Hebrews / Chapter 1

Hebrews 1

14 verses • SBL Greek New Testament

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Hebrews 1 establishes the supremacy of God's revelation through his Son over all prior communication through prophets. The Son is declared the exact representation of God's nature, the sustainer of all things, and the one who accomplished purification for sins before sitting at God's right hand. The chapter then marshals a chain of Old Testament quotations to demonstrate the Son's superiority over angels, establishing a theme that will dominate chapters 1-2.

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

The opening period (verses 1-4) is one of the most carefully constructed sentences in the New Testament, a single Greek sentence with seven descriptors of the Son. The catena of Old Testament quotations (verses 5-13) draws from Psalms 2, 104, 45, 102, and 110, plus 2 Samuel 7 and Deuteronomy 32, weaving a comprehensive scriptural argument. The author assumes his audience recognizes that angels mediated the Mosaic law (cf. Galatians 3:19, Acts 7:53), making the Son-versus-angels comparison directly relevant to the old covenant versus new covenant argument.

Translation Friction

The identity of the author is unknown; the letter is anonymous. The Greek style is the most polished in the New Testament. The phrase 'exact representation' (charakteer) in verse 3 carries philosophical weight that must be rendered without importing later Nicene categories. We render the Greek as given, noting theological implications in the study layer.

Connections

The opening echoes Genesis 1 (creation through the Son), Proverbs 8 (Wisdom as agent of creation), and Colossians 1:15-20 (the cosmic Christ hymn). The quotation from Psalm 110:1 in verse 13 becomes the most important Old Testament text in Hebrews, returning in chapters 5, 7, 8, 10, and 12. The 'purification for sins' language anticipates the extended priestly argument of chapters 7-10.

Hebrews 1:1

Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις

In many parts and in many ways, God spoke long ago to our ancestors through the prophets,

KJV God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Greek polymerōs kai polytropōs ('in many parts and in many ways') is an alliterative pair that sets the rhetorical tone for the entire letter. The first term suggests fragmentary revelation — given piece by piece — while the second suggests varied modes (visions, dreams, direct speech, enacted parables). Together they characterize Old Testament revelation as genuine but incomplete.
  2. We render 'fathers' (patrasin) as 'ancestors' since the reference is to the entire covenant community's forebears, not exclusively male figures.
Hebrews 1:2

ἐπ' ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν υἱῷ, ὃν ἔθηκεν κληρονόμον πάντων, δι' οὗ καὶ ἐποίησεν τοὺς αἰῶνας·

Has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all matters, by whom as well he made the worlds;.

KJV Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

αἰῶνας aiōnas
"the ages" — age, era, world, eternity, created order

The plural 'ages' suggests the entire framework of time and space. The KJV's 'worlds' captures the spatial dimension but misses the temporal one. The Son is agent of both.

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase ep' eschatou tōn hēmerōn toutōn ('in the last of these days') signals an eschatological framework — the Son's arrival inaugurates the final era. The anarthrous 'a Son' (en huiō, without the article) emphasizes the quality of sonship rather than identifying a specific person, though the context makes the identity clear.
  2. The Greek aiōnas ('ages') is broader than the KJV's 'worlds' — it encompasses both time and the created order. The Son is the agent through whom God structured reality itself.
Hebrews 1:3

ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ, φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, καθαρισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ποιησάμενος ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς,

He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

KJV Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Notes & Key Terms 3 terms

Key Terms

ἀπαύγασμα apaugasma
"radiance" — radiance, effulgence, reflection, brightness

Used only here in the New Testament. The term appears in Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 to describe divine Wisdom as an 'effulgence of eternal light.' The author draws on this tradition to describe the Son.

χαρακτήρ charaktēr
"exact expression" — exact representation, imprint, stamp, character

From the verb charassō ('to engrave'). The Son is not merely similar to God — he is the precise imprint of God's essential nature.

