Hebrews 1:10-12
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse highlights Jesus' role not just as the Redeemer, but as the very architect of existence. The phrase "in the beginning" points to His pre-existence and active participation in creation before time itself began, emphasizing His inherent divine authority over all things, including angels.
And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author continues to argue for the Son's superiority over angels by quoting from Psalm 102. This passage, originally addressed to God as the eternal Creator who laid the foundations of the earth, is now applied to the Son. The author emphasizes that the Son, as the Creator of all things, including the heavens and the earth, must be far greater than the angels, who are merely created beings.
Did you know this verse, which sounds like an address to God the Father, is actually speaking about Jesus?
The author of Hebrews is making a powerful case for the Son's superiority over angels. He does this by quoting Psalm 102:25-27, which is a beautiful poetic description of God as the Creator of the universe.
A Divine Artist
This isn't just about what the Son created, but who He is. By attributing the work of creation to Him, the author is declaring His divine nature. He is not a created being, not even the highest angel, but the very God who spoke all things into existence.
How can a Psalm addressed to 'the LORD' be applied to Jesus?
It might seem strange that the author of Hebrews applies a passage from Psalm 102, which clearly addresses God as Creator, to Jesus. The original context of the Psalm is a prayer of an afflicted person crying out to God.
Ask a follow-up
The Author's Insight
Understand the original words
kyrios · Greek Noun
A title of respect, sovereignty, and ownership. In the New Testament, it is frequently applied to Jesus Christ, denoting His divinity, authority over creation, and role as the covenant Lord.
themelion · Greek Noun
The basic structure or starting point upon which a building or creation rests. It symbolizes the establishment of the world by God's power and intent.
apolountai · Greek Verb
To come to an end, cease to exist, or be destroyed; in a biblical context, it often refers to the transience of the created order compared to the eternal nature of God.
diameneis · Greek Verb
To continue in existence; to endure or remain constant. It emphasizes God's immutability and eternal nature amidst the changing creation.
palaiōthēsontai · Greek Verb
To grow old, decay, or lose strength over time. It symbolizes the inevitable decline of the physical creation.
By applying Psalm 102, originally a prayer to God during the exile, to Jesus, the author of Hebrews powerfully argues for Christ's divine, unchanging nature as the Creator, contrasting Him with the transient nature of the created world and angels.
c. 500 BC
Babylonian Exile
Many Jews were taken captive to Babylon, a period of deep suffering and reflection on God's relationship with His people.
c. 500 BC
Composition of Psalm 102
This psalm, expressing the anguish of the afflicted and their hope for restoration, was likely written during or shortly after the Babylonian exile. The author addresses God as the eternal Creator and Sustainer.
c. AD 60-62— this verse
Writing of Hebrews
The author of Hebrews quotes Psalm 102, applying its words about the eternal, unchanging Creator directly to Jesus. The letter was likely written to Jewish Christians facing persecution or drifting from their faith.
c. AD 64
Great Fire of Rome
This event, and the subsequent persecution of Christians under Nero, may have heightened the sense of impermanence in earthly things for the early church.
This is the direct source of the quote in Hebrews, emphasizing God's eternal nature and role as Creator, which the author applies to Jesus to highlight His divinity.
John 1:1-3This passage also speaks of Jesus (the Word) being with God and being God in the beginning, and that all things were made through Him, reinforcing His role as the Creator mentioned in Hebrews.
Colossians 1:15-17Here, Jesus is explicitly called the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation, through whom and for whom all things were created, directly paralleling the Creator role described in Hebrews.
Genesis 1:1This foundational verse in Genesis establishes God as the Creator of the heavens and the earth 'in the beginning,' providing the context for the language used in Hebrews to describe Jesus' divine work.
Isaiah 45:18This verse states that God formed the earth and made it, establishing it and not creating it empty, showing God as the sovereign Creator, a concept the author of Hebrews applies to Jesus.
ellicottHebrews 1:10: "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:"
(10) And. — Hebrews 1:10-12 are by this word linked with Hebrews 1:8 , as presenting the second part of the contrast between angels and the Son. As there we read of a divine sovereignty, so here of the work of creation, the power to change all created things, the divine attribute of changeless existence. This quotation from Psalm 102:25-27 agrees almost exactly…
pooleHebrews 1:10: "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:"
And, Thou, Lord: this connective particle joins this to the former proof, that Christ had a more excellent name than angels, even that of God. That he was God, he proved out of Psalm 45:6,7 . He seconds it in this and the two following verses, which he quotes out of Psalm 102:25-27 . The strength of which lieth thus: He who was Jehovah, and the great Creator of…
This verse highlights Jesus' role not just as the Redeemer, but as the very architect of existence. The phrase "in the beginning" points to His pre-existence and active participation in creation before time itself began, emphasizing His inherent divine authority over all things, including angels.
The author continues to argue for the Son's superiority over angels by quoting from Psalm 102. This passage, originally addressed to God as the eternal Creator who laid the foundations of the earth, is now applied to the Son. The author emphasizes that the Son, as the Creator of all things, including the heavens and the earth, must be far greater than the angels, who are merely created beings.
The author continues to argue for the Son's superiority over angels by quoting from Psalm 102. This passage, originally addressed to God as the eternal Creator who laid the foundations of the earth, is now applied to the Son. The author emphasizes that the Son, as the Creator of all things, including the heavens and the earth, must be far greater than the angels, who are merely created beings.
"And,
“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up…" — This verse highlights Jesus' role not just as the Redeemer, but as the very architect of existence. The phrase "in the beginning" points to His pre-existence and active participation in creation befo…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026