Hebrews · Bible in Basic English
Hebrews 1 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
BBE Bible in Basic English
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 In times past the word of God came to our fathers through the prophets, in different parts and in different ways;
1 God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
1 Πολυμερῶς καὶ πολυτρόπως πάλαι ὁ Θεὸς λαλήσας τοῖς πατράσιν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις, ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτου τῶν ἡμερῶν τούτων ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν υἱῷ,
2 But now, at the end of these days, it has come to us through his Son, to whom he has given all things for a heritage, and through whom he made the order of the generations;
2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.
2 ὃν ἔθηκε κληρονόμον πάντων, δι᾽ οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησεν·
3 Who, being the outshining of his glory, the true image of his substance, supporting all things by the word of his power, having given himself as an offering making clean from sins, took his seat at the right hand of God in heaven;
3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,
3 ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ, φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ καθαρισμὸν ποιησάμενος τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς,
4 Having become by so much better than the angels, as the name which is his heritage is more noble than theirs.
4 having become as much better than the angels as the more excellent name he has inherited is better than theirs.
4 τοσούτῳ κρείττων γενόμενος τῶν ἀγγέλων, ὅσῳ διαφορώτερον παρ᾽ αὐτοὺς κεκληρονόμηκεν ὄνομα.
5 To which of the angels did God say at any time, You are my Son, this day I have given you being? or, I will be his Father, and he will be my Son?
5 For to which of the angels did he say at any time, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father?” and again, “I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?”
5 τίνι γὰρ εἶπέ ποτε τῶν ἀγγέλων· υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε; καὶ πάλιν· ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν;
6 And again, when he is sending his only Son into the world, he says, Let all the angels of God give him worship.
6 When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.”
6 ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει· καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ.
7 And of the angels he says, Who makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire:
7 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire.”
7 καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει· ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα·
8 But of the Son he says, Your seat of power, O God, is for ever and ever; and the rod of your kingdom is a rod of righteousness.
8 But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.
8 πρὸς δὲ τὸν υἱόν· ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεός, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου.
9 You have been a lover of righteousness and a hater of evil; and so God, your God, has put the oil of joy on your head more than on the heads of those who are with you.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”
9 ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε, ὁ Θεός, ὁ Θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου·
10 You, Lord, at the first did put the earth on its base, and the heavens are the works of your hands:
10 And, “You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands.
10 καί· σὺ κατ᾽ ἀρχάς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί·
11 They will come to their end; but you are for ever; they will become old as a robe;
11 They will perish, but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does.
11 αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμένεις· καὶ πάντες ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται,
12 They will be rolled up like a cloth, even like a robe, and they will be changed: but you are the same and your years will have no end.
12 You will roll them up like a mantle, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years won’t fail.”
12 καὶ ὡσεὶ περιβόλαιον ἑλίξεις αὐτούς, καὶ ἀλλαγήσονται· σὺ δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἔτη σου οὐκ ἐκλείψουσι.
13 But of which of the angels has he said at any time, Take your seat at my right hand till I put all those who are against you under your feet?
13 But which of the angels has he told at any time, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?”
13 πρὸς τίνα δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων εἴρηκέ ποτε· κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου;
14 Are they not all helping spirits, who are sent out as servants to those whose heritage will be salvation?
14 Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
14 οὐχὶ πάντες εἰσὶ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν;
Cross references (14)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Peter 1:20–21; Joel 2:28; Numbers 12:6–8; Luke 24:27; 1 Peter 1:10–12
- 2 John 1:3; Colossians 1:16–18; 1 Corinthians 8:6; John 1:14; 1 Peter 1:20
- 3 Colossians 1:15–17; Revelation 4:11; John 14:9–10; John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 4:4
- 4 Ephesians 1:21; Philippians 2:9–11; 1 Peter 3:22; Hebrews 2:9; Revelation 5:11–12
- 5 Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 5:5; 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chronicles 17:13
- 6 Psalm 97:7; Deuteronomy 32:43; 1 Peter 3:22; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 1:15
- 7 Psalm 104:4; Hebrews 1:14; 2 Kings 6:17; 2 Kings 2:11; Ezekiel 1:13–14
- 8 Psalm 45:6–7; Isaiah 9:6–7; Jeremiah 23:5–6; Romans 9:5; 1 John 5:20
- 9 Psalm 45:7; Psalm 23:5; Isaiah 61:3; Galatians 5:22; Isaiah 61:1
- 10 Psalm 102:25–27; Genesis 1:1; John 1:1–3; Jeremiah 32:17; Isaiah 48:13
- 11 Isaiah 51:6; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33; Matthew 24:35; Isaiah 34:4
- 12 Psalm 102:26–27; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17; John 8:58; Exodus 3:14
- 13 Psalm 110:1; Mark 12:36; Matthew 22:44; Hebrews 10:12–13; 1 Corinthians 15:25–26
- 14 Psalm 34:7; Psalm 103:20–21; Psalm 91:11–12; Daniel 6:22; Matthew 18:10
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Truly, "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." ( Rom. v. 20.) This at least the blessed Paul intimates here also, in the very beginning of his Epistle to the Hebrews.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
… knowledge, "who, being the brightness of His majesty, is by so much greater than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." For it is thus written, "Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire." But concerning His Son the Lord spoke thus: "Thou art my Son, to-day have I …
Since, "in many places, and in diverse manners," as the Epistle to the Hebrews saith, "God spoke in former times to the fathers through the Prophets;" yet He spoke of Him whom He sent afterwards, that the words of the Prophets might be fulfilled: for "all the promises of God in Him are yea." Psalm CIX
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
At least Paul puts it as a peculiar privilege of the Only-Begotten, saying, "To which of the angels said He at any time, Sit thou on my right hand? And of the angels He saith, who maketh His angels spirits; but unto the Son, Thy throne, O God.'" How then saith He, "To sit on my right hand and on …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Hear also a second testimony to Christ's Deity, that which has just now been read, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)