Hebrews 2:9 kjv
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Hebrews 2:9 nkjv
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.
Hebrews 2:9 niv
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Hebrews 2:9 esv
But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Hebrews 2:9 nlt
What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position "a little lower than the angels"; and because he suffered death for us, he is now "crowned with glory and honor." Yes, by God's grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.
Hebrews 2 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 8:5-6 | You made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler... | Direct source for "lower than angels," human dominion. |
| Heb 2:6-8 | But there is a place where someone has testified... | Immediate preceding context quoting Ps 8 and raising the problem solved by Christ. |
| Isa 53:11-12 | After he has suffered, he will see light and be satisfied... He poured out his life unto death... | Prophecy of the suffering servant's vicarious death and exaltation. |
| Mt 20:28 | ...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. | Jesus' mission to die as a ransom. |
| Jn 1:14 | The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory... | Describes Christ's incarnation ("made a little lower"). |
| Jn 10:11 | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. | Christ's voluntary, sacrificial death for His own. |
| Jn 12:32 | And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself. | His death (lifting up) has universal appeal and purpose. |
| Rom 3:24-25 | ...and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus... | Justification through God's grace by Christ's sacrificial death. |
| Rom 5:8 | But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | Divine grace ("grace of God") motivating Christ's death. |
| Rom 5:18 | Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. | Christ's act ("taste death") for all ("every man"). |
| Rom 8:3 | For what the law was powerless to do... God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. | God sending His Son in human flesh for sin offering ("made a little lower"). |
| 1 Cor 15:3-4 | ...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day... | Christ's death "for our sins," signifying the purpose of tasting death. |
| 2 Cor 5:15 | And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them... | "Taste death for every man" explicitly reinforced. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Christ's sin-bearing work related to tasting death. |
| Gal 4:4-5 | But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law... | God's sending of the Son in human form ("made a little lower"). |
| Php 2:7-9 | ...he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant... became obedient to death... God exalted him to the highest place... | Christ's self-emptying (kenosis), obedience in death, and subsequent exaltation. |
| Col 1:20 | ...and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. | Reconciliation accomplished through His death. |
| 1 Tim 2:6 | ...who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This was the testimony given in its proper time. | Reinforces "ransom for all" related to "taste death for every man." |
| Tit 2:11-14 | For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people... He gave himself for us to redeem us... | God's grace appearing in Christ to save all. |
| Heb 1:3 | ...After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. | Describes Christ's exaltation and His work of purification before it. |
| Heb 5:8-9 | Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. | Links suffering with obedience and becoming the source of salvation. |
| Heb 12:2 | ...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame... | Jesus' endurance of the cross ("suffering of death") for a greater purpose. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness... | Jesus bearing sins through His physical suffering and death. |
| 1 Jn 2:2 | He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. | Atoning sacrifice is for all ("whole world"). |
Hebrews 2 verses
Hebrews 2 9 Meaning
Hebrews 2:9 concisely presents Jesus Christ's purposeful trajectory of humiliation and exaltation. It states that though superior as God, He temporarily descended, taking on human form and experiencing death to conquer it. This profound suffering was divinely orchestrated by the grace of God, intended to make salvation accessible to all humanity, culminating in His glorification and honor as a victorious King.
Hebrews 2 9 Context
Hebrews chapter 1 establishes the unequivocal superiority of the Son to angels, highlighting His divine nature, eternal glory, and role in creation and redemption. Chapter 2 transitions from theological declaration to practical exhortation, warning readers not to drift from the profound truth revealed in Christ (2:1-4). The author then explains that the "world to come"—God's future kingdom—is not subject to angels but to man (2:5). He cites Psalm 8 (2:6-8) to argue humanity's destined dominion, yet immediately acknowledges that we "do not yet see everything subjected to them." Hebrews 2:9 resolves this apparent paradox. It introduces Jesus, who is the true Man (the "Son of Man" fulfilling Psalm 8) and simultaneously the Divine Son. His voluntary, temporary lowering through incarnation and suffering, leading to His ultimate death, was the paradoxical path to His rightful exaltation and glorification. This act of grace achieved salvation, fulfilling God's original intention for humanity and demonstrating Christ's supremacy over all, including death and the angels.
Hebrews 2 9 Word analysis
- But we see Jesus: The Greek phrase is `Blepomen de Iēsoun` (βλέπομεν δὲ Ἰησοῦν). "But we see" serves as a direct, observational contrast to the preceding statement ("we do not yet see everything subjected to him"). It shifts from the current human limitation to the tangible reality of Jesus. It emphasizes that what remains unfulfilled in humanity collectively is already fulfilled in Jesus individually.
- who was made a little lower than the angels: In Greek, `ton elattonōmenon brachy ti par' aggelous` (τὸν ἐλαττωμένον βραχύ τι παρ’ ἀγγέλους).
- made a little lower: `elattonōmenon` is a perfect passive participle, indicating a completed action with continuing results. It refers to Christ's voluntary humiliation in becoming human. This directly echoes Psalm 8:5 (LXX) where mankind is described as being made "a little less than `elohim`," interpreted here as `aggelous` (angels). It is a condescension, not a demotion in intrinsic worth.
- a little: `brachy ti` (βραχύ τι) can denote either a short period of time or a small degree of rank. Contextually, considering His brief earthly life culminating in death, a temporary duration ("for a little while") is the dominant and most meaningful interpretation for His temporary humiliation before His eternal exaltation.
