God’s Word Translation
Hebrews 1:3
3His Son is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of God’s being. He holds everything together through his powerful words. After he had cleansed people from their sins, he now holds the honored position—the one next to the majestic God [the Father] on the heavenly throne.
Hebrews 1:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
- New International Version (NIV)The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
- New King James Version (NKJV)who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Context of Hebrews 1:3
1In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. 2In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. God made his Son responsible for everything. His Son is the one through whom God made the universe. His Son is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of God’s being. He holds everything together through his powerful words. After he had cleansed people from their sins, he now holds the honored position—the one next to the majestic God [the Father] on the heavenly throne. 4The Son has become greater than the angels since he has been given a name that is superior to theirs. 5God never said to any of his angels, “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” And God never said to any of his angels, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.”
Read all of Hebrews 1Hebrews 1:3 word by word
ὃς ὢν ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ, φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ καθαρισμὸν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ποιησάμενος ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖςRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the brightnessἀπαύγασμαapaugasma · radianceG541
- ofὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- ofδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- the express imageχαρακτήρcharaktēr · reproductionG5481
- ofὑπόστασιςhupostasis · confidence/essenceG5287
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- andτεte · and/bothG5037
- upholdingφέρωpherō̄ · to bear/leadG5342
- all thingsπᾶςpas · allG3956
- by the wordῥῆμαrhēma · declarationG4487
- ofδύναμιςdunamis · powerG1411
- when he hadποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
- byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
- purgedκαθαρισμόςkatharismos · cleansingG2512
- ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- sinsἁμαρτίαhamartia · sinG266
- sat downκαθίζωkathizō · to seatG2523
- onἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- the right handδεξιόςdexios · rightG1188
- of the Majestyμεγαλωσύνηmegalōsunē · majestyG3172
- highὑψηλόςhupsēlos · highG5308
Cross-references for Hebrews 1:3
- John 1:14The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth.
- John 14:9Jesus replied, “I have been with all of you for a long time. Don’t you know me yet, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
- 2 Corinthians 4:6We are his servants because the same God who said that light should shine out of darkness has given us light. For that reason we bring to light the knowledge about God’s glory which shines from Christ’s face.
- 2 Corinthians 4:4The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. As a result, they don’t see the light of the Good News about Christ’s glory. It is Christ who is God’s image.
- Colossians 1:15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
- Psalms 75:3When the earth and everyone who lives on it begin to melt, I will make its foundations as solid as rock. Selah
- John 1:4He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.
- Colossians 1:17He existed before everything and holds everything together.
- Revelation 4:11“Our Lord and God, you deserve to receive glory, honor, and power because you created everything. Everything came into existence and was created because of your will.”
- Ecclesiastes 8:4Since a king’s word has such power, no one can ask him what he is doing.
- Romans 1:16I’m not ashamed of the Good News. It is God’s power to save everyone who believes, Jews first and Greeks as well.
- 2 Corinthians 4:7Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this treasure belongs to God and doesn’t come from us.
- Hebrews 7:27We need a priest who doesn’t have to bring daily sacrifices as those chief priests did. First they brought sacrifices for their own sins, and then they brought sacrifices for the sins of the people. Jesus brought the sacrifice for the sins of the people once and for all when he sacrificed himself.
- Hebrews 9:12He used his own blood, not the blood of goats and bulls, for the sacrifice. He went into the most holy place and offered this sacrifice once and for all to free us forever.
- John 1:29John saw Jesus coming toward him the next day and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
- 1 John 1:7But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin.
Commentaries on Hebrews 1:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The brightness of his glory - The resplendent outbeaming of the essential glory of God. Hesychius interprets by ̔ͅ , the splendor of the sun. The same form of expression is used by an apocryphal writer, Wis. 7:26, where, speaking of the uncreated wisdom of God, he says: "For she is the splendor of eternal light, ̈́, and the unsullied mirror of the energy of God, and the image of his goodness." The word is that which has splendor in itself is the splendor…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Who being the brightness of his glory - This verse is designed to state the dignity and exalted rank of the Son of God, and is exceedingly important with reference to a correct view of the Redeemer. Every word which is employed is of great importance, and should be clearly understood in order to a correct apprehension of the passage. First, in what manner does it refer to the Redeemer? To his divine nature? To the mode of his existence before he was…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The Greek word translated radiance is found only here in the New Testament. It means intense brightness. God's glory shows his presence (Exodus 16:7; 33:18; Isaiah 40:5). The Son's glory reflects God's glory, showing God's presence (Luke 9:32; John 1:14; 2:11; 17:5; Romans 8:17). The Greek word translated exact representation is also unique in the New Testament. It refers to a mark like one on a coin. The Son clearly shows God's character (John 1:18…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Who being--by pre-existent and essential being. brightness of his glory--Greek, the effulgence of His glory. "Light of (from) light" [Nicene Creed]. "Who is so senseless as to doubt concerning the eternal being of the Son? For when has one seen light without effulgence?" [Athanasius, Against Arius, Orations, 2]. "The sun is never seen without effulgence, nor the Father without the Son" [Theophylact]. It is because He is the brightness, &c., and because…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 1:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hebrews 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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