Hebrews 1:4-6
New English Translation
4 Thus he became[a] so far better than the angels as[b] he has inherited a name superior to theirs.
The Son Is Superior to Angels
5 For to which of the angels did God[c] ever say, “You are my son! Today I have fathered you”?[d] And in another place[e] he says,[f] “I will be his father and he will be my son.”[g] 6 But when he again brings[h] his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!”[i]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Hebrews 1:4 tn Grk “having become.” This is part of the same sentence that extends from v. 1 through v. 4 in the Greek text.
- Hebrews 1:4 tn Most modern English translations attempt to make the comparison somewhat smoother by treating “name” as if it were the subject of the second element: “as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, CEV). However, the Son is the subject of both the first and second elements: “he became so far better”; “he has inherited a name.” The present translation maintains this parallelism even though it results in a somewhat more awkward rendering.sn This comparison is somewhat awkward to express in English, but it reflects an important element in the argument of Hebrews: the superiority of Jesus Christ.
- Hebrews 1:5 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Hebrews 1:5 tn Grk “I have begotten you.”sn A quotation from Ps 2:7.
- Hebrews 1:5 tn Grk “And again,” quoting another OT passage.
- Hebrews 1:5 tn The words “he says” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to make a complete English sentence. In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but English does not normally employ such long and complex sentences.
- Hebrews 1:5 tn Grk “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me.”sn A quotation from 2 Sam 7:14 (cf. 1 Chr 17:13).
- Hebrews 1:6 tn Or “And again when he brings.” The translation adopted in the text looks forward to Christ’s second coming to earth. Some take “again” to introduce the quotation (as in 1:5) and understand this as Christ’s first coming, but this view does not fit well with Heb 2:7. Others understand it as his exaltation/ascension to heaven, but this takes the phrase “into the world” in an unlikely way.
- Hebrews 1:6 sn A quotation combining themes from Deut 32:43 and Ps 97:7.
Hebrews 1:4-6
New International Version
4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.(A)
The Son Superior to Angels
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
Or again,
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn(D) into the world,(E) he says,
Footnotes
- Hebrews 1:5 Psalm 2:7
- Hebrews 1:5 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chron. 17:13
- Hebrews 1:6 Deut. 32:43 (see Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint)
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