Albert Barnes Commentary Hebrews 2

HEBREWS

CHAPTER II.

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER.

The main object of this chapter is to show that we should attend diligently to the things which were spoken by the Lord Jesus, and not allow them to glide away from us. The apostle seems to have supposed that some might be inclined to disregard what was spoken by one of so humble an appearance as the Lord Jesus; and that they would urge that the Old Testament had been given by the intervention of angels, and was therefore more worthy of attention. To meet this, he shows that important objects were accomplished by his becoming a man; and that, even as a man, power and dignity were conferred on him, superior to that of the angels. In illustration of these points, the chapter contains the following subjects:—

1. An exhortation not to allow the things which had been spoken to slip from the mind—or, in other words, to attend to them diligently and carefully. The argument is, that if what was spoken by the angels under the old dispensation claimed attention, much more should that be regarded which was spoken by the Son of God (Hebrews 2:1–4).

2. Jesus had been honored, as incarnate, in such a way as to show that he had a right to be heard, and that what he said should receive the profound attention of men (Hebrews 2:5–9). The world to come had not been put under the angels, as it had been under him (Hebrews 2:5); the general principle had been stated in the Scriptures, that all things were put under man (Hebrews 2:6–7), but this was fulfilled only in the Lord Jesus, who had been made a little lower than the angels, and, when so made, crowned with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:9). His appearance as a man, therefore, was in no way inconsistent with what had been said of his dignity, or his claim to be heard.

3. The apostle then proceeds to show why he became a man, and why, though he was so exalted, he was subjected to such severe sufferings; and with this the chapter closes (Hebrews 2:10–18). It was because this was proper, from the relation which he sustained to man. The argument is, that the Redeemer and his people were identified; that he did not come to save angels, and that, therefore, there was a propriety in his assuming the nature of man, and being subjected to trials like those whom he came to save.

   In all things it was necessary for him to be made like his brethren, in order to redeem them, and in order to set them an example, and show them how to suffer. The humiliation, therefore, of the Redeemer—the fact that he appeared as a man, and that he was a sufferer—so far from being a reason why he should not be heard, was rather an additional reason why we should attend to what he said. He had a claim to the right of being heard, not only from his original dignity, but from the friendship which he has shown for us in taking upon himself our nature, and suffering in our behalf.

Therefore. Greek: "On account of this" (dia touto); that is, on account of the exalted dignity and rank of the Messiah, as stated in the previous chapter. The sense is, "Since Christ, the Author of the new dispensation, is so far exalted above the prophets, and even the angels, we ought to give the more earnest attention to all that has been Spoken."

We ought. It is fit or proper that we should attend to those things. When the Son of God speaks to men, every consideration makes it appropriate that we should attend to what is spoken.

To give the more earnest heed. To give the more strict attention.

To the things which we have heard. Whether directly from the Lord Jesus, or from his apostles. It is possible that some of those to whom the apostle was writing had heard the Lord Jesus himself preach the gospel; others had heard the same truths declared by the apostles.

Lest at any time. We ought to attend to those things at all times. We ought never to forget them; never to be indifferent to them. We are sometimes interested in them, and then we feel indifferent to them; sometimes at leisure to attend to them, and then the cares of the world, or a heaviness and dullness of mind, or a cold and languid state of the affections, renders us indifferent to them, and they are allowed to pass out of the mind without concern.

Paul says that this ought never to be done! At no time should we be indifferent to those things. They are always important to us, and we should never be in a state of mind when they would be uninteresting. At all times, in all places, and in every situation of life, we should feel that the truths of religion are of more importance to us than all other truths, and nothing should be allowed to efface their image from the heart.

We should let them slip. Margin: Run out as leaking vessels. Tyndale renders this, "lest we be split." The expression here has given rise to much discussion as to its meaning and has been very differently translated. Doddridge renders it, "lest we let them flow out of our minds." Professor Stuart, "lest at any time we should slight them." Whitby, "that they may not entirely slip out of our memories."

