Hebrews 2:16-17

 

 

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Hebrews 2:16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.  (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: ou gar depou aggelon epilambanetai, (3SPMI) alla spermatos Abraam epilambanetai. (3SPMI)
Amplified: For, as we all know, He [Christ] did not take hold of angels the fallen angels, to give them a helping and delivering hand], but He did take hold of the fallen] descendants of Abraham [to reach out to them a helping and delivering hand].
 (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Analyzed Literal: For surely He does not take hold of [fig., give aid to] angels, _but_ He takes hold of [fig., gives aid to] [the] seed of Abraham.
Barclay: For I presume that it is not angels that helps; but it is the seed of Abraham that he helps. (
Westminster Press)
NLT: We all know that Jesus came to help the descendants of Abraham, not to help the angels  (
NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips:  It is plain that for this purpose he did not become an angel; he became a man, in actual fact a descendant of Abraham.   (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: For, as is well known, He does not take hold of angels for the purpose of helping them, but of the seed of Abraham He takes hold, with a view to succoring them. (
Erdmans
Young's Literal: for, doubtless, of messengers it doth not lay hold, but of seed of Abraham it layeth hold,

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Hebrews Study - Questions & Practical Lessons -Pdf
Hebrews 1-2 Glimpses of the Glories of our Lord
Hebrews 2 Commentary
Hebrews 2
Hebrews 2 Commentary
Hebrews 2:3 Why Salvation Is So Great
Hebrews 2:1-18
Hebrews 2 Commentary
Hebrews 2:1-4 The Danger of Drifting Spiritually
Hebrews 2:5-9 Our Glorious Destiny in Christ
Hebrews 2:10 Why Jesus' Death Was Fitting

Hebrews 2:11-15 Jesus Our Brother and Savior
Hebrews 2:16-18 Why Jesus Became a Man

Hebrews 2:1-3

Hebrews 2:4-8

Hebrews 2:9-18

Hebrews 2 Expository Notes
Hebrews 2:1-16 Hebrews 2:1-18
Hebrews 1:1-8,14; 2:1-4 Pay Attention
Hebrews 2:5-18 Have Faith

Hebrews 2:9-18 Why Did Christ Come?
Hebrews 2:17-18 Christ Our High Priest
Hebrews 2:17-18 Christ Our High Priest

Hebrews 2:1-9 Reasons to embrace the gospel
Hebrews 2:10-18 Christ Our Brother
Hebrews 2 Commentary
Hebrews 2 Commentary
Hebrews Commentary Notes
Hebrews 2 Commentary
Hebrews 2:1-4 The Danger of Drifting

Hebrews 2:5-9 The Glorious Destiny

Hebrews 2:10 Populating Heaven

Hebrews 2:11-16 Defeat of the Devil or Old Nick Wiped Out - Mp3

Hebrews 2:17-18 Jesus - Wholly Sufficient of Life's Trials - Mp3
Hebrews 1-6 Commentary

Hebrews 2:1-4 Tragedy of Neglecting Salvation

Hebrews 2:5-9 Recovery of Man's Lost Destiny
Hebrews 2:9-18 Why Was Jesus Born?
Hebrews 2:9-18 Why God Became a Man

Hebrews 2:9-18 Our Perfect Savior
Hebrews Commentary in Easy English
Hebrews 2:1 - Drifting
Hebrews 2:8, 9 Manhood Crowned in Jesus
Hebrews 2:10 Christ's Perfecting by Suffering
Hebrews 2:11-13 The Brotherhood of Christ
Hebrews 2:17 What Behooved Christ
Hebrews 2:15-17 Mp3; 2:18 Mp3
Hebrews Thru the Bible - Individual Mp3's

Hebrews 2:1 Drifting
Hebrews 2:5-9:What is Man?

Hebrews 2:10: Perfect Through Sufferings

Hebrews 2:14-15: The Death of Death

Hebrews 2:17 Christ's Merciful and Faithful Help
Hebrews 2:1-4 Anchored in the Truth    

Hebrews 2:5-9 The Taste of Death

Hebrews 2:10-13 Many Sons to Glory   

Hebrews 2:14-16 God Becomes Man

Hebrews 2:17-18 God Is Satisfied

Hebrews 2:1-4 Christ Superior to Angels.

Hebrews 2:1-4 Danger of Drifting from the Word
Hebrews 2:1-4 Spoken, confirmed...great salvation
Hebrews 2:1-9 Who will rule the world to come?
Hebrews 2:9 For whom did Jesus taste death?

Hebrews 2:9-13 Our captain made perfect through suffering

Hebrews 2:14-18 Jesus is able to help those who are tempted

Hebrews 2 Word Pictures
Hebrews 2:1-4 So Great A Salvation
Hebrews 2:5-9 Believers Will Rule Over Angels
Hebrews 2:10-18 A Perfect Savior
Hebrews 2:1 Drifting Away from Christ

Hebrews 2:1 The Sin of Neglect

Hebrews 2:3 No Escape
Hebrews 2:9 The Best of All Sights - Pdf
Hebrews 2:9 Seeing Jesus - Pdf
Hebrews 2:10 The Captain of Our Salvation - Pdf
Hebrews 2:10 Christ--Perfect Through Sufferings
Hebrews 2:11-13 All of One - Pdf
Hebrews 2:14 The Destroyer Destroyed
Hebrews 2:15 Fear of Death (3125) - Pdf
Hebrews 2:14,15 The Fear of Death - Pdf
Hebrews 2:16 Men Chosen--Fallen Angels Rejected
Hebrews 2:18 A Tempted Saviour-Our Best Succour - Pdf

Hebrews 2:18 Christ's Sympathy with His People
Hebrews 2:18 The Suffering Saviour's Sympathy
Hebrews 2
Hebrews 2:1-4 The Great Danger in Ignoring the Son
Hebrews 2:5-9 Jesus' Glory As Risen and Enthroned Man
Hebrews 2:10-13 Jesus' Work As Author of Salvation
Hebrews 2:14-18 Jesus' Unique Ability to Help

Hebrews 1:1 - 2:4 The Final Word
Hebrews 2:5-18 The True Man

Hebrews 2:10-18
Hebrews 2: Word Studies
Hebrews 2:1-4;  2:5-92:10-15; 2:16-18
Hebrews - Part 1 - Download Lesson 1

FOR ASSUREDLY HE DOES NOT GIVE HELP TO ANGELS: ou gar depou aggelon epilambanetai (3SPMI) :

Spurgeon comments that...

Christ’s great mission was not to save angels, but to save men. Therefore He came not in the nature of angels, but in the nature of men.

He so took upon His flesh and blood as to die in our nature, that thus He might slay death, and might set us free from all fear of death. Do you not see that, if the representative Man, Christ Jesus, died, He also rose again, and that so also will all who are in Him rise, too? If you are in Him, you shall rise again. Therefore, fear not to lie down in your last sleep, for the trumpet shall awaken you, and your bodies shall be molded afresh like unto His glorious body, and your soul and body together shall dwell in infinite bliss for ever. “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Assuredly (1222) (depou) conveys the ideas of doubtless, "as is well known" or "Now in some way."

Give help  (1949) (epilambanomai from epí = upon + lambáno = to take) means take hold of or grasp, with focus upon the goal of motion. To seize for help, injury, attainment or any other purpose. The idea is literally, to help by taking one by the hand or to draw one to one's self to help. The present tense implies continuous activity of Jesus our Mediatorial High Priest.

The old word "succour" would be a good rendering of epilambanomai for succour means specifically to give help or assistance especially in time of hardship, distress or difficulty. A archaic but still picturesque meaning of succour is reinforcements of troops (ponder this thought as it applies to this passage in Hebrews!) See notes on the related idea of "come to the aid of" in Hebrews 2:18 (and also Hebrews 4:16) on for more on this picture of our Great High Priest coming to our rescue in our time of testing and need.

While epilambanomai in this verse does not have the idea of violent grasping which it carries elsewhere, the ideas of help and deliverance are clearly conveyed. One gets the picture of a person drowning in quicksand, ready to go under, but able to hold their hand above the surface. The Deliverer grasps the  hand of the one in need and lifts it up.

Wuest has a helpful note on the meaning writing that epilambanomai...

By a metaphor drawn from laying hold of another to rescue him from peril, the word came to mean “to lay hold of for the purpose of helping or succoring.” It is used in this latter sense here. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)

It is not angels that He is helping but it is the seed of Abraham that He is helping. As Spurgeon says "Angels were passed by and men redeemed. Wondrous sovereignty this!"

Jesus, who pass'd the angels by,
Assumed our flesh to bleed and die;
And still He makes it His abode;
As man, He fills the throne of God.

