But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Jesus.
Hebrews 8:3 For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.
Hebrews 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
for the.
Psalm 21:3-5 For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head…
Acts 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Revelation 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
by.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8,18 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…
Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
taste.
Matthew 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
Mark 9:1 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.
Luke 9:27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
for every.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
2 Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
who was made a little lower than the angels
This refers to the incarnation of Christ, where He took on human form and temporarily assumed a position lower than the angels. This is a reference to Psalm 8:5, which speaks of humanity's place in creation. Jesus, fully divine, humbled Himself to become fully human, sharing in our limitations and experiences.
now crowned with glory and honor
Following His resurrection and ascension, Jesus is exalted and seated at the right hand of God, as described in Philippians 2:9-11. This crowning signifies His victory over sin and death and His rightful place as King and Lord. The imagery of a crown denotes authority and majesty.
because He suffered death
The suffering and death of Jesus are central to His mission and the salvation He offers. His death was sacrificial, fulfilling Old Testament prophecies such as Isaiah 53, which speaks of the suffering servant. This act of suffering was necessary for the atonement of sin.
so that by the grace of God
This phrase highlights the unmerited favor and love of God towards humanity. It is by God's grace that salvation is made possible through Jesus' sacrificial death. Ephesians 2:8-9 further explains that salvation is a gift from God, not earned by human effort.
He might taste death for everyone
"Tasting death" implies experiencing death fully and completely. Jesus' death was substitutionary, meaning He died in place of sinners, bearing the penalty of sin on behalf of all humanity. This universal aspect of His sacrifice is echoed in 1 John 2:2, which states that He is the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.
Hebrews 2:9 opens with a shift of focus: “But we see Jesus….”
• Faith lifts our eyes above discouraging circumstances (Hebrews 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:6).
• The writer invites us to keep Christ in view, similar to how Peter walked on water only while his gaze remained fixed on the Lord (Matthew 14:29-30).
• By singling out “Jesus,” the name that emphasizes His humanity (John 1:14), the text prepares us to explore both His humiliation and exaltation.
• This phrase affirms the literal incarnation: the eternal Son willingly stepped into genuine human flesh (Philippians 2:6-8).
• It echoes Psalm 8:4-5, where mankind is placed “a little lower” than heavenly beings; Jesus shares fully in that estate.
• His choice to live within human limits means He experienced fatigue (John 4:6), temptation (Hebrews 4:15), and suffering—yet without sin.
• By identifying with us so completely, He qualifies as our perfect Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5).
• The humiliation of Bethlehem led to the exaltation of Heaven (Philippians 2:9-11).
• “Crowned” signals completed work and present reign; Jesus is seated at the Father’s right hand (Hebrews 1:3; Acts 2:33-36).
• Glory and honor restore, and surpass, everything surrendered in the incarnation (John 17:5; Revelation 5:12).
• His coronation guarantees the future glory of those who belong to Him (Romans 8:17).
• The path to the crown ran through the cross (Isaiah 53:5-6).
• Death was not an accident but a necessity: “The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
• By dying, He destroyed the one who held the power of death, the devil (Hebrews 2:14).
• His suffering fulfills the righteous demands of God’s law (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).
• “Taste” underscores full participation, not a mere sample; Jesus drained the cup (Matthew 26:39).
• Grace initiated and sustained the entire redemptive plan (Romans 5:8).
• “For everyone” stresses the universal sufficiency of the atonement (1 John 2:2), though its benefits are applied to those who believe (John 3:16-18).
• This substitutionary act secures eternal life for all who receive it (1 Timothy 2:5-6; John 12:32).
Hebrews 2:9 traces a breathtaking arc: we look to Jesus, the incarnate Son who stooped beneath angels, walked among us, and embraced death itself. Because He willingly suffered, God vindicated Him with glory and honor, and through grace He tasted death for every person. Our hope, dignity, and destiny rest on this unbreakable chain: humiliation, atonement, exaltation. Keeping our eyes fixed on Him fuels endurance today and anchors assurance for eternity.
