Hebrews 1:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

NIV: To which of the angels did God ever say, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet'?

NASB: But to which of the angels has He ever said, 'SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET'?

CSB: Now to which of the angels has he ever said:Sit at my right handuntil I make your enemies your footstool?

NLT: And God never said to any of the angels, 'Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.'

KJV: But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

NKJV: But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”?

The primary purpose of the first two chapters of Hebrews is to prove that Jesus is not an angel. Rather, He is eternal, unchanging, and supreme in His authority. In other words, the Messiah promised in the Old Testament is actually God Himself. The writer of Hebrews has stated that God's message once came through prophets, and now comes through Jesus. Showing that Jesus is not merely some created spiritual being is crucial to the rest of this letter.

Verses 13 and 14 make one last comparison between Jesus and angels, before chapter 2 begins with a dire warning. This verse quotes Psalm 110:1, where the Promised One is given the place of ultimate honor: the "right hand" of God. The writer of Hebrews is using this passage for the same purpose as Jesus. Christ also cited Psalm 110:1 (Matthew 22:41–46; Mark 12:35–37), also as a way of proving that the prophesied King would be the Son of God.

Psalm 110 itself does not seem to connect directly to any event in the life of David. Rather, it seems to be a vision of the future, one which connects to the coming Messiah. In Hebrews 1:14, the idea of the Promised One being a ruler is directly contrasted to the nature of angels as servants.

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.