Hebrews 1:3

1:3 The Son is ¹  the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, ²  and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. ³ 

Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ⁴  in various portions ⁵  and in various ways ⁶  to our ancestors ⁷  through the prophets,

Hebrews 1:12-13

1:12 and like a robe you will fold them up

and like a garment ⁸  they will be changed,

but you are the same and your years will never run out.” ⁹ 

1:13 But to which of the angels ¹⁰  has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? ¹¹ 

¹ tn Grk “who being…and sustaining.” Heb 1:1-4 form one skillfully composed sentence in Greek, but it must be broken into shorter segments to correspond to contemporary English usage, which does not allow for sentences of this length and complexity.

² tn Grk “by the word of his power.”

³ sn An allusion to Ps 110:1, quoted often in Hebrews.

⁴ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

⁵ tn Or “parts.” The idea is that God’s previous revelation came in many parts and was therefore fragmentary or partial (L&N 63.19), in comparison with the final and complete revelation contained in God’s Son. However, some interpret πολυμερῶς (polumerw") in Heb 1:1 to mean “on many different occasions” and would thus translate “many times” (L&N 67.11). This is the option followed by the NIV: “at many times and in various ways.” Finally, this word is also understood to refer to the different manners in which something may be done, and would then be translated “in many different ways” (L&N 89.81). In this last case, the two words πολυμερῶς and πολυτρόπως (polutropw") mutually reinforce one another (“in many and various ways,” NRSV).

⁶ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

⁷ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

⁷ tc The words “like a garment” (ὡς ἱμάτιον, Jw" Jimation) are found in excellent and early mss (Ì⁴⁶ א A B D* 1739) though absent in a majority of witnesses (D¹ Ψ 0243 0278 33 1881 Ï lat sy bo). Although it is possible that longer reading was produced by overzealous scribes who wanted to underscore the frailty of creation, it is much more likely that the shorter reading was produced by scribes who wanted to conform the wording to that of Ps 102:26 (101:27 LXX), which here lacks the second “like a garment.” Both external and internal considerations decidedly favor the longer reading, and point to the author of Hebrews as the one underscoring the difference between the Son and creation.

⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 102:25-27.

¹⁰ sn The parallel phrases to which of the angels in vv. 5 and 13 show the unity of this series of quotations (vv. 5-14) in revealing the superiority of the Son over angels (v. 4).

¹¹ sn A quotation from Ps 110:1.