He says:This phrase introduces a quotation, indicating that the speaker is Jesus Christ. The context of
Hebrews 2 is about the superiority of Christ and His role as the High Priest. The author of Hebrews often uses Old Testament quotations to demonstrate how Jesus fulfills the Scriptures.
“I will proclaim Your name to My brothers;
This part of the verse is a direct quotation fromPsalm 22:22, a messianic psalm that prophetically speaks of the suffering and subsequent victory of the Messiah. The term "brothers" signifies the close relationship between Christ and believers, emphasizing His humanity and solidarity with them. This reflects the incarnation, where Jesus took on human nature to identify with mankind.
I will sing Your praises in the assembly.”
The "assembly" refers to the congregation of believers, which in the New Testament context is the church. This phrase highlights the communal aspect of worship and the role of Jesus as the leader of worship among His people. It also points to the fulfillment of the messianic prophecy where the Messiah would lead His people in worship, underscoring His role as both King and Priest. The act of singing praises signifies joy and victory, themes prevalent in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe speaker in this verse, who is proclaiming God's name to His brothers, indicating His role as both divine and human, and His solidarity with humanity.
2.
The AssemblyRefers to the congregation or gathering of believers, highlighting the communal aspect of worship and the shared faith among Christians.
3.
The BrothersRepresents fellow believers, emphasizing the familial relationship among Christians and their shared identity in Christ.
4.
Psalm 22This verse is a quotation from
Psalm 22:22, a Messianic psalm that prophetically speaks of Jesus' suffering and subsequent victory, linking the Old Testament prophecy to its New Testament fulfillment.
5.
The Author of HebrewsTraditionally attributed to Paul, though the exact authorship is debated, the author seeks to demonstrate Christ's superiority and His fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.
Teaching Points
Christ's Identification with HumanityJesus, by calling believers His brothers, identifies with us in our humanity, showing His love and solidarity. This encourages us to embrace our identity in Christ and live in unity with fellow believers.
The Importance of Worship in CommunityThe mention of the assembly underscores the importance of corporate worship. Believers are encouraged to gather together to proclaim God's name and sing His praises, fostering a sense of community and shared faith.
Fulfillment of ProphecyThe use of
Psalm 22 highlights the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in Christ. This strengthens our faith in the reliability of Scripture and God's sovereign plan throughout history.
Proclaiming God's NameAs Christ proclaims God's name, we too are called to declare His name and works to others, both within the church and in the world, as a testimony of His grace and truth.
The Role of Suffering and VictoryJust as
Psalm 22 moves from suffering to praise, believers can find hope in their trials, knowing that Christ has overcome and leads us to victory and worship.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Hebrews 2:12?
2.How does Hebrews 2:12 encourage us to praise God in our lives?
3.What does "declare Your name" in Hebrews 2:12 mean for evangelism today?
4.How does Hebrews 2:12 connect with Psalm 22:22 regarding Jesus' mission?
5.In what ways can we "sing Your praises" in our daily routines?
6.How does Hebrews 2:12 inspire unity within the Christian community?
7.How does Hebrews 2:12 connect Jesus to the Old Testament?
8.Why is Jesus referred to as declaring God's name in Hebrews 2:12?
9.What is the significance of the "congregation" in Hebrews 2:12?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Hebrews 2?
11.What defines the Church of God?
12.What defines a church?
13.Is attending church important?
14.Is 'Outside the Church There Is No Salvation' true?What Does Hebrews 2:12 Mean
He says- The writer of Hebrews introduces the quote with simple authority: “He says,” reminding us that God’s spoken word is final (Hebrews 1:1-2).
- The speaker in the originalPsalm 22:22 is the Messiah. Hebrews identifies that voice as Jesus Himself, showing that every promise made there is literally fulfilled in Christ (Acts 2:25-31;Luke 24:44).
- By placing these words on Jesus’ lips, Scripture stresses His active role in revealing God’s plan, just as He personally declares, “The words I speak to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63).
I will proclaim Your name to My brothers- “Proclaim” signals public, clear announcement—Jesus openly reveals who the Father is (John 17:26).
- “Your name” represents God’s character and covenant faithfulness. Jesus unveils that name by His teaching, miracles, and sacrificial death, demonstrating that “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
- “To My brothers” highlights family intimacy. Because “both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family” (Hebrews 2:11), Jesus is not distant. He stands among believers as the Firstborn (Romans 8:29) and freely calls us brothers and sisters (Matthew 28:10).
- The promise is fulfilled whenever the gospel is preached: Christ, through His people, continues proclaiming the Father’s name so that others may join the family (2 Corinthians 5:20).
I will sing Your praises in the assembly- Jesus is not only the message-bearer; He is also the worship leader. He “sings” to the Father, indicating wholehearted joy (Zephaniah 3:17;Revelation 5:9).
- “In the assembly” points to gathered worship. Whether Israel’s congregation (Psalm 22:25) or today’s church (Matthew 18:20), Jesus is present, celebrating the Father’s glory among His redeemed.
- The phrase assures us that corporate praise is rooted in Christ’s own voice. When believers lift hymns—just as Jesus did with His disciples after the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30)—we are joining His ongoing song.
