1 sn The message spoken through angels refers to the OT law, which according to Jewish tradition was mediated to Moses through angels (cf. Deut 33:2; Ps 68:17-18; Acts 7:38, 53; Gal 3:19; and Jub. 1:27, 29; Josephus, Ant. 15.5.3 [15.136]).

2tn Grk "through angels became valid and every violation."

3tn Grk "God bearing witness together" (the phrase "with them" is implied).

4tn Grk "and distributions of the Holy Spirit."

5sn The phrase the world to come means "the coming inhabited earth," using the Greek term which describes the world of people and their civilizations.

6sn See the previous reference to the world in Heb 1:6.

7tn Grk "remember him."

8tc Several witnesses, many of them early and important (א A C D* P Ψ 0243 0278 33 1739 1881 al lat co), have at the end of v 7, "You have given him dominion over the works of your hands." Other mss, not quite as impressive in weight, lack the words (Ì⁴⁶ B D² Ï). In spite of the impressive external evidence for the longer reading, it is most likely a scribal addition to conform the text of Hebrews to Ps 8:6 (8:7 LXX). Conformity of a NT quotation of the OT to the LXX was a routine scribal activity, and can hardly be in doubt here as to the cause of the longer reading.

9tn Grk "you subjected all things under his feet."

sn A quotation from Ps 8:4-6.

10sn The expression all things under his control occurs three times in 2:8. The latter two occurrences are not exactly identical to the Greek text of Ps 8:6 quoted at the beginning of the verse, but have been adapted by the writer of Hebrews to fit his argument.

11tn Or "who was made a little lower than the angels."

12tn Grk "because of the suffering of death."

13tn Grk "would taste." Here the Greek verb does not mean "sample a small amount" (as a typical English reader might infer from the word "taste"), but "experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something" (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

14tn Grk "for whom are all things and through whom are all things."

15sn The Greek word translated pioneer is used of a "prince" or leader, the representative head of a family. It also carries nuances of "trailblazer," one who breaks through to new ground for those who follow him. It is used some thirty-five times in the Greek OT and four times in the NT, always of Christ (Acts 3:15; 5:31; Heb 2:10; 12:2).

16tn Grk "are all from one."

17tn Grk "for which reason."

18tn Grk "brothers," but the Greek word may be used for "brothers and sisters" as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning "brothers and sisters" is cited). The context here also indicates both men and women are in view; note especially the collective τὰ παιδία (ta paidia) in v. 14.

19tn Here, because of its occurrence in an OT quotation, τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς (tois adelfois) has been translated simply as "brothers" rather than "brothers and sisters" (see the note on the latter phrase in the previous verse).

20sn A quotation from Ps 22:22.

21tn Grk "and again," as a continuation of the preceding.

22tn Grk "behold, I," but this construction often means "here is/there is" (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).

23tn Grk "and."

24sn A quotation from Isa 8:17-18.

25tn Or "partook of" (this is a different word than the one in v. 14a).

26tn Grk "the same."

27tn Or "break the power of," "reduce to nothing."

28tn Or "he was obligated."

29tn Grk "brothers." See note on the phrase "brothers and sisters" in 2:11.

30tn Or "propitiation."