Our next of Kin, our Brother now,
Is He to Whom the angels bow;
They join with us to praise His name,
But we the nearest interest claim.

Spurgeon writes that...

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, when He came from heaven to die, did not take upon Himself the nature of angels. It would have been a stoop, more immense than if a seraph should have changed himself into an emmet, for the Almighty Son of God to have been clothed in the garb of even the archangel Gabriel, but His condescension dictated to Him, that if He did stoop, He would descend to the very lowest degree; that if He did become a creature, He would become, not the noblest creature, but one of the most ignoble of rational beings, that is to say, man; therefore, He did not stoop to the intermediate step of angelship, but He stooped right down and became a man.

If Christ had taken upon himself the nature of angels, He could never have made an atonement for man. Setting aside the thought that if He came to save man it would have seemed improper if He had come in the garb of angels, you must allow, that if He had done so, he could not have seen death. How could angels die? We can suppose that their spirit may become extinct, if God should will it; we can suppose the entire annihilation of that to which God Alone supplies immortality; but since angels have no bodies, we cannot suppose them capable of death, for death is the separation of the body and the soul; therefore, it behooved Christ that He should take upon Himself the form of a man, that He might become obedient to death, even the death of the cross. Had angels been standing by, they would have said, “Oh! mighty Master, take our radiant robes. Oh! take not the poor every-day garb of humanity, take our glittering garments all bedight with pearls.” And Gabriel would have said, “Come, take my wings, thou mighty Maker, and I shall count myself too honored to have lost them for thy sake. There, take this crown and this mantle of azure, wherewith to clothe thyself, thou Son of God, put my silver sandals on thy feet; become not man, but an angel, if thou wilt stoop.” “But, no,” he would have said, “Gabriel, if I were in thy dress I could not fight with death, I could not sleep in the tomb, I could not feel the pangs and agony of dissolution, therefore, I must, I will, become a man.” “He took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.”

Had our Savior become an angel, we must note, in the next place, that he would never have been a fitting example for us. I cannot imitate an angelic example in all points, it may be very good, so far as I can imitate, but it cannot, in all points, be my pattern. If you would give me something to imitate, give me a man like myself; then I may attempt to follow him. An angel could not have set us the same holy and pious example that our Savior did. Had He descended from on high in the garb of one of those bright spirits, He might have been a fine example for those brilliant cherubs who surround his throne, but we, poor mortal men, condemned to drag the chain of mortality along this earthly existence, would have turned aside and said, “Ah! such a thing is too high for us, we cannot attain unto it;” and we, therefore, should have stopped short. If I am to carve marble, give me a marble statue which I am to copy, and if this mortal clay is to be cut out into the very model of perfection, as it is to be by God’s Spirit, then give me Man for my example, for a man I am, and as a man, I am to be made perfect. Not only could not Christ have been a Redeemer, but He could not have been our Exemplar, if He had taken upon Himself the nature of angels.

Sweetly, also, let us remember that if Christ had been an angel, he could not have sympathised with us. In order to sympathise with our fellow-creatures we must be something like them. Suppose a man made of iron, or of brass; could he sympathise with our wearied lungs, or with our aching bones? Let such a man be told of sickness or of illness: could he understand it? I would not have him for a nurse; I would not care to have such a being for my physician; he could not feel for me; he could not sympathise with me. No, even our own fellow-creatures cannot sympathise with us unless they have suffered as we have done. I have heard of a lady who never knew poverty in all her life, and consequently she could not sympathise with the poor. She heard the complaint that bread was extremely dear, when it was running up to fourteen-pence a loaf. “Oh!” she said, “I have no patience with the poor people, grumbling about the dearness of bread. If bread is so dear, let them live on penny buns; they are always cheap enough.” She had not been in the position of the poor, and, therefore, she could not sympathise with them, and no man can sympathise with another, to any great extent, unless he has been in some measure in the same position, and endured the same trouble. “It behooved Him, therefore, that He should be made in all points like unto his brethren that he might be a faithful high priest;” “for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, for He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.” But if He had been an angel, what sympathy could He have had for me? Suppose I should tell an angel that I could scarcely resist my corruptions: the angel would look at me, and wonder what I meant. If I should tell him that I find this world a vast howling wilderness: how could he believe me, for he has never heard howlings, his ears have only been saluted by golden harps and sweet choral symphonies of praise. If I should tell him that I found it hard work to hold on my way, and keep close to my Savior, the angel could only say, “I cannot sympathise with you, for I am not tempted as you are; I have no clogging nature to abate my ardent zeal, but day without night, with unflagging wing, I circle His throne rejoicing, nor have I a wish nor will to depart from my great Maker.” There you see the Savior’s wisdom. He would become a Man and not an angel. (Read the full message which includes a well reasoned rational on divine election -- Men Chosen--Fallen Angels Rejected)

