LANGUAGE ANALYSIS OF HEBREWS 1.1-4

World English Bible	Hebrew and Greek Original
1 God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,	Polumerw'ß kai; polutrovpwß pavlai oJ  qeo;ß lalhvsaß toi'ß patravsin ejn toi'ß  profhvtaiß
2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.	ejpj ejscavtou tw'n hJmerw'n touvtwn  ejlavlhsen hJmi'n ejn uiJw'/, oJ;n e~qhken  klhronovmon pavntwn, dij ouJ' kai;  ejpoivhsen tou;ß aijw'naß:
3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power,     when he had by himself made purification for our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;	oJ;ß w^n ajpauvgasma th'ß dovxhß kai;  carakth;r th'ß uJpostavsewß aujtou',  fevrwn te ta; pavnta tw'/ rJhvmati th'ß  dunavmewß aujtou', kaqarismo;n tw'n  aJmartiw'n poihsavmenoß ejkavqisen ejn  dexia'/ th'ß megalwsuvnhß ejn uJyhloi'ß,
4 having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have.	tosouvtw/ kreivttwn genovmenoß tw'n  ajggevlwn o&sw/ diaforwvteron parj  aujtou;ß keklhronovmhken o~noma.

  WHAT IS GOD SAYING/

HEBREWS 1

Verse 1 God (o qeoß). This Epistle begins like Genesis and the Fourth Gospel with God, who is the Author of the old revelation in the prophets and of the new in his Son. Verses Colossians 1-3 are a proemium (Delitzsch) or introduction to the whole Epistle. The periodic structure of the sentence (Colossians 1-4) reminds one of Luke 1:1-4, Ro_1:1-7, 1Jo_1:1-4. The sentence could have concluded with en uiwi in verse Hebrews 1:2, but by means of three relatives (on, di ou, oß) the author presents the Son as "the exact counterpart of God" (Moffatt). Of old time (palai). "Long ago" as in Matthew 11:21. Having spoken (lalhsaß). First aorist active participle of lalew, originally chattering of birds, then used of the highest form of speech as here. Unto the fathers (toiß patrasin). Dative case. The Old Testament worthies in general without "our" or "your" as in John 6:58; John 7:22; Romans 9:5. In the prophets (en toiß prophtaiß). As the quickening power of their life (Westcott). So Romans 4:7. By divers portions (polumerwß). "In many portions." Adverb from late adjective polumerhß (in papyri), both in Vettius Valens, here only in N.T., but in Wisdom 7:22 and Josephus (Ant. VIII, 3, 9). The Old Testament revelation came at different times and in various stages, a progressive revelation of God to men. In divers manners (polutropwß). "In many ways." Adverb from old adjective polutropoß, in Philo, only here in N.T. The two adverbs together are "a sonorous hendiadys for 'variously'" (Moffatt) as   Chrysostom (diaporwß). God spoke by dream, by direct voice, by signs, in different ways to different men (Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, etc.).

Verse 2 At the end of these days (ep escatou twn hmerwn toutwn). In contrast with palai above. Hath spoken (elalhsen). First aorist indicative of lalew, the same verb as above, "did speak" in a final and full revelation. In his Son (en uiwi). In sharp contrast to en toiß prophtaiß. "The Old Testament slopes upward to Christ" (J. R. Sampey). No article or pronoun here with the preposition en, giving the absolute sense of "Son." Here the idea is not merely what Jesus said, but what he is (Dods), God's Son who reveals the Father (John 1:18). "The revelation was a son-revelation" (Vincent). Hath appointed (eqhken). First aorist (kappa aorist) active of tiqhmi, a timeless aorist. Heir of all things (klhronomon pantwn). See Mark 12:6 for o klhronomoß in Christ's parable, perhaps an allusion here to this parable (Moffatt). The idea of sonship easily passes into that of heirship (Galatians 4:7; Romans 8:17). See the claim of Christ in Matthew 11:27; Matthew 28:18 even before the Ascension. Through whom (di ou). The Son as Heir is also the Intermediate Agent (dia) in the work of creation as we have it in Colossians 1:16; John 1:3. The worlds (touß aiwnaß). "The ages" (secula, Vulgate). See Hebrews 11:3 also where touß aiwnaß=ton kosmon (the world) or the universe like ta panta (the all things) in Hebrews 1:3; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16. The original sense of aiwn (from aei, always) occurs in Heb 5:20, but here "by metonomy of the container for the contained" (Thayer) for "the worlds" (the universe) as in LXX, Philo, Josephus.

