| OLD TESTAMENT | NEW TESTAMENT | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The 7 Books | Old Testament History | Wisdom Books | Major Prophets | Minor Prophets | NT History | Epistles of St. Paul | General Writings | |||
| Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuter. Joshua Judges | Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chron. 2 Chron. | Ezra Nehem. Tobit Judith Esther 1 Macc. 2 Macc. | Job Psalms Proverbs Eccles. Songs Wisdom Sirach | Isaiah Jeremiah Lament. Baruch Ezekiel Daniel | Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah | Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi | Matthew Mark Luke John Acts | Romans 1 Corinth. 2 Corinth. Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians | 1 Thess. 2 Thess. 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Hebrews | James 1 Peter 2 Peter 1 John 2 John 3 John Jude Revelation |
| 1 Πολυμερῶς |
1 In old days, God spoke to our fathers in many ways and by many means,[1] through the prophets; now at last 2 in these times he has spoken to us with a Son to speak for him; a Son, whom he has appointed to inherit all things, just as it was through him that he created this world of time; 3 a Son, who is the radiance of his Father’s splendour, and the full expression of his being;[2] all creation depends, for its support, on his enabling word. Now, making atonement for our sins, he has taken his place on high, at the right hand of God’s majesty, 4 superior to the angels in that measure in which the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.[3] 5 Did God ever say to one of the angels, Thou art my Son, I have begotten thee this day? And again, He shall find in me a Father, and I in him a Son?[4] 6 Why, when the time comes for bringing his first-born into the world anew, then, he says, Let all the angels of God worship before him.[5] 7 What does he say of the angels? He will have his angels be like the winds, the servants that wait on him like a flame of fire.[6] 8 And what of the Son? Thy throne, O God, stands firm for ever and ever; the sceptre of thy kingship is a rod that rules true. 9 Thou hast been a friend to right, an enemy to wrong; and God, thy own God, has given thee an unction to bring thee pride, as none else of thy fellows.[7] 10 And elsewhere: Lord, thou hast laid the foundations of the earth at its beginning, and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 11 They will perish, but thou wilt remain; they will all be like a cloak that grows threadbare, 12 and thou wilt lay them aside, like a garment, and exchange them for new; but thou art he who never changes, thy years will not come to an end.[8] 13 Did he ever say to one of the angels, Sit on my right hand, while I make thy enemies a footstool under thy feet?[9] 14 What are they, all of them, but spirits apt for service, whom he sends out when the destined heirs of eternal salvation have need of them? | 1 Multifariam, multisque modis olim Deus loquens patribus in prophetis: 2 novissime, diebus istis locutus est nobis in Filio, quem constituit hæredem universorum, per quem fecit et sæcula: 3 qui cum sit splendor gloriæ, et figura substantiæ ejus, portansque omnia verbo virtutis suæ, purgationem peccatorum faciens, sedet ad dexteram majestatis in excelsis: 4 tanto melior angelis effectus, quanto differentius præ illis nomen hæreditavit. 5 Cui enim dixit aliquando angelorum: Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te? Et rursum: Ego ero illi in patrem, et ipse erit mihi in filium? 6 Et cum iterum introducit primogenitum in orbem terræ, dicit: Et adorent eum omnes angeli Dei. 7 Et ad angelos quidem dicit: Qui facit angelos suos spiritus, et ministros suos flammam ignis. 8 Ad Filium autem: Thronus tuus Deus in sæculum sæculi: virga æquitatis, virga regni tui. 9 Dilexisti justitiam, et odisti iniquitatem: propterea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, oleo exultationis præ participibus tuis. 10 Et: Tu in principio, Domine, terram fundasti: et opera manuum tuarum sunt cæli. 11 Ipsi peribunt, tu autem permanebis, et omnes ut vestimentum veterascent: 12 et velut amictum mutabis eos, et mutabuntur: tu autem idem ipse es, et anni tui non deficient. 13 Ad quem autem angelorum dixit aliquando: Sede a dextris meis, quoadusque ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum? 14 Nonne omnes sunt administratorii spiritus, in ministerium missi propter eos, qui hæreditatem capient salutis? |
[1] The Greek perhaps implies that God spoke fragmentarily and under various figures.
[2] ‘His being’; the word we find in the Greek here is hypostasis, which the Latins translated by ‘substance’, while the Greek theologians used it to mean ‘person’.
[3] The contrast here instituted between the Divine Word and the holy Angels may have some reference to contemporary errors (cf. Col. 2.18); but its immediate purpose is to lead up to the beginning of ch. 2, where the new Covenant instituted by Jesus Christ is contrasted with the old Covenant, revealed by angels on mount Sinai (Ac. 7.53, Gal. 3.19).
[4] Ps. 2.7; II Kg. 7.14.
[5] Some commentators would render ‘And again, when the time comes for bringing his first-born into the world’. But it is doubtful whether either the Greek or the Latin will bear this meaning, and the general sense of the Fathers is against it. It is not certain whether ‘anew’ contrasts the Incarnation of our Lord with his activity in Creation (cf. verse 2 above), or his Resurrection with his Incarnation, or his second Coming with his first. The words at the end of the sentence occur in the Septuagint Greek (but not in our present Hebrew text) of Deut. 32.43, with ‘sons of God’ instead of ‘angels’; a similar phrase is found in Ps. 96.7.
[6] Ps. 103.4. The word here used for ‘winds’ may also be translated ‘spirits’. Some think that the meaning of the Psalm is ‘who makes the winds (or “spirits”) his messengers, and the flame of fire do him service’; but the more generally received interpretation is that given here.
[7] vv. 8, 9: Ps. 44.7, 8. The Messiah is there addressed, in the person of King Solomon; and some commentators, to avoid the difficulty of the divine title being used in such a connexion, would render ‘God is thy throne’, a form of speech which has no parallel elsewhere. Some of the Fathers give the rendering, ‘Thy God, O God, has anointed thee’.
[8] vv. 10-12: Ps. 101.26-28. It is not clear why these words should be understood as addressed to the Messiah, unless this was suggested by the use of the word ‘Lord’ (in the Septuagint Greek, though not in our present Hebrew text).
[9] Ps. 109.1.
Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd
