Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ¹  in various portions ²  and in various ways ³  to our ancestors ⁴  through the prophets,

Hebrews 1:8

1:8 but of ⁵  the Son he says, ⁶ 

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, ⁷ 

and a righteous scepter ⁸  is the scepter of your kingdom.

Hebrews 2:6

2:6 Instead someone testified somewhere:

“What is man that you think of him ⁹  or the son of man that you care for him?

Hebrews 5:5

5:5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God, ¹⁰  who said to him, “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,” ¹¹ 

Hebrews 7:3

7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the son of God, and he remains a priest for all time.

Hebrews 7:28

7:28 For the law appoints as high priests men subject to weakness, ¹²  but the word of solemn affirmation that came after the law appoints a son made perfect forever.

Hebrews 11:21

11:21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped as he leaned on his staff. ¹³ 

[1:1]  ¹ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

[1:1]  ² 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).

[1:1]  ³ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

[1:8]  ⁵ tn Or “to.”

[1:8]  ⁶ tn The verb “he says” (λέγει, legei) is implied from the λέγει of v. 7.

[1:8]  ⁷ tn Or possibly, “Your throne is God forever and ever.” This translation is quite doubtful, however, since (1) in the context the Son is being contrasted to the angels and is presented as far better than they. The imagery of God being the Son’s throne would seem to be of God being his authority. If so, in what sense could this not be said of the angels? In what sense is the Son thus contrasted with the angels? (2) The μέν…δέ (men…de) construction that connects v. 7 with v. 8 clearly lays out this contrast: “On the one hand, he says of the angels…on the other hand, he says of the Son.” Thus, although it is grammatically possible that θεός (qeos) in v. 8 should be taken as a predicate nominative, the context and the correlative conjunctions are decidedly against it. Hebrews 1:8 is thus a strong affirmation of the deity of Christ.

[1:8]  ⁸ tn Grk “the righteous scepter,” but used generically.

[2:6]  ⁹ tn Grk “remember him.”

[5:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:5]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “I have begotten you”; see Heb 1:5.

[7:28]  ¹⁷ sn See Heb 5:2 where this concept was introduced.

[11:21]  ²¹ tn Grk “worshiped on the top of his staff,” a quotation from Gen 47:31 (LXX).