- than the angels: Angels are celestial beings superior to humans in natural status, power, and being unburdened by mortality. For Jesus, the divine Son, to be made lower than them, underscores the immense nature of His condescension.
- for the suffering of death: `dia to pathēma tou thanatou` (διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου). "For" (`dia`) here expresses the purpose or cause. The very reason for His temporary lowering was to undergo "suffering of death," signifying the entirety of His agony and physical demise. This phrase highlights that His death was not an accident or failure but a central, intended aspect of God's redemptive plan. The `pathēma` implies a real, experiential agony.
- crowned with glory and honor: `doxē kai timē estephanōmenon` (δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον). This describes the outcome of His suffering.
- crowned: `estephanōmenon` is a perfect passive participle, suggesting a past action with continuing results. This implies triumphant victory, kingly investiture, and supreme recognition.
- glory and honor: `doxē kai timē`. `Doxa` refers to inherent majesty, divine splendor, and recognition of worth, while `timē` signifies esteem, value, and dignity bestowed upon someone. This crowning points to His resurrection, ascension, and present exaltation at God's right hand. It fulfills the second part of Psalm 8, as Jesus, the perfect Man, truly receives the promised dominion.
- that he by the grace of God: `hopōs chariti theou` (ὅπως χάριτι θεοῦ). "That he" (`hopōs`) indicates the ultimate purpose or result.
- by the grace of God: `chariti theou`. This phrase specifies the divine impulse and nature of the entire act. God's unmerited favor, benevolence, and loving initiative were the sole driving force behind Christ's redemptive suffering and death. It was not coerced or earned, but freely given by divine love. A variant reading, `chōris theou` ("apart from God"), found in a few manuscripts, would suggest Christ tasted death apart from divine support for all; however, `chariti theou` is overwhelmingly supported by textual evidence and theological coherence within the biblical narrative of divine grace in salvation.
- should taste death: `geusētai thanatou` (γεύσηται θανάτου). "Taste" here signifies a real, complete, and personal experience, not a superficial sampling. Jesus fully encountered the bitterness, separation, and judgment inherent in death. This comprehensive experience allowed Him to represent and redeem humanity, demonstrating mastery over death through full engagement rather than evasion.
- for every man: `hyper pantos` (ὑπὲρ παντός). "For" (`hyper`) means "on behalf of," "in the interest of," "as a substitute for." "Every man" (`pantos` - referring to every individual) underscores the universal scope and boundless extent of Christ's redemptive work. His sacrifice is applicable and offered to all of humanity, revealing the limitless nature of God's saving purpose, though its benefits are appropriated by faith.
- "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels... crowned with glory and honor": This group of words sets up a deliberate contrast. While humanity in general is yet to experience the full dominion spoken of in Psalm 8, Jesus has already undergone the temporary lowering (incarnation and death) and has already been exalted and crowned. He is the vanguard, the perfect Man who actualizes God's original plan for humanity. This illustrates the pathway to glory through suffering.
- "for the suffering of death... by the grace of God should taste death": This combination highlights the active, volitional, and purposeful nature of Jesus's passion. His suffering and death were not a tragic accident but a divinely ordained mission. The 'grace of God' signifies the sovereign love that initiated this path, enabling Jesus to truly 'taste' the full measure of human mortality and sin's consequence as a perfect sacrifice.
- "taste death for every man": This powerful phrase encapsulates the vicarious and universal nature of the atonement. Jesus's death was not just a historical event but a substitutionary act for the benefit of all humanity. His experiencing of death was comprehensive and for all, making salvation available through God's loving grace.
Hebrews 2 9 Bonus section
The deliberate use of blepomen ("we see") implies an undeniable, verifiable truth that the readers are encouraged to behold and anchor their faith in, contrasting the "not yet seeing" of all things subjected to man from the preceding verse. Jesus's temporary humiliation also addresses potential Jewish ideas about angels, showing Christ's temporary lowering below them was a strategic, victorious path to ultimate supremacy, far beyond any angelic rank. It asserts the effectiveness and sufficiency of Jesus's sacrifice for redemption. The "taste death" metaphor powerfully conveys not a mere brush with mortality, but a profound and complete engagement with it, even experiencing its full spiritual and physical dimensions as a consequence of sin, on our behalf.
Hebrews 2 9 Commentary
Hebrews 2:9 is a foundational verse that addresses the perceived incongruity between Psalm 8's vision of humanity's dominion and humanity's current weakness, particularly in the face of death. The author's solution is found in Jesus Christ. This verse portrays Jesus's profound act of condescension – His temporary becoming "a little lower than the angels" by taking on human flesh and submitting to mortality. This descent, however, was not an end in itself, nor was it accidental; it was "for the suffering of death," explicitly purposeful for humanity's salvation. Through His death, Jesus conquered death itself. The paradoxical consequence of this ultimate humility and suffering is His exaltation: He is now "crowned with glory and honor." This demonstrates that Christ's glory is intimately linked to His obedient suffering and death, not separate from it. Crucially, this entire redemptive act—Jesus's humiliation, suffering, and victory over death—was by the sovereign "grace of God" and performed "for every man," demonstrating the boundless scope and divine love behind the plan of salvation. It underlines that Jesus, the true Son of Man, not only fulfilled God's design for humanity but also made a way for "many sons to glory" (Heb 2:10) through His sacrificial identification.