HEB 2:9 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 2:5–9

There is an interpretation issue in 2:6–8. These verses contain a quote from Psalm 8:4–6. The psalm refers to “man” and “son of man,” and uses words like “him” and “his.” In the psalm these words refer to human beings (mankind) in general. However, there are two ways to interpret these forms when they are quoted here in Hebrews 2:

They refer to both humanity and to Jesus as the Messiah. For example:
What is a mortal that you should remember him, the Son of Man that you care for him? (GW) (BSB, NIV84, RSV, ESV, GW, REB, NASB, NET, NLT96, JBP, KJV)
They refer only to humanity. This interpretation is implied by English versions that use plural or collective forms. For example:
What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? (NRSV) (NIV, GNT, CEV, NRSV, NJB, NCV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The author of Hebrews often used verses from the OT as evidence that Jesus is the Messiah. A number of commentaries, including recent ones, also support this interpretation.There is a growing number of scholars supporting the Messianic tones of Hebrews 2:6–8: Koester (page 221) says, “A tension in the psalm enables it to bear two different lines of interpretation…. The psalm asks about God’s will for ‘man,’ which can be understood as a question about humankind generally so that Hebrews can deal with God’s design for people…. The psalm can also be taken as a statement about Jesus, who is God’s Son and heir of all things.” Lane (47) says that when the author of Hebrews quotes the statement in Psalm 8 “You put everything in subjection under his feet” (verse 8a), he “immediately adds, we do not yet…see everything subject to his control.” Lane sees this “not yet” as crucial, “for it indicates that the writer found in the quotation a prophecy that will eventually be fulfilled.” He continues (page 48) to explain that since the psalmist recognized that this prophecy has not yet been fulfilled, the author of Hebrews sees “that the promised subjection has reference not to humankind in general (verse 8), but to Jesus (verse 9), whom God has appointed ‘heir of everything.” See also O’Brien (pages 91–93) and Attridge (page 72). For a detailed article on this topic see Guthrie and Quinn (2006: pages 235–246).

In some languages it may not be possible to use a singular form to refer to human beings in general. If this is true in your language, you may want to include a footnote in your translation. For example:

Some scholars believe that “son of man” is used in the psalm to refer to humans in general. However, the author of Hebrews also used it to refer to Jesus as the Messiah who “leads many sons to glory” (2:10). Jesus is the one who fulfilled the psalm’s prophecy that God put all things under mankind’s control.

It is clear that in the OT the psalmist is praising God for choosing “human beings” to rule over creation. However, the author of Hebrews does not have only humanity in mind. He also uses the psalm to refer to the Messiah. He implies that the psalmist also spoke about Jesus becoming human and being crowned with glory and honor.

2:9

In the Greek text this verse is one long sentence. It may be more natural in some languages to use more than one sentence to translate the verse.

The clauses in the Greek text are in a slightly different order from most English versions.In Greek the verse is more literally: ^9bBut for a short time, lowered more than angels, ^9awe see Jesus ^9dbecause he suffered death, ^9ccrowned with glory and honor, ^9ein order that by the grace of God he might taste death on behalf of each person. In some languages it is more natural to follow the order of the English versions and begin with the clause “we see Jesus.” See the General Comment on 2:9a–e at the end of 2:9e for examples.

2:9a

But we see Jesus,

However/Yet we^(incl) see Jesus.
But as for Jesus,

But we see Jesus: The clause But we see Jesus introduces a contrast between what we saw in the past and what we see now that Jesus has come. In the past, people did not see that everything was subject to them. But now in the present time, people understand that Jesus fulfilled what the writer of Psalm 8 predicted.

Some other ways to introduce the contrast are:

But what do we see also/now? Jesus became for some time lower than angels, but now…Compare the rendering of Parole de Vie.

But we know that this was fulfilled because of Jesus. Because he is the one who was made a little lower than the angels when he became a person. However, we see that Jesus was…Kankanaey back translation on TW.

But what really happened was this: For a little while Jesus also was made more humble/unimportant than the angels…Tagbanwa back translation on TW.

Translate this contrast in a natural way in your language. See the next note and also the General Comment on 2:9a–e at the end of 2:9e for examples of other ways to translate it.

Jesus: Here the author used the name Jesus for the first time in Hebrews. In chapter 1 he referred to him as the “Son” of God (for, example, 1:2) and God’s “firstborn” (1:6).Here in chapter 2, the author calls him Jesus (2:9), “author” (2:10) and “high priest” (2:17).