The word here used—pararrew—occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The Septuagint translators have used the word but once, in Proverbs 3:21: Son, do not pass by, mh pararruhv but keep my counsel; that is, do not pass by my advice by neglect, or allow it to be disregarded.

According to Passow, the word means to flow by, to flow over; and then, to go by, to fall, to flow away. It is used to mean to flow near, to flow by—as of a river; to glide away, to escape—as from the mind, that is, to forget; and to glide along—as a thief does by stealth. (See Robinson's Lexicon.)

The Syriac and Arabic translators have rendered it, "that we may not fall." After all that has been said on the meaning of the word here (compare Stuart, in loco), it seems to me that the true sense of the expression is that of flowing or gliding by—as a river. The meaning here is that we should be very cautious that the important truths spoken by the Redeemer and his apostles should not be allowed to glide by us without attention or profit.

We should not allow them to be like a stream that glides on by us without benefiting us; that is, we should endeavor to secure and retain them as our own. The truth taught is that there is great danger, now that the true system of religion has been revealed, that it will not profit us, but that we shall lose all the benefit of it. This danger may arise from many sources—some of which are the following:—

1. We may not feel that the truths revealed are important; and before their importance is felt, they may be beyond our reach. So we are often deceived in regard to the importance of objects; and before we perceive their value, they are irrecoverably gone.

   So it is often with time, and with the opportunities of obtaining an education, or of accomplishing any object which is of value. The opportunity is gone before we perceive its importance. So the young allow the most important period of life to glide away before they perceive its value; and the opportunity of making much of their talents is lost, because they did not embrace the suitable opportunities.

2. By being engrossed in business. We feel that that is now the most important thing. That claims all our attention. We have no time to pray, to read the Bible, to think of religion, for the cares of the world engross all the time—and the opportunities of salvation glide insensibly away, until it is too late.

3. By being attracted by the pleasures of life. We attend to them now, and are drawn along from one to another, until religion is allowed to glide away with all its hopes and consolations; and we perceive, too late, that we have let the opportunity of salvation slip forever. Allured by those pleasures, the young neglect it; and new pleasures, starting up in future life, carry on the delusion, until every favorable opportunity for salvation has passed away.

4. We allow favorable opportunities to pass by without improving them. Youth is by far the best time, as it is the most appropriate time, to become a Christian—and yet how easy is it to allow that period to slip away, without becoming interested in the Savior! One day glides on after another, and one week, one month, one year passes away after another—like a gently-flowing stream—until all the precious time of youth has gone, and we are not Christians.

   So a revival of religion is a favorable time—and yet many allow this to pass by without becoming interested in it. Others are converted, and the heavenly influences descend all around us, but we are unaffected; and the season, so full of happy and heavenly influences, is gone, to return no more.

5. We let the favorable season slip, because we intend to attend to it at some future period of life. So youth defers it to manhood—manhood to old age—old age to a death-bed, and then neglects it—until the whole of life has glided away, and the soul is not saved.

Paul knew man. He knew how prone he was to let the things of religion slip out of the mind; and hence the earnestness of his caution that we should give heed to the subject now, lest the opportunity of salvation should soon glide away. When once passed, it can never be recalled. Learn from this:

1. The truths of religion will not benefit us, unless we give heed to them. It will not save us that the Lord Jesus has come and spoken to men, unless we are disposed to listen. It will not benefit us that the sun shines, unless we open our eyes. Books will not benefit us, unless we read them; medicine, unless we take it; nor will the fruits of the earth sustain our lives, however rich and abundant they may be, if we disregard and neglect them.

   So with the truths of religion. There is truth enough to save the world—but the world disregards and despises it.

2. It does not take great sins to destroy the soul. Simple neglect will do it as certainly as atrocious crimes. Every person has a sinful heart that will destroy him, unless he makes an effort to be saved. And it is not merely the great sinner, therefore, who is in danger. It is the person who neglects his soul—whether a moral or an immoral person, an amiable person, or a person of vanity and vice.

