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Hebrews 1

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

INTRODUCTION TO Hebrews 1 The intention of this epistle being to demonstrate the superior excellency of the Gospel revelation to the legal one, the apostle begins with the divine author of it, in which they both agree, and observes that in other things they differ. The revelation under the law was made in times past, the Gospel revelation in these...

Hebrews 1:1

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners,.... The apostle begins the epistle with an account of the revelation God has made of his mind and will in former times: the author of this revelation is God, not essentially, but personally considered, even God the Father, as distinguished from his Son in the next verse; for the revelation under the...

Hebrews 1:2

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,.... This is the Gospel revelation, or the revelation in the Gospel dispensation; which though it comes from the same author the other does, yet in many things differs from it, and is preferable to it; and indeed the general design of this epistle is to show the superior excellency of the one to...

Hebrews 1:3

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Who being the brightness of his glory,.... Or "of glory"; of God the Father, the God of glory, and who is glory itself; so called on account of his glorious nature and perfections and because of the glorious manifestations of them in his works of creation and providence, and in the various dispensations of his grace, and especially in his Son; and...

Hebrews 1:4

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Being made so much better than the angels,.... Christ is so much better than the angels, as the Creator, than the creature; as an independent being, than a dependent one; as he that blesses, than he that is blessed; as he that is worshipped, than he that worships: as a king, than his subjects; as a master, than his servants; and as he that sends,...

Hebrews 1:5

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

For unto which of the angels said he at any time,.... That is, he never said to any of the angels what he has said to Christ; namely, what follows, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee for though angels are called the sons of God, Job 1:6 yet are never said to be begotten by him; or, with this clause annexed to it, "this day have I...

Hebrews 1:6

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And again, when he bringeth the first begotten into the world;.... By "the first begotten" is meant Christ. This is a name given him in the Old Testament, and is what the Hebrews were acquainted with, and therefore the apostle uses it; it is in Psalms 89:27 from whence it seems to be taken here, and which the ancient Jews (u) acknowledge is to be...

Hebrews 1:7

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Ver. 7 And of the angels he saith,.... Or "to the angels", as in the following verse, "to the Son", which stands opposed to this; and the words said to them, or of them, are found in Psalms 104:4 who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire: this cannot be understood of the wind and lightning, and of God's making these his...

Hebrews 1:8

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

But unto the Son, he saith,.... What he does not to angels, and which sets him infinitely above them; which shows him to be a Prince and King, and not a servant, or minister; and which even ascribes deity to him: thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: this, with what follows in this verse, and the next, is taken out of Ps 45:6 which psalm is not...

Hebrews 1:9

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity,.... Christ loves righteous persons and righteous works, faithfulness and integrity, and a just administration of government, everything that is holy, just, and good; which has appeared in the whole course of his life on earth, in working out a righteousness for his people, and in encouraging...

Hebrews 1:10

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And thou Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth,.... The person here addressed, as the Lord or Jehovah, and as the Maker of the heavens and the earth, is the same with the Son spoken to, and of, before; for the words are a continuation of the speech to him, though they are taken from another psalm, from Psalms 102:25. The...

Hebrews 1:11

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

They shall perish,.... That is, the heavens and the earth; not as to the substance of them, but as to the quality of them; the present form and fashion of them shall pass away; the curse will be removed from them, and they will be renewed and purified, but the substance of them will continue; otherwise there would be no place, either for the...

Hebrews 1:12

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up,.... In order to lay them aside, and make no use of them in the manner they now are; just as clothes, when they are grown old, or out of fashion, are folded up, and laid aside from use at present, or are put into another form. In the Hebrew text it is, "as a vesture shalt thou change them"; but the sense is...

Hebrews 1:13

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

But to which of the angels said he at any time,.... That is, he never said to any of them in his council, or covenant; he never designed to give them any such honour, as hereafter expressed; he never promised it to them, or bestowed it on them; he never called up any of them to so high a place, or to such a dignity: sit on my right hand, until I...

Hebrews 1:14

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Are they not all ministering spirits,.... Servants to God, to Christ, and to his people, and therefore must be inferior to the Son of God. The phrase is Rabbinical; frequent mention is made in Jewish writings (a) of מלאכי השרת, "the angels of ministry", or "the ministering angels"; this is their common appellation with the Jews; and the apostle...

Hebrews 2

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

INTRODUCTION TO Hebrews 2 In this chapter the apostle, from the superior excellency of Christ, by whom the Gospel revelation is come, discoursed of in the preceding, urges the believers he writes to, to a more diligent attention to the Gospel, and the doctrines of it; to which he adds another motive inducing thereunto, lest those things should be...

Hebrews 2:1

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed,.... This is an inference from the apostle's discourse in the preceding chapter; since he, by whom God has spoke in these last days, is his Son, who is infinitely above the angels, they being his creatures, and worshippers of him, and ministers to him, and his; therefore the greater regard should be...

Hebrews 2:2

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast,.... This is a description of the law, from whence the apostle argues to a stricter regard to the Gospel, as from the lesser to the greater: this is called "the word", and a terrible one it was; it was a voice of words, which they that heard entreated they might hear no more; it was the word "spoken"...

Hebrews 2:3

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

How shall we escape,.... The righteous judgment of God, and eternal punishment: if we neglect so great salvation? as the Gospel is, which is called salvation; in opposition to the law, which is the ministration of condemnation; and because it is a declaration of salvation by Christ; and is the means of bringing it near, and of the application of...

Hebrews 2:4

John Gill - Exposition - John Gill

God also bearing them witness,.... The apostles of Christ; God testifying to their mission and commission, and the truth of the doctrine they preached: both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles; such as taking up serpents without hurt, healing the sick, causing the lame to walk, and raising the dead, and casting out devils, and the...