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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Heb_2:5-9
5For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. 6But one has testified somewhere, saying,
"What is man, that You remember him?
Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?
7You have made him for a little while lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
8You have put all things in subjection under his feet."
For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
Heb_2:5 "For He did not subject to angels the world to come" It is true that angels are in a place of spiritual pre-eminence now (cf. Deu_32:8 in the Septuagint and the book of Daniel, chapter 10). However, in the world to come, it will be human beings, by means of their incarnate, glorified Savior, who will be in the place of authority. This is another comparison relating to the superiority of Jesus and His followers over the angels who were viewed as being involved in the Mosaic Covenant (cf. Heb_1:4-14).
Heb_2:6 "But one has testified somewhere saying" This is a Hebrew idiom for the inspiration of the entire OT, not a lapse of memory as to where these quotes are found (cf. Heb_4:4). There follows a series of OT quotes, which is common in Hebrews.
▣ "What is man that you remember him" This is a quote from the Septuagint of Psa_8:4-6 based theologically on Gen_1:26; Gen_1:28. Heb_2:6-8 do not refer to the Messiah ("the Son of Man"), but to humanity. In the Psalm the term "son of man" is in a parallel relationship with the term "man" and should not be capitalized. It is a Hebrew idiom for humanity, ben adam, so common in Ezekiel (cf. Eze_2:1; Eze_3:1; Eze_3:3-4; Eze_3:10; Eze_3:17, etc.).
Heb_2:7 "you have made him for a little while lower than the angels" This is the continuation of the quote of Psa_8:5-6 from the Septuagint. The question for both translation and interpretation is, how should the Hebrew term "Elohim" be understood?
1. The Septuagint translated Psa_8:5 as "angels," as did the Aramaic Targums and Pehsitta, Vulgate, and KJV translations.
2. The Jewish Publication Society of America translated it as "little less than divine." Several English translations have "God" (cf. ASV, NASB, RSV, NEB, NRSV, REB, JB, NJB, TEV). The term, when used in the OT with a singular verb, like Gen_1:1, refers to God. Jesus used it in this sense in Joh_10:31-39. It is also used of the "gods" of the pagan nations. It can refer to angels in the sense of God's heavenly council made up of Himself and angelic servants (cf. 1Ki_22:19; Dan_7:10).
3. There is even the possibility that it refers to the Judges of Israel (cf. Exo_21:6; Exo_22:8-9; Exo_22:28; Psa_82:1; Psa_82:6).
In this context the theological point is that Jesus and His followers (cf. Heb_1:14) are superior to the angels.
There is a Greek manuscript variation at the end of Heb_2:7. Some ancient Greek manuscripts ( à , A, C, D*, P) continue to quote from Psa_8:7, but others stop at "You crowned him with glory and honor" (P46, B. Dc, K, L). As with so many of these variations, it makes no difference in the interpretation of the text.
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▣ "You crowned Him with Glory" see note at Heb_1:3.
Heb_2:8 This is from Psa_2:6, but is an allusion to Gen_1:26; Gen_1:28-30. Humans made in God's image (cf. Gen_1:26-27) were to function as managers on earth (as God's representatives). But the fall of Genesis 3 thwarted this purpose (cf. Heb_2:9 c).
Heb_2:9 "But we do see Him" The NASB has all of the pronouns in small letters in Heb_2:7-8 (i.e., the author quoting the Psalm), but in Heb_2:9 they are in capital letters (the author now applying the Psalm), thus comparing fallen mankind with the ideal Man. God placed mankind in an honored position of authority, but mankind sinned and forfeited that position. Jesus the Incarnate God fulfills humanity's destiny and by His death restores believing mankind to the place of honor. Jesus was truly human! This is another Adam-Christ typology (cf. Rom_5:12-21; 1Co_15:21-22; 1Co_15:45-49; Php_2:6-11).
▣ "who was made for a little while lower than the angels" This is an obvious comparison with Heb_2:6-7. It speaks of Jesus' incarnation and life on earth.
▣ "Jesus" The author of Hebrews characteristically uses "Jesus" without any additional description (cf. Heb_2:9; Heb_3:1; Heb_6:20; Heb_7:22; Heb_10:19; Heb_12:2; Heb_12:24; Heb_13:12). It is possible that this is a typological play on Jesus as the new Joshua. The names are exactly the same. The author of Hebrews uses the Exodus material extensively. As Joshua brought God's people into the rest of the Promised Land, so too, will Jesus bring them into heaven (i.e., the seventh day rest).
▣ "because of the suffering of death" This reflects Gen_3:15; Psalms 22; Isaiah 53. He was God's Agent in redemption!
▣ "crowned with glory and honor" This is a perfect passive participle. He has been and continues to be the crowned One! See note at Heb_1:3.
▣ "by the grace of God" This translation (chariti Theos) is found in all English Bibles and is supported by the ancient Greek manuscripts (P46, à , A, B, C, D). However, a curious reading "apart from God" (chôris Theos), occurs in many later ancient texts. In A Textual Commentary On The Greek New Testament, Bruce M. Metzger says that this was originally a marginal gloss related to 1Co_15:27, which was misunderstood as a correction to "chariti Theos" (p. 664).
The United Bible Society's A Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews by Paul Ellingworth and Eugene A. Nida offers another opinion, that "apart from God" may allude to Psalms 22, which Jesus used to express His sense of being all alone on the cross (cf. Mar_15:34) p. 37. This same opinion is given by Myles M. Bourke in the Jerome Biblical Commentary (p. 385).
There is also a third option (taken from Bart D. Ehrman's, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, Oxford Press, 1993, pp. 146-150) that scribes intentionally changed "apart from God" for theological reasons, specifically the theological threat of gnosticism.
This variant was known to Origen and Jerome. Also the word "apart" (chôris) is used thirteen times in Hebrews, which shows this author's tendency to use this term. Also according to Ehrman (p. 148), it always is followed by an anarthrous (no article) noun.
▣ "He might taste death" It is important to realize that suffering was in the will of God for Jesus Christ (cf. Gen_3:15; Isa_53:4; Isa_53:10; Mar_10:45; 2Co_5:21). This theme of suffering continues in the OT quotes found in the remainder of chapter 2.
▣ "for everyone" This context refers to the vicarious, substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ (cf. Isa_53:6; Rom_5:6; Rom_5:8; Rom_5:10; Rom_5:17-19; 1Co_15:22; 1Ti_2:4; 1Ti_2:6; 1Ti_4:10; Tit_2:11; 2Pe_3:9). Jesus died to deal with mankind's sin problem. The only thing that keeps all humans from being saved is their unwillingness to accept God's free gift in the finished work of Jesus Christ by faith (cf. Joh_3:17-21).
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