HEB 2:17 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 2:5–18: Jesus, the Son of God, became a human being

In the previous section, the author stated the seriousness of ignoring the Son’s message of salvation. In this section he gave more reasons why Jesus is greater than the angels and why we should take Jesus’ salvation more seriously than the law that was received through the angels. Some of these reasons are:

Jesus, not the angels, will control the future world (2:5)
Jesus humbled himself in order to make himself like us:
- In our lower position (2:7, 2:9)
- In our suffering and death (2:10, 2:14)
- As his brothers, God’s children (2:11–14, 2:17)
Jesus can:
- Bring us to glory (2:10)
- Bring us to salvation (2:10)
- Make us holy (2:11)
- Break the power of death (2:14)
- Sets us free from the fear of death (2:15)
- Help us (he did not come to help angels) (2:16)
- Be a merciful and faithful high priest before God (2:17)
- Take away the sins of people (2:17)
- Help us when we are tempted (2:18)
- [Angels cannot do this]

Some other possible headings for this section are:

The Son became human to save us

Christ Became like Humans (NCV)

Jesus Became One of Us to Help Us (GW)

Paragraph 2:14–18

The final paragraph of chapter 2 explains in more detail why God’s Son had to become a human being like us. He came to defeat the devil, and stop people from being afraid to die. He also became human so that he could become the high priest for his people. In these ways, he is greater than the angels, because none of them was able to become human, defeat the devil, and free his people from fearing death.

The author briefly introduces the topic of Jesus as our high priest, which he will discuss more fully in 4:14–5:10 and 7:1–8:1.

2:17a

For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way,

That is why it was necessary for him to become human in every way like his brothers and sisters
Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to become a real human being like us^(incl) his siblings.

For this reason: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as For this reason introduces a conclusion from 2:16. This conclusion is also a summary and conclusion of 2:10–16. Some other ways to introduce this conclusion are:

That is whyUma back translation on TW.

Therefore (NRSV)

As a result

Introduce it in a natural way in your language.

He had to be made like His brothers: The Greek word that the BSB translates as had to means “to be obligated”ophelō BDAG, (page 743), meaning 2, “to be under obligation to meet certain social or moral expectations, owe.” The use in Hebrews 2:17 is listed under sense ß. of this meaning, “one must, one ought.” to do something. The clause means that Jesus was obligated to become human like other humans so that he would be a good high priest for them.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

it was necessary for him to be made…like his brothers and sisters (NLT)

he needed to become a man/human so that he could be the same as his siblingsTagbanwa back translation on TW.

The reason it was necessary for Him to become a human was so that He might become like us^(incl) His siblings.Western Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.

be made like His brothers in every way: The phrase be made like His brothers in every way has a special meaning in this context. It indicates that in every way Jesus became a real human being, just as his brothers and sisters were human beings. However, the phrase in every way does not imply that Jesus was sinful like other human beings.

Some other ways to translate be made like His brothers in every way are:

become completely human like his people

to become a real human being like his fellow human beings

to become just like any human beingEllingworth and Nida, A Translator’s Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews, page 47, also on TW.

His brothers: The phrase His brothers refers back to 2:11. There the author indicated that people whom Jesus sanctifies become his brothers and sisters. The author also implied that these brothers and sisters are the descendants of Abraham that he mentioned in 2:16. In many languages it is good to translate the phrase His brothers in the same way as you did in 2:11.

In some languages it may be necessary to add a phrase to indicate that brothers is used in a spiritual instead of a physical sense here, as it was in 2:11. For example:

us whom he calls his own siblingsEllis Diebler, SSA of Hebrews, prepublication copy, page 27.

If you include a pronoun like “us,” it should refer to both the author and the people who heard his message.