(9) But we see Jesus . . .--Rather, But we see Him who has been made a little lower than angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour. There is One in whom the divine purpose is fulfilled in all its parts. He was made a little (the rendering of the margin, "a little while," is much less probable) lower than angels, and He is crowned with glory. In one point we note an apparent departure from the sense of the Psalm, since words ("a little lower") which there denote dignity here denote humiliation. This difference is not essential; in each case it is the position of man that is signified, and our Lord's assumption of human nature must in any case be spoken of as a descent to a lower sphere. There is peculiar fitness in the use of the human name, Jesus, for Him in whom the Psalmist's words concerning man are literally fulfilled. It is noteworthy that we do not read, "We see all things put in subjection unto Jesus"--this would conflict with the truth stated in Hebrews 10:13 : other words of the Psalm are substituted, which do not imply that the complete actual subjection is already accomplished. This exaltation of One is not a substitute for, but involves (Romans 8:17; Romans 8:29, et al.), and renders possible, the exaltation of the many. This is clear from the "not yet" of Hebrews 2:8; and the same truth is brought out in a different form at the close of this verse. In the midst of this application of the words of Scripture to Jesus, the writer introduces his first reference to His death. The offence of the cross (Galatians 5:11) was an ever-active force among Jews; this is present to the writer's mind throughout the Epistle. The words thus suddenly brought in here, reminding us that the exaltation of Christ was a reward for His obedience unto death (another echo of St. Paul--Philippians 2:9-10; see also Hebrews 12:2), prepare for the more detailed teaching of the following verses--Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 2:14-15; Hebrews 2:17. . . . Verse 9. - The phrase βραχύ τι, where it occurs in this verse with reference to Christ's temporary humiliation, is by many taken to mean "for a little while," on the ground that this meaning suits best the application to Christ, though its most obvious meaning in the psalm (quoted in ver. 7) is, as in the A.V., "a little." The Greek in itself will bear either meaning; and if "a little" be, as it seems to be, the original meaning in the psalm, there is no necessity for supposing a departure from it. All that the writer need be supposed to intimate is that Christ, through his incarnation, took man's position as represented in the psalm. For the suffering of death. So the A.V. renders, connecting the words by punctuation with the clause preceding; the idea being supposed to be that Christ was "made a little lower than the angels" with a view to the "suffering of death;" i.e. because of the "suffering of death" which he had to undergo. But the proper force of διὰ with the accusative is better preserved, and a better meaning given to the passage, by connecting διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου with the clause that follows, and translating, But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor. His crowning was the consequence of his suffering; because of his suffering he was crowned; he won, as man, and in virtue of his human obedience unto death, his position of "glory and honor." Exactly the same idea is found in Hebrews 5:7, etc., where the purpose and result of Christ's suffering, here anticipated, are more explicitly set forth (cf. also Hebrews 12:2). This view, too, suits the drift of the passage before us, which is that human nature has been exalted in the Person of Christ. That he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. Two questions arise here:(1) As to the meaning of the expression, "that he should taste death," etc.;
(2) as to the true reading, as well as the meaning, of the phrase translated "by the grace of God." As to
(1), the clause is introduced by ὅπως, followed by the subjunctive, ὅπως γεύσηται: and the construction of the sentence evidently connects it, not with ἠλαττωμένον, but with ἐστεφανωμένον It is, "Because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, in order that for [i.e. in behalf of] all he may taste of death." Now, the fact that the actual death was previous to the crowning suggests reference, not so much to it as to its permanent efficacy: and, further, the emphatic words are ὑπὲρ παντὸς, as shown by their position in the sentence; and thus the idea seems to be, "In order that for all his tasting of death may be availing." And he may even be regarded as still tasting of death after his crowning, in the sense of knowing its taste through his human experience, and so perfectly sympathizing with mortal man (cf. Hebrews 5:15, and below in this chapter, vers. 14, 15). It is a further question whether παντὸς should be here taken as masculine, as in the A.V., or, like the preceding πάντα, as neuter, in the sense of "all creation." The latter rendering seems in itself more natural, though" all mankind" must be conceived as the main idea in the writer's view. At the same time, it is to be remembered how the redemption is elsewhere spoken of as availing for creation generally, for the restitution of universal harmony (cf. Romans 8:19, etc.; Ephesians 1:10, 20, etc.). A further reason for understanding παντὸς in the wider sense will appear in our examination of the phrase next to be considered. . . .
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