Hebrews 1:1
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The wording "at many times and in many ways" isn't just a casual preface; it highlights that God's past communication was intentionally piecemeal and varied. This wasn't due to God's inability to reveal Himself fully, but a deliberate choice to unfold His truth gradually, setting the stage for the ultimate, complete revelation in His Son.
The author of Hebrews begins by establishing a profound contrast: God's previous communication of Himself to Israel was piecemeal and varied, delivered through many prophets over long ages. This sets the stage for the main argument of the letter, which will show that the current revelation, given "in these last days" through His Son, is far superior and final.
Understand the original words
nāḇîʾ · Hebrew Noun
An inspired spokesperson for God who conveys divine messages to humanity, often concerning current events or future divine interventions. Prophets were the primary vehicles of revelation under the Old Covenant.
Hebrews 1:1 highlights God's progressive revelation through the Old Testament prophets, a process that spanned centuries and involved many 'portions' and 'manners' of communication, all leading up to the ultimate, complete revelation in His Son.
c. 1400 BC - 400 BC— this verse
Period of Old Testament Prophets
This era spans from Moses, the first major prophet, to Malachi, the last prophet of the Old Testament. During this time, God communicated His will through various prophets in diverse ways, laying the foundation for His redemptive plan.
c. 400 BC - c. AD 1
Silent Period
Following Malachi, there was a long period with no recognized prophets in Israel. This era, often called the 'silent period,' heightened the anticipation for God's ultimate revelation.
c. 4 BC - c. AD 30/33
Ministry of Jesus Christ
Jesus, the Son of God, arrives as the ultimate revelation of God. His life, teachings, death, and resurrection fulfill the prophecies and inaugurate the new covenant.
c. AD 30 - c. AD 70
Early Church Period
The apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, spread the message of Jesus. This period saw the continuation of God's revelation through the apostles and the foundation of the Church, leading up to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple.
ellicottHebrews 1:1: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,"
(1) God, who at sundry times. . . . —The fine arrangement of the words in the Authorised version fails, it must be confessed, to convey the emphasis which is designed in the original. The writer’s object is to place the former revelation over against that which has now been given; and the remarkable words with which the chapter opens (and which might not inaptly serve as the motto…
pooleHebrews 1:1: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,"
Heb 1:1-3 The essential dignity of the Son, by whom God hath revealed himself in these last days. Heb 1:4-14 His pre-eminence above the angels in office. God: the apostle designing the conviction of these Hebrews by this discourse, enters on it solemnly, that if a God can awe them, the consideration of Him should gain credit to his doctrine. The God he speaks of is to be apprehende…
The wording "at many times and in many ways" isn't just a casual preface; it highlights that God's past communication was intentionally piecemeal and varied. This wasn't due to God's inability to reveal Himself fully, but a deliberate choice to unfold His truth gradually, setting the stage for the ultimate, complete revelation in His Son.
The author of Hebrews begins by establishing a profound contrast: God's previous communication of Himself to Israel was piecemeal and varied, delivered through many prophets over long ages. This sets the stage for the main argument of the letter, which will show that the current revelation, given "in these last days" through His Son, is far superior and final.
The author of Hebrews begins by establishing a profound contrast: God's previous communication of Himself to Israel was piecemeal and varied, delivered through many prophets over long ages. This sets the stage for the main argument of the letter, which will show that the current revelation, given "in these last days" through His Son, is far superior and final.
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"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets," — The wording "at many times and in many ways" isn't just a casual preface; it highlights that God's past communication was intentionally piecemeal and varied. This wasn't due to God's inability to rev…
