Heb 1,3

Chapter 1

1

The Son 

God has spoken in the past to our ancestors through the prophets in many and various ways;

2

but, in our times, he has spoken to us through a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things since, through him, he created the universe.

3

He is the radiance of God’s glory and bears the stamp of God’s hidden being so that his powerful word upholds all things. And after taking away sin, he took his place at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

4

So he is now far superior to angels, just as the name he received sets him apart from them. 

5

To what angel did God say: You are my son, this day I have begotten you? Or again, I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me? 

6

On sending his Firstborn into the world, God says: Let all the angels of God adore him.

7

Whereas, about angels, he says: He sends the angels like wind, and his servants flames of fire. 

8

But of the Son: Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. 

9

You loved justice and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your companions. 

10

And also: LORD, at the beginning, you placed the earth on its foundation, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

11

They will disappear, but you remain. They all wear out like a garment; 

12

you will fold them like a cloak, and change them. You, on the contrary, are always the same, and your years will never end.

13

God never said to any of his angels: Sit here at my right side until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. 

14

For all these spirits are only servants, and God sends them to help those who shall be saved.

Chapter 3

1

Jesus and Moses

Therefore, holy brothers, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our faith.

2

He is faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses was a faithful steward over God’s household. 

3

But Jesus deserves much greater honor than Moses since the one who builds the house is greater than the house. 

4

Just as every house has a builder, God is the builder of all. 

5

It is said that Moses was found faithful as a servant of God over all his household and as a witness of a previous revelation from God. 

6

But Christ was faithful as the Son to whom the house belongs, and we are his household, provided that we stand firm in our confidence and pride that belongs to hope.

7

The Today of God

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: If only you would hear his voice today!

8

Don’t harden your hearts as in the rebellion in the day of testing in the desert, 

9

where your ancestors challenged me, even though they had seen my deeds 

10

for forty years. That is why I was angry with those people and said: Their hearts are always going astray and they do not understand my ways. 

11

I was angry and made a solemn vow: They will never enter my rest. 

12

So, brothers, be careful, lest some of you come to have an evil and unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 

13

Encourage one another, day by day, as long as it is called ‘today.’ Let no one become hardened in the deceitful way of sin. 

14

We are associated with Christ, provided we hold steadfastly to our initial hope until the end.

15

As it is said: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

16

Who are those who, having heard, still rebelled? They were all those who came out of Egypt with Moses. 

17

With whom was God angry for forty years? With those who sinned and whose bodies fell in the desert. 

18

To whom did God swear that they would not enter into his rest? To those who had disobeyed. 

19

So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Commentaries

1:1 - 1:14

The Son.

The Letter to the Hebrews is not actually a letter, but a homily addressed to second-generation Christians who were facing difficult times of discouragement and confusion. That’s why it doesn’t start with the typical letter greeting, but with an introduction that hints at the theme of the homily to come. Briefly and solemnly, with a distinguished style that reflects his mastery of Greek, the preacher presents the figure of the Son of God as the central focus of the history of the relationship between God and humanity.

3:1 - 3:6

Jesus and Moses.

The preacher now shifts his focus to Christians he calls “consecrated,” meaning those who have gained salvation through Christ’s death. He encourages them to compare the authority of the Word of salvation delivered by this Apostle (cf. Ps 22:23; Mal 2:7) and High Priest with that of Israel’s most significant mediator, Moses. Both Moses and Christ are faithful and have close communication with God. However, the intimacy of the servant differs from that of the Son.

3:7 - 3:19

The Today of God.

The entire letter to the Hebrews urges the Christian community to remain faithful to Christ. It seems that the enthusiasm and Christian vitality of the early generations had waned, leading to discouragement, fatigue, and possibly doubt. Instead of speaking to them directly with his own words, he has the Holy Spirit communicate to them through Psalm 95:7-11.

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