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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comVincent Word Studies - Hebrews 1:6 - 1:6
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Third quotation, marking the relation of angels to the Son.
And again, when he bringeth in, etc. (ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ)
Const. again with bringeth in. “When he a second time bringeth the first-begotten into the world.” Referring to the second coming of Christ. Others explain again as introducing a new citation as in Heb 1:5; but this would require the reading πάλιν δὲ ὅταν and again, when. In Hebrews, πάλιν, when joined to a verb, always means a second time. See Heb 5:12; Heb 6:1, Heb 6:2. It will be observed that in this verse, and in Heb 5:7, Heb 5:8, God is conceived as spoken of rather than as speaking; the subject of λέγει saith being indefinite. This mode of introducing citations differs from that of Paul. The author's conception of the inspiration of Scripture leads him to regard all utterances of Scripture, without regard to their connection, as distinct utterances of God, or the Holy Spirit, or the Son of God; whereas, by Paul, they are designated either as utterances of Scripture in general, or of individual writers. Very common in this Epistle are the expressions, “God saith, said, spake, testifieth,” or the like. See Heb 2:11, Heb 2:13; Heb 3:7; Heb 4:4, Heb 4:7; Heb 7:21; Heb 10:5, Heb 10:8, Heb 10:15, Heb 10:30. Comp. with these Rom 1:17; Rom 2:24; Rom 4:17; Rom 7:7; Rom 9:13; Rom 10:5, Rom 10:16, Rom 10:20, Rom 10:21; Rom 11:2. Ὅταν εἰσαγάγῃ whenever he shall have brought. The event is conceived as occurring at an indefinite time in the future, but is viewed as complete. Comp. Joh 16:4; Act 24:22. This use of ὅταν with the aorist subjunctive never describes an event or series of events as completed in the past.
The first-begotten (τὸν πρωτότοκον)
Mostly in Paul and Hebrews. Comp. Rom 8:29; Col 1:15, Col 1:18; Rev 1:5. Μονογενής only-begotten (Joh 1:14, Joh 1:18; Joh 3:16, Joh 3:18; 1Jo 4:9, never by Paul) describes the unique relation of the Son to the Father in his divine nature: πρωτότοκος first-begotten describes the relation of the risen Christ in his glorified humanity to man. The comparison implied in the word is not limited to angels. He is the first-born in relation to the creation, the dead, the new manhood, etc. See Col 1:15, Col 1:18. The rabbinical writers applied the title first-born even to God. Philo (De Confus. Ling. § 14) speaks of the Logos as πρωτόγονος or πρεσβύτατος the first-born or eldest son.
And let all the angels of God worship him (καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ)
Προσκυνεῖν to worship mostly in the Gospels, Acts, and Apocrypha. In Paul only 1Co 14:25. Very often in lxx. Originally, to kiss the hand to: thence, to do homage to. Not necessarily of an act of religious reverence (see Mat 9:18; Mat 20:20), but often in N.T. in that sense. Usually translated worship, whether a religious sense is intended or not: see on Act 10:25. The quotation is not found in the Hebrew of the O.T., but is cited literally from lxx, Deu 32:43. It appears substantially in Psa 96:7. For the writer of Hebrews the lxx was Scripture, and is quoted throughout without regard to its correspondence with the Hebrew.