Psalms 91:11

91:11 For he will order his angels ¹ 

to protect you in all you do. ² 

Hebrews 1:4

1:4 Thus he became ³  so far better than the angels as ⁴  he has inherited a name superior to theirs.

Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ⁵  in various portions ⁶  and in various ways ⁷  to our ancestors ⁸  through the prophets,

Colossians 3:22

3:22 Slaves, ⁹  obey your earthly ¹⁰  masters in every respect, not only when they are watching – like those who are strictly people-pleasers – but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord.

Ephesians 3:10

3:10 The purpose of this enlightenment is that ¹¹  through the church the multifaceted wisdom ¹²  of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.

¹ tn Heb “for his angels he will command concerning you.”

² tn Heb “in all your ways.”

³ tn Grk “having become.” This is part of the same sentence that extends from v. 1 through v. 4 in the Greek text.

⁴ tn Most modern English translations attempt to make the comparison somewhat smoother by treating “name” as if it were the subject of the second element: “as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, CEV). However, the Son is the subject of both the first and second elements: “he became so far better”; “he has inherited a name.” The present translation maintains this parallelism even though it results in a somewhat more awkward rendering.

⁵ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

⁶ 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).

⁷ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

⁸ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

⁹ tn On this word here and in 4:1, see the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.

¹⁰ tn The prepositional phrase κατὰ σάρκα (kata sarka) does not necessarily qualify the masters as earthly or human (as opposed to the Master in heaven, the Lord), but could also refer to the sphere in which “the service-relation holds true.” See BDAG 577 s.v. κύριος 1.b.

¹¹ tn Grk “that.” Verse 10 is a subordinate clause to the verb “enlighten” in v. 9.

¹² tn Or “manifold wisdom,” “wisdom in its rich variety.”