ὑπόστασις hypostasis
"being" — substance, being, essence, reality, confidence

Later became a technical Trinitarian term, but here it simply means the underlying reality of who God is — his essential being.

Translator Notes

  1. The Greek apaugasma can mean either 'radiance' (light emanating from a source) or 'reflection' (light bouncing off a surface). The context favors 'radiance' since the Son is described as active agent, not passive mirror. The term charaktēr ('exact expression') denotes the precise imprint made by a stamping tool — what emerges is identical to the original. This is stronger than 'image' (eikōn).
  2. The participle poiēsamenos ('having made') is middle voice, suggesting the Son accomplished purification through his own action. The aorist tense marks this as a completed, once-for-all act — a contrast with the repeated sacrifices of the Levitical system that the author will develop in chapters 9-10.
  3. The phrase 'sat down at the right hand' alludes to Psalm 110:1, the most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament and the theological backbone of Hebrews.
  4. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Psalm 110:1 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
Hebrews 1:4

τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρ' αὐτοὺς κεκληρονόμηκεν ὄνομα.

Being appointed so greatly better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

KJV Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Greek genomenos ('having become') does not imply the Son was once inferior to angels. The verb marks his exaltation after the incarnation and cross — his human journey culminated in a publicly demonstrated superiority. The 'name' (onoma) is debated: it likely refers to 'Son' (as verses 5-14 will argue), though some scholars see it as the divine name itself. The verb keklēronomēken ('has inherited') connects to verse 2's appointment as 'heir of all things.'
Hebrews 1:5

Τίνι γὰρ εἶπέν ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων· Υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε; καὶ πάλιν· Ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν;

For to which of the angels did God ever say, "You are my Son; today I have fathered you"? Or again, "I will be a Father to him, and he will be a Son to me"?

KJV For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The first quotation is from Psalm 2:7, a royal enthronement psalm originally spoken at the coronation of Davidic kings. The author of Hebrews applies it to Christ's exaltation. The verb gegennēka ('I have begotten/fathered') in the psalm context refers to the king's divine adoption at coronation, not biological generation.
  2. The second quotation is from 2 Samuel 7:14, God's promise to David regarding his descendant — the foundational text of messianic hope. The rhetorical question expects the answer 'None' — God never addressed any angel with these words.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Psalms 2:7 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
  4. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes 2 Samuel 7:14 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
Hebrews 1:6

ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει· Καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ.

And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him."

KJV And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

πρωτότοκον prōtotokon
"firstborn" — firstborn, preeminent one, heir

A title of supremacy. In the ancient world, the firstborn held the primary inheritance rights. Applied to Christ, it declares his preeminence over all creation, not that he was created first.

Translator Notes

  1. The quotation derives from Deuteronomy 32:43 (Septuagint) or Psalm 97:7. The Septuagint reading of Deuteronomy includes 'let all God's angels worship him,' which is absent from the Masoretic Text — the author uses the Greek Old Testament. The term prōtotokon ('firstborn') denotes preeminence and inheritance rights, not chronological birth order. The 'world' (oikoumenē) is literally 'the inhabited earth,' possibly referring to the incarnation or to the second coming.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Deuteronomy 32:43. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Psalm 97:7. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Hebrews 1:7

καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει· Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα,

Of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire."

KJV And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Quoting Psalm 104:4 (Septuagint). The Greek pneumata can mean either 'spirits' or 'winds' — the Hebrew of Psalm 104:4 speaks of God making winds his messengers, which the Septuagint reversed to 'making his messengers/angels winds.' The author's point is that angels are created, mutable servants — they can be transformed into wind or fire — while the Son's throne is eternal (verse 8).
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Psalms 104:4. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Hebrews 1:8

πρὸς δὲ τὸν υἱόν· Ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ θεός, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς εὐθύτητος ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου.

But of the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

KJV But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

ὁ θεός ho theos
"O God" — God, the God

The author applies this divine address from Psalm 45 directly to the Son. This is one of the clearest instances in the New Testament where the Son is called 'God' (theos) without qualification.

