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 2:7

2:7 You made him lower than the angels for a little while.

You crowned him with glory and honor. ⁵ 

Hebrews 2:13

2:13 Again he says, ⁶  “I will be confident in him,” and again, “Here I am, ⁷  with ⁸  the children God has given me.” ⁹ 

Hebrews 8:1

The High Priest of a Better Covenant

8:1 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: ¹⁰  We have such a high priest, one who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, ¹¹ 

Hebrews 9:26

9:26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice.

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. ¹² 

Hebrews 11:38

11:38 (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth.

Hebrews 12:10

12:10 For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness.

[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.”

[2:7]  ⁵ tc Several witnesses, many of them early and important (א A C D* P Ψ 0243 0278 33 1739 1881 al lat co), have at the end of v 7, “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands.” Other mss, not quite as impressive in weight, lack the words (Ì⁴⁶ B D² Ï). In spite of the impressive external evidence for the longer reading, it is most likely a scribal addition to conform the text of Hebrews to Ps 8:6 (8:7 LXX). Conformity of a NT quotation of the OT to the LXX was a routine scribal activity, and can hardly be in doubt here as to the cause of the longer reading.

[2:13]  ⁹ tn Grk “and again,” as a continuation of the preceding.

[2:13]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “behold, I,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).

[2:13]  ¹¹ tn Grk “and.”

[2:13]  ¹² sn A quotation from Isa 8:17-18.

[8:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “the main point of the things being said.”

[8:1]  ¹⁴ sn An allusion to Ps 110:1; see Heb 1:3, 13.

[11:21]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “worshiped on the top of his staff,” a quotation from Gen 47:31 (LXX).