Ths Song of the Bridegroom in Hebrews - Chapter 1

Introduction.

The first chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews is not only the introduction to the entire epistle. It is an exalted song of worship and praise to Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God, Son of man. He is exalted as “Christ and Lord”. The great surprise of the first chapter in this epistle is that it contains a love song to Jesus Christ, as the bridegroom of humanity, and Son of God. These acclamations are given to emphatically affirm Christ’s divinity and thus superior in every way to any angel. What God says of Christ has never been said of any angel. Although clearly these affirmations are the author’s own declaration of faith, he bases his faith on Scriptures, particularly the psalms. The author however, quotes the psalms within the context of Christ’s exaltation by God the Father at his right hand.[1]

Heb 1:1 πολυμερως και πολυτροπως παλαι ο θεος λαλησας τοις πατρασιν εν τοις προφηταις

Heb. 1:1 Many times and in many ways since ancient times God has spoken to the fathers through the prophets

The author begins by affirming God’s revelation to the Jews as real and truthful. The history of Israel is the history of God’s revelation of his will and intent towards them.

In the New Testament Greek, the original language of this epistle, the first words of the sentence are the one that carry the emphasis. The words that the writer wishes the reader to consider most carefully are placed at the beginning of the sentence.

The author begins his Epistle to the Hebrews employing two powerful words. These are “Polumeros” and “Polutropos”. The author uses them as a pair, and the pair has a similar sound, helping the author with the emphasis he wishes to give.

“Polumeros” is a compound word. It comes from “polus” which means “many”, and from “meros” which means “parts”. The other word is “polutropos”, also a compound word. It comes from “polus” (many), and from “tropos” which means “ways, manners, forms”.

The emphasis the author wishes to create is on the fragmented nature of divine revelation before Christ. It is as if the author were saying “In many tiny pieces and in many different shapes and forms in ancient times God spoke to our fathers through the prophets”. These tiny pieces were fragments of time. Sometimes he would speak through a prophet, then there was a fragment of time with no divine revelation. Then God would communicate with another prophet for another fragment of time. With each prophet the revelation was given in a slightly different manner, since it took on the form and identity of each particular prophet.

Without minimizing the fact that God had spoken through the prophets, the author simply calls attention to the fragmented quality of the divine revelation. It was an interrupted communication with a variety of receptors.

The author also notes that this fragmented and multiform communication was in times past (ancient times), and to the fathers of Israel.

In contrast to the antiquity of this revelation, the author now proceeds to call attention to what God is doing now. This nothing more nor less than “the eschaton”, “the final days” of the present created order. For the author, he counted his days among the “last days”, “the time of the end”.









[1] In this study the Greek text is quoted first, then followed by the author’s own translation in italics, unless otherwise noted.