Hebrews 2 · Verse 16

Hebrews 2:16

For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Hebrews 2:16, King James Version

Hebrews 2:16 in other translations

BSBFor surely it is not the angels He helps, but the descendants of Abraham.
WEBFor most certainly, he doesn’t give help to angels, but he gives help to the offspring of Abraham.
ASVFor verily not to angels doth he give help, but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham.
YLTfor, doubtless, of messengers it doth not lay hold, but of seed of Abraham it layeth hold,
DARBYFor he does not indeed take hold of angels by the hand, but he takes hold of the seed of Abraham.
BBEFor, truly, he does not take on the life of angels, but that of the seed of Abraham.
WebsterFor verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

What does Hebrews 2:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. For verily--Greek, "For as we all know"; "For as you will doubtless grant." Paul probably alludes to Is 41:8; Jr 31:32, Septuagint, from which all Jews would know well that the fact here stated as to Messiah was what the prophets had led them to expect. took not on him, &c.--rather, "It is not angels that He is helping (the present tense implies duration); but it is the seed of Abraham that He is helping." The verb is literally, to help by taking one by the hand, as in He 8:9, "When I took them by the hand," &c. Thus it answers to "succor," He 2:18, and "deliver," He 2:15. "Not angels," who have no flesh and blood, but "the children," who have "flesh and blood," He takes hold of to help by "Himself taking part of the same" (He 2:14). Whatever effect Christ's work may have on angels, He is not taking hold to help them by suffering in their nature to deliver them from death, as in our case. the seed of Abraham--He views Christ's redemption (in compliment to the Hebrews whom he is addressing, and as enough for his present purpose) with reference to Abraham's seed, the Jewish nation, primarily; not that he excludes the Gentiles (He 2:9, "for every man"), who, when believers, are the seed of Abraham spiritually (compare He 2:12; Psa 22:22, 25, 27), but direct reference to them (such as is in Ro 4:11, 12, 16; Ga 3:7, 14, 28, 29) would be out of place in his present argument. It is the same argument for Jesus being the Christ which Matthew, writing his Gospel for the Hebrews, uses, tracing the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham, the father of the Jews, and the one to whom the promises were given, on which the Jews especially prided themselves (compare Ro 9:4, 5).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 16. For verily. Truly. He took not on him the nature of angels. Marg., He taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. The word here used--επιλαμβανεται; means, to take hold upon; to seize; to surprise; to take hold with a view to detain for one's self. Robinson. Then it means to take hold of one as by the hand--with a view to aid, conduct, or succour, Mk 8:23, Acts 23:19. It is rendered took, Mk 8:23, Lk 9:47; Lk 14:4, Acts 9:27, 17:19, 18:17, 21:30,33, 23:19, Heb 8:9; caught, Mt 14:31, Acts 16:19; take hold, Lk 20:20,26; lay hold, and laid hold, Lk 23:26, 1Timm 6:12. The general idea is that of seizing upon, or laying hold of any one--no matter what the object is--whether to aid, or to drag to punishment, or simply to conduct. Here it means to lay hold with reference to aid, or help; and the meaning is, that he did not seize the nature of angels, or take it to himself, with reference to rendering them aid, but he assumed the nature of man in order to aid him. He undertook the work of human redemption, and consequently it was necessary for him to be a man.

But he took on him the seed of Abraham. He came to help the descendants of Abraham, and consequently, as they were men, he became a man. Writing to Jews, it was not unnatural for the apostle to refer particularly to them as the descendants of Abraham, though this does not exclude the idea that he died for the whole human race. It was true that he came to render aid to the descendants of Abraham, but it was also true that he died for all. The fact that I love one of my children, and that I make provision for his education, and tell him so, does not exclude the idea that I love the others also, and that I may make to them a similar appeal when it shall be proper.

(1) "verily" "he taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels - Ου γαρ δηπου αγγελων επιλαμβανεται, αλλα σπερματος Αβρααμ επιλαμβανεται· Moreover, he doth not at all take hold of angels; but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. This is the marginal reading, and is greatly to be preferred to that in the text Jesus Christ, intending not to redeem angels, but to redeem man, did not assume the angelic nature, but was made man, coming directly by the seed or posterity of Abraham, with whom the original covenant was made, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed; and it is on this account that the apostle mentioned the seed of Abraham, and not the seed of Adam; and it is strange that to many commentators should have missed so obvious a sense. The word itself signifies not only to take hold of, but to help, succor, save from sinking, etc. The rebel angels, who sinned and fell from God, were permitted to fall down, alle downe, as one of our old writers expresses it, till they fell into perdition: man sinned and fell, and was falling downe, alle downe, but Jesus laid hold on him and prevented him from falling into endless perdition. Thus he seized on the falling human creature, and prevented him from falling into the bottomless pit; but he did not seize on the falling angels, and they fell down into outer darkness. By assuming the nature of man, he prevented this final and irrecoverable fall of man; and by making an atonement in human nature, he made a provision for its restoration to its forfeited blessedness. This is a fine thought of the apostle, and is beautifully expressed. Man was falling from heaven, and Jesus caught hold of the falling creature, and prevented its endless ruin. In this respect he prefers men to angels, and probably for this simple reason, that the human nature was more excellent than the angelic; and it is suitable to the wisdom of the Divine Being to regard all the works of his hands in proportion to the dignity or excellence with which he has endowed them.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 2:14-18

The angels fell, and remained without hope or help. Christ never designed to be the Saviour of the fallen angels, therefore he did not take their nature; and the nature of angels could not be an atoning sacrifice for the sin of man. Here is a price paid, enough for all, and suitable to all, for it was in our nature. Here the wonderful love of God appeared, that, when Christ knew what he must suffer in our nature…

Read the full comment on Hebrews 2:14-18 →

Hebrews 2:16 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

οὐouNotG3756
γὰρgarforG1063
δήπουdēpousurely somewhereG1211
ἀγγέλωνangelōn[the] angelsG32
ἐπιλαμβάνεται,epilambanetaiHe helps,G1949
ἀλλὰallabutG235
σπέρματοςspermatos[the] seedG4690
ἈβραὰμAbraamof AbrahamG11
ἐπιλαμβάνεται.epilambanetaiHe helps.G1949

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hebrews 2:16

  • Galatians 3:29

    And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

  • Romans 4:16-25

    Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: …

  • Galatians 3:16

    Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

  • Genesis 22:18

    And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

  • Hebrews 12:10

    For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

  • Hebrews 6:16

    For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

  • Romans 2:25

    For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
verily.
6:16; 12:10; Ro 2:25; 1Pe 1:20
took not, etc. Gr. taketh not hold of angels, but of the seedof Abraham he taketh hold. the seed.
Ge 22:18; Mt 1:1-17; Ro 4:16-25; Ga 3:16,29

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Hebrews 2:15

    And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

  • Hebrews 2:16

    For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

  • Hebrews 2:17

    Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Read all of Hebrews 2

Hebrews 2:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque ciertamente no tomó á los ángeles, sino á la simiente de Abraham tomó.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Car, certes, il ne prend pas les anges, mais il prend la semence d’Abraham.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Denn er nimmt sich fürwahr nicht der Engel an, sondern des Samens Abrahams nimmt er sich an.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Nusquam enim angelos apprehendit, sed semen Abrahæ apprehendit.