For if the word spoken by angels—this refers to the revelation in the Old Testament. It was indeed given by Jehovah; but it was the common opinion of the Hebrews that it was given by the ministry of angels. (See the discussion of Acts 7:38, Acts 7:53, and Galatians 3:19, where this point is fully considered.) As Paul was discoursing here of the superiority of the Redeemer to the angels, it was to the point to refer to the fact that the law had been given by the ministry of angels.

Was steadfast—that is, it was firm—bebaiov—settled, established. It was not vacillating and fluctuating. It determined what crime was, and it was firm in its punishment. It did not yield to circumstances; but, if not obeyed in all respects, it denounced punishment. The idea here is not that everything was fulfilled, but it is that the law so given could not be violated with impunity. It was not safe to violate it, but it took notice of the slightest failure to yield perfect obedience to its demands.

And every transgression—literally, going beyond, passing by. It means every instance of disregarding the law.

And disobedience—this means every instance of not hearing the law (parakoh) and hence every instance of disobeying it. The word here stands opposite to hearing it or attending to it—and the sense of the whole is that the slightest infraction of the law was sure to be punished. It made no provision for indulgence in sin; it demanded prompt, implicit, and entire obedience.

Received a just recompense of reward—meaning it was strictly punished and subjected to equal retribution; indeed, the 'reward' spoken of here is a just retribution. This was the character of the law. It threatened punishment for each and every offence, and made no allowance for transgression in any form. .

How shall we escape. How shall we escape the just recompense due to transgressors? What way is there of being saved from punishment, if we let the great salvation be neglected and do not embrace its offers? The sense is that there is no other way of salvation, and the neglect of this will be followed by certain destruction. Why it will, the apostle proceeds to show, by stating that this plan of salvation was proclaimed first by the Lord Himself, and had been confirmed by the most unmistakable and amazing miracles.

If we neglect. It is not merely if we commit great sins; not if we are murderers, adulterers, thieves, infidels, atheists, or scoffers. It is if we merely neglect this salvation—if we do not embrace it—if we let it pass unheeded. Neglect is enough to ruin a man. A man who is in business does not need to commit forgery or robbery to ruin himself; he only has to neglect his business, and his ruin is certain.

A man who is lying on a bed of sickness does not need to cut his throat to destroy himself; he only has to neglect the means of restoration, and he will be ruined. A man floating in a skiff above Niagara does not need to move an oar or make an effort to destroy himself; he only has to neglect using the oar at the proper time, and he will certainly be carried over the cataract.

Most of the calamities of life are caused by simple neglect. By neglect of education, children grow up in ignorance; by neglect, a farm is overrun by weeds and briers; by neglect, a house goes to decay; by neglect of sowing, a man will have no harvest; by neglect of reaping, the harvest would rot in the fields.

No worldly interest can prosper where there is neglect; and why should it not be so in religion? There is nothing valuable in earthly affairs that will not be ruined if it is not attended to; and why should it not be so with the concerns of the soul?

Let no one infer, therefore, that because he is not a drunkard, or an adulterer, or a murderer, that therefore he will be saved. Such an inference would be as irrational as it would be for a man to infer that because he is not a murderer his farm will produce a harvest, or that because he is not an adulterer, therefore his merchandise will take care of itself. Salvation would be worth nothing if it cost no effort, and there will be no salvation where no effort is put forth.

So great salvation. Salvation from sin and from hell. It is called great, because:

1. Its Author is great. This is perhaps the main idea in this passage. It began to be spoken by the Lord; it had for its Author the Son of God, who is so much superior to the angels; whom the angels were required to worship (Hebrews 1:6); who is expressly called God (Hebrews 1:8); who made all things, and who is eternal (Hebrews 1:10–12). A system of salvation promulgated by Him must be of infinite importance and have a claim to the attention of man.