2:9b

who was made a little lower than the angels,

For a short time, he was given less status/authority than the angels,
God gave him a lower position than the angels for a while.

2:9b–c

who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor: The phrases was made a little lower than the angels and crowned with glory and honor were taken from the OT quotation given in 2:7a. You may want to use quotation marks or bold italics to indicate that these phrases are quotations. For example:

He was made a little lower than the angels but he is now crowned with glory and honor

For the phrase a little, be sure to follow the same interpretation as you followed in 2:7. For more information, see the notes there.

was made a little lower: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as was made a little lower is passive. The context indicates that God is the one who made Jesus lower than the angels so that he could die on behalf of all people. In some languages a passive verb may not be natural here or may imply a wrong meaning. If that is true in your language, you may indicate God as the subject or cause of the action. For example:

God caused Jesus’ respect/glory to become a little less than the angels’ respect/glory

God caused Jesus to be a little smaller in status than the angels

2:9c–d

now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death: The clause because He suffered death gives the reason why Jesus was crowned with glory and honor. Jesus suffered death (2:9d), and that is why God crowned him with glory and honor (2:9c).

In some languages it is more natural to change the order of 2:9c and 2:9d so that the reason comes before the result. For example:

^9dJesus suffered death. ^9cThat is why he is now crowned with glory and honor.

2:9c

now crowned with glory and honor

but now he has been given greatness and honor as king,
Yet now God has greatly honored/exalted him

now crowned with glory and honor: Here the author used the phrase that applied to people in 2:7b to refer to Jesus. The verb crowned is used in a figurative way. It refers to the custom of honoring someone by placing a wreath (“crown”) of leaves on his head.Among Greek people this custom was used to honor the winner of a race or other competition. Here the figure of speech indicates that God honored Jesus by giving him great authority and respect. Some other ways to translate this metaphor are:

he has been made big and given an honored position/seatUma back translation on TW.

God has honored him like the honor of a kingKankanaey back translation on TW.

glory and honor: See the note on glory and honor in 2:7b. In this context the phrase refers to the glory and honor that God gave Jesus. In some languages it is helpful to make the translation more emphatic here than in 2:7. For example:

God caused that…Jesus Christ is supremely respected.Otomi back translation on TW.

2:9d

because He suffered death,

because he suffered/experienced death.
because of the death that he died.

He suffered death: The phrase He suffered death means that Jesus experienced death. The word suffered refers to his death. It does not refer here to the pain that he suffered during the process of dying. Some other ways to translate the phrase are:

he suffered by dying

he died

he experienced death

2:9e

so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

It was because of God’s grace/kindness that Jesus died on behalf of all people.
Because God was very merciful, he caused Jesus to die as a substitute for all other people.
God showed his great kindness/love by letting Jesus die for everyone else.

so that…He might taste death for everyone: This clause tells the purpose for Jesus’ death (2:9d). The word might helps to indicate that it was God’s purpose for Jesus to die. It does not indicate any doubt about the fact that Jesus died. God decided that Jesus should die so that everyone else would not have to die. Jesus died as a substitute for every other person. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

to die for everyone

in order that his death would replace the death of every person

so that he would die substituting for mankindYakan back translation on TW.

taste death: The phrase taste death is a figure of speech. It means “die.” It does not indicate that Jesus just seemed to die. When Jesus died, he was truly dead, and he remained dead until his resurrection.

In many languages, it will give a wrong meaning to translate this idiom literally. If that is true in your language, you can use the normal way in your language to say that he died. For example:

died (NCV)

experience death (REB)

However, if you have a different idiom in your language that means “died,” you may be able to use it here.

for everyone: The phrase for everyone indicates here that Jesus was a substitute for all human beings. If Jesus had not died, every other person would have to die as punishment for his or her own sins. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

to be the substitute/redemption for all mankind.Uma back translation on TW.

so that everyone else could be spared/saved

on behalf of everyone (GW)

In some languages there may be a figure of speech to express this meaning.

by the grace of God: The phrase by the grace of God means “as the result of God’s grace” or “because of God’s grace.”Some church fathers and a few Greek manuscripts have “apart from God” instead of “by the grace of God,” which would result in the meaning “Jesus tasted death apart from God.” However, Metzger (Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 2^nd Edition, page 594) gives the reading “by the grace of God” an A rating, indicating that “the text is certain” (page 14). It indicates that the reason that Christ died on behalf of people was because God was very gracious to people. Because God is so gracious and kind, he caused Jesus to die for all people. It was not because the people deserved his kindness.