Translator Notes

  1. Quoting Psalm 45:6-7, originally a royal wedding psalm. The vocative 'O God' (ho theos) addressed to the Son is the most direct divine attribution in the catena. Some scholars read it as 'God is your throne' or 'your throne is God's,' but the author of Hebrews clearly reads it as an address to the Son as God. The Greek euthytētos ('uprightness, straightness') is rendered 'uprightness' rather than 'righteousness' to distinguish it from dikaiosunē.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Psalms 45:6-7 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
Hebrews 1:9

ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέν σε ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου.

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy beyond your companions."

KJV Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The continuation of Psalm 45:6-7. The phrase 'God, your God' (ho theos, ho theos sou) creates a striking paradox — the one addressed as 'God' in verse 8 also has a God. This tension is central to New Testament Christology. The anointing with 'oil of joy' (elaion agalliaseōs) refers to the coronation anointing of kings, connecting to 'Christ' (Christos = 'anointed one'). The Greek anomian ('lawlessness') is rendered as such rather than the KJV's 'iniquity' for precision.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Psalms 45:6-7. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Hebrews 1:10

καί· Σὺ κατ' ἀρχάς, κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί·

And, "You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

KJV And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Quoting Psalm 102:25-27 (Septuagint 101:26-28). In the original psalm, these words are addressed to YHWH. The author of Hebrews applies them to the Son without explanation, implying that the Son shares the divine identity of the Creator. The phrase kat' archas ('in the beginning') echoes Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Psalms 102:25-27 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Genesis 1:1 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
Hebrews 1:11

αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις, καὶ πάντες ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται,

They will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like a garment.

KJV They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The contrast is between the created order (heavens and earth) that will perish and the Son who endures. The clothing metaphor — creation wearing out like an old garment — is vivid and distinctly Hebrew in character (cf. Isaiah 51:6). The present tense 'you remain' (diameneis) against the future 'they will perish' (apolountai) emphasizes the Son's unchanging nature.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Psalms 102:25-27. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Isaiah 51:6. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
Hebrews 1:12

καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς, ὡς ἱμάτιον καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται· σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσιν.

You will roll them up like a cloak, and like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will never end."

KJV And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb helixeis ('you will roll up') pictures the Son folding up the old creation like clothing being put away — a striking image of sovereign authority over the material universe. The declaration 'you are the same' (su de ho autos ei) asserts the Son's immutability, which becomes a key theme in Hebrews (cf. 13:8, 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever'). This completes the Psalm 102 quotation.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Psalms 102:25-27. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Hebrews 1:13

πρὸς τίνα δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων εἴρηκέν ποτε· Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου;

But to which of the angels has he ever said, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?

KJV But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Quoting Psalm 110:1, the most quoted Old Testament text in the New Testament and the theological anchor of Hebrews. The psalm presents a divine invitation to a human king to share God's throne — an honor never extended to any angel. The 'right hand' (dexiōn) is the position of co-regency and highest honor. This verse bookends the catena with verse 5's rhetorical question ('to which of the angels?'), forming an inclusio. Psalm 110 will return in Hebrews 5:6, 7:17, 7:21 regarding the Melchizedek priesthood.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Psalms 110:1 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
Hebrews 1:14

οὐχὶ πάντες εἰσὶν λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν;

Are they not all serving spirits, sent out to serve those who are about to inherit salvation?

KJV Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The rhetorical question expects the answer 'Yes.' Angels are leitourgika pneumata ('ministering/serving spirits') — their role is service, not sovereignty. The verb apostellomena ('sent out') is related to 'apostle' (apostolos) — angels are commissioned agents. The phrase 'those about to inherit salvation' (tous mellontas klēronomein sōtērian) echoes the Son's inheritance language from verses 2 and 4, but here applied to believers who share in the Son's inheritance.
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