2. It is great because it saves from great sins. It is adapted to deliver from all sins, no matter how aggravated. No one is saved who feels that his sins are small or that they are of no consequence. Each one sees his sins to be black and aggravated; and each one who enters heaven will go there feeling and confessing that it is a great salvation which has brought such a sinner there. Besides, this salvation delivers from all sin—no matter how gross and aggravated. The adulterer, the murderer, the blasphemer, may come and be saved; and the salvation which redeems such sinners from eternal ruin is great.

3. It is great because it saves from great dangers. The danger of an eternal hell besets the path of each one. Not all see it, and not all will believe it when told of it. But this danger hovers over the path of every mortal. The danger of an eternal hell!

   Salvation from everlasting burnings! Deliverance from unending ruin! Surely that salvation must be great which will save from such a doom! If that salvation is neglected, that danger still hangs over each and every man. The gospel did not create that danger; it came to deliver from it. Whether the gospel is true or false, each man is by nature exposed to eternal death—just as each one is exposed to temporal death, whether the doctrine of the immortality of the soul and the resurrection is true or false.

   The gospel comes to provide a remedy for dangers and woes—it does not create them; it comes to deliver men from great dangers—not to plunge them into them. Lacking the gospel, and before it was preached at all, men were in danger of everlasting punishment; and that system which came to proclaim deliverance from such a danger is great.

4. The salvation itself is great in heaven. It exalts men to infinite honours and places on their heads an eternal crown. Heaven, with all its glories, is offered to us; and such a deliverance, and such an elevation to eternal honours, deserves to be called GREAT. If that is neglected, there is no other salvation, and man must inevitably be destroyed.

5. It is great because it was effected by infinite displays of power, wisdom, and love. It was procured by the incarnation and humiliation of the Son of God. It was accomplished amidst great sufferings and self-denials. It was attended with great miracles. The tempest was stilled, the deaf were made to hear, the blind to see, the dead were raised, the sun was darkened, and the rocks were rent.

   The whole series of wonders connected with the incarnation and death of the Lord Jesus was such as the world had not elsewhere seen, and such as was fitted to hold the human race in mute admiration and astonishment. If this is so, then religion is no trifle. It is not a matter of little importance whether we embrace it or not.

   It is the most momentous of all the concerns that pertain to man, and has a claim on his attention which nothing else can have. Yet the mass of men live in neglect of it. It is not that they are professedly Atheists or Deists, or that they are immoral or profane; it is not that they oppose it, ridicule it, and despise it; it is that they simply neglect it.

   They pass it by. They attend to other things. They are busy with their pleasures, or in their counting-houses, in their workshops, or on their farms; they are engaged in politics or in book-making; and they neglect religion NOW as a thing of small importance—proposing to attend to it later, as if they acted on the principle that everything else was to be attended to before religion.

Which at the first. Greek: Which received the beginning of being spoken. The meaning is correctly expressed in our translation. Christ began to preach the gospel; the apostles followed Him. John prepared the way, but the Saviour was properly the first preacher of the gospel.

By the Lord. By the Lord Jesus. (See Barnes on Acts 1:24).

And was confirmed unto us, etc. Those who heard Him preach—that is, the apostles—were witnesses of what He said and certified us of its truth. When the apostle here says "us," he means the church at large. Christians were assured of the truth of what the Lord Jesus spoke by the testimony of the apostles; or the apostles communicated it to those who had not heard Him in such a manner that left no room for doubt.

God also bearing them witness. This was by miracles, giving them the sanction of His authority or showing that they were sent by Him. No one can work a miracle by their own power. When the dead are raised, the deaf made to hear, and the blind to see by a word, it is the power of God alone that does it. He thus becomes a witness to the divine appointment of the person by whose agency the miracle is performed, or provides an attestation that what this person says is true. (See Barnes on Acts 14:3).

With signs and wonders. These words are usually connected in the New Testament. The word rendered signs sēmeion—means any miraculous event that is suited to show that what a prophet had predicted would certainly take place. (Matthew 12:38). (Compare to Barnes on Isaiah 7:1).

