Hebrews 1:10
And, "You, Lord, did found the earth in the beginning, and the
heavens are the work of Your hands; they will perish, but You remain; they will
all grow old like a garment, like a mantle You will roll them up, and they will
be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will never end."
Trinitarian Claim
The Trinitarian claim is that God is speaking to the Son in verse 8 and God
is not saying a second thing to the son in verse 10 where God the Father is
indicating the Son is the creator of all things.
Examination of the Claim
1. An Assumption By Design
The Trinitarian must assume that God is speaking to the Son and referring to
him as the Lord Creator. Without substantiating this presumption this is the
practice of eisegesis - reading a notion into the text which is not
expressed by the text itself.
2. The Antecedent to "He" at Verse 13
Observe the inconsistency of Trinitarians concerning antecedents. At 1 John
5:20 they wish to claim the nearest preceding word is the antecedent. But here
in this context they wish to say otherwise. Their very own
nearest-word-antecedent argument which they claim at 1 John 5:20, is now ignored
and contradicted for the sake of Trinitarian doctrine. Here at Hebrews 1:13, the
Trinitarian must travel back way beyond verse 10 to find the antecedent to the
personal pronoun "He" in verse 13.
The most natural antecedent for the pronoun "He" at verse 13 is "the Lord" of
verse 10. The "He" in verse 13 is obviously the Father which means "the Lord" of
verse 10 is the Father.
(v.10) And, "You, Lord, did found the earth in the
beginning....
(v.13) But to what angel has HE ever said,
"Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies a stool for your feet"?
The "He" in verse 13 is obviously God the Father who asks the Son to sit at
his right hand.
3. The Undoing of the Trinitarian Claim: The Speaker at Psalm 102
The Trinitarian claim is shown to be obviously false when it is realized they
are interpreting verse 10 as the Father speaking these words. However, Psalm 102
shows quite clearly that God is NOT speaking these words. The Psalmist is saying
these words TO God. The POINT here is that Psalm 102 shows us that God IS
NOT the one saying these words but the Psalmist is, while the Trinitarian
interpretation of Hebrews 1:10 claims God IS saying these words in direct
contradiction of Psalm 102.
Analysis of the Evidence
1. The Speaker: Assumptions vs. Facts
Trinitarians read Hebrews 1:10 as if the Father is speaking to the Son. They
do this by first presuming the Father is speaking to the Son in verse 8 and then
read verse 10 as if the Father is saying a second thing to the Son. However,
there is a very serious problem with this approach.
Neither Hebrews 1:8 or Hebrews 1:10 say that God is speaking to the Son in
the Greek text. However, Trinitarians interpret both of these verses as if God
is speaking to the Son. The NIV goes even further and adds this notion to the
text even though it is not there in the original Greek text.
At Hebrews 1:5 and Hebrews 1:13, the writer quotes from the Old Testament
where God the Father is obviously the speaker. The Greek verb used in these two
Old Testament quotations is eipon, "He says." However, when the writer is
quoting the two Psalms at Hebrews 1:6 and Hebrews 1:7, the writer changes and
uses the verb legei instead. The Greek verb legei is variously
translated as "He says" or "It says" in the New Testament.
The writer quotes four different Psalms between Hebrews 1:6 and Hebrews 1:12.
If we turn back the pages of the Bible and actually read these four different
Psalms, we will find that God is not the speaker in ANY of them. God is
the speaker in NONE of them. However, Trinitarian translations have God as the
speaker at Hebrews 1:6 and Hebrews 1:7 even though God was not the one speaking
these words. And since they read these two verses as if God is the speaker, the
naturally read verse 8 as if God is the speaker too.
The Greek verb legei is translated as "IT says" in the New Testament
when this verb is used to refer to what Scripture says. Since God was not the
one speaking in any of these four Psalms, it is ridiculous to translate
legei as "He says" and make God the speaker of things He did not say. The
writer is obviously referring to what SCRIPTURE says in all four Psalms quoted
between verse 6 and 12. Let the read compare various translations of Romans
5:10; Ephesians 4:8; 5:14 and James 4:5-6 to see how translators sometimes
translate legei as "He says" and sometimes as "it says" to refer to what
Scripture says.
Trinitarian translations of verses 6 and 7 which read, "HE says" are
obviously wrong. Even on the surface it should be apparent that something is
wrong in verse 7 where Trinitarian translations have God speaking about Himself
in the third person. A simple examination of these two Psalms show that God was
not speaking these words. Therefore, we cannot then assume God is continuing to
speak at verse 8 because He was never the speaker in the first place. And God is
not the speaker in the two Psalms quoted at verses 8-9 and 10-12 either.
Furthermore, the writer uses the verb eipon when God is obviously the
speaker of the quotations at verse 5 and the writer returns to using
eipon when God is obviously the speaker again in verse 13. The evidence
shows us forcefully that verses 6 and 7 are mistranslated as "HE says" by
Trinitarians. They have God saying things which He simply did not say. Hence,
the verb legei should be translated as "IT says" just as it is elsewhere
in the New Testament when this word is used to refer to what Scripture says. It
is reckless or dishonest to have God speaking in these Psalms when He is not the
speaker and saying things He did not say.