BUT HE GIVES HELP TO THE DESCENDANT OF ABRAHAM: alla spermatos Abraam epilambanetai (3SPMI) :

But - introduces a striking contrast. Christ did not come to save fallen angels but to give help to men.

Descendant of Abraham - Some commentators interpret this referring to Jews but it could include Gentiles, specifically Gentile believers (See passages below). In any event the point is that Jesus helps men not angels!

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED IN YOU." (Galatians 3:8)

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your Seed," that is, Christ. (Galatians 3:16)

And if you (speaking to Jewish and Gentile believers) belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. (Galatians 3:29)

Descendant (4690) (sperma) refers to seed sown as containing the germ of new fruit, but here is figurative referring to the posterity.

The Believer's Study Bible writes that...

Seed of Abraham usually refers to the physical descendants of Abraham, but the absence of the article in Greek before "seed" may emphasize the character of the people, thus the spiritual seed of Abraham: Gentiles and Jews (Gal. 3:29). The same expression in John 8:33, however, obviously means "Jews." (Ed note: Thus as always correct interpretation is critically dependent on the context of the word, phrase or verse being interpreted!) (Criswell, W A. Believer's Study Bible: New King James Version. 1991. Thomas Nelson)

In support of this phrase descendant of Abraham as referring to believers, Jew or Gentile, we read in Galatians Paul that...

For you are all sons of God (Full adults and heirs because of adoption into God's family - see note Ephesians 1:5) through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized (not water baptism but spiritual baptism into Christ, so that He is now our identity - this is which accomplished at conversion) into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female (in the divine economy, our position in Christ is completely independent of any such matters); for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring (Greek = sperma = seed), heirs (sharers by lot) according to promise. (Galatians 3:26-29) (Comment: Christ is the Seed of Abraham as Paul explains in Galatians 3:16 and it follows that being in Christ, baptized into Him, identified with Him, one with Him in the New Covenant,  makes the believer a descendant of Abraham and an heir of the promise of justification by faith. Note however that the national promises made to Abraham and through him to Isaac and Jacob [Israel] are not in view in this verse and await the time yet future when all Israel will be saved [see notes Romans 11:26]).

Those who are of the seed of Abraham are those who have Abraham's faith, In Genesis 15:6 note that the Hebrew word faith is "aman" which has the basic meaning of certainty or firmness (Think of the derivative word "Amen" - so be it!) Aman conveys the idea of "leaning entirely" on God and this is manifest by trust in His immutable, inerrant word of promise. His promise to Abraham was that of the "seed", which as discussed ultimately reflected Abraham's belief in "the Seed", the Messiah (although we cannot now know how much of Messiah's work on the Cross Abraham understood). The point is that Abraham was looking forward to the Cross with eyes of faith, while believers today (his offspring) look back to the almighty, eternal cross. In regard to the Hebrew word "aman" not only does it convey the idea of certainty but as Genesis 22 shows Abraham's faith (aman) included the idea of obedience as he prepared to sacrifice Isaac, fully trusting in the fact that God would resurrect the promised son Isaac if necessary (see notes Hebrews 11:17; 18; 19)

In short, the spiritual (in contrast to those who are only physical) descendants of Abraham have believed God's promise, placed their whole weight upon His Word, just as Abraham did and as a result they have entered into the New Covenant, which is the NT amplification of the Abrahamic Covenant. Note also that the writer is not saying here that the church has replaced Israel or that Israel has forfeited the OT promises regarding the land of Israel - such aberrant teaching has led to many tragic errors in interpretation and application (eg, such an errant interpretation has been used for justification of the bloody massacre of many Jewish men, women and children in historical dramas such as "the Medieval Crusades", "the holocaust of Hitler", etc.) (See related study The Israel of God)

 

Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (NASB: Lockman)