2:17b

so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God,

in order to be a high priest who has compassion for his people and who is trustworthy as he serves God
Because he did this, he can serve God as a high priest who acts mercifully toward us^(incl). He can also be trusted

Here in 2:17b the author first used the term “high priest” to refer to Jesus.In this chapter the author of Hebrews has used three titles/terms to refer to Jesus. In 2:9 he used the name “Jesus.” In 2:10 he used the phrase “author of their salvation.” In this verse, he used the term “high priest,” which is a thematic term.Tagbanwa back translation on TW.Western Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.A Translator’s Handbook on the Letter to the Hebrews, page 47.Ellis Diebler, SSA of Hebrews, prepublication copy, page 27.In this chapter the author of Hebrews has used three titles/terms to refer to Jesus. In 2:9 he used the name “Jesus.” In 2:10 he used the phrase “author of their salvation.” In this verse, he used the term “high priest.” In Hebrews the author compared the work of a Jewish high priest in the Old Testament to what Jesus did for people. Jewish high priests represented the people and offered sacrifices to God on their behalf. Jesus also represented his people to God, and he offered himself as a perfect sacrifice so that God would forgive the people’s sins.

so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God: This clause tells the purpose for which Jesus became completely human (2:17a). He became human in order to be a good high priest for human beings. The words merciful and faithful both describe the phrase high priest. They do not indicate that Jesus was not merciful or faithful before he became human.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

so that he would be a high priest who treats people with compassion. He would also be faithful toward God and toward people as he does the work of the high priest.

Because he did that, when he does the work of the high priest, he sympathizes with the people. Both God and people can trust him.

a merciful…high priest: The Greek word that the BSB translates as merciful means “sympathetic, compassionate.”BDAG, page 316. It refers to a person who is concerned about the needs of other people and sympathizes with them. The phrase a merciful…high priest implies that as a human high priest, Jesus knows the temptations of human beings, and he has compassion for them.

See the examples in the preceding note for translation advice.

faithful high priest in service to God: The word faithful means “worthy of trust, dependable.” It refers to someone who is worthy to be believed and trusted.BDAG, page 820. The phrase in service to God indicates here that Jesus was faithful to both God and people as he served God as high priest. Both God and human beings could trust him.

Some other ways to translate the phrase faithful high priest in service to God are:

a high priest who is…trustworthy as he represents us to God

to serve God as our high priest in a faithful way

high priest: The high priest was the leader of all the priests of the people of Israel. All the priests offered sacrifices on behalf of the people, but the high priest offered certain special sacrifices that no other priest could offer. Once a year, he offered the special sacrifice that atoned for the people’s sins. In a special way, he represented them to God.

Some ways to translate high priest are:

the chief/leader of all the priests

the main/principal priest

the highest/leading priest

The author described the work of Jesus as a high priest in more detail from 4:14 onwards. Translate the term high priest in the same way here and in the Gospels. For more information, see priest in KBT.

in service to God: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the BSB translates as in service to God:

It means “toward God.” In this context it refers to service to God or to relationship with him. For example:
in his service to God (GNT) (BSB, GNT, NIV NRSV, ESV, CEV, REB, NCV, NLT, NJB)
It means “about God.” It refers to things concerning God or about God. For example:
things relating to God (NET) (NET, NASB, KJV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), as most English versions and many commentators do. In this context in service to God refers to what the high priest did as he served God on behalf of the people. It refers especially to the sacrifice he made so that God would forgive the people’s sins (2:17c).

Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

to represent us to GodKankanaey back translation on TW.

working the work that God gave himUma back translation on TW.

as he served God

Be sure to connect this phrase to 2:17c in a natural way in your language.

2:17c

in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.

to make atonement/expiation for their sins.
to offer sacrifice to God so that God will forgive people’s sins.

in order to make atonement for the sins of the people: This clause tells the purpose for Jesus being a merciful and faithful high priest. As a high priest like that, Jesus was able to make atonement for the people’s sins. He did this by offering himself to be killed as a sacrifice to God. Jesus himself took the punishment that people deserve for their sins so that God would forgive them. Then they themselves would not have to be killed.

