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Hebrews 2:1. Therefore, we must be especially attentive to what we hear, Since, he says, the superiority of the Son who spoke to us is so great over the prophets and angels, the ministers of the Old Testament, then what He said should be heeded more than the law. But he did not say this directly, so as not to shock them at the beginning; he left them to infer this from what followed. He says this without comparing the Old Testament with the New - no, but against the opinion of those who speak with great glory about the Old Testament and neglect the New. so as not to fall away. (μή ποτέ παραρρυῶμεν) That is, so that we don’t die. The expression was borrowed from Proverbs: “my son,” says the Wise One, “do not miss” (μὴ παραρρύης) (Prov. 3:21), expressing both the ease of falling away and the severity of destruction. For what has fallen away is difficult to restore. Hebrews 2:2. For if the word spoken through angels was sure, Here he reveals his desire. By the word spoken through angels, one must understand either the Ten Commandments, for it is true that then the angels were present, to whom the Jewish people were entrusted, they produced trumpets, fire, darkness, and so on, as it says in the Epistle to the Galatians: “taught through angels” (Gal. 3:19), and in another place: “who received the law through the ministry of angels” (Acts 7:53); or the word should mean all the commands in the Old Testament, given through angels, such as, for example, at the place of lamentation during the judges, under Sampson (Judges 2:1, 13:3). That’s why he didn’t say “law,” but “word,” to designate this. So, all this was “firm”, that is, it was true and the threats were carried out, and none of it was lost. and every crime and disobedience received a righteous reward, It is not so that one receives and the other does not; but “everything”, and nothing went unpunished. He calls punishment retribution, and although this word is used in a good sense, the apostle does not care about expressions. Hebrews 2:3. then how can we escape, having neglected so much salvation, There is “word”, here “salvation”. If there was salvation there, it was not great: they got rid of their enemies and received earthly blessings; here there is much more. That’s why he said: “about so much.” For the destruction of death, the destruction of demons, the Kingdom of Heaven - all this comes to you by the word of the Son. which, having been first preached by the Lord, was established in us by those who heard from Him, Giving credibility to his words, he says that this salvation was not announced through prophets or angels, but received its beginning from the Lord of all Himself, from the Source Himself; then it spread among us truly and truly through the witnesses of the Word and the servants. Luke also speaks about this (Luke 1:2). They guided us firmly. How then does the apostle say in another place: I did not hear it from men (Gal. 1:12)? Because there it is important and necessary to insist on the idea that he did not learn from people. For he was condemned that he did not hear the Lord and therefore he was in danger that his preaching would not have faith on the part of his disciples. And now there is no such need for this. For he did not preach to the Jews, nor from them, and they condemned him that he learned from people, and not from Christ. Or, citing the words here: “when God testified with signs and wonders,” he shows that he accepted this not from people, but from God. Hebrews 2:4. when witnessed by God with signs and wonders, Having said: “established,” he shows how. Lest anyone say that those who heard were mistaken, he says: God testified with them; He would not testify if they themselves invented something. They testify, he says; God also testifies with them - not with a voice, but with signs and wonders that confirmed what they said. That's why we trust God, not people. Expressing the abundance of talents, he said: “various.” Since sorcerers also perform many signs, therefore he said: “by powers.” Those signs are not strength, but powerlessness, fiction and empty ghosts. and the distribution of the Holy Spirit according to His will? And this was added for the same reason. For the signs of sorcerers are not from the Holy Spirit, but the deceptions of unclean demons. At the same time, it makes us understand something else. Probably there were not many people there who had spiritual gifts, which became impoverished because the believers were less zealous. Therefore, in order to console them in this, he says that “the distribution of the Spirit” occurs according to “His will.” He knows what is good for everyone, and thus shares grace. Often someone does not receive gifts for living an unclean life; Often a person of pure life does not receive gifts, lest he become proud. That is why they were communicated to more humble and simple people. Hebrews 2:5. For God did not subject the future universe to Angels, Showing also the superiority of the Son over the angels, he says that it was not to them that God subjugated the universe, that is, this world, but to