- This shared worship anticipates the coming heavenly assembly where “the Lamb in the center of the throne” is eternally praised (Revelation 7:17).
summaryHebrews 2:12 reveals a Savior who both declares and delights: Jesus boldly makes the Father known to the family He has redeemed, then stands in their midst to lead a chorus of praise. The verse comforts us with belonging, instructs us to proclaim, and invites us to gather in wholehearted worship—echoing the very voice of Christ.
(12)
I will declare thy name . . . .--The quotation is taken (with very slight variation) from the 22nd verse of Psalms 22 (
Psalm 22:22)--a Psalm remarkable for its close connection with the narratives of the Passion of our Lord. Whether the inscription which speaks of David as author is correct, or whether (from the difficulty of discovering any period in David's history to which the expressions used can apply) we consider the Psalm to have been written after the Captivity, there can be no doubt of its Messianic character. Some would class this Psalm with Psalms 110 (see Note on
Hebrews 1:13), as simply and directly prophetic, having no historic foreground; but the language of some of the verses is so definite and peculiar that we must certainly regard it as descriptive of actual experience, and must rather regard the Psalm (comp.
Hebrews 1:8-9) as typically prophetic of Christ. Each division of this verse is in point as a quotation. (1) Those to whom the Messiah will declare God's name He speaks of as "brethren;" (2) not alone, but in the "church" (or rather, in a
congregation of God's people; see
Psalm 22:22) will He sing the praise of God. The latter thought--community with men, as attested by a like relation to God--is brought out with still greater prominence in
Hebrews 2:13.
Verse 12. -
I will declare thy Name unto my brethren, in the midst of the Church (or,
congregation)
will I sing praise unto thee. This first citation is from
Psalm 22:22, quoted, it would seem, from memory or from a text of the LXX. different from ours,
διηγήσομαι being changed to
ἀπαγγελῶ, but with no difference of meaning. The psalm is attributed by tradition to David, being entitled "a psalm of David." Delitzsch and Ebrard accept it as certainly his, concluding, from its position in the first book of the psalms (1-72.), that it was included in the collection made by David himself (cf.
2 Chronicles 23:18 with
Psalm 72:20). Others, as recently Perowne, think that the fact of the suffering and humiliation described, being beyond any experienced by David himself, points to some other unknown author. The conclusion, however, does not necessarily follow. David, writing "
in Spirit," when under persecution by Saul, may be conceived as drawing a picture, with regard both to present humiliation and to expected triumph, beyond the facts of his own case, taking his own experience as typical of a higher fulfillment. And the minute details of the suffering described, answering so remarkably to the circumstances of the Crucifixion, certainly suggest the idea of a distinct prophetic vision. Still, there is no reason for concluding that the psalm was not, like other Messianic psalms, suggested by and founded on the writer's own circumstances and experience. Detitzsch says well, "The way of sorrows by which David mounted to his earthly throne was a type of that
Via Dolorosa by which Jesus,
the Son of David, passed before ascending to the right hand of the Father." There is no psalm of which the ultimate Messianic reference is to Christian believers more undoubted. The first words of it were uttered by Jesus himself from the cross (
Matthew 27:46); and for its fulfillment in him, recognized by the evangelists, see
Matthew 27:39, 43;
John 19:23, 28. The general purport of the psalm is as follows: A persecuted sufferer, under a feeling of being forsaken by God, pours out his complaint, and prays for succor; suddenly, at the end of ver. 21, the tone of the psalm changes into one of confident anticipation of deliverance and triumph, when the psalmist shall praise the Lord in the congregation of his brethren, when all that fear the Lord shall join him in praise, when the "ends of the earth" shall turn to the Lord, and "all the families of the nations" shall worship with Israel. The close agreement of the latter part of the psalm with the Messianic anticipations of prophecy is obvious, and would in itself determine its Messianic import. The marked difference between this psalm and those previously quoted is that the typical psalmist appears here as a human sufferer previously to his triumph, thus anticipating the similar view of the Messiah in prophecy, as notably in Isaiah lilt. And hence this psalm is suitably quoted here as a striking and early anticipation of a Messiah "perfected through sufferings," and associated in sympathy with human "brethren," the verse actually quoted, in which "
he is not ashamed to call them
brethren," being sufficient to remind the readers of the whole of this aspect of Messianic prophecy.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
He says:λέγων(legōn)Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3004:(a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.“I will proclaimἈπαγγελῶ(Apangelō)Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 518:To report (from one place to another), bring a report, announce, declare. From apo and the base of aggelos; to announce.Yourσου(sou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.nameὄνομά(onoma)Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3686:Name, character, fame, reputation. From a presumed derivative of the base of ginosko; a 'name'.toτοῖς(tois)Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.Myμου(mou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.brothers;ἀδελφοῖς(adelphois)Noun - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 80:A brother, member of the same religious community, especially a fellow-Christian. A brother near or remote.I will sing Your praisesὑμνήσω(hymnēsō)Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 5214:To sing, sing hymns to, praise. From humnos; to hymn, i.e. Sing a religious ode; by implication, to celebrate in song.inἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.[the] assembly.”ἐκκλησίας(ekklēsias)Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 1577:From a compound of ek and a derivative of kaleo; a calling out, i.e. a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation.
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NT Letters: Hebrews 2:12 Saying I will declare your name (Heb. He. Hb) 
