir is by no means restricted to the primary meaning of possess.. by descent, and refers to Bie? and Schleusner, as authorities — By whom also he made the worlds—i. e. the material or visible creation: so the word is evidently used in Chap., xi. 3.. Ver. 3. Who being the brightness of his glory—i. e. of the Father’s glory ——and the express image—or “character;”

that is, says the learned Leigh, “* Answering to the divine perfections, as the impression of wax does to the engraving of the seal.” Doddridge adds, ‘‘It is observable, that Philo calls the Logos ‘the character of the image of God.’ ”——Of his person—(Greek Hypostasis.) So Doddridge; but Macknight renders it, ‘* An exact image of his substance.” (Compare Col. i, 15.) And so the word hypostasis is rendered, ch. xi. 1: “The substance of things hoped for.” Pye Smith quotes Rosenmüller, as saying, “It denotes God himself. The Son is called the absolutely perfect image of the Father, because he is like him in power, wisdom, goodness, &c.; since, by a Son, we understand one of the same nature as the Father.’ Schleusner explains it, ‘* The express resemblance of the essence or nature of God, and of his unchangeable majesty.”.——And upholding all _ M’Lean.

Compare Col. 1. 16. See The word property signifies upholding, bearing, or sustaining.” Ver. 4. Being made, &c.—Macknight, “He is so much better than [Doddridge,‘superior to’] the angels by how much he hath inherited ” &c. Our common translation, “by inheritance obtained,” seems to imply the death of the Father, from whom such inheritance descended; but it is not so in the East, as we have observed in the parable of the prodigal son, where the father ‘‘divided his living,” or property, between his sons. Doddridge, Macknight, and M’Lean, read simply, “He hath inherited;” and Campbell (on (Matthew 5:3)) reads that the original may denote the attainment of property by any kind of Ver. 5. For unto which, &c.—That is, none of the angels have been thus honoured.—I till be to him a Father, &c.—(2 Samuel 7:14), where it is spoken of Solomon, who was a type of Christ. See Ver. 6. And again, when he bringeth.—Margin, “‘And when he bringeth again,” i. e. after his resurrection. So Doddridge, Macknight, M‘Lean, &c. —The first-begotten.—Macknight and M’Lean, “‘first-born.” Compare (Romans 1:4). (Colossians 1:18). (Revelation 1:5). \ Ver. 7. And of.—Doddridge, ‘‘concerning’’—the angels.——And let all the angels of God worship him.—This appears taken from (Psalms 97:7), which is thus read in the LXX.—“Worship him all ye his angels.” Abrabanel in (Isaiah 52:13), confesses that the ancient Rabbies explained this place of the Messiah, who was to be exalted above Abraham, above Moses, and above the angels. See Hammond in (Hebrews 1:4).:: Ver. 9. Above thy fellows.—Doddridge, ‘‘associates;” by which many understand the angels, but we think unjustly. Ver. 12. As vesture shalt thou fold them up.—Compare (Isaiah 34:4); (Revelation 6:14); also 2 Peter iii. 4—7. Ver. 13. But to which, &c.—See Ps. ex. 1. Compare (Matthew 22:43-46). Ver. 14. To minister for them.—Doddridge, “to attend on those who shall inherit salvation.” Chap. II. Ver. 1. Therefore ought to give the more earnest heed.—Macknight, ‘On this account we ought to attend the more earnestly."—Let them slip Margin “Run out, as leaking vessels;” or, perhaps, as water through a sieve. Ver. 4, And gifts.—Margin, ‘‘distributions;” that is, of the various gifts of the Spirit.

Compare (1 Corinthians 12:1). Ver. 5. For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection—i. e. under their government or direction, as the animal world was placed under subjection to Adam, as is stated in ver. 8 following, and in (Genesis 1:28).—The world to come.—This, as we learn from Maimonides, was a common phrase to designate the kingdom of Messiah, called also the age to come, or the future age.—Whereof we speak—Or treat; and that he was speaking of this kingdom of the Messiah, is evident from the context, ver. 3, 4. Ver. 7. A little lower.—Margin, “A little while inferior to;” meaning the Son of Man when upon earth. Ver. 9. But we see Jesus, &c.—In our translation, it should seem as if the death of Christ was subsequent to his exaltation, which is exactly the reverse of the fact; Macknight therefore transposes the passage thus: “But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made less than angels, that by the grace of God he might taste of death on account of every one, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.”

The Doctor admits that the Psp. text is in the order of our translation; but he adds, ‘* This inverted order the Greek language admits, by reason of its peculiar structure: but in translating such passages into a language which, like the English, sparingly admits an inverted use of the words, they must be arranged according to their natural order, as is done in the new translation.” Compare with this passage (Philippians 2:9-11).—For every man.—Macknight, as above, renders the Greek (wper,) ‘on account of;” but Doddridge retains the common version, “For.”.——Every man.—‘Every one,” in Macknight, is somewhat more literal, and he restrains the term (as Gil? does) to ‘“‘every one of the sons who is brought to glory;”’ though he admits the death of Christ to be a benefit to all men.

Ver. 10. It became him, &c.—See (Romans 11:36).—To make the captain.— Doddridge, “Leader,” or Prince. The word is rendered Prince in (Acts 5:15); v. 31. Ver. 11. All of one—i. e. of one family; or, according to M‘Lean, of one Ver. 12. In the midst of the church.— The church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men,” &c. Ver. 14. Destroy him, &c.—Doddridge, ‘* depose him who had the empire of death.” Pye Smith, ‘‘Holdeth the dominion;’’ but the word does not imply a right to such dominion. Ver. 16. Took not on him the nature of angels.—Margin, “He taketh not hold of angels;” but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. Chrysostom explains this to mean, that when mankind fled—fled far from him, Christ pursued, and caught hold of them.

See Hammond