Some ways to translate by the grace of God are:

through the greatness of God’s mercy

because of God’s wonderful kindness (CEV)

In some languages there is a figurative way to translate this meaning. For example:

because of the whiteness/bigness of God’s heart

grace of God: The phrase grace of God refers here to the kindness that God freely shows to people because he is good and generous. It implies that the people have not done anything to deserve his kindness. Some other ways to translate the phrase grace of God in this context are:

God is kind/generous

God’s merciful goodness

The word grace also occurs in 4:16, 10:29, 12:15, and 13:9. For more information, see grace, sense A2(a), in KBT.

General Comment on 2:9a–e

In Greek, 2:9 is one long sentence. In some languages it is more natural to use more than one sentence to translate it. For example:

What we do see is Jesus. For he was “made a little lower than the angels,” but now he is “crowned with glory and honor” because he suffered death for us. By God’s grace, Jesus died as a substitute for all other people.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὸν & βραχύ τι παρ’ ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένον

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τόν Δέ βραχύ τὶ πάρʼ ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένον βλέπομεν Ἰησοῦν διά τό πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καί τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον ὅπως χάριτι Θεοῦ ὑπέρ παντός γεύσηται θανάτου)

The author refers to how Jesus was lower than the angels. While he may have believed that this was true in terms of spatial placement, since angels live in heaven “above” and Jesus lived on earth “below,” the point is primarily about status and power. Being lower means that Jesus had less status and power than the angels. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase that describes how Jesus had less status and power than angels during his incarnate life. See how you translated this clause in [2:7](../02/07.md). Alternate translation: [who had a little less status than the angels] or [who was a little less important than the angels]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

βραχύ τι & ἠλαττωμένον

little (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τόν Δέ βραχύ τὶ πάρʼ ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένον βλέπομεν Ἰησοῦν διά τό πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καί τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον ὅπως χάριτι Θεοῦ ὑπέρ παντός γεύσηται θανάτου)

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. The author uses the passive form here to focus on Jesus who was made rather than on the person doing the making. If you must state who did the action, the author implies that God did it. Alternate translation: [whom God made a little lower]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

βραχύ τι

The phrase a little could refer primarily to place or to time. Here, it is likely that the author uses the phrase to show that Jesus was lower than the angels for a little time. However, the phrase in the quotation in [2:7](../02/07.md) suggested that humans have a place that is a little lower. If that is true, then the author uses the same phrase that referred to place in the quotation, but he uses it to refer to time. You could express a little so that it refers to: (1) time. Alternate translation: [for a little while] (2) place. Alternate translation: [a little bit]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον

˱with˲_glory (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τόν Δέ βραχύ τὶ πάρʼ ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένον βλέπομεν Ἰησοῦν διά τό πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καί τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον ὅπως χάριτι Θεοῦ ὑπέρ παντός γεύσηται θανάτου)

The quotation refers to the glory and honor that God gave to Jesus as if, together, they formed a crown to be placed on the head of a king to signify his power and authority. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. See how you translated this phrase in [2:7](../02/07.md). Alternate translation: [given great glory and honor]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἐστεφανωμένον

˓having_been˒_crowned

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. The author uses the passive form here to focus on Jesus who is crowned rather than on the person doing the crowning. If you must state who did the action, the author implies that God did it. Alternate translation: [whom God crowned]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of glory and honor, you could express the ideas by using adjectives such as “glorious” and “honorable,” or you could use verbal phrases. Alternate translation: [so that he is glorious and honorable]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου

The author uses the possessive form to refer to suffering that is the experience of death. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea without using a possessive form. Alternate translation: [because he suffered death] or [because he experienced death]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of death, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “die.” Alternate translation: [the fact that he died] or [his suffering that led to him dying]

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

χάριτι Θεοῦ

˱by˲_˓the˒_grace ˱of˲_God

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of grace, you could express the idea by using an adjective such as “kind” or “gracious.” Alternate translation: [by God’s kind action] or [by how God acts kindly]

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

γεύσηται θανάτου

˱he˲_˓may˒_taste ˱of˲_death

The author speaks as if death were food that people could taste. He speaks in this way to show that Jesus experienced death as much as a person who eats food truly experiences that food. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [he might experience death] or [he participate in death]

Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

γεύσηται θανάτου

˱he˲_˓may˒_taste ˱of˲_death

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of death, you could express the idea by using a verb such as “die.” Alternate translation: [he might experience dying] or [he might die]

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.

OET interlinear HEB 2:9

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)