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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - Hebrews 2:9 - 2:9
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Even Jesus (Iēsoun). We do not see man triumphant, but we do see Jesus, for the author is not ashamed of his human name, realizing man’s destiny, “the very one who has been made a little lower than the angels” (ton brachu ti par' aggelous ēlattōmenon), quoting and applying the language of the Psalm in Heb 2:7 to Jesus (with article ton and the perfect passive participle of elattaō). But this is not all. Death has defeated man, but Jesus has conquered death.
Because of the suffering of death (dia to pathēma tou thanatou). The causal sense of dia with the accusative as in Heb 2:14. Jesus in his humanity was put lower than the angels “for a little while” (brachu ti). Because of the suffering of death we see (blepomen) Jesus crowned (estephanōmenon, perfect passive participle of stephanoō from Heb 2:7), crowned already “with glory and honour” as Paul shows in Phi 2:9-11 (more highly exalted, huperupsōsen) “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” There is more glory to come to Jesus surely, but he is already at God’s right hand (Heb 1:3).
That by the grace of God he should taste death for every man (hopōs chariti theou huper pantos geusētai thanatou). This purpose clause (hopōs instead of the more usual hina) is pregnant with meaning. The author interprets and applies the language of the Psalm to Jesus and here puts Christ’s death in behalf of (huper), and so instead of, every man as the motive for his incarnation and death on the Cross. The phrase to taste death (geuomai thanatou) occurs in the Gospels (Mat 16:28; Mar 9:1; Luk 9:27; Joh 8:52), though not in the ancient Greek. It means to see death (Heb 11:5), “a bitter experience, not a rapid sip” (Moffatt). His death was in behalf of every one (not everything as the early Greek theologians took it). The death of Christ (Andrew Fuller) was sufficient for all, efficient for some. It is all “by the grace (chariti, instrumental case) of God,” a thoroughly Pauline idea. Curiously enough some MSS. read chōris theou (apart from God) in place of chariti theou, Nestorian doctrine whatever the origin.