SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:16
Que no tom a los ngeles, sino a la simiente de Abraham.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 2:16
Verse 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels] ou gar dhpou aggelwn epilambanetai, alla spermatov abraam epilambanetai? 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels , etc..] 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 15:3). 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.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 14-18 - The angels fell, and remained without hope or help. Christ neve designed to be the Saviour of the fallen angels, therefore he did no take their nature; and the nature of angels could not be an atonin sacrifice for the sin of man. Here is a price paid, enough for all, an 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 and how he must die in it, yet he readily took it upon him. And thi atonement made way for his people's deliverance from Satan's bondage and for the pardon of their sins through faith. Let those who drea death, and strive to get the better of their terrors, no longer attemp to outbrave or to stifle them, no longer grow careless or wicke through despair. Let them not expect help from the world, or huma devices; but let them seek pardon, peace, grace, and a lively hope of heaven, by faith in Him who died and rose again, that thus they ma rise above the fear of death. The remembrance of his own sorrows an temptations, makes Christ mindful of the trials of his people, an ready to help them. He is ready and willing to succour those who ar tempted, and seek him. He became man, and was tempted, that he might be every way qualified to succour his people, seeing that he had passe through the same temptations himself, but continued perfectly free from sin. Then let not the afflicted and tempted despond, or give place to Satan, as if temptations made it wrong for them to come to the Lord in prayer. Not soul ever perished under temptation, that cried unto the Lord from real alarm at its danger, with faith and expectation of relief. This is our duty upon our first being surprised by temptations and would stop their progress, which is our wisdom __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ου 3756 γαρ 1063 δηπου 1222 αγγελων 32 επιλαμβανεται 1949 5736 αλλα 235 σπερματος 4690 αβρααμ 11 επιλαμβανεται 1949 5736
Vincent's NT Word Studies
16. Verily (dhpou). N.T.o . Doubtless, as is well known.Took not on him (ou epilambanetai). Rend. he doth not take hold. Comp. Matt. xiv. 31; Mark viii. 23; Acts xviii. 17. Absolutely, in the sense of help, Sir. iv. 11. The Greek and Latin fathers explained the verb in the sense of appropriating. He did not appropriate the nature of angels. Angels did not need to be delivered from the fear of death.
The nature of angels (aggelwn). The nature is not in the Greek, and does not need to be supplied if ejpilambanetai is properly translated. Rend. not of angels doth he take hold. It is not angels who receive his help. The seed of Abraham. The one family of God, consisting of believers of both dispensations, but called by its O.T. name. See Psalm cv. 6; Isaiah xli. 8, and comp. Gal. iii. 29. The O.T. name is selected because the writer is addressing Jews. The entire statement in vers. 16, 17 is not a mere repetition of vers. 14, 15. It carries out the line of thought and adds to it, while at the same time it presents a parallel argument to that in vers. 14, 15. Thus: vers. 14, 15, Christ took part of flesh and blood that he might deliver the children of God from the fear of death and the accusations of Satan: vers. 16, 17, Christ takes hold of the seed of Abraham, the church of God, and is made like unto his brethren, tempted as they are, in order that he may be a faithful high priest, making reconciliation for sin, thus doing away with the fear of death, and enabling his people to draw near to God with boldness. Comp. ch. iv. 15, 16. Christ gives that peculiar help the necessity of which was exhibited in the O.T. economy under which the original seed of Abraham lived. The fear of death, arising from the consciousness of sin, could be relieved only by the intervention of the priest who stood between God and the sinner, and made reconciliation for sin. Jesus steps into the place of the high priest, and perfectly fulfills the priestly office. By his actual participation in the sorrows and temptations of humanity he is fitted to be a true sympathizer with human infirmity and temptation (ch. v. 2), a merciful and faithful high priest, making reconciliation for sin, and thus abolishing the fear of death.
