Res Biblica

Hebrews 2:9-11 is the application of Psalm 8 to the Christ crowned in glory (9a) but under whose feet, all have not been fully subjected (8b). Until all his brothers (11) are led back to God (10), He intercedes for them as the High Priest (3:1ff) who, because fully identified with them (17), is able to understand them and be compassionate to them (4:15). While the theme of Christ the High Priest formally begins in Hebrews 4:14, which is preceded by an exhortation to the author's audience to pay careful attention to this new and advanced theme (3:7-13), the passages under discussion form part of a long introduction to the main topic. Here, the author presents Jesus through a family of biblical texts, as the Son (1:2-3) superior to the angels (vv. 4-14), whose message of salvation was more binding than what the angels bring (2:1-4) but who was for while lower than the angels, identifying himself with flesh and blood in an act of solidarity, so as to become the High Priest that he is.

The Immediate Context

The immediate context of Hebrews 2:9-11 is formed by 2:6-18 which can be outlined as follows

• Psalm 8 applied to Jesus
  • the citation (6-8a)
  • "for awhile placed under the angels"
    • although crowned in glory because of his death, not everything is yet under his feet (8b-9a)
    • he tasted death for the sake of all (9b-10)
    • he became one with those who were to be saved calling them "brothers" (11)
      • proof-text 1: Psalm 22:22 (12)
      • proof-text 2: Isaiah 8:13 (13a)
      • proof-text 3: Isaiah 8:17 (13b)
    • he became one with those who were "servants/children" 1 so as to save them from death and servitude (14-15)2
    • he was assimilated to his brothers so as to become the merciful and faithful High Priest that he is (17-18)

"For a while lower than the angels"

The author is using a rabbinic method whereby a family of biblical passages strung together are used to interpret another passage. Here, the passage being interpreted is "you made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor". The author comments first on "you crowned him with glory and honor" and then explains "you made him lower than the angels" in terms of Christ's death. The rest of the passage is an explanation of "he tasted death for the sake of all". The phrase in bold letters is not from scriptures and yet is the substance of the following exposition. How was Jesus able to die for the sake of all? Because he was in solidarity with and assimilated to those whom he called "brothers" and "children".

In solidarity with men

For the one who sanctifies and those being sanctified
are all from one
and because of this,
he is not ashamed to call them "brothers" (2:11)

What does   (ex enos) mean? The following renditions may perhaps be of help:

KJV: of one
NRSV: of one Father
REB: of one stock
NAB: one origin
NJB: of the same stock
NIV: of the same family
NLT: have the same Father
NASB: from one Father

These major English translations somehow agree that "from one" refers to the "origin" of both Jesus the sanctifier and the men and women to be sanctified. They are from the same "Father" who created humanity and who gave that humanity to His Son. Relevant to this idea is Hebrews 10:5-10.

^5. For this reason, when he came into the world, he said:

"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
⁶ holocausts and sin offerings you took no delight in.
⁷ Then I said, `As is written of me in the scroll,
Behold, I come to do your will, O God.' "

⁸ First he says, "Sacrifices and offerings, holocausts and sin offerings,
you neither desired nor delighted in."
-- These are offered according to the law --
⁹ Then he says,
"Behold, I come to do your will."
He takes away the first to establish the second.
¹⁰ By this "will," we have been consecrated
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The idea that the author wishes to explain here is the connection between the once and for all sacrifice of Christ as the means of sanctification and to his obedience in the Incarnation3. It is a sacrifice made in obedience through "the body you prepared" for the Son by the Father. This "body" which is the flesh and blood of humanity he assumed became -- in Christ's offering on the cross -- the principle of sanctification for all men. Because of this "body" received from the Father, the Son became one with human ity, entered into the family of men and was in solidarity with them. It is in this sense, that both "the Son" and "the sons" are "of one stock", "from one family".

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism employs Hebrews 2:9-10 in its first part, specifically in the credal statement about the death of Christ "for the sake of all".

1. 1. the Greek paidion is used in the Scriptures with the sense of "servant boy". Here it means "children".
2. 2. Verse 16 is best understood as a parenthetical comment whereby the author explains a previous thread about the angels: that they are ministering spirits, not spirits one ministers to (1:14). See this article on the topic.
3. 3. The word "Incarnation" derives from John 1:14 "and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"