the Son. He calls her “her future,” because the Son of God has always been, and she had to appear, because before, obviously, she did not exist. Therefore, in relation to the eternal existence of the Son, the universe was coming. That is, about the universe, about which they said above: “when he brings the Firstborn into the universe” (Heb. 1:6). Therefore, let not your deluded mind seek another universe. Some by the future universe meant the future world. This world, he says, is what we are all talking about. Then the angels will appear as servants, and the Son will sit as the Judge. Hebrews 2:6. on the contrary, someone testified nowhere, saying: What does it mean to a man that You remember him? or son of man, that You visit him? Hebrews 2:7. You did not humiliate him much before the Angels; You crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands, 3 Hebrews 2:8. He put everything under his feet. He does not name what was said, since he is speaking to people knowledgeable in the Scriptures. All this is said about humanity in general, but mainly, however, can refer to Christ in the flesh. For He, the Son of God, visited the insignificant human nature and, taking it and uniting it with Himself, became above all. When he had subdued everything to him, he left nothing unsubdued to him. Now we still do not see that everything has been subjugated to him; Since they were persecuted and suffered, lest they say: How can you say that everything is subdued when we are subjected to exile and persecution by His enemies? - does this mean they have not yet been conquered and you are seducing us? - therefore he says: do not be embarrassed and do not be faint-hearted: everything will be subdued to Him. And the Scripture says: “subdued.” What will undoubtedly happen, although it has not yet happened, is called accomplished. So, do not grieve that you are undergoing disasters: the preaching has not yet conquered everyone, the time for complete conquest has not yet come, but, undoubtedly, they will submit. Hebrews 2:9. but we see that for suffering death Jesus was crowned with glory and honor, who was a little lower than the Angels, He tries to show that what was said refers to Christ, and says: although the expression “subdued all things,” it would seem, only refers to Him, we have shown that this too will undoubtedly be fulfilled. But to be little less than the angels is more true of Him than of us. For He, having spent three days in hell as a man, was not much less than the angels, since they were completely not involved in death. And we, who have been subject to decay for a long time, are not a little, but very much diminished in comparison with them. And to be “crowned with glory and honor” for suffering applies more to Him than to us. Having said: “for suffering death,” the apostle designated true death - not the imagination of death, it was real suffering. He reminded them of the cross and death in order to convince them to courageously endure misfortunes, looking to the Teacher. But the cross, he says, became glory and honor for Him; therefore, your misfortunes and sufferings should be glory and honor for you. So why should you avoid what crowns you? He suffered for you, slave; Will you not endure suffering for Him, the Lord? that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for all. Not out of duty, but out of grace, God gave us His Son to die, and not only for believers, but for the whole world. Although not everyone was saved, He fulfilled His duty. He said it perfectly: “taste.” For, indeed, having, as it were, tasted it, since He remained in death for a short time, He immediately rose again. And in this respect He is therefore better than the angels, because He appeared above death. Just as a doctor, seeing a patient who is afraid to take the medicines prepared for him, first tastes them himself in order to convince the patient to decide to take them: so the Lord, seeing us afraid of death, tasted it Himself, although He had no need for it. He was not subject to death, but did everything by grace to show its insignificance and convince us to boldly go to death. The Nestorians, distorting Scripture, say: except (χωρίς) God, He tasted it for everyone, in order to defend the idea that with the crucified Christ there was no Divinity, since it was not united with Him personally, but according to state. One Orthodox Christian, ridiculing their nonsense, said: let Scripture have the same meaning as you say, and in that case what is said speaks for us. For besides (χωρίς) God, the Lord died for everyone and for the angels themselves, in order to destroy their enmity against us and bring them joy. Hebrews 2:10. For it was fitting that He for whom all things That is, to the Father, everything comes from Him, that is, He is the author of everything. and from Whom (δι᾿ὃν) are all things, Look, the expression “from whom” refers to the Father. If it were humiliating and befitting only the Son, it would not be applied to the Father. Understand what the expression “from whom” means. Since he said: “for (in Slavic “for the sake of”) Whom are all things,” so that someone would