2. The Writer's Point
The writer's point throughout the chapter is that Jesus is better and
superior to the angels. In this chapter he contrasts Jesus and the angels
several times.
1. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of
the Majesty on high. v. 3
having become as much superior to angels as the name he has obtained
is more excellent than theirs. v.4
2. For to what angel did God ever say? v. 5
Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"? Or again, "I will be
to him a father, and he shall be to me a son"? v.5
3. And again, when he brings the first-born into the world. v.6
he says, "Let all God's angels worship him. v.6
4. And of the angels he says, "Who makes his angels winds, and his servants
flames of fire. v.7
But of the Son, "Your throne ho theos to the age of the age.
v. 8
5. And, "You Lord did found the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are
the work of Your hands v. 10.
But to what angel has he ever said.... v. 13
3. Context Shifting
Essentially, what Trinitarians are attempting to do, is take the passage out
of its context and shift it to another context in the following manner:
But to the Son [God says].... God your God has anointed you to be
above your fellows. And "You Lord in the beginning laid the foundation of the
earth."
However, verses 8 through 12 are not to be read as a unit. Verses 5 through 8
are to be read as a unit and then verses 10 through 13 are to be read as a unit.
It is more than obvious.
You Lord in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth.... But to
which of the angels has He ever said..."
Notice how the contrast argument in verse 13 sounds very odd unless it is
read in this manner. The word "He" requires an antecedent and that antecedent is
obviously the Lord of verse 10.
4. Kai vs. De: The Writer's Method of Argumentation
The Hebrew's writer uses one word to introduce another "Jesus vs. the
Angels" argument and that is the word kai ("and"). However, when he wants
to make the contrast he uses the word de ("but").
Carefully observe how the writer uses the word kai to introduce
another argument and uses the word de to make the contrast between
Jesus and the angels for each particular argument:
Writer's First Contrast Argument
For to which of the angels did He ever say,..... v. 5
The word "BUT" makes the contrast.
BUT (de) when He again brings the firstborn into the
world......" v.6
Writer's Second Contrast Argument
The word "AND" introduces a NEW argument
AND (kai) of the angels He says... v. 7
The word "BUT" makes the contrast.
BUT (de) of the Son, "Your throne ho theos to the age of
the age. v.8
Writer's Third Contrast Argument
And again, the word "AND" introduces a NEW argument
AND (kai), "You Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation.....
v.10
The word "BUT" makes the contrast.
BUT (de) to which of the angels did He ever say v.13
The above observations make it absolutely clear that the Greek conjunction
kai is being used to introduce a NEW argument and the Greek word
de is being used to mark the contrast.
5. The Work of Whose Hands?
The Hebrew's writer leaves us no doubt who he has in mind Hebrews 1:10.
Notice what is said in verse 10:
You Lord in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth
The
Heavens are the works of Your hands....
But to which of the
angels did He ever say, "Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your
footstool?" (1:10-13)
The idea at verses 10-13 is that God has placed Jesus over all His
creation.
Now notice what he says immediately after this:
For God did not subject to angels the world to come...
You have
appointed him over the works of Your hands.
You have placed all
in subjection under his feet (2:5-8).
Observe carefully how the writer is reasserting the same message. In chapter
one he refers to the works of God's hands and then asks to which angel has God
ever asked to sit at His right hand. To sit at God's right hand is to have
authority over all heaven and earth (see Matthew 28:18). Now observe how he says
the same thing again in chapter 2. God placed all His creation under Jesus'
feet, all the works of His hands. BOTH passages are about God giving Jesus
authority over all His creation.
1:10 You Lord in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth. The
heaves are the WORKS OF YOUR HANDS
2:8 You have appointed him
(Jesus) over THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS
It is abundantly clear who the writer had in mind in verse 10, the Father,
and the works of the Father's hands, the Father who asked Jesus to sit at His
right hand (v.13) thereby appointing Jesus over the works of His hands.
Conclusion
The Trinitarian claim is based on a wishful assumption that God is saying a
second thing to the Son when he sees the word AND. However, the evidence shows
that God is not the speaker at verse 6 or verse 7 or verse 8. The writer uses
the Greek verb legei at verses 6 and 7 which must be translated as "IT
says" since God did not say these words. The writer uses kai to introduce
a new argument. Hebrews 1:10-12 is not to be read as a unit with Hebrews 1:8-9
but to be read as a unit with verse 13. Moreover, we have several contrasts in
this chapter between what God does for Jesus vs. what God does for the angels.
In verse 13, we find that HE asks Jesus to sit at his right hand, something he
has never asked an angel to do. Who is this HE but the Lord of verse 10? And
that is very the point of verses 10-12: in all the history of creation, from
beginning to end, God has never ever asked, and never will ask, an angel to sit
at his right hand. The heavens are the works of the Father's hands and He
appointed Jesus over all the works of His hands by seating Jesus at His right
hand crowning him with glory and honor. The writer's words at verses 2:7-8 leave
absolutely no doubt who he had in mind at verse 1:10ff. The Father in the
beginning laid the foundation of the earth; the heavens are "the works of His
hands" (v. 1:10) and He has now appointed Jesus over these "works of His hands"
(2:7).