Verse 3 Being (wn). Absolute and timeless existence (present active participle of eimi) in contrast with genomenoß in verse Colossians 4 like hn in John 1:1 (in contrast with egeneto in John 1:14) and like uparcwn and genomenoß in Philippians 2:6. The effulgence of his glory (apaugasma thß doxhß). The word apaugasma, late substantive from apaugazw, to emit brightness (augh, augazw in 2 Corinthians 4:4), here only in the N.T., but in Wisdom 7:26 and in Philo. It can mean either reflected brightness, refulgence (Calvin, Thayer) or effulgence (ray from an original light body) as the Greek fathers hold. Both senses are true of Christ in his relation to God as Jesus shows in plain language in John 12:45; John 14:9. "The writer is using metaphors which had already been applied to Wisdom and the Logos" (Moffatt). The meaning "effulgence" suits the context better, though it gives the idea of eternal generation of the Son (John 1:1), the term Father applied to God necessarily involving Son. See this same metaphor in 2 Corinthians 4:6. The very image of his substance (carakthr thß upostasewß). Carakthr is an old word from carassw, to cut, to scratch, to mark. It first was the agent (note ending =thr) or tool that did the marking, then the mark or impress made, the exact reproduction, a meaning clearly expressed by caragma (Acts 17:29; Revelation 13:16). Menander had already used (Moffatt) carakthr in the sense of our "character." The word occurs in the inscriptions for "person" as well as for "exact reproduction" of a person. The word upostasiß for the being or essence of God "is a philosophical rather than a religious term" (Moffatt). Etymologically it is the sediment or foundation under a building (for instance). In Revelation 11:1 ypostasiß is like the "title-deed" idea found in the papyri. Athanasius rightly used Hebrews 1:1-4 in his controversy with Arius. Paul in Philippians 2:5-11 pictures the real and eternal deity of Christ free from the philosophical language here employed. But even Paul's simpler phrase morph qeou (the form of God) has difficulties of its own. The use of Logoß in John 1:1-18 is parallel to Hebrews 1:1-4. And upholding (perwn te). Present active participle of perw closely connected with wn (being) by te and like Colossians 1:17 in idea. The newer science as expounded by Eddington and Jeans is in harmony with the spiritual and personal conception of creation here presented. By the word of his power (twi rhmati thß dunamewß autou). Instrumental case of rhma (word). See Colossians 11:3 for rhmati qeou (by the word of God) as the explanation of creation like Genesis, but here autou refers to God's Son as in Colossians 1:2. Purification of sins (kaqarismon twn amartiwn). Kaqarismoß is from kaqarizw, to cleanse (Matthew 8:3; Hebrews 9:14), here only in Hebrews, but in same sense of cleansing from sins, 2 Peter 1:9; Job 7:21. Note middle participle poihsamenoß like euramenoß in Hebrews 9:12. This is the first mention of the priestly work of Christ, the keynote of this Epistle. Sat down (ekaqisen). First aorist active of kaqizw, "took his seat," a formal and dignified act. Of the Majesty on high (thß megalosunhß en upshloiß). Late word from megaß, only in LXX (Deuteronomy 32:3; 2 Samuel 7:23, etc.), Aristeas, Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 8:1; Jude 1:25. Christ resumed his original dignity and glory (John 17:5). The phrase en upshloiß occurs in the Psalms (Psalms 93:4), here only in N.T., elsewhere en upsistoiß in the highest (Matthew 21:9; Luke 2:14) or en toiß epouranioiß in the heavenlies (Ephesians 1:3,20). Jesus is here pictured as King (Prophet and Priest also) Messiah seated at the right hand of God.

Verse 4 Having become (genomenoß). Second aorist middle participle of ginomai. In contrast with on in verse Ephesians 3. By so much (tosoutwi). Instrumental case of tosoutoß correlative with oswi (as) with comparative in both clauses (kreittwn, better, comparative of kratuß, diaporwteron, more excellent, comparative of diaporoß). Than the angels (twn aggelwn). Ablative of comparison after kreittwn, as often. Than they (par autouß). Instead of the ablative autwn here the preposition para (along, by the side of) with the accusative occurs, another common idiom as in Ephesians 3:3;Ephesians 9:23. Diaporoß only in Hebrews in N.T. except Romans 12:6. Hath inherited (keklhronomhken). Perfect active indicative of klhronomew (from klhronomoß, heir, verse Romans 2), and still inherits it, the name (onoma, oriental sense of rank) of "Son" which is superior to prophets as already shown (Romans 1:2) and also to angels (Romans 1:4-2:18) as he now proceeds to prove. Jesus is superior to angels as God's Son, his deity (Romans 1:4-2:4). The author proves it from Scripture (Romans 1:4-14).