A Thematic Study of the Book of Hebrews, Part 1 - Addendum
Introduction
In A Thematic Study of the Book of Hebrews, Part 1, I outlined Hebrews 1:1 - 2:4 and finalized my conclusions that it comprised the sum of the author’s first major movement in the book of Hebrews. However, after further review, I’m compelled to add more verses to this first movement. I am now thoroughly convinced that the first major movement in the book of Hebrews extends from Hebrews 1:1 - 2:18 and this article will provide the basis for such an assertion.
The next section of this article, The Themes of Hebrews 1:1 - 2:4, is a reproduction of the first half of the original article entitled, A Thematic Study of the Book of Hebrews, Part 1. So if you've read it already, feel free to skip to the addendum section entitled, Addendum - Evidence for Extending the First Major Movement of the Book of Hebrews from Hebrews 2:4 to Hebrews 2:18, where I provide the evidence for extending the author’s first major movement all the way to Hebrews 2:18 instead of ending it at Hebrews 2:4. Otherwise, please enjoy this article as one complete piece.
The Themes of Hebrews 1:1 - 2:4
In the next few articles I want to begin a thematic study of the book of Hebrews. If you are familiar with the materials at Restoration of Torah Ministries, then you know that the main foundation of our teachings center around thematic analysis. Thematic analysis involves studying the Bible by looking for and connecting similar themes, words, phrases, topics, situations and circumstances. I have found that the two most practical ways to study thematically pertain to outlining and discovery of the thematic patterns in the text. Therefore, when I want to take a deep dive into a passage in Scripture, I start by creating a general outline. This outline is extremely valuable because it provides the basic understanding of how the passage flows thematically, i.e., how it flows from topic to topic. Once I have completed an outline of the passage, I typically move on to discovering its thematic pattern, which typically consists of various chiastic structures and parallelisms. Analysis of the chiasms and parallelisms then allows an even deeper understanding of the passage. However, this series of articles will be limited initially to outlining alone. The basis for my outlines are ALWAYS dependent upon the flow of individual smaller themes/topics in the text. I read small portions of text searching for a unifying theme.
Step 1 – I look for intermediate-sized themes. These are themes that typically (but not always) range from three to twenty verses. Here’s an example of what I call intermediate themes from a portion of an outline I did for the book of Daniel. I have summarized each theme with a short phrase.
Daniel 1:1-4 – Jewish Exiles Chosen to Learn the Chaldean Culture
Daniel 1:5-16 – Daniel’s Actions to Prevent Defilement
Daniel 1:17-21 – Daniel and His Friends Prove Their Excellence and Exceptionalism in All Wisdom Including the Chaldean Culture
Notice how these themes are generally in the range of three to twenty verses, hence intermediate in length. Also, notice how they break the chapter into three major thematic sections, topics or movements. After discovering an intermediate theme, I go to step two.
Step 2 – I try to break intermediate-sized themes into smaller supporting themes if I can. I call these small themes. Small themes are typically around one to four verses long. I’ve done this for the three major themes above. As you can see below, Daniel 1:1-4 and Daniel 1:5-16 can both be broken down into two smaller themes, whereas Daniel 1:17-21 stands alone as one intermediate-sized theme.
Daniel 1:1-4 – Jewish Exiles Chosen to Learn the Chaldean Culture
Daniel 1:1-2 – Jerusalem (People and Temple Articles) Exiled to Babylon
Daniel 1:3-4 – Exceptional Jews Chosen to Learn the Chaldean Culture
Daniel 1:5-16 – Daniel’s Actions to Prevent Defilement
Daniel 1:5-7 – Provision of Food and Training to the Jews from the King
Daniel 1:8-16 – Daniel’s Success in Preventing Defilement (Staying Holy)
Daniel 1:17-21 – Daniel and His Friends Prove Their Excellence and Exceptionalism in All Wisdom Including the Chaldean Culture
Step 3 – I try to thematically connect a string of intermediate-sized themes that all seem to be part of a larger theme/topic/movement within the story.
