Movatterモバイル変換

Hebrews 6:16
For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmationis to them an end of all strife.

Hebrews 12:10
For they verily for a few days chastenedus after their own pleasure; but he forour profit, thatwe might be partakers of his holiness.

Romans 2:25
For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

took not, etc.

Genesis 22:18
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Matthew 1:1
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Romans 4:16
Thereforeit is of faith, thatit might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

it is not the angels He helps
Angels are spiritual beings created by God, often seen as messengers or servants. In the context of Hebrews, angels are contrasted with Jesus to highlight His superiority and unique role. The statement clarifies that Jesus' redemptive work is not directed towards angels, who do not require salvation in the same way humans do. This distinction underscores the special relationship between Christ and humanity, as angels are not the recipients of His saving grace.

but the descendants of Abraham
This phrase identifies the specific group that benefits from Christ's help. The descendants of Abraham refer to the Jewish people, but in a broader theological sense, it includes all who share in the faith of Abraham, as seen inGalatians 3:7-9. Abraham is a central figure in biblical history, known for his faith and covenant with God. This connection to Abraham highlights the fulfillment of God's promises and the continuity of His plan of salvation. It also reflects the inclusivity of the gospel, extending beyond ethnic Israel to all who believe, aligning with the New Testament teaching that faith, not ethnicity, defines the true descendants of Abraham.

The writer opens with a phrase that rings with absolute confidence. He is not guessing; he is declaring something settled in heaven. That same tone of certainty echoes elsewhere—“let all Israel know with certainty” (Acts 2:36) and “all the promises of God are ‘Yes’ in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20). When God speaks this way, we can rest our full weight on what follows.

Angels are magnificent, but they are not the focus of redemption. Earlier the letter asked, “Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14). Scripture never hints at a rescue plan for fallen angels; instead, they remain “in eternal chains under darkness” (Jude 6; cf.2 Peter 2:4). Even the lake of fire is “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). By stating what Christ did not do—help angels—the writer sharpens our view of what He did do.

Jesus “shared in their humanity” so “by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death…and free those who all their lives were held in slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15). The verb is vivid: He grabs hold, pulls near, and personally delivers. Think of the angel’s promise to Joseph: “He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Or the Lord’s own words, “I…take hold of your right hand…‘Do not fear; I will help you’” (Isaiah 41:13). Salvation is not a distant sympathy; it is an incarnate rescue.

By becoming a son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1) Christ identified with the covenant people. Yet the promise stretches beyond ethnic Israel: “those who have faith are sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7). Paul adds, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed” (Galatians 3:29; cf.Romans 4:16).Genesis 22:17-18 foretold that through Abraham’s offspring “all nations of the earth will be blessed,” and Hebrews insists Jesus is that Offspring who now gathers Jews and Gentiles into one redeemed family.

Hebrews 2:16 assures us that the Son did not descend for angels; He came for people—specifically for the believing family marked out in Abraham. With rock-solid certainty, the verse exalts Christ’s purposeful incarnation, highlights the unique privilege of humanity, and invites every reader to take their place among the faith-born “descendants of Abraham” whom He has decisively helped.

(1)ἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι σπέρματος and, still more,ἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι ἀγγέλων, seems an awkward way of expressing "to assume the nature of." The usual sense of the verb, followed by a genitive, is "to take hold of," asἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι χειρός (Acts 23:19;Mark 8:23); and especially in the sense of "succouring" (cf.Matthew 14:31;Hebrews 8:9;Isaiah 31:32,Ἐν ἡμέραἐπιλᾶμβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν; and Ecclus. 4:11,Ἡ σοφία ἐπιλαμβάνεται τῶνζητούντων αὐτήν.

(2) The present tense of the verb is inappropriate to the past act of the Incarnation, which has, moreover, been sufficiently declared in ver. 14.

(3) The sequence of though+, in the following verse is not easily intelligible if the Incarnation be the subject of this:"Whence it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren;" - this does not follow from his having become incarnate; we should rather say that his incarnation was the means of his being made like them. Translate, therefore, observing the position of the substantives before the verbs,For not, I ween, angels cloth he lay hold of (to succor them),but the seed of Abraham he doth lay hold of. The allusion is to its being the human "children of promise," and not angels, that are denoted in prophecy as being, and acknowledged to be, the object of the Messianic redemption. The expression, "the seed of Abraham," is, of course, not intended to exclude the Gentiles: it is appropriately used in reference to the Messianic promises of the Old Testament (cf.Genesis 23:18;Isaiah 41:8): and the extension of its meaning to "all them that believe" would be as familiar to the first readers of the Epistle as to us (cf.Matthew 3:9;John 8:39;Romans 4:11, 16). The conclusion of ver. 17 (which repeats virtually what has been alleged before, after reason given) now naturally follows:Whence it behooved him in all things to be assimilated to his brethren;i.e. to the race which was the object of his redemptive succor. But, further, why the need of this entire assimilation, to the extent of participation in suffering unto death?That he might become a merciful (or,compassionate)high priest, in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. It was that he might be fully constituted as the High Priest of humanity. Here, according to the manner of the Epistle, the view of priesthood, to be afterwards set forth at length, is briefly hinted. It is taken up inHebrews 5, after the conclusion that Christ is man's High Priest has been reached by another line of argument (see preceding summary). InHebrews 5. one of the essentials of a true high priest (whose office is to mediate for man in things pertaining to God) is set forth as being that he should be of the same race and nature with those for whom he mediates, and able in all respects to sympathize with them: and this view is here foreshadowed.

Parallel Commentaries ...