Some other ways to translate this purpose are:

in order to offer sacrifice so that the people’s sins would be forgiven

so he would undergo the punishment of our sins so that it would thus be possible for our sins to be forgivenKankanaey back translation on TW.

Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. (NLT)

make atonement: The phrase make atonement is one word in Greek. It refers to the way that people can obtain forgiveness from God for their sins.The Greek word that the BSB translates as “make atonement” only occurs here in the NT, and in Luke 8:13, where it means “be merciful” or “have pity on.” Here it means “make propitiation for.” The corresponding noun, hilastērion, occurs in Romans 3:25 (NIV: “sacrifice of atonement”) and in Hebrews 9:5, where it refers to the actual physical covering of the ark of the covenant. Another related noun, hilasmos, occurs in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10, and has the same meaning of “atoning sacrifice” (NIV) or “the sacrifice that takes our sins away.” (JB).These words are used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT) for the Hebrew verb ḵap̄har, “to cover” or “conceal,” and hence also to “atone for.” “The Day of atonement” is literally, “the Day of covering.” Sin against God must be dealt with, and the physical symbol of this was the lid which covered the wooden box in the most holy part of the Tabernacle. Once a year, the high priest sprinkled this with blood, showing that there had been a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. In the Bible the word implies that people have sinned against God. God is just, and he must punish people for sin. Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice to be punished instead of other people so that God could forgive them.

In many cultures people make sacrifices for other reasons that do not fit the meaning of the Greek word. It is often necessary to use a descriptive phrase to translate it. See the translation examples in the preceding note. Since the Greek word is a key biblical term, it is especially important to check the meaning of your translation of it with other speakers of your language.

Other forms of this Greek word occur in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10. For more information, see reconcile, sense B, in KBT.

the sins of the people: The phrase the sins of the people refers to the sins which the people have committed. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

the sins that the people have done

the offenses that the people committed against God

sins: The word sins was used in 1:3d. You may translate it in the same way here. For more information, see the note on 1:3d.

the people: In the original context of the OT the word people refers to the same people as “the descendants of Abraham” in 2:16 and “his brothers” in 2:17a. Refer to them here in a natural way in your language.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ὅθεν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅθεν ὤφειλεν κατά παντᾶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοιωθῆναι ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καί πιστός ἀρχιερεύς τά πρός τόν Θεόν εἰς τό ἱλάσκεσθαι τάς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ)

The phrase from which introduces an inference or conclusion based on what the author has argued, particularly what he wrote in [2:16](../02/16.md). Because Jesus focuses on “the descendants of Abraham,” he is obligated to become like them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces an inference or conclusion. Alternate translation: [so you can see that]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὤφειλεν

˱he˲_˓was˒_ought

The author does not mean that someone obligated or made Jesus become like his brothers. Rather, he means that becoming like his brothers was the correct or necessary way to accomplish the goal of making atonement. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that refers to a necessity. Alternate translation: [it was necessary for him]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations

τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς

˱to˲_his brothers

Although the word brothers is masculine, the author is using it to refer to all those who believe in Jesus, both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word that applies to both men and women or you could refer to both genders. Alternate translation: [his brothers and sisters]

Note 4 topic: translate-kinship

τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς

˱to˲_his brothers

The author refers to believers as brothers of Jesus, which identifies believers as part of God’s family. This is an important idea in Hebrews, so preserve the language of kinship if possible. See how you translated brothers in [2:11–12](../02/11.md). Alternate translation: [the people who are like his brothers]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ

in_order (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ὅθεν ὤφειλεν κατά παντᾶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοιωθῆναι ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καί πιστός ἀρχιερεύς τά πρός τόν Θεόν εἰς τό ἱλάσκεσθαι τάς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ)

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of atonement and sins, you could express the ideas by using verbs such as “atone” and “sin.” Alternate translation: [in order to atone for how the people sinned]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.