The typical length of a larger section, comprised of multiple intermediate sections, is anywhere from about twenty verses to one or more chapters. Once I form larger topics/sections/movements, I give each major section a Roman letter designator and assign its supporting themes with appropriate numbers and letters as you would do for any normal outline. In the example at hand, the first three themes in Daniel chapter 1 coalesce to produce the first movement of Daniel’s prophecy as follows:
Let’s take these three basic guidelines and apply them to the book of Hebrews. I did this by outlining small sections at a time. In other words, I looked for small thematic chunks of verses that were united by a common theme. I began reading Hebrews chapter 1, looking for intermediate-sized themes (three to twenty verses) and noticed that Hebrews 1:1-2a expressed one complete thought/theme.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2a)
Once I find a passage that seems to convey a complete theme, I decide on a short phrase that captures the theme in as few words as possible, typically less than ten words. If you have to use too many words to express the theme of a passage, then most likely you have not yet zeroed in on the true theme. In the present example, I expressed the first theme of Hebrews chapter 1 as follows with a bullet point:
Hebrews 1:1-2a – God is speaking to us through Yeshua in the last days
As you can see, this theme was conveyed in a small number of verses. This is not always the case. So, you have to just learn how to allow the passage to dictate how many verses will comprise one theme. It’s really not that difficult. You just need to look for obvious subject changes. For example, let’s take a look at just the first couple of verses together.
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they (Hebrews 1:1-4).
The first theme I found is emphasized in bold, italicized text. As you can see, it pertains to how Adonai spoke to His people in the past compared to how He’s speaking to them in the last days. As you continue reading, there is an obvious subject change. Beginning in Hebrews 1:2b (whom He has appointed), the writer of Hebrews is no longer talking about how Adonai is speaking to His people. As of Hebrews 1:2b-4 (whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds), the writer of the book of Hebrews began talking about various things that characterized Yeshua! So, it’s an obvious subject change. You see, easy peasy.
As I continued reading, the next complete theme seemed to be Hebrews 1:2b-3:
whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:2b-3)
Again, once I find a set of verses that seem to be conveying one theme, I try to capture the essence of the theme in a short phrase. For example, Hebrews 1:2b-3 seems to have one overall theme describing various attributes of Yeshua. So I captured the theme as follows:
Hebrews 1:2b-3 – Description of who Yeshua is (His person and His works as God)
After determining an intermediate-sized theme of a passage, I try to see if I can break it up into smaller thematic chunks. For example, Hebrews 1:2b-3 consists of a number of characteristics that help us realize who Yeshua is. Hebrews 1:2b-3 is a great example of what I mean by finding common themes! Notice how throughout those few verses, numerous characteristics of Yeshua’s person or work are mentioned. They are all different, but center around defining and/ or understanding WHO He is. They seem to answer the questions “Who is Yeshua?” or “What’s so special or unique about Yeshua?” I listed those as sub-bullets under the main theme heading. Putting together my first two major outline sections looks like this:
Hebrews 1:1-2a – God is speaking to us through Yeshua in the last days
Hebrews 1:2b-3 – Description of who Yeshua is (His person and His works)
Hebrews 1:2b – Yeshua is heir of all things
Hebrews 1:2c – Yeshua made the worlds
Hebrews 1:3a – Yeshua manifests the glory of Adonai
Hebrews 1:3b – Yeshua is the express image of Adonai
Hebrews 1:3c – Yeshua is upholding the universe by His power
Hebrews 1:3d – Yeshua single-handedly purged our sins
Hebrews 1:3e – Yeshua sits at the right hand of Adonai
As you can see, we are slowly building our outline, one theme at a time. As I continued to read Hebrews chapter 1, it seemed that Hebrews 1:4-14 comprised one entire theme; again, what I call an intermediate-sized theme:
having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” 7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” 10 And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail.” 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:4-14)
All of these verses concentrated on demonstrating that Yeshua was greater and better than angelic beings. Therefore, I used the following phrase to capture the essence of Hebrews 1:4-14.
Hebrews 1:4-14 – Yeshua is greater than angels
As mentioned above, after finding a complete thematic unit, I try to further divide it into smaller thematic portions and sub-portions. The smaller themes and sub-themes I saw in Hebrews 1:4-14 are listed below.
