What does Hebrews 2:10 mean?
According to prior verses, Jesus was sent in human form specifically in order to suffer death on behalf of mankind. Verses 10 and 11 explain how this makes Jesus "perfect" as a sacrificial substitute for humanity. Humanity is tempted, and so was Christ (Hebrews 4:15). Humanity faces death, and so did Christ (Hebrews 2:9). This means that, as Christ was raised from the dead, so will those who believe in Him be raised (Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14; Hebrews 2:17; 10:12). The full explanation of this thought runs all the way through verse 18.This passage also continues to remind the readers that Jesus Christ is the eternal Creator. Earlier verses specified that Jesus was co-creator with God the Father (Hebrews 1:2). Here, that same Creator is the one sending Jesus in order to restore our relationship to God.
The phrase "founder of their salvation" comes from the Greek archēgon tēs sōtērias autōn. The word archēgon carries the idea of being a leader, a pioneer, or an example. Some translations use the English term captain. This idea of Christ being our trailblazer, and our model, is seen throughout the New Testament (1 Corinthians 11:1; Ephesians 5:1; Colossians 1:18). This same term will be used of Christ in Hebrews 12:2, in a similar context. This word is also seen in the original Greek of Acts 3:15 and Acts 5:31; interestingly, all four of these references are spoken directly to the Jewish people.