1 THEREFORE we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, [ Because God sent his son to us and because it was spoken by his son we should be more diligent listeners. ] lest at any time we should let them slip. [ "mh pote pararruwmen?" "Lest at any time we should leak out." This is a metaphor taken from unstanch vessels; the staves not being close together, the fluid put into them leaks through the chinks and crevices. Superficial hearers lose the benefit of the word preached, as the unseasoned vessel does its fluid. ]

2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, [ Would not tolerate any offense. ] and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

3 How shall we escape, if we neglect [ Those who neglect it, amelhsantev, are not only they who oppose or persecute it, but they who pay no regard to it; who do not concern themselves about it, do not lay it to heart, and consequently do not get their hearts changed by it. ] so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken [ This would have been John The Baptist as he paved the way before Christ. ] by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, [ That "abh µlw[ olam habba", the world to come, meant the days of the Messiah among the Jews because we are talking here about the Savior and his mortal life. ] whereof we speak.

6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, [ Quotated verbatim from the Septuagint; and, as the Greek is not as emphatic as the Hebrew, here is the original: "wndqpt yk µda bw wnrkzt yk wna hm mah enosh ki thizkerennu, uben Adam ki thiphkedennu;" which would be translated as: "What is miserable man, that thou rememberest him? and the son of Adam, that thou visitest him?" The variation of the terms in the original is very emphatic. Adam, mda , is the name given to man at his creation, and expresses his origin, and generic distinction from all other animals. Enosh, wna , which signifies sick, weak, wretched, was never given to him till after his fall. The son of Adam means here, any one or all of the fallen posterity of the first man. That God should remember in the way of mercy these wretched beings, is great condescension; that he should visit them, manifest himself to them, yea, even dwell among them, and at last assume their nature, and give up his life to ransom them from the bitter pains of eternal death, is mercy and love indescribable and eternal. ] that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, [ The earliest use of this title "Son of Man" (man here means "King") that I can find in the scriptures comes from the Book Of Enoch(Enoch 46:1-3). Other references to that title include Daniel(), Abraham() and Christ himself() and all of them would have had available the Book Of Enoch. Enoch was given the title Son of Man as a descriptor for Jesus Christ. We find in written in the Book of Enoch 46:1-3 “And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the hidden things, concerning that Son of Man, who He was, and whence He was, (and) why he went with the Head of Days? And he answered and said unto me: This is the Son of Man who hath righteousness, with whom dwelleth righteousness, and who revealeth all the treasures of that which is hidden, because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen Him, and whose lot hath the pre-eminence before the Lord of Spirits in uprightness forever. (BoE 46:1-3)” So from these verses we can see that Enoch's angelic guide has declared that "the Son Of Man" is another name for Jesus Christ. This phrase is used by Daniel when he likens the person that he saw in his vision "like the Son of Man" (Daniel 7:13-14) as does Abraham when he described the individual who volunteered Himself to do the will of the Father as being “like unto the Son of Man.”  Therefore the phrase “like the Son of Man” or “like unto the Son of Man,” (Abr 3:27) used in these two examples promote the familiarity through an external source to which both prophets would have had access to that being the Book of Enoch. (Abr 1:31) Since the Jews of old would have had access to the book of Enoch, they would have known from there that "the Son Of Man" was a name given to "the Son Of God". So when Christ references that he is the "Son of Man" he is essentially declaring that he is God's Son. Here is the text from Enoch which the jews would have had at the time of Jesus. Multiple copies found with the Dead Sea scrolls. Enoch Chapter XLVL This Son of man, whom thou beholdest, shall raise up kings and the mighty from their couches, and the powerful from their thrones ; shall loosen the bridles of the powerful, and break in pieces the teeth of sinners. 4. He shall hurl kings from their thrones and their dominions ; because they will not exalt and praise him, nor humble themselves before him, by whom^ their kingdoms were granted to them. The countenance likewise of the mighty shall He cast down, filling them with confusion. Darkness shall be their habitation, and worms shall be their bed ; nor from that their bed shall they hope to be again raised, because they exalted not the name of the Lord of spirits. 5. They shall condemn the stars of heaven, shall lift up their hands against the Most High, shall tread upon and inhabit the earth, exhibiting all their works of iniquity, even their works of iniquity. Their strength shall be in their riches, and their faith in the gods whom they have formed with their own hands. They shall deny the name of the Lord of spirits, and shall expel him from the temples, in which they assemble 6. And tvith him the faithful, who suffer in the name of the Lord of spirits. This is also why Christ would have referred to himself as "the Son Of Man" because it was the messianic title that embodied the works and mission that would be preformed creation, example, atonement, resurrection, judgement(John 5:22-23,27) are all responsibilities that were given to the Son Of Man. Christ seems to use this title to place specific importance upon the subject matter He was teaching at the time, because the use of that title by Christ typically focuses on the prophecies of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and His latter-day responsibilities. The earliest use of this title "Son of Man" (man here means "King") that I can find in the scriptures comes from the Book Of Enoch(Enoch 46:1-3). Other references to that title include Daniel(), Abraham() and Christ himself() and all of them would have had available the Book Of Enoch. There is no reason to belive otherwise than those Jews who heard Christ use this title would have been fully aware the title’s source and the bold declaration represented by the messianic prophecies for him as described in the Book of Enoch. ] , that thou visitest him?