A wonder teras—denotes a portent or prodigy, something that is suited to excite wonder or amazement, and therefore a miracle. The words together refer to the various miracles that were performed by the Lord Jesus and His apostles, designed to confirm the truth of the Christian religion.

And with divers miracles. Various miracles—such as healing the sick, raising the dead, etc. The miracles were not of one class merely, but were varied, so that all pretense of deception would be removed.

And gifts of the Holy Ghost. The marginal reading is Distributions, referring to the various influences of the Holy Spirit enabling them to speak different languages and to perform works beyond human power. (See Barnes on 1 Corinthians 12:4–11).

According to His own will. As He chose. He acted as a sovereign in this. He gave them where He pleased and imparted them in such measure as He chose.

The sense of this whole passage is—"The gospel has been promulgated to humanity in a solemn manner. It was first published by the Lord of glory Himself. It was confirmed by the most impressive and solemn miracles. It is undoubtedly a revelation from heaven; it was given in more solemn circumstances than the law of Moses, and its threats are more to be dreaded than those of the law. Beware, therefore, that you do not trifle with it or disregard it. It cannot be neglected safely; its neglect or rejection must result in condemnation."

For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection. In this verse, the apostle returns to the subject he had been discussing in chapter 1—the superiority of the Messiah to the angels. From that subject he had been diverted (Hebrews 2:1–4) by showing them what must be the consequences of defection from Christianity and the danger of neglecting it.

Having shown that, he now proceeds with the discussion and shows that an honor had been conferred on the Lord Jesus which had never been bestowed on the angels—namely, the supremacy over this world. This he does by proving from the Old Testament that such a dominion was given to man (Hebrews 2:6–8), and that this dominion was in fact exercised by the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 2:9).

At the same time, he meets an objection that a Jew would be likely to make: that Jesus appeared to be far inferior to the angels. He was a man of a humble condition. He was poor and despised. He had none of the external honor that was shown to Moses—the founder of the Jewish economy—nor any of the apparent honor that belonged to angelic beings.

This implied objection he removes by showing the reason why he became so. It was proper, since he came to redeem man, that he should be a man and not take on the nature of angels. For the same reason, it was proper that he should be subjected to sufferings and be made a man of sorrows (Hebrews 2:10–17).

The apostle's remark in this verse is that God had never put the world in subjection to the angels, as He had to the Lord Jesus. They had no jurisdiction over it; they were mere ministering spirits. But the world had been put under the dominion of the Lord Jesus.

The world to come. The word here rendered world—oikoumenh—properly means the inhabited or inhabitable world. See Matthew 24:14; Luke 2:1; Luke 4:5; Luke 21:27 (Greek); Acts 11:28; Acts 17:6, 31; Acts 19:27; Acts 24:5; Romans 10:18; Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 3:10; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 16:14.

In all these places, except one, it is rendered world. It occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. Its proper meaning is the world or earth considered as inhabitable, and here the jurisdiction refers to the control over humanity, or the dwellers on the earth.

The phrase “the world to come” occurs often in the New Testament. Compare Ephesians 2:7; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 6:5.

The same phrase, “the world to come,” occurs often in Jewish writings. According to Buxtorf (Lex. Ch. Talm. Rub.), it means, as some suppose, “the world that is to exist after this world is destroyed and after the resurrection of the dead, when souls shall again be united to their bodies.”

By others, it is supposed to mean “the days of the Messiah, when he shall reign on the earth.”

To me, it seems clear that the phrase here means the world under the Messiah—the world, age, or dispensation that was to succeed the Jewish one, and which was familiarly known to them as “the world to come.” The idea is that this world, or age, was placed under the jurisdiction of the Christ, and not of the angels.

This point the apostle proceeds to make out. See the notes on Isaiah 2:2.

Whereof we speak. This means “Of which I am writing;” that is, of the Christian religion, or the reign of the Messiah.