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Hebrews Chapter 2

Hebrews Chapter 2

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
Pay attention, lest we drift away
  1. Because of this, it’s abundantly necessary for us to pay attention to the things we heard, lest we drift away at some time.
  2. For if the word spoken through angels was dependable, and every deliberate sin and disobedience received a just recompense,
  3. how will we escape after having carelessly disregarded so great a salvation?  (Which first began to be declared by the Lord)  And having received it, it was confirmed for us by the men who heard.
  4. God is testifying together with them in both signs and wonders, and various miracles, and distributions of the Holy Spirit according to His will.
  5. For it wasn’t to angels that He subjected the world about to come, about which we speak.
  6. But someone solemnly testified somewhere, saying: “What is man that you remember him, or a son of man that you care for him?“
  7. “You made him lower than the angels for a short time, you crowned him with glory and honor [and you appointed him over the works of your hands.]“
  8. “You made all things subject under his feet.”fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 8:4-6  For to subject all things to him, He left nothing not subject to him.  But at present, we don’t yet see that all things have been subjected to him.
  9. But having been *made lower than the angels for a little while, we see that Jesus has been crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by God’s grace, He might taste death for the benefit of everyone.
Jesus made like His brothers
  1. For it was fitting for Him – because of whom are all things, and through whom are all things – to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings, having brought many sons to glory.
  2. For both the One making them holy and the men being made holy are all from One Father.  For that reason He isn’t ashamed to call them brothers,
  3. saying: “I will declare your name to My brothers, I will sing hymns of praise to you in the midst of the assembly.”fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 22:22
  4. And again: “I will be *trusting in Him.”fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 8:17  And again: “Behold, I and the children whom God gave to Me.”fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 8:18
  5. Therefore, since the children *share blood and flesh, He also similarly took part in the same, so that through His death He might nullify the one having the power of death (that is, the Accuser),
  6. and might release those who were being bound in slavery by a fear of death throughout their whole time to live.
  7. For surely He doesn’t help angels, but He helps Abraham’s seed.
  8. Therefore, it was required for Him to be made like His brothers in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God, in order to bring reconciliation because of the sins of the people.
  9. For in that He Himself *suffered when He was tempted, He is able to come to the aid of the men being tempted.

 

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