7  Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; [ "µyhlam f[m whrsjtw vattechasserehu meat meelohim." So if this be spoken of man as he came out of the hands of his Maker, it places man at the head of all God's works; for literally translated it is: Thou hast made him less than God. And this is proved by his being made in the image and likeness of God, which is spoken of no other creature either in heaven or earth; and it is very likely that in his original creation he stood at the head of all the works of God, and the next to his Maker. ] thou crownedst him [ God the Father, coronating his son, Christ, a heavenly King in heaven. ] with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

8  Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. [ God gives Christ supreme authority to rule over all things, Christ being given power, authority, and dominion by his father to reign as a celestial monarch. Jesus is and will be our judge as all things must answer to him. ] For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. [ It was a custom in ancient times to take off criminals by making them drink a cup of poison. socrates was adjudged to drink a cup of the juice of hemlock, by order of the Athenian magistrates: The reference in the text seems to point out the whole human race as being accused, tried, found guilty, and condemned, each having his own poisoned cup to drink; and Jesus, the wonderful Jesus, takes the cup out of the hand of each, and chearfully and with alacrity drinks off the dregs! Thus having drunk every man's poisoned cup, he tasted that death which they must have endured, had not their cup been drunk by another. Could this be the cup to which he refers, Matt. 26: 39: O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me? But without his drinking it, the salvation of the world would have been impossible; and therefore he cheerfully drank it in the place of every human soul, and thus made atonement for the sin of the whole world: and this he did, cariti qeou, by the grace, mercy, or infinite goodness of God. Relating this then to the sacrament - each week we partake of his blood w do so from a cup - we remember him through the cup, that he drunk every man's poisoned cup for us. Also in ancient Jewish tradition the cup was a symbol of accepting the covenant. It was a reference to the jewish wedding traditions. In which after the marriage contract was arranged by the father's, after the bride price was established, after the bridegroom gave the bride to be a generous gift, the bridegroom would sit down with the bride to be and poor a glass of wine(symbolic of blood). Then the bride would have 30 seconds to decide whether to drink the glass of wine or not. To drink the cup meant that she accepted all of the covenants (the marriage agreements) and was ready to become bethrothed, if she did not drink within that 30 seconds the bridegroom would simple leave never to be seen of again. If she did drink then they were considered married. At that point the groom would often recite the formal statement "Thou art set apart(consecrated) for me according to the law of Moses and Israel". ]

10  For it became him, [ In order to fulfill the plan of Heavenly Father, there would need to be a Savior. One who was perfect and yet would submit to the laws of mortality, to overcome them, to be a sacrifice for justice and a way to extend mercy to man. ] for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, [only because of the atonement of Christ are we able to reach our glory, without it he would have been the only one with glory - hence we can become joint heirs with Christ. ] to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 For both he that sanctifieth [ Jesus Christ through the atonement. The word "o agiazwn" does not merely mean one who sanctifies or makes holy, but it also includes atonement or reconciliation to God. ] and they who are sanctified [ The faithful members of the church. ] are all of one:[ We are all the spirit children of God the Eternal Father, we are all of his nature and all have some of his characteristics within us. ] for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, [ My brothers and sisters as Christ is our Elder Brother and we all share the same Eternal Father in Heaven. ]

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

13 And again, I will put my trust in him. [ They continued to trust God’s counsel. Faith is fundamental, just as H. E. Fosdick observed: “We must believe that there is a purpose running through the stern, forbidding process. What men have needed most of all in suffering, is not to know the explanation, but to know that there is an explanation. And religious faith alone gives confidence that human tragedy is not the meaningless sport of physical forces, making our life what Voltaire called it, ‘a bad joke.’” Harry Emerson Fosdick, The Meaning of Faith, New York: Association Press [1918], 20. ] And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he [ Christ. ] might destroy him t [ The dragon. ] that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; [ "ou gar dhpou aggelwn epilambanetai, alla spermatov abraam epilambanetai?" Moreover, he doth not at all take hold of angels; but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold. This is the marginal reading, and is greatly to be preferred to that in the text Jesus Christ, intending not to redeem angels, but to redeem man. He came to directly effect the seed or posterity of Abraham, with whom the original covenant was made, that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed; and it is on this account that the apostle mentioned the seed of Abraham, and not the seed of Adam. ] but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest [ "Æina elehmwn genhtai?" That he might be merciful - that he might be affected with a feeling of our infirmities, that, partaking of our nature with all its innocent infirmities and afflictions, he might know how to compassionate poor, afflicted, suffering man. And that he might be a faithful high priest in those things which relate to God, whose justice requires the punishment of the transgressors, or a suitable expiation to be made for the sins of the people. ] in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation [ Reconciliation comes from Latin roots re, meaning “again”; con, meaning “with”; and sella, meaning “seat.” Reconciliation, therefore, literally means “to sit again with.” ] for the sins of the people.

18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.