not think something absurd, namely, that He needs everything, for the preposition “for” has the same meaning, as for example, if we say: “for the sake of (δια - for the sake of, because of) man the creation was created,” then the apostle added the expression: “from Whom,” explaining that “for (the sake of) “Whom” must be understood in the same way as “through Him,” that is, that everything came from Him. Therefore, when it is said about the Son: “from Whom,” take this instead: from Him. bringing many sons to glory, the leader of their salvation through suffering. This has a connection with the previous one: “crowned with glory and honor.” The meaning of the words is this. The Father acted worthy of His love for mankind, in that He revealed the Firstborn of all sons who had the pleasure of His glory to the most glorious of all through suffering, in order to show others how one should endure suffering. “The leader of salvation,” that is, the culprit. Look at the difference between Him and us. Although He is the Son and we are sons, He saves, and we are saved: we are united with Him and separated again. “Who brings many sons to glory,” through this we are united. “The Leader of their salvation,” through this we are divided. Note that suffering is perfection and a means to salvation: that whoever suffers for someone not only benefits him, but also becomes more glorious and perfect. By perfection here understand the glory by which He was glorified, and understand it in relation to humanity; - or that by nature He had glory, only He was inglorious among us, since He was not recognized. But when after the cross He was recognized and glorified, they say that He received the glory that He had by nature, and did not receive from us. Saint Cyril calls immortality, which Christ lacked in humanity, perfection; the Father replenished it for Him through the resurrection. When He rose again, death no longer had dominion over Him. And He honored all nature with this perfection. Hebrews 2:11. For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from One; Here, again, it shows that we are brothers of Christ and are so honorable. For, he says, “He who sanctifies,” that is, Christ, and “those who are sanctified,” that is, we, “are all from One,” that is, the Father. But He is truly the true Son and from the very being of the Father, and we are creatures. Pay attention also to superiority in expressions. He sanctifies, we are sanctified. Hence both identity and superiority. therefore He is not ashamed to call them brethren, Look, here too is His superiority. For by the expression “he is not ashamed,” he shows that this does not belong to nature, but to the tender love of Him who is not ashamed. Although we are from the One, there is a great difference between us, as between the Creator and creatures. Hebrews 2:12. I will proclaim Your name to My brothers, in the midst of the church I will sing Your praises. (cf. Ps. 21:23) Having taken on flesh, He also took on brotherhood; with the flesh came brotherhood. But here again there is superiority. I will proclaim, he says, to those who are darkened and do not know; similar to this: “I have made Your name known to men” (John 17:6). Hebrews 2:13. And one more thing: I will trust in Him. Through this it also shows that He became a man and our brother. For just as each of the people, so He Himself trusts in Him, that is, in the Father. At the same time, he shows us that we should hope in God alone, since He Himself, being the Son and not needing anything, nevertheless says that He trusts in the Father. Some have interpreted this: since, they say, above he called Christ brother, and below - Father, then in the middle he shows that these are the names of the dispensation of the last times; His eternal name is God. Who, in the proper sense, trusts in another, if not in God? As if he were saying this: when you hear that He is a brother and a father, do not think that He is one of many; He is God, he says, in Him, as Scripture testifies, one must hope, so there is no speech here on behalf of Christ, but from a prophet saying: I, a prophet, will hope in Christ Himself as God. But this understanding is not perfect. And one more thing: here I am and the children whom God gave Me. (cf. Is.8:18) Here he calls Christ our Father. “Gave” means the Father’s favor for Him to become incarnate. If He had not deigned to become incarnate as the Son, He would not have had children. Hebrews 2:14. And just as children partake of flesh and blood, He also received them, So let those be ashamed who say that He came ghostly and as a ghost. For the apostle did not only say that He partook of flesh and blood, like children, that is, other people; although, if he had said so, it would have been enough to affirm that He was truly incarnate, but he also added: “also” in order to affirm indifference with us and true incarnation. so that by death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, Gives the reason for building a house. So that, he says, by His death, which He perceived as obviously having partaken of flesh and blood, to destroy the devil, who owns death. How? - through