Hebrews 1:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,

NIV: They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.

NASB: THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN; AND THEY ALL WILL WEAR OUT LIKE A GARMENT,

CSB: they will perish, but you remain. They will all wear out like clothing;

NLT: They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing.

KJV: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

NKJV: They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment;

Verses 10 through 12 repeat a passage from Psalm 102:25–27. These words are from a Psalm which praises God for being unchanging and eternal. This is seen by the psalmist as a reason to trust God, even when it seems like enemies are winning the battle. The writer of Hebrews means to connect this idea of permanence to the ideas mentioned in prior verses.

This portion of Hebrews is dedicated to the idea that Jesus is not the equal of angels. On the contrary, He is above and beyond all angels, and is in fact identical to God. Verses such as Hebrews 1:7 described angels as servants, with characteristics God can change to suit His purposes. Messiah, on the other hand, is portrayed as the ultimate authority, and as one who does not fade or change.

Upcoming verses will continue drawing this distinction between the Scripture's depiction of angels and the Scripture's depiction of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 1:5–14 uses a collection of Old Testament quotations. These are used to support the claims made in verses 1 through 4. In particular, the writer is explaining that Jesus Christ is not merely some angelic being or a created spiritual power. He is the exact nature of God and above all other authorities. Since this letter is written to a Jewish audience, this use of Old Testament material is crucial and would have been especially effective. This explanation continues through the entire second chapter of Hebrews.

Chapter 1 starts off with an immediate appeal to God's communication with mankind. It also establishes the divinity of Jesus Christ. Hebrews describes Jesus as superior to all other beings and all other claims. The first area where Jesus is elevated is with respect to angels. Using direct quotations from the Old Testament, this chapter clearly demonstrates that Jesus is above, beyond, and far more than every angel. This theme will continue through chapter 2.

The first chapter of Hebrews establishes two primary ideas used to support the rest of the book. First, that God has spoken to mankind, most recently through Jesus, so we ought to be listening to Him. Secondly, chapter 1 introduces the fact that Jesus is superior to other spiritual beings, such as angels. These concepts are used to support the superiority of faith in Christ, over the Old Testament Law, expressed in the book's later chapters.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.

Accessed 11/24/2024 8:19:36 AM