Passage

Hebrews 1.6

Book: Hebrews · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"4. having become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they. 5. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, This day have I begotten thee? and again, I will be to him a Father, And he shall be to me a Son?"

"6. And when he again bringeth in the firstborn into the world he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him."

"7. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels winds, And his ministers a flame of fire: 8. but of the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." (Hebrews 1:4-8, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"4. having become so much better than the angels, as he has inherited a more excellent name than they have. 5. For to which of the angels did he say at any time, “You are my Son. Today I have become your father?” and again, “I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son?”"

"6. When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.”"

"7. Of the angels he says, “Who makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire.” 8. But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your Kingdom." (Hebrews 1:4-8, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"4. Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?"

"6. And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. ^{again: or, when he bringeth again}"

"7. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. ^{And of: Gr. And unto} 8. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. ^{righteousness: Gr. rightness, or, straightness}" (Hebrews 1:4-8, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"4. having become so much better than the messengers, as he did inherit a more excellent name than they. 5. For to which of the messengers said He ever, 'My Son thou art, I to-day have begotten thee?' and again, 'I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son?'"

"6. and when again He may bring in the first-born to the world, He saith, 'And let them bow before him, all messengers of God;'"

"7. and unto the messengers, indeed, He saith, 'Who is making His messengers spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire;' 8. and unto the Son: 'Thy throne, O God, [is] to the age of the age; a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy reign;" (Hebrews 1:4-8, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: unknown author (traditionally Paul; modern scholarship: possibly Apollos, Barnabas, Priscilla, or unknown)
Audience: Jewish-Christian community tempted to revert to Judaism
Location: composition unknown
Time period: composed c. AD 60-69 (before the AD 70 temple destruction, given the present-tense temple-language)

Theological reading

Key words

G2316 - theos, theos (Strong's G2316). Also appears in: Matthew 1.23, Matthew 3.16, Matthew 5.9.
G3956 - pas, pas (Strong's G3956). Also appears in: Matthew 1, Matthew 2.1-6, Matthew 2.16.
G4416 - prototokos, prototokos (Strong's G4416). Also appears in: Matthew 1, Romans 8.29, Colossians 1.15.

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.