sin. Since he made people sin as a result of that first disobedience, he was the author of death and used it as some kind of warrior and a powerful weapon against human nature. Therefore, Christ used the same weapon against him. Truly, it is a matter of great power and wisdom to kill the enemy with the weapon with which he has killed many. Some have understood this: the one who owns, they say, sin, that is, the devil, since sin constitutes the power and strength of death. Hebrews 2:15. and deliver those who from the fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. That is, to free people who were slaves to death, feared it and were guilty of it, that is, they were kept in slavery by it, since it had not yet been destroyed. Or that ancient people lived in constant fear, always expecting that they would die, and with such fear they could not feel any pleasure. This is what the apostle hints at when he says: “throughout my whole life.” So, they were guilty of slavery, that is, they always trembled at death, like slaves of a cruel master, not enjoying anything joyful. From here understand that whoever fears death is not free and is a slave to everything. And this is a consolation for suffering believers, if those now persecuted and imprisoned lead a more pleasant and freer life than the ancients, who seemed to live in luxury when death had power. Those shaken by the fear of death were slaves, but you are free from this fear. Hebrews 2:16. For He does not receive Angels, That is, the Lord did not unite with the angelic nature and did not wear it. This shows God's great love for the human race. What, he says, he did not give to the angels, he gave to people, so that they could receive flesh from them. but he will receive Abraham's seed. He did not say: received, but: “will receive,” to show that He overtook our nature, which fled and went far away; and, having overtaken her, he took her and clothed himself, uniting her with Himself and stopping her when she fled from Him. He did not say: the nature of people, but “the seed of Abraham,” partly wanting to exalt them and show that their race is honorable, and that they have an advantage in this over the pagans, since the Lord is from them; for Paul always pleases them, in no way harming anyone; partly reminds them of the promise: “For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever” (Gen. 13:15). Hebrews 2:17. Therefore, He had to become like his brothers in everything, Since, he says, He deigned to accept our nature, then it was completely consistent for Him to become like us in everything, that is, to be born, to be raised, to grow, to endure everything that should finally die; this means to become like in everything. to be a merciful and faithful high priest before God, It was not for anything else, he says, that He took on our flesh, as in order to have mercy on us through it and restore those who had fallen deeply. How? Having become our high priest and bearing the flesh that He received from us, instead of any other sacrifice, in order to cleanse us from sins and to be our mediator before God; for we were at enmity with Him. “Faithful” - instead of: true, who could fulfill the work of the high priest; for it is the duty of a true high priest to free from the sins those of whom he is high priest; or that He is acceptable to God in His mediation before Him. to make atonement for the sins of the people. He showed what it means: “faithful before God,” that is, to cleanse the sins of the people. This is a great proof of His love that He did everything to atone for sins. Why didn’t he say: the sins of the universe, but: the people? Because the Lord first of all had concern for the Jews, for whose sake He came primarily, so that when they were saved, others would be saved through them, although it turned out the other way around. And the angel says to Joseph: “For He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Thus, this shows the nobility of the Jews and what care they were awarded by the Lord. Hebrews 2:18. For just as He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted. This would seem to be humiliation, humble and unworthy of God. When Paul speaks of the flesh, he refers to everything that is despised, but not unworthy of the flesh; and there is nothing surprising when Scripture says a lot about the Father who was not incarnate: “The Lord looked down from heaven on the sons of men to see” (Ps. 13:2), and: “I will go down and see” (Gen. 18:21), and much more like that. Therefore, much more has been said regarding Christ becoming incarnate and suffering in the flesh, especially for the complete comfort of the listeners and because of their weakness; for people also consider temptation the surest of all means. The meaning of the words is this. He knew not only as God, but also as a man, tempted in all things - and the very flesh of Christ endured much suffering. He knew what temptation was; therefore it can help, in other words; ready to always be compassionate. The words “and set him over the works of Your hands” are not in the Greek text of bl. Theophylact. You might be interested in: