World English Bible · Under Rome
Hebrews 1
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, having in the past spoken to the fathers through at many times and in various ways, has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed of all things, through whom also he made the worlds. His Son is the radiance of his , the very of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his , who, when he had by himself purified us of our , sat down on of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the as the more excellent name he has is better than theirs. For to which of the did he say at any time, "You are my Son. Today I have become your ?" and again, "I will be to him a , and he will be to me a Son?" When he again brings in into the world he says, "Let all the of him." Of the he says, "He makes his winds, and his servants a ." But of the Son he says, "Your , O , is and ever. The of uprightness is the of your Kingdom. You have loved and hated ; therefore , your , has you with the oil of gladness above your fellows." And, "You, , , laid the foundation of the earth. are the works of your hands. They will , but you continue. They all will grow old like a garment does. You will roll them up like a mantle, and they will be changed; but you are the same. Your years won't fail." But which of the has he told at any time, "Sit , until I make your the of your feet?" Aren't they all spirits, sent out to do for the sake of those who will ?
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
Christians read this chapter differently
- Is Jesus God? · Hebrews 1:1-14
Every view at its strongest, with who holds it and what it has to answer for.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.