HEBREWS
1
God’s Final Word in His Son
God, having spoken to the fathers long ago in [the voices and writings of] the prophets in many separate revelations [each of which set forth a portion of the truth], and in many ways, has in these last days spoken [with finality] to us in [the person of One who is by His character and nature] His Son [namely Jesus], whom He appointed heir and lawful owner of all things, through whom also He created the universe [that is, the universe as a space-time-matter continuum]. The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s *Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority], having become as much superior to angels, since He has inherited a more excellent and glorious name than they [that is, Son—the name above all names].
For to which of the angels did the Father ever say,
“Yoᴜ ᴀʀᴇ Mʏ Soɴ,
Toᴅᴀʏ I ʜᴀvᴇ ʙᴇɢoᴛᴛᴇɴ (fathered) Yoᴜ [established You as a Son, with kingly dignity]”?
And again [did He ever say to the angels],
“I sʜᴀʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴀ Fᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛo Hɪᴍ
Aɴᴅ Hᴇ sʜᴀʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴀ Soɴ ᴛo Mᴇ”? [2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7]
And when He again brings the firstborn [highest-ranking Son] into the world, He says,
“Aɴᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɢᴇʟs oꜰ Goᴅ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛo woʀsʜɪᴘ Hɪᴍ.” [Ps 97:7]
And concerning the angels He says,
“Wʜo ᴍᴀᴋᴇs Hɪs ᴀɴɢᴇʟs wɪɴᴅs,
Aɴᴅ Hɪs ᴍɪɴɪsᴛᴇʀɪɴɢ sᴇʀvᴀɴᴛs ꜰʟᴀᴍᴇs oꜰ ꜰɪʀᴇ [to do His bidding].” [Ps 104:4]
But about the Son [the Father says to Him],
“Yoᴜʀ ᴛʜʀoɴᴇ, §O Goᴅ, ɪs ꜰoʀᴇvᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇvᴇʀ,
Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ *scᴇᴘᴛᴇʀ oꜰ [absolute] ʀɪɢʜᴛᴇoᴜsɴᴇss ɪs ᴛʜᴇ scᴇᴘᴛᴇʀ oꜰ Hɪs ᴋɪɴɢᴅoᴍ.
“Yoᴜ ʜᴀvᴇ ʟovᴇᴅ ʀɪɢʜᴛᴇoᴜsɴᴇss [integrity, virtue, uprightness in purpose] ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀvᴇ ʜᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʟᴀwʟᴇssɴᴇss [injustice, sin].
Tʜᴇʀᴇꜰoʀᴇ Goᴅ, Yoᴜʀ Goᴅ, Hᴀs ᴀɴoɪɴᴛᴇᴅ Yoᴜ
Wɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ oɪʟ oꜰ ɢʟᴀᴅɴᴇss ᴀʙovᴇ Yoᴜʀ coᴍᴘᴀɴɪoɴs.” [Ps 45:6, 7]
10 And,
Yoᴜ, Loʀᴅ, ʟᴀɪᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰoᴜɴᴅᴀᴛɪoɴ oꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇɢɪɴɴɪɴɢ,
Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀvᴇɴs ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ woʀᴋs oꜰ Yoᴜʀ ʜᴀɴᴅs;
11 Tʜᴇʏ wɪʟʟ ᴘᴇʀɪsʜ, ʙᴜᴛ Yoᴜ ʀᴇᴍᴀɪɴ [forever and ever];
Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ wɪʟʟ ᴀʟʟ wᴇᴀʀ oᴜᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ɢᴀʀᴍᴇɴᴛ,
12 Aɴᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʀoʙᴇ Yoᴜ wɪʟʟ ʀoʟʟ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴜᴘ;
Lɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ɢᴀʀᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ wɪʟʟ ʙᴇ cʜᴀɴɢᴇᴅ.
Bᴜᴛ §Yoᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ [forever],
Aɴᴅ Yoᴜʀ ʏᴇᴀʀs wɪʟʟ ɴᴇvᴇʀ ᴇɴᴅ.” [Ps 102:25-27]
13 But to which of the angels has the Father ever said,
“Sɪᴛ ᴀᴛ Mʏ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ʜᴀɴᴅ [together with me in royal dignity],
Uɴᴛɪʟ I ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏoᴜʀ ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇs
A ꜰooᴛsᴛooʟ ꜰoʀ ʏoᴜʀ ꜰᴇᴇᴛ [in triumphant conquest]”? [Ps 110:1]
14 Are not all the angels ministering spirits sent out [by God] to serve (accompany, protect) those who will inherit salvation? [Of course they are!]
* 1:3 The word “Shekinah” does not appear in Scripture, but has been used by both Christians and Jews to describe the visible divine Presence of God, in such things as the burning bush, the cloud and the pillar of fire that led the Hebrews in the wilderness, and the Presence of God that rested between the cherubim over the mercy seat of the ark. 1:4 In Greek “name” occurs last in this verse to emphasize that Jesus alone bears the name Son. No angel is superior to the Son. 1:6 Most likely a reference to the second coming of Christ when He will be acknowledged as divine and worshiped as the Son of God. Another view suggests that this may be a reference to His incarnation as Jesus of Nazareth. § 1:8 The Son is recognized as deity by being addressed by the Father as “Goᴅ.” * 1:8 I.e. symbol of authority. 1:8 Late mss read Your. 1:10 The deity of Jesus is acclaimed by the designation “Yoᴜ, Loʀᴅ.” § 1:12 Since He is deity, the eternality of Jesus is recognized.