SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 1:7

Paragraph 1:7–9

In this paragraph the author again quoted from the OT to show that the Son is greater than the angels. The quotation in 1:7 about the angels contrasts with the one in 1:8–9 about the Son. The author shows this contrast in the way he introduces the quotations. For example:

About the angels, he says…but about the Son he says…

Translate this contrast in a natural way in your language.

1:7a

Now: This word introduces another contrast between the angels and the Son. It is not a time word. Other ways to translate this word are:

And
-or-
Also,

Some languages can allow the context to indicate the introduction and do not need to translate this word.

about the angels He says: Here the author introduces the fourth quotation that he has given from the OT. It is taken from Psalm 104:4, where God speaks about his angels. Some other ways to introduce this quotation are:

God said about the angels (God’s Word)
-or-
And when God speaks about the angels, he says (Contemporary English Version)

angels: The word angels means spirit beings who serve God. The word angels first occurs in Hebrews in 1:4. For more information, see the note there.

1:7b

This part of the verse is a quotation from Psalm 104:4. It has two parallel statements about God and the angels:

He makes his angels winds

and he makeshis servants flames of fire

Notice that in the second line the words “and he makes” are implied. For examples of how these two statements can be combined into one statement, see the General Comment on 1:7b at the end of 1:7b.

He makes His angels winds, His servants flames of fire: This statement is part of a contrast that the author makes between the angels and the Son. It shows that the angels are part of God’s creation, as wind and fire are. Angels obey God completely, and he can change them in any way he wants to. He can make them like winds or fire. This statement may refer to the time when God gave his law to people on Mt. Sinai.

Some other ways to translate this statement are:

As a metaphor. For example:

I change my angels into wind and my servants into flaming fire. (Contemporary English Version)

As a simile. For example:

In the angels’ serving of me I can make them like wind or like flames of fire.

Translate the meaning in a natural way to fit with the contrast between the angels and the Son in 1:8.

winds: The quotation does not specify how God’s messengers are like winds. In some languages it may be more natural to use a singular form. For example:

wind (Contemporary English Version)

servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants usually refers to people who serve the public as respected officials. Their duties include religious responsibilities. Here the word refers to the angels as heavenly servants of God. God has given them great power to do his will. Use an appropriate word in your language to refer to such powerful servants. For example:

ministers (NET Bible)
-or-
messengers

General Comment on 1:7b

The two statements in 1:7b are parallel, and “angels” and “servants” refer to the same beings. In some languages it may be more natural to translate the meaning without using parallel statements. For example:

God created his angels to be his servants, and he can make them like wind or fire.

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

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