Greek: hothen opheilen (3SIAI) kata panta tois adelphois homoiothenai, (APN) hina eleemon genetai (3SAMS) kai pistos archiereus ta pros ton theon, eis to hilaskesthai (PMN) tas hamartias tou laou;
Amplified: So it is evident that it was essential that He be made like His brethren in every respect, in order that He might become a merciful (sympathetic) and faithful High Priest in the things related to God, to make atonement and propitiation for the people’s sins. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Analyzed Literal: Therefore, it was necessary [for] Him to become like His brothers [and sisters] in all [respects], so that He should become a merciful and faithful High Priest [in] the [things pertaining] to God, [in order] to make propitiation [or, an appeasing sacrifice] for the sins of the people
Barclay: So he had in all things to be made like his brothers, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the things which pertain to God, to win forgiveness for the sins of his people. (
Westminster Press)
NLT: Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people   (
NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips:  It was imperative that he should be made like his brothers in nature, if he were to become a High Priest both compassionate and faithful in the things of God, and at the same time able to make atonement for the sins of the people.   (
Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: For this reason it was an obligation in the nature of the case for Him in all things to be made like to His brethren, in order that He might become a compassionate and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, with a view to offering that sacrifice for the sins of the people that would perfectly meet the demands of God’s justice. (
Erdmans
Young's Literal:  wherefore it did behove him in all things to be made like to the brethren, that he might become a kind and stedfast chief-priest in the things with God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people,

THEREFORE HE HAD TO BE MADE LIKE HIS BRETHREN: hothen opheilen (3SIAI) kata panta tois adelphois homoiothenai (APN):

Therefore (3606) (hothen) - In order to be able to give help to the seed of Abraham (believers who like Abraham have faith).

He had (3784) (opheilo from ophelos = profit, an increase) means to owe, and conveys the basic meaning of owing a debt and then of having a strong obligation which can be a moral obligation and personal duty. In this verse opheilo indicates a necessity, owing to the nature of the matter under consideration. In other words, Jesus was obligated (as it were) to do this in order that He might become our High Priest!

Richards writes that words in the opheilo word group...

originally expressed the idea of a legal or personal obligation. The Greeks had both financial and, later, moral obligations in mind when they used this term. (Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)

The TDNT has a nice summary noting that opheilo although etymologically of uncertain origin...

means “to owe someone something,” e.g. loans, debts, sums, or rents. The things owed may be spiritual, and the word is also used with the infinitive for “to be under obligation to,” “to have to.” The word is common in respect of revenge or law. Transgressors are in debt to injured parties. Secular and sacral penalties are owed. God’s goodness also makes people debtors. This gives rise to the idea of moral obligation. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W.  Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)

To be made like (3666) (homoioo from homoios = similar) means complete identification in conduct, character; condition, circumstances. Christ had to be a true man in all points, from conception to death, apart from innate sin. This required a miraculous, virginal conception, but in every other respect, he partook of true human flesh.

Paul explains that Jesus...

Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (See notes Philippians 2:6; Philippians 2:7;Philippians 2:8)

Christ, our Elder Brother, resembles us in reality as we shall resemble him in the end

In all things - Except yielding to sin the writer explaining later that...

we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

Without sin yes, but not without temptation. Jesus knew as no other man knew what temptation was, having fought through to victory when tempted by Satan (cf Mt 4:1ff, Luke 4:1ff).

Hudson Taylor wrote that...

Had our Lord appeared on earth as an angel of light, He would doubtless have inspired far more awe and reverence, and would have collected together even larger multitudes to attend His ministry. But to save man He became Man, not merely like man, but very man. In language, in costume, in everything unsinful, He made Himself one with those He sought to benefit. Had He been born a noble Roman, rather than a Jew, He would, perhaps, if less loved, have commanded more of a certain kind of respect; and He would assuredly thereby have been spared much indignity to which He was subjected. This, however, was not His aim; He emptied Himself. Surely no follower of the meek and lowly Jesus will be likely to conclude that it is "beneath the dignity of a Christian missionary" to seek identification with this poor people, in the hope that he may see them washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God! Let us rather be followers of Him who "knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God, He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments, and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded."

SO THAT HE MIGHT BECOME A MERCIFUL AND FAITHFUL HIGH PRIEST IN THINGS PERTAINING TO GOD: hina eleęmôn genetai (3SAMS) kai pistos archiereus ta pros ton theon:

So that (