Hebrews 2:6
New International Version
But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him?

New Living Translation
For in one place the Scriptures say, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him?

English Standard Version
It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him?

Berean Standard Bible
But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?

Berean Literal Bible
but someone somewhere has testified, saying, "What is man, that You are mindful of him, or the son of man, that You care for him?

King James Bible
But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

New King James Version
But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?

New American Standard Bible
But someone has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU THINK OF HIM? OR A SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?

NASB 1995
But one has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?

NASB 1977
But one has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT THOU REMEMBEREST HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT THOU ART CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?

Legacy Standard Bible
But one has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM?

Amplified Bible
But one has [solemnly] testified somewhere [in Scripture], saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU ARE MINDFUL OF HIM, OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU GRACIOUSLY CARE FOR HIM?

Christian Standard Bible
But someone somewhere has testified: What is man that you remember him, or the son of man that you care for him?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But one has somewhere testified: What is man that You remember him, or the son of man that You care for him?

American Standard Version
But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But as The Scripture testifies and says, “What is a man, that you remember him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

Contemporary English Version
Somewhere in the Scriptures someone says to God, "What makes you care about us humans? Why are you concerned for weaklings such as we?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But one in a certain place hath testified, saying: What is man, that thou art mindful of him: or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

English Revised Version
But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Instead, someone has declared this somewhere in Scripture: "What is a mortal that you should remember him, or the Son of Man that you take care of him?

Good News Translation
Instead, as it is said somewhere in the Scriptures: "What are human beings, O God, that you should think of them; mere human beings, that you should care for them?

International Standard Version
Instead, someone has declared somewhere, "What is man that you should remember him, or the son of man that you should care for him?

Literal Standard Version
and one in a certain place testified fully, saying, “What is man, that You are mindful of him, | Or a son of man, that You look after him?

Majority Standard Bible
But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?

New American Bible
Instead, someone has testified somewhere: “What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you care for him?

NET Bible
Instead someone testified somewhere: "What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him?

New Revised Standard Version
But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?

New Heart English Bible
But one has somewhere testified, saying, "What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him?

Webster's Bible Translation
But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Weymouth New Testament
But, as we know, a writer has solemnly said, "How poor a creature is man, and yet Thou dost remember him, and a son of man, and yet Thou dost come to him!

World English Bible
But one has somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him?

Young's Literal Translation
and one in a certain place did testify fully, saying, 'What is man, that Thou art mindful of him, or a son of man, that Thou dost look after him?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Like His Brothers
5For it is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? 7You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor…

Cross References
Job 7:17
What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,

Psalm 8:4
what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?

Psalm 144:3
O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?

1 Thessalonians 4:6
and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you.

Hebrews 4:4
For somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this manner: "And on the seventh day God rested from all His works."


Treasury of Scripture

But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that you are mindful of him? or the son of man that you visit him?

in.

Hebrews 4:4
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

Hebrews 5:6
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

1 Peter 1:11
Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

What.

Job 7:17,18
What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? …

Job 15:14
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

See on

Psalm 8:4-8
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? …

Psalm 144:3
LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!

Isaiah 40:17
All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.

the son.

Job 25:6
How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

Psalm 146:3,4
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help…

Isaiah 51:12
I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;

visitest.

Genesis 50:24
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Luke 1:68,78
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, …

Luke 7:16
And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.

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Hebrews 2
1. We ought to be obedient to Christ Jesus;
5. and that because he condescended to take our nature upon himself;
14. as it was necessary.














(6) But one in a certain place.--Better, somewhere. The expression is perfectly indefinite (comp. Hebrews 4:4). As a rule, the words of Scripture are in this Epistle quoted as God's own utterances; and though the nature of the quotation (which is an address to God) made this impossible here, the writer seems gladly to avoid the mention of the human prophet, perhaps as distracting the thought from the divine prophecy. This studious indefiniteness in citation is common in Philo, and sometimes occurs where he cannot possibly have been in doubt as to the source of his quotation.

