Hebrews 2:16

Revised Standard Version

For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps. He helps the people who are from Abraham.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For he in no place taketh on him the angels: but the seede of Abraham taketh he on him.

Hebrew Names Version
For most assuredly, not to angels does he give help, but he gives help to the seed of Avraham.

New American Standard Bible
For clearly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendants of Abraham.

New Century Version
Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps, but the people who are from Abraham.

Update Bible Version
For truly not to angels does he give help, but he gives help to the seed of Abraham.

Webster's Bible Translation
For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.

English Standard Version
For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

World English Bible
For most assuredly, not to angels does he give help, but he gives help to the seed of Abraham.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For verily he taketh not hold of angels, but he taketh hold of the seed of Abraham.

Weymouth's New Testament
For assuredly it is not to angels that He is continually reaching a helping hand, but it is to the descendants of Abraham.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he took neuere aungelis, but he took the seed of Abraham.

English Revised Version
For verily not of angels doth he take hold, but he taketh hold of the seed of Abraham.

Berean Standard Bible
For surely it is not the angels He helps, but the descendants of Abraham.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus clearly did not come to help angels, but he did come to help Abraham's descendants.

Amplified Bible
For, as we all know, He (Christ) does not take hold of [the fallen] angels [to give them a helping hand], but He does take hold of [the fallen] descendants of Abraham [extending to them His hand of deliverance].

American Standard Version
For verily not to angels doth he give help, but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham.

Bible in Basic English
For, truly, he does not take on the life of angels, but that of the seed of Abraham.

Complete Jewish Bible
Indeed, it is obvious that he does not take hold of angels to help them; on the contrary, "He takes hold of the seed of Avraham."

Darby Translation
For he does not indeed take hold of angels [by the hand], but he takes hold of the seed of Abraham.

International Standard Version
For it is clear that he did not come to help angels. No, he came to help Abraham's descendants.

Etheridge Translation
For not from the angels he took [fn] , but from the seed of Abraham he took.

Murdock Translation
For he did not assume [fn] from angels, but he assumed [fn] from the seed of Abraham.

King James Version (1611)
For verely he tooke not on him the nature of Angels: but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham.

New Living Translation
We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham.

New Life Bible
Jesus did not come to help angels. Instead, He came to help men who are of Abraham's family.

New Revised Standard
For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For he in no sort tooke on him the Angels nature, but hee tooke on him the seede of Abraham.

George Lamsa Translation
For he did not take on him the pattern of angels; but he did take on him the seed of Abraham.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For, not surely of messengers, is he laying hold, but, of Abraham's seed, he is laying hold.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For nowhere doth he take hold of the angels: but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For he in no place taketh on hym the Angels: but the seede of Abraham taketh he on hym.

Good News Translation
For it is clear that it is not the angels that he helps. Instead, he helps the descendants of Abraham.

Christian Standard Bible®
For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.

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

Lexham English Bible
For surely he is not concerned with angels, but he is concerned with the descendants of Abraham.

Literal Translation
For indeed He does not take hold of angels, "but He takes hold of" "the seed of Abraham." Isa. 41:8, 9

Young's Literal Translation
for, doubtless, of messengers it doth not lay hold, but of seed of Abraham it layeth hold,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For he in no place taketh on him the angels, but ye sede of Abraham tabeth he on him.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for he is not the deliverer of angels; but the deliverer of Abraham's posterity.

THE MESSAGE
It's obvious, of course, that he didn't go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That's why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people's sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.

New English Translation
For surely his concern is not for angels, but he is concerned for Abraham's descendants.

New King James Version
For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Make no mistake, Jesus didn't come and do all he did to save angels. He did it all to save us, the children of Abraham.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

Legacy Standard Bible
For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the seed of Abraham.

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage. ¹⁶ For surely it is not with angels that he is concerned but with the descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷ Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

verily: Hebrews 6:16, Hebrews 12:10, Romans 2:25, 1 Peter 1:20

took not: etc. Gr. taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold

the seed: Genesis 22:18, Matthew 1:1-17, Romans 4:16-25, Galatians 3:16, Galatians 3:29

Reciprocal: Psalms 8:5 - thou John 11:35 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.

Genesis 2:9
And out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

1 Samuel 15:22
And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

1 Timothy 4:4
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving;

1 Timothy 6:17
As for the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to enjoy.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For verily he took not on him the nature of angels,.... Good angels; for they are all along spoken of in this book; and it would have been impertinent to have said this of evil angels: and this is to be understood not of a denying help and assistance to the angels; for though they have not redemption from Christ, which they needed not, yet have they help from him; they are chosen in him, and are gathered together under him; and he is the head of them, and they are upheld and sustained by him in their being, and well being: but of a non-assumption of their nature; there was no need of it with respect to good angels, and there was no salvation designed for evil ones; and to have assumed the nature of angels, would have been of no service to fallen man; an angelic nature is not capable of death, which was necessary to atone for sin, save men, and destroy Satan: this negative proposition is very strongly put, "he never took", as the Vulgate Latin version more rightly renders it; at no time, in no place; nor is it said in any place of Scripture that he did; this is a certain truth, and not to be disputed. The Syriac and Arabic versions render it, "he took not of, or from angels"; he took not any individual from among them:

but he took on him the seed of Abraham; not all his posterity, but some individual, as the word seed is sometimes used, Genesis 4:25. Christ assumed human nature as derived from Abraham; for the Messiah was to spring from Abraham, and is promised, as that seed of his, in whom all nations should be blessed; and he was particularly promised to the Jews, the seed of Abraham, to whom the apostle was writing; and it was with a view to Abraham's spiritual seed, the children of the promise, that Christ partook of flesh and blood: the word here used signifies to catch hold of anyone ready to perish, or to lay hold on a person running away, and with great vehemence and affection to hold anything fast, that it be not lost, and to help persons, and do good unto them; all which may be observed in this act of Christ's, in assuming an individual of human nature, in Abraham's line, into union with his divine person; whereby he has saved those that were gone out of the way, and were ready to perish, and done them the greatest good, and shown the strongest affection to them: and from hence may be learned the deity and eternity of Christ, who was before Abraham, as God, though a son of his as man; and his real humanity, and that it was not a person, but a seed, a nature he assumed; and also the union and distinction of natures in him: and Christ's taking human, and not angelic nature, shows the sovereignty of God, and his distinguishing grace and mercy to men.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For verily - Truly.

He took not on him the nature of angels - Margin, “He taketh not hold of angels, but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold.” The word used here - ἐπιλαμβάνεται epilambanetai - means, to take hold upon; to seize; to surprise; to take hold with a view to detain for oneself. Robinson. Then it means to take hold of one as by the hand - with a view to aid, conduct, or succour; Mark 8:23; Acts 23:19. It is rendered “took,” Mark 8:23; Luke 9:47; Luke 14:4; Acts 9:27; Acts 17:19; Acts 18:17; Acts 21:30, Acts 21:33; Acts 23:19; Hebrews 8:9; “caught,” Matthew 14:31; Acts 16:19; “take hold,” Luke 20:20, Luke 20:26; “lay hold,” and “laid hold,” Luke 23:26; 1 Timothy 6:12. The general idea is that of seizing upon, or laying hold of anyone - 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 man.

But he took on him the seed of Abraham - He came to help the descendants of Abraham, and consequently, since 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

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, succour, save from sinking, c. The rebel angels, who sinned and fell from God, were permitted to fall downe, 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.