Hebrews 1:4-14 – Yeshua is greater than angels
Hebrews 1:4a – Yeshua became better than the angels
Hebrews 1:4b – Yeshua inherited a more excellent name than angels
Hebrews 1:5 – Yeshua is the One and Only Unique Son of God
Hebrews 1:5a – Quotes Psalm 2:7 as proof of Yeshua’s sonship
Hebrews 1:5b – Quotes 2 Samuel 7:14 as proof of Yeshua’s sonship
Hebrews 1:6 – Angels are commanded to worship Him
Hebrews 1:7 – Angels are only called servants
Hebrews 1:8-9 – Adonai addressed Yeshua as GOD
Hebrews 1:10-12 – Yeshua is given Adonai’s attributes
Hebrews 1:10 – Yeshua is said to be the creator of the universe
Hebrews 1:11-12 – Yeshua is said to be eternal
Hebrews 1:13 – Yeshua rules and reigns from the right hand of Adonai
Hebrews 1:14 – Angels are only servants sent to serve the saints, heirs of salvation
As you can plainly see, Hebrews 1:4-14 contains numerous ideas all centered on Yeshua’s superiority over angels. The next intermediate-sized thematic unit I saw encompassed Hebrews 2:1-4:
1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? (Hebrews 2:1-4)
As I tried to come up with one theme that captured the spirit of this passage, my thoughts led me to the following theme:
Hebrews 2:1-4 – Therefore, we must give greater heed to Yeshua’s message
And, as usual, I was able to further divide this intermediate theme into smaller thematic portions.
Hebrews 2:1-4 – Therefore, we must give greater heed to Yeshua’s message
Hebrews 2:1 – Heed, lest we drift away
Hebrews 2:2 – Disobedience was punished under the law given by angels
Hebrews 2:3a – Therefore, disobedience to the words spoken by Yeshua will surely be punished
Hebrews 2:3b-4 – Yeshua’s message was confirmed with supernatural signs
Addendum - Evidence for Extending the First Major Movement of the Book of Hebrews from Hebrews 2:4 to Hebrews 2:18
In A Thematic Study of the Book of Hebrews-Part 1, I stopped here, and my overall outline was from Hebrews 1:1–2:4. You may recall how I argued that Hebrews 1:1-2a and Hebrews 2:1-4 are like bookends. The clarity of the connection between these two sections of Scripture were so clear that I assumed they were actually bookends and that the first major division of thought in the book of Hebrews extended from Hebrews 1:1–2:4! However, I’d forgotten a bird’s-eye pattern I noticed earlier. Let’s look at the thematic flow so far.
A) Hebrews 1:1-2a – God is speaking to us through Yeshua
B) Hebrews 1:2b-14 – Proving Yeshua is God and not an angel
A’) Hebrews 2:1-4 – Give heed to the message God is speaking through Yeshua
As of the original article, this is the pattern I suggested, with Hebrews 1:1-2a and Hebrews 2:1-4 as the bookends. But please notice the following points I had noticed earlier, but forgotten! Be sure to read Hebrews 2:5-18 before looking at the points below.
Hebrews 2:5-18 continues the discussion about angels, which had begun in Hebrews 1:2b-14!
Hebrews 1:2b-14 focused on proving that Yeshua was divine, whereas Hebrews 2:5-18 focuses on proving that Yeshua is human!
In Hebrews 1:2b-14, the writer of the book of Hebrews gives many quotes from the Tanakh to substantiate that Yeshua was in fact God; whereas in Hebrews 2:5-18, he provided many quotes from the Tanakh establishing that Yeshua was human!
The long and short of it is that the three connections above prove that Hebrews 2:5-18 continues the thought processes of Hebrews 1:1–2:4! The pattern looks like this:
A) Hebrews 1:1-2a – God is speaking to us through Yeshua
B) Hebrews 1:2b-14 – Proving Yeshua is God and not an angel
A’) Hebrews 2:1-4 – Give heed to the message God is speaking through Yeshua
B’) Hebrews 1:2b-14 – Proving Yeshua is human and not an angel
Notice the clear thematic connections between points A and A’ and B and B’! The pattern above demonstrates quite obviously that we are on the right track! With these additional thoughts in mind, let’s complete the first major unit of thought found in the book of Hebrews by taking into account the entirety of Hebrews 1:1–2:18, instead of limiting our discussion to Hebrews 1:1–2:4.
The next intermediate-sized thematic section occurs in Hebrews 2:5-8:
For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. 6 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? 7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. 8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. (Hebrews 2:5-8)
I have summarized Hebrews 2:5-8 as:
Hebrews 2:5-8 – The world to come will be ruled by humans
I saw no need to further subdivide it. Lastly, I view Hebrews 2:9-18 as an intermediate-sized theme:
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying “I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.” 13 And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And again: “Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.” 14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:9-18)
I captured the following theme for Hebrews 2:9-18:
Hebrews 2:9-18 – Description of who Yeshua is (His person and His redemptive works as a Man)
And, once again, I subdivided it into smaller themes.
At this point I’d like to share two different ways to view an outline. One way is to look at all the details in one large picture so you can see every major/intermediate theme and all the minor/small themes. This view allows you to examine each theme and review them for consistency. If I were to look at all the details of my entire outline until this point, it would look like this:
As you can see, this is a great way to organize your thoughts. Also, once you’ve gone through this exercise, you have a permanent record of the thematic flow from theme to theme. Furthermore, the work of thematically organizing a passage helps you to become more familiar with the text. You know it!
There is a second way to view your outline though. This second approach is just as valuable as the first, mainly because it helps you to see the BIG PICTURE! In this second approach we simply list the major themes!
Hebrews 1:1-2a – God is speaking to us through Yeshua in the last days
Hebrews 1:2b-3 – Description of who Yeshua is (His person and His works as God)
Hebrews 1:4-14 – Yeshua is greater than angels
Hebrews 2:1-4 – Therefore, we must give greater heed to Yeshua’s message
Hebrews 2:5-8 – The world to come will be ruled by humans
Hebrews 2:9-18 – Description of who Yeshua is (His person and His redemptive works as a Man)
Here’s where our outline pays huge dividends. As you can see, Hebrews 1:1–2:18 seems to contain six major themes. I have a suggestion for you. Let’s take note of the thematic flow of these first four major themes by comparing and contrasting them. The process of studying thematically is basically the process of searching for themes in Scripture and then trying to connect them logically.
Theme number one has been captured in the phrase, “God is speaking to us through Yeshua in the last days.” The emphasis is on the fact that Adonai is trying to communicate to us through His Son Yeshua. The second theme pertains to attributes Yeshua has that equate Him to God. In other words, the themes in our second major thematic division pertain to Yeshua’s identity! Do themes one and two connect thematically? I’d have to say no. But no worries. Let’s continue our thematic exercise.
Next, let’s look at theme number three. Theme number three pertains to Yeshua, because all these verses were written to prove that Yeshua was greater than the angels. In other words, Hebrews 1:4-14 also pertains to Yeshua’s identity! Alright, it looks like we can clearly thematically connect themes two and three because both of these portions of Scripture pertain to the establishment of Yeshua’s identity.
Okay, now let’s look at theme number four. The main message of theme number four is that we make it a priority to give heed to Yeshua’s words. Wow! The main message is communication again. I see a clear thematic connection between themes one and four! Theme one relates to how Adonai was speaking to us through His Son Yeshua, and theme number four informs us that we need to make sure we give heed to Yeshua’s “speech.” So, clearly themes one and four are thematically connected.
Looking at theme five (Hebrews 2:5-8 – The world to come will be ruled by humans), we see that it thematically connects to theme two (Hebrews 1:2b-3 – Description of who Yeshua is [His person and His works as God])! How, you may ask. In order to see the connection, you’ll need to bypass the overall thematic summary-title I gave for each section and delve into the specific details of each smaller connection. Notice the following clear connections between the two.
Hebrews 1:2b – has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
Hebrews 2:5-8 – For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. 6 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? 7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. 8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
Notice how both of these passages speak of inheritance. Hebrews 1:2-4 describes how Yeshua is an heir and has an inheritance. Hebrews 2:5-8 is a quotation from Psalm 8 describing how mankind is the inheritor of the world to come! Thus, they are clearly thematically connected through the theme of inheritance. Lastly, notice how themes two and three contain proof that Yeshua is God, whereas themes five and six contain themes that prove Yeshua is a man! Bundling these all together we can see that Hebrews 1:1–2:18 is thematically arranged as follows:
So what have we discovered? Well, by simply tracking themes in Hebrews 1–2, we have discovered that Hebrews 1:1–2:18 comprises one complete unit of thought. Hopefully you’ve noticed how powerful outlining is! It’s such a simple tool to use, but it helps us in a number of ways to see and understand things we may have missed apart from seeing them within the context of the outline. Outlining helps us focus on the minute details of a passage as we try to further divide larger thematic sections. However, it also helps us get a bird’s-eye view of larger portions of Scripture as we try to unite the many smaller themes into larger congruent units.
Now that I have identified a major thematic section of the book of Hebrews, I arrange it in standard outline form by replacing all the bullets with appropriate outlining numbers and letters. This is the first large thematic unit in the book of Hebrews, so it’s Roman Numeral I.
In this first article, I used thematic connections to establish that Hebrews 1:1–2:18 comprises the first major unit of thought in the book of Hebrews.