Heb. 2:8. He put all things in subjection under his feet.
He does not name the one spoken of, since he is speaking with people well-versed in the Scriptures. All of this is said about humanity in general, but preeminently, however, it may refer to Christ according to the flesh. For He, the Son of God, visited the insignificant human nature and, having assumed it and united it with Himself, became above all.
Heb. 2:8. For when He subjected all things to him, He left nothing that was not subjected to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him;
Since they were subjected to persecutions and suffered, lest they say: how can you say that all things are subjected, when we are being driven out and persecuted by His enemies? — does that mean they are not yet subjected and you are deceiving us? — therefore he says: do not be troubled and do not lose heart: all things will be subjected to Him. And in Scripture it says: "He subjected." That which will undoubtedly come to pass, though it has not yet come to pass, is spoken of as already accomplished. So do not grieve that you endure afflictions: the preaching has not yet conquered all, the time of complete subjection has not yet come, but without doubt they will be subjected.
Heb. 2:9. But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor for the suffering of death,
He endeavors to show that what was said pertains to Christ, and says: although the expression "He subjected all things" would seem to refer only to Him, nevertheless we have shown that this too will undoubtedly be fulfilled. But to be made a little lower than the angels pertains more to Him than to us. For He, having spent three days in Hades as a man, was made only a little lower than the angels, since they are entirely free from death. But we, being subject to corruption for a long time, are not a little but very much lower in comparison with them. And to be "crowned with glory and honor" for suffering pertains more to Him than to us. By saying "for the suffering of death," the apostle indicated a true death — not an apparition of death; it was genuine suffering. He reminded them of the cross and death in order to persuade them to bear misfortunes courageously, looking to the Teacher. But the cross, he says, became glory and honor for Him; therefore your misfortunes and sufferings should also be glory and honor for you. So why do you flee from that which crowns you? He suffered for you, a servant; will you not endure suffering for Him, the Lord?
Heb. 2:9. By the grace of God, He tasted death for all.
Not out of obligation, but by grace God gave His Son over to death, and not for believers only, but for the whole world. Although not all were saved, He fulfilled His part. He said beautifully: "taste." For indeed, as if merely tasting, since He remained in death for a short time, He immediately rose again. And in this respect too He is, consequently, better than the angels, because He showed Himself to be above death. Just as a physician, seeing a sick person afraid to take the medicine prepared for him, first tastes it himself in order to persuade the sick person to resolve to take it: so also the Lord, seeing us fearing death, Himself tasted it, though He had no need of it. He was not subject to death, but did everything by grace, in order to show its insignificance and to persuade us to go boldly to death. The Nestorians, distorting Scripture, say: apart from (χωρίς) God He tasted it for all, in order to maintain the idea that Divinity was not with the crucified Christ, since it was not united with Him personally, but only by condition. One Orthodox writer, ridiculing their nonsense, said: let Scripture have the meaning you say it does — even in that case what is said speaks in our favor. For apart from (χωρίς) God, the Lord died for all and for the angels themselves, in order to destroy their enmity against us and to win them joy.
Heb. 2:10. For it was fitting that He, for Whom are all things
That is, to the Father, from Him are all things, that is, He is the cause of all things.
Heb. 2:10. and through Whom all things exist,
Look, the expression "from Whom" is applied to the Father. If it were degrading and befitting only the Son, it would not be applied to the Father. Understand, then, what the expression "from Whom" means. Since he said "for Whom are all things," lest anyone think something absurd, namely that He has need of all things — for the preposition "for" has such a meaning, as for example if we say "for the sake of (δια – for the sake of, on account of) man creation was made" — the apostle added the expression "from Whom," explaining that "for Whom" must be understood the same as "through Him," that is, that all things came from Him. Therefore, when it is said of the Son as well, "from Whom," take this as meaning: from Him.
Heb. 2:10. Leading many sons to glory, He made the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
This is connected with the preceding: "crowned with glory and honor." The meaning of the words is as follows. The Father acted in a manner worthy of His love for mankind, in that the Firstborn of all the sons who are to enjoy His glory, He showed to be the most glorious of all through sufferings, so as to show the rest as well how one ought to endure sufferings. "The captain of salvation," that is, the author. See what a distinction there is between Him and us. Although He too is a Son and we are sons, He saves while we are saved: we are united with Him and again separated. "Bringing many sons to glory" — through this we are united. "The captain of their salvation" — through this we are separated. Note that sufferings are perfection and a means to salvation: that the one who suffered for someone not only brings benefit to that person, but himself becomes more glorious and more perfect. By perfection understand here the glory with which He was glorified, and understand it in relation to His humanity — or, that by nature He had glory, only among us He was without glory, since He was not recognized. But when after the cross He was recognized and glorified, they say that He received the glory which He had by nature, and did not receive it from us. Saint Cyril calls perfection the immortality which Christ lacked in His humanity; the Father supplied it to Him through the resurrection. When He rose, death no longer has dominion over Him. And He deemed all of nature worthy of this perfection.
Heb. 2:11. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all of One;
Here again he shows that we are brothers of Christ and are so greatly honored. For, he says, "He who sanctifies," that is, Christ, and "those who are sanctified," that is, we, "are all from One," that is, the Father. But He is truly the genuine Son and from the very essence of the Father, while we are creatures. Notice also the superiority in the expressions. He sanctifies, we are sanctified. Hence both the identity and the superiority.
Heb. 2:11. Therefore He is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Look, here too is His superiority. For by the expression "is not ashamed" he shows that this does not belong to nature, but to the tender love of the One Who is not ashamed. Although we are indeed from One, there is a great difference between us, as between the Creator and creatures.
Heb. 2:11. saying:
Heb. 2:12. I will declare Your name to My brethren, in the midst of the church I will sing praise to You. (cf. Ps. 21:23)
Having assumed the flesh, He also assumed brotherhood; together with the flesh came brotherhood as well. But here again there is preeminence. I will declare, He says, to those who are darkened, who do not know; similar to this is: "I have manifested Your name to the men" (John 17:6).
Heb. 2:13. And again: I will put my trust in Him.
Through this He also shows that He became man and our brother. For just as each of men, so He Himself also hopes in Him, that is, in the Father. At the same time He shows us that we should hope in God alone, since He Himself, being the Son and lacking nothing, nevertheless says that He hopes in the Father. Some have interpreted it thus: since, they say, above he called Christ a brother, and below a Father, in the middle he shows that these are names of the dispensation of the last times; but His pre-eternal name is God. Who in the proper sense hopes in another, if not in God? As if he were saying: hearing that He is brother and father, do not think that He is one of many; He is God, he says, in Him, as Scripture testifies, one must hope, so that here the speech is not from the person of Christ, but from the prophet, saying: I, the prophet, will hope in Christ Himself, as God. But such an understanding is not perfect.
Heb. 2:13. Here I am and the children whom God has given Me. (cf. Isa. 8:18)
Here he calls Christ our Father. "Gave" signifies the Father's good pleasure that He should become incarnate. If He had not been well pleased for the Son to become incarnate, He would not have had children either.