Hebrews 1:7

Hebrews 1:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
• New International Version (NIV)In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Of the angels he says, "He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire."
• New King James Version (NKJV)And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.”

Context of Hebrews 1:7

5For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.” God also said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” 6And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, “Let all of God’s angels worship him.” Regarding the angels, he says, “He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire.” 8But to the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. 9You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.”

Hebrews 1:7 word by word

καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει· ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• ofπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• the angelsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
• he saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• makethποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• spiritsπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: breathG4151
• ministersλειτουργόςleitourgos · ministerG3011
• a flameφλόξphlox · flameG5395
• of fireπῦρpur · fireG4442

Cross-references for Hebrews 1:7

• Hebrews 1:14Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.
• 2 Kings 2:11As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.
• 2 Kings 6:17Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
• Psalms 104:4The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants.
• Isaiah 6:2Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.
• Ezekiel 1:13The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them.
• Daniel 7:10and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened.
• Zechariah 6:5The angel replied, “These are the four spirits of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work.

Commentaries on Hebrews 1:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Who maketh his angels spirits - They are so far from being superior to Christ, that they are not called God's sons in any peculiar sense, but his servants, as tempests and lightnings are. In many respects they may have been made inferior even to man as he came out of the hands of his Maker, for he was made in the image and likeness of God; but of the angels, even the highest order of them, this is never spoken. It is very likely that the apostle refers…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits - He gives to them an inferior name, and assigns to them a more humble office. They are mere ministers, and have not ascribed to them the name of “Son.” They have a name which implies a more humble rank and office - the name “spirit,” and the appellation of a “flame of fire.” They obey his will as the winds and the lightnings do. The “object” of the apostle in this passage is to show that the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-14Verses 4-14 Many Jews had a superstitious or idolatrous respect for angels, because they had received the law and other tidings of the Divine will by their ministry. They looked upon them as mediators between God and men, and some went so far as to pay them a kind of religious homage or worship. Thus it was necessary that the apostle should insist, not only on Christ's being the Creator of all things, and therefore of angels themselves, but as being the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7This verse quotes Psalm 104:4 to show that angels are messengers or servants. They have a lower rank than the Son, whom they serve. In the Old Testament, angels are sometimes associated with winds and fire (see Exodus 3:2; Judges 6:21; 13:16, 20; 2 Samuel 22:11; Psalms 18:10; 35:5). This shows the angels’ connection with God’s rule over nature.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. of--The Greek is rather, "In reference TO the angels." spirits--or "winds": Who employeth His angels as the winds, His ministers as the lightnings; or, He maketh His angelic ministers the directing powers of winds and flames, when these latter are required to perform His will. "Commissions them to assume the agency or form of flames for His purposes" [Alford]. English Version, "maketh His angels spirits," means, He maketh them of a subtle, incorporeal…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 1:7

• Angel (a Spirit)
• Quotations and Allusions

In the dictionaries

• Flame of fire
• Angel
• Bitter
• Ministering
• Canon of the New Testament
• Gershom
• Hebrews, Epistle to the
• Inspiration
• Mediation; Mediator
• Of

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