Testified.--That is, in Biblical usage, solemnly declared: the words are no light exclamation of wonder. The quotation which follows (from Psalm 8:4-6) agrees verbally with the LXX. version. The only point of doubt is whether the last clause of Hebrews 2:7 was included in the quotation, as in some very good ancient authorities it is absent from the text. The weight of external evidence is certainly in its favour; but it is easier to see how a scribe may have introduced the clause through his familiarity with the Psalm than to explain its omission if it stood in the original text of this Epistle. The Greek translation here faithfully represents the Hebrew, except in one point. For "a little lower than the angels," the Hebrew text has "a little less than God." The change (which is similar to that noticed in Hebrews 1:6) was probably introduced by the translators on a principle which we may often trace in their work--a wish to tone down expressions relating to the Deity which seemed strong or bold. In quoting the passage the writer does not depart from the rendering most familiar to the readers of the Greek Bible; but, though the clause in its altered form accords well with what had preceded the quotation, and, so to speak, more completely interweaves the words of the Psalm with the context in which they are here placed, yet no stress is laid on "angels." The argument of this section would not be affected materially if the true rendering of the Hebrew were restored. The eighth Psalm is an expression of amazement that God, who has "set His glory upon the heavens," should deign to remember man. Not only is He "mindful of man," but He has made him but "little less than God," "crowned him with honour," given him "dominion over" all His works. The original blessing pronounced on man (Genesis 1:28) is clearly in the Psalmist's thought, and suggests his words. The language which here precedes (Hebrews 2:5) and follows (Hebrews 2:8) shows that the last clause ("thou didst subject all things under his feet") bears the stress of the quotation. (That the same words are the groundwork of 1Corinthians 15:24-28 is one of the most interesting coincidences between this Epistle and St. Paul.) It is easy to see, therefore, for what purpose these verses are here adduced. Not to angels is "the world to come" subjected: in the Scripture there are found words declaring that a divine decree has subjected all things to man. How the thought is combined with the argument of the whole passage will be seen in Hebrews 2:9. A question at once arises: Did the meaning here assigned to the Psalm exist in David's thought? If not, on what principle does this application rest? David had in mind the words of the primal blessing, and probably did not himself think of more than those words seemed to imply. But the complete meaning of God's words can be learnt only when they are fulfilled in history. To Him who speaks in Scripture the material dominion was the symbol of a higher and a universal rule, to be fulfilled in the Son of Man when the fulness of time should come. The Psalm is not directly Messianic,--it relates to man; but it is through the Man Christ Jesus that it receives its complete fulfilment for mankind. . . .

Verse 6. - But one in a certain place (or, somewhere) testified, saying. The phrase does not imply uncertainty as to the passage cited. It is one used by Philo when exact reference is not necessary. It is equivalent to "but we do find the following testimony with regard to man." We say to man; for the eighth psalm, from which the citation comes, evidently refers to man generally; not primarily or distinctively to the Messiah. Nor does it appear to have been ranked by the Jews among the Messianic psalms. It would be arbitrary interpretation to assign to it (as some have done) an original meaning of which it contains no signs. This being the case, how are we to explain its application to Christ, which is not confined to this passage, but is found also in 1 Corinthians 15:27? There is no real difficulty. True, the psalm speaks of man only; but it is of man regarded according to the ideal position assigned to him in Genesis 1, as God's vicegerent. Man as he now is (says the writer of this Epistle) does not fulfill this ideal; but Christ, the Son of man, and the Exalter of humanity, does. Therefore in him we find the complete fulfillment of the meaning of the psalm. If it be still objected that the application (in which sovereignty over all created things is inferred) transcends the meaning of the psalm, which refers to this earth only - πάντα in ver. 6. of the psalm being taken in a wider sense than seems justified by the following verses, which confine the application to earthly creatures, it may be replied

(1) that the idea of the psalmist is to be gathered, not only from Genesis 1:28, which he quotes, but, further, from the whole purport of Genesis 1, of which the psalm is a lyrical expression, including the conception of man having been made in God's image, and invested with a sovereignty little short of Divine;

(2) that, if the application does transcend the scope of the psalm, it was open to an inspired writer of the New Testament thus to extend its meaning, as seen in the new light from Christ. Taking the latter view, we have but to put the argument thus, in order to see its force and legitimacy: In Psalm 8. (read in connection with Genesis 1, on which it is founded) a position is assigned to man which at present he does not realize; but its whole idea is fulfilled, and more than fulfilled, in Christ. It is to be observed that the original reference of the psalm to man generally is not only evident in itself, but also essential to the writer's argument. For he is now passing from the view set forth in Hebrews 1, of what the SON is in himself, to the further view of his participation in humanity, in order to exalt humanity to the position forfeited through sin; and thus (as has been shown in the foregoing summary) to lead up to the idea of his being our great High Priest. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? In the psalm this exclamation comes after a contemplation of the starry heavens, which had impressed the psalmist's mind with a sense of God's transcendent glory. In contrast with this glory, man's insignificance and unworthiness occur to him, as they have similarly occurred to many; but, at the same time, he thought of the high position assigned to man in the account of the creation, on which position he next enlarges. He asks how it can be that man, being what he is now, can be of such high estate. Thus the Epistle carries out truly the idea of the psalm, which is that man's appointed position in the scale of things is beyond what he seems now to realize.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δέ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

somewhere
πού (pou)
Adverb
Strong's 4225: Genitive case of an indefinite pronoun pos otherwise obsolete; as adverb of place, somewhere, i.e. Nearly.

it is testified
διεμαρτύρατο (diemartyrato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1263: To give solemn evidence, testify (declare) solemnly. From dia and martureo; to attest or protest earnestly, or hortatively.

in these words:
λέγων (legōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

“What
Τί (Ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

man
ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

You are mindful
μιμνῄσκῃ (mimnēskē)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 3403: To remember, call to mind, recall, mention. A prolonged form of mnaomai; to remind, i.e. to recall to mind.

of him,
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
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.

or
(ē)
Conjunction
Strong's 2228: Or, than. A primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than.

[the] son
υἱὸς (huios)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

of man
ἀνθρώπου (anthrōpou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

You care for
ἐπισκέπτῃ (episkeptē)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1980: To look upon, visit, look out, select.

him?
αὐτόν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
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 2:6 But one has somewhere testified saying What (Heb. He. Hb)
Hebrews 2:5
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