Hebrews 2:5-8 - What is man?

2:5

The writer continues drawing out the vast distinction between angels and Jesus. The world to come has not been subjected to angels. There are various ideas about precisely what the “world to come” means. It could be the afterlife, but is more likely to be the new order to be inaugurated when Jesus returns. The Greek word used here for “world” is not kosmos but oikumene from which we get our word economy and refers to the operation of the world and its inhabitants. In the world to come it is Jesus who will “call the shots” not angels. We need to have a clear picture of the place of angels.

2:6-8

The writer then quotes Psalm 8:4-6, which we referred to earlier. Here the TNIV translation reads appallingly with its “inclusive” language. The most recent NIV version does a better job, but there is nothing wrong with non-inclusive translations “what is man that you are mindful of him?”. Yes it does refer to men and women, but a slavish attempt to always use inclusive language really doesn’t help matters sometimes.

Anyway, let's focus on the passage! The Psalmist is amazed at the high status that God gives to man. See how atheist thinking denigrates man, leading to the conclusion that we are no different than animals. We are different from animals, we are more than souped up chimpanzees. How do we know this? Two things. Above all else God has told us, right at the beginning of Genesis. We are the only creatures made in His image. Secondly there is the evidence that is all around us (cf Rom 1:20). Right from the beginning we were meant to have dominion, but because of sin we lost that dominion and started becoming subject to other things. In Christ that position is restored. At present we do not see everything subject to them or him. It could refer to man in general or Christ in particular. Either is possible. We certainly do not see everything subject to us yet! Everything is subject to Christ, but we do not see this yet in an obvious way. However, I think “them” fits the flow of this section better than Jesus does.