Hebrews

Chapter One

Hebrews 1:1-14

Introduction

The chapter at once makes clear the writer's object in the epistle. His design is to show the importance of the Christian faith and to prevent a defection to Judaism. He therefore begins by setting forth Christ as the Son of God, through whom He has spoken after His testimony through the prophets in former days. The writer thus shows that there is a continuous testimony by God through the Old Testament Scriptures and the Son, who has become the personal expression and revelation of Himself in this age and will be in the coming ones. He was writing to those who were familiar with the way in which God had spoken to the fathers. He now at once declares the unoriginated glories of the Son of God, both in His equality with the Father and in the character of His being. He mentions in the first three verses ten details of His glories, and thus leads up to His declarations of His superiority over the angels. He is the Creator of all things, and He is therefore superior to angels, who are His worshipers, servants and ministering spirits.

Analysis

(1)God's means of communication (vv. 1, 2)

(a)past (v. 1)

(b)present (v. 2)

(2)The glories of the Son of God (vv. 2, 3)

(a)in Creation (v. 2)

(b)in the Godhead (v. 3)

(c)in redemption (v. 3)

(3)His superiority to angels (vv. 4-14)

(a)His Name (v. 4)

(b)His relationship to the Father (v. 5)

(c)their worship of Him (v. 6)

(d)His sovereignty; their character as servants (vv. 7-9)

(e)His Creatorship (v. 10)

(f)His immutability (vv. 11, 12)

(g)His authority; their ministry as servants (vv. 13, 14)

Notes

1:1 God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets-palai, "of old time," designates the whole time during which divine communications were made in the former periods until the time of Malachi, when such communications ceased. The word is purposely chosen to prevent any idea that God had been continuing to speak after the last of the Old Testament prophets. The fathers are the ancestors. The prophets are all who were used by God as the medium of any sort of communication. The preposition en, "in," is instrumental, while also expressing the sphere.

by divers portions and in divers manners,-the two phrases translate the adverbs polumeros, in many parts, and polutropos (lit., much turning), in many ways. The former expresses the matter of the communications, the latter the manner. The ideas are distinct and are chosen to bring into the more striking contrast the means about to be mentioned.

1:2 hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in His Son,-this, which the r.v. rightly renders, points to the close of the former periods, and to the fact of the coming of Christ into the world, and to all that He was and all He accomplished, as both the Son of God and the Word of God. There is no pronoun for "His" in the original, and its absence lays stress upon the uniqueness of the divine relationship, standing in contrast to the prophets. The force of this might be brought out as follows: "hath spoken unto us by a Son" (i.e., by one who stands in the relationship to Him of Son).

Whom He appointed heir of all things,-every existing thing is to be possessed by Him as the Son. The word kleronomos, "heir," signifies more than one who inherits, or obtains a portion, it means (like the corresponding Hebrew word, yaresh) to take into possession. The word, while being virtually a title, also conveys the significance of dominion and authority. Cp. 11:7.

through whom also He made the worlds;-the word aion, whilst literally an age, has the meaning, in the Koine or Hellenistic Greek, of that which an age contains, e.g., the physical universe. Here in the plural, the meaning is not merely the ages, but the universe as created in them. See also v. 10; John 1:3,10; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:15-19.

1:3 who being the effulgence of His glory, and the very image of His substance,-apaugasma primarily signifies light radiating from a luminous body, i.e., effulgence. The associated verb is apaugazo, to emit splendor. The glory of God is the manifestation of His Being; His nature, character, power and acts. Of all this, Christ is the perfect impress. This He was in the days of His flesh. He was God revealed in all that He was and did, in his combined godhood and manhood (John 1:18; 12:45; 14:9; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 1:15). The word character was either a stamping instrument or the image stamped. The image stamped is the exact impression of the stamping instrument. Hupostasis came to denote essence, substance, the inner nature. Christ is the very representation of the divine essence. The whole phrase expresses the fact that the Son of God is a distinct person from the Father, and yet one with Him in the Godhead. He is His equal, as being the perfect representation of His essence.

and upholding all things by the word of His power,-He sustains all things by His Word, and that Word has a divine power. The various parts of the physical universe are not held together and regulated merely by laws of nature; these very laws are His laws and operate by His decree. He can interfere with them at any time and will do so in the way appointed by Him. See Genesis 1:3; Psalm 33:9.

when He had made purification of sins,-katharismos is not merely purification in the moral sense of the term. In Hellenistic Greek, it also denoted expiation; it is so used in the LXX of Exodus 29:36 and 30:10, e.g. The verb in the original rendered "made" is in the middle voice, which indicates the special interest which the Lord had in accomplishing what He did, expressing not only the glory reflected upon Him in the act, but the results for Himself on behalf of others.

sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;-He sat enthroned, and this position was a ratification of the perfect fulfillment of all that He had accomplished in His expiatory sacrifice for sins. The word megalosune signifies greatness (megas, great) and dignity, and is here thus used of God the Father; so also in 8:1. The word is also used in Jude 25 in an inscription of praise acknowledging the attributes of God.

These first three verses contain eight statements concerning the Son of God, all of which had received intimation or direct prediction in the Old Testament. They were therefore designed to appeal to Hebrews in a manner which would not have been possible had they been completely new truths. See for instance, Psalms 2, 33, 40, 102, 110 and 45:2; Isaiah 53; Daniel 7:13. The point emphasized by the writer thus far is that God had now spoken, not simply in continuation of the messages of the prophets, but in a way superior to all.

1:4 having become by so much better than the angels, as He hath inherited a more excellent name than they.-the r.v. "having become" gives the accurate rendering. Christ's superiority is now shown to be over the angels. His deity is implied in His Sonship, and it is in this respect that He is contrasted with them. His superiority is seen in four respects: firstly, in His more excellent Name; secondly, in His unoriginated relationship to the Father (v. 5); thirdly, as the One whom angels are to worship (v. 6); fourthly, as they are only ministering spirits, occupying a subordinate position (vv. 7, 13, 14).

The word kreition, "better," is here indicative of a higher position or rank. For "inherited," see the corresponding noun "heir" in v. 2 and the Note there. Diaphoroteros is the comparative degree of diaphoros, akin to the verb diaphero, to differ, and hence to be excellent. It signifies more distinguished, more eminent. It is used elsewhere only in 8:6, "more excellent ministry."

His name conveys a revelation of what He is. The reference is to His being the Son of God. Though angels are spoken of as sons of God, it is in an entirely different way; for the fact that Christ is essentially the Son of God is the very foundation of His being called so, and this was never true of angels. Again, they are never so called, as He is, by way of eminence and supreme dignity.

1:5 For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My son, this day have I begotten thee?-this title is applied to Christ as the Messiah born on earth, and not as king in the coming day. Nor does the statement refer to His resurrection. That was not when He was begotten of the Father. That the quotation speaks of His birth is made clear from Paul's narrative in Acts 13, where, if v. 33 is rightly understood, the statement is set in preliminary contrast to the fact of His resurrection. God fulfilled the promise made to the fathers (v. 32) "in that He raised up Jesus" (that is to say, in the nation, by means of His incarnation); as it is written in the second psalm, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Then follows the contrasted...