Hebrews 1:4
New International Version
So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

New Living Translation
This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

English Standard Version
having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Berean Standard Bible
So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs.

Berean Literal Bible
having become by so much superior to the angels, as much as He has inherited a name more excellent beyond theirs.

King James Bible
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

New King James Version
having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

New American Standard Bible
having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

NASB 1995
having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

NASB 1977
having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

Legacy Standard Bible
having become so much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

Amplified Bible
having become as much superior to angels, since He has inherited a more excellent and glorious name than they [that is, Son—the name above all names].

Christian Standard Bible
So he became superior to the angels, just as the name he inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So He became higher in rank than the angels, just as the name He inherited is superior to theirs.

American Standard Version
having become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And This One is altogether greater than the Angels, according to how much more excellent than theirs is The Name which he possesses.

Contemporary English Version
He had become much greater than the angels, and the name he was given is far greater than any of theirs.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they.

English Revised Version
having become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Son has become greater than the angels since he has been given a name that is superior to theirs.

Good News Translation
The Son was made greater than the angels, just as the name that God gave him is greater than theirs.

International Standard Version
and became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is better than theirs.

Literal Standard Version
having become so much better than the messengers, as He inherited a more excellent name than them.

Majority Standard Bible
So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs.

New American Bible
as far superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

NET Bible
Thus he became so far better than the angels as he has inherited a name superior to theirs.

New Revised Standard Version
having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

New Heart English Bible
having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have.

Webster's Bible Translation
Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Weymouth New Testament
having become as far superior to the angels as the Name He possesses by inheritance is more excellent than theirs.

World English Bible
having become as much better than the angels as the more excellent name he has inherited is better than theirs.

Young's Literal Translation
having become so much better than the messengers, as he did inherit a more excellent name than they.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Supremacy of the Son
3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs. 5For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father”? Or again: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”?…

Cross References
Ephesians 1:21
far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Hebrews 12:17
For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could find no ground for repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears.


Treasury of Scripture

Being made so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

so.

Hebrews 1:9
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

Ephesians 1:21
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

by.

Psalm 2:7,8
I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee…

Philippians 2:9-11
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: …

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Hebrews 1
1. Christ in these last times coming to us from the Father,
4. is preferred above the angels, both in person and office.














(4) Being made.--Better, having become. These words must be closely joined with the last clause of Hebrews 1:3; they speak, not of the glory which was ever His, but of that which became His after He had "made purification of sins."

Better.--That is, greater. We may discern a twofold reason for the comparison; having become "greater than the angels," our Lord is exalted above the highest of created beings (see Ephesians 1:21; Philippians 2:9), and above those through whom God had in former time declared His law (Hebrews 2:2).

Name.--The verses which follow show that we are to understand by this all the dignity and glory contained in the name SON OF GOD. Not that this name first belonged to Him as exalted Mediator; but the glory which "became" His (Hebrews 1:3-4) is proportionate to and consonant with the name which is His by essential right (Hebrews 1:2). . . .

Verse 4. - Having become by so much better than the angels as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they (διαφορωτέρον παρ αὐτοὺς). (For the same Greek form of comparison, see Hebrews 1:9; Hebrews 3:3.) "Παρα ingentem printer caeteros excellentiam denotat" (Bengel). This verse, though, in respect of grammatical construction, it is the conclusion of the exordium, serves as the thesis of the first section of the argument to follow, the drift of which is to show the SON'S superiority to the angels. The mention of the angels comes naturally after the allusion to Psalm 110, viewed and quoted as it is afterwards in connection with Psalm 8, in which "a little lower than the angels" is taken to denote the state previous to the exaltation; and it is preparatory also for the argument that follows. The more distinguished name, expressing the measure of superiority to the angels, is (as the sequel shows) the name of SON, assigned (as aforesaid) to the Messiah in prophecy, and so, with all that it implies, "inherited" by him in time according to the Divine purpose. Observe the perfect, "hath inherited," instead of the aorist as hitherto, denotes, with the usual force of the Greek tense, the continuance of the inheritance obtained. If we have entered into the view all along taken by the writer, we shall see no difficulty in the SON being said to have become better than the angels at the time of his exaltation, as though he had been below them before. So he had in respect of his assumed humanity, and it is to the SON denoted in prophecy to be humanly manifested in time that the whole sentence in its main purport refers. As such, having been, with us, lower than the angels, he became greater, the interposed references to his eternal personality retaining their full force notwithstanding. But why should the name of SON in itself imply superiority to the angels? Angels themselves are, in the Old Testament, called "sons of God." It has been suggested that the writer of the Epistle was not aware of the angels being so designated, since the LXX., from which he invariably quotes, renders פְנִי אֶלִים by ἀγγέλοι. But this is not so invariably. In Genesis 6:1; Psalm 29:1; and Psalms 89:7, we find υἱοί Θεοῦ. And, whatever be the application of the words in each of these passages, they at any rate occur in the LXX. as denoting others than the Messiah. Nor, in any case, would it be easily supposable that one so versed in biblical lore as the writer must have been had been thus misled in so important a point of his argument. The fact is that his argument, properly understood, is quite consistent with a full knowledge of the fact that others as well as the Messiah are so designated. For it is not merely the term "Son" as applied to the Messiah in prophecy, but the unique manner in which it is so applied, that is insisted on in what follows. The form of his commencement shows this. He does not say, "Whom, except the Messiah, did he ever call Son?" but, "To which of the angels did he ever speak as follows, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee?" In language generally the meaning of a word may depend very materially on the context in which it occurs and other determining circumstances. Indeed, the mere use of the title in the singular, "my Son," carries with it a different idea from its use in the plural of a class of beings. But this is not all. A series of passages from the Old Testament is adduced by way of expressly showing that the sonship assigned to the Messiah carries with it the idea of a relation to God altogether beyond any ever assigned to angels. Such is the position of the writer. We shall see in the sequel how He makes it good.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[So] He became
γενόμενος (genomenos)
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

as far
τοσούτῳ (tosoutō)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5118: So great, so large, so long, so many. From tosos and houtos; so vast as this, i.e. Such.

superior
κρείττων (kreittōn)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 2909: Stronger, more excellent. Comparative of a derivative of kratos; stronger, i.e. better, i.e. Nobler.

to the
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

angels
ἀγγέλων (angelōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 32: From aggello; a messenger; especially an 'angel'; by implication, a pastor.

as
ὅσῳ (hosō)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3745: How much, how great, how many, as great as, as much. By reduplication from hos; as As.

[the] name
ὄνομα (onoma)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3686: Name, character, fame, reputation. From a presumed derivative of the base of ginosko; a 'name'.

He has inherited
κεκληρονόμηκεν (keklēronomēken)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2816: To inherit, obtain (possess) by inheritance, acquire. From kleronomos; to be an heir to.

[is] excellent
διαφορώτερον (diaphorōteron)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular - Comparative
Strong's 1313: Differing, different; hence: excellent. From diaphero; varying; also surpassing.

beyond
παρ’ (par’)
Preposition
Strong's 3844: Gen: from; dat: beside, in the presence of; acc: alongside of.

theirs.
αὐτοὺς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Letters: Hebrews 1:4 Having become so much better than (Heb. He. Hb)
Hebrews 1:3
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