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Hebrews 1

Hebrews opens by declaring that God’s Son reveals his glory, sustains creation, and reigns above every angel.

God has spoken through the prophets, and now he has spoken by his Son. The unnamed writer addresses readers whose identity is not specified here, presenting the Son as creator, heir, and the one who purified sins before taking his seat at God’s right hand. A sequence of scriptural quotations establishes his rank above the angels: they worship and serve, while the Son rules and remains unchanged even as creation wears out.

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1God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,
2has 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.
3His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, who, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4having become as much better than the angels as the more excellent name he has inherited is better than theirs.
5For to which of the angels did he say at any time, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father?” and again, “I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?”
6When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.”
7Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire.”
8But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom.
9You have loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.”
10And, “You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands.
11They will perish, but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does.
12You will roll them up like a mantle, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years won’t fail.”
13But which of the angels has he told at any time, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?”
14Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Hebrews 1:3The Son’s divine glory and sustaining power stand alongside his purification of sins and his seat at God’s right hand.
Hebrews 1:2God’s speech through the Son marks the opening contrast with the prophets and establishes the Son’s authority over creation.
Hebrews 1:10The quotation addresses the Son as Lord and creator, grounding his superiority to angels in his identity.
Where this chapter reaches

Hebrews draws quotations from Psalm to speak of the Son’s throne, his work as creator, and his place at God’s right hand. John and Colossians share its teaching that creation came through the Son, while Genesis shares the account of God making the heavens and earth.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

Which description of the Son most shapes how you understand God’s speech through him?

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What does the contrast between creation wearing out and the Son remaining unchanged bring to mind?

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Questions people ask about Hebrews 1

Does Hebrews 1 say Jesus is God?

Yes. Verse 8 addresses the Son as God, and verses 10–12 apply to him words about the Lord who made heaven and earth and remains unchanged. Verse 3 describes him as the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his substance. The chapter also distinguishes the Son from the Father.

Why does Hebrews 1 compare Jesus with angels?

The comparison establishes the Son’s supreme rank. Angels worship him and serve those who will inherit salvation; the Son holds an enduring throne and sits at God’s right hand. The chapter does not explain what prompted this argument, so claims that these readers worshiped angels go beyond what it states.

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Hebrews · 13 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).