Hebrews 2:9

Even Jesus

(Ιησουν). We do not see man triumphant, but we do see Jesus, for the author is not ashamed of his human name, realizing man's destiny, "the very one who has been made a little lower than the angels" (τον βραχυ τ παρ' αγγελους ηλαττωμενον), quoting and applying the language of the Psalm in verse Hebrews 2:7 to Jesus (with article τον and the perfect passive participle of ελατταω). But this is not all. Death has defeated man, but Jesus has conquered death.Because of the suffering of death

(δια το παθημα του θανατου). The causal sense of δια with the accusative as in Hebrews 1:14. Jesus in his humanity was put lower than the angels "for a little while" (βραχυ τ). Because of the suffering of death we see (βλεπομεν) Jesus crowned (εστεφανωμενον, perfect passive participle of στεφανοω from verse Hebrews 2:7), crowned already "with glory and honour" as Paul shows in Philippians 2:9-11 (more highly exalted, υπερυψωσεν) "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow." There is more glory to come to Jesus surely, but he is already at God's right hand (Hebrews 1:3).That by the grace of God he should taste death for every man

(οπως χαριτ θεου υπερ παντος γευσητα θανατου). This purpose clause (οπως instead of the more usual ινα) is pregnant with meaning. The author interprets and applies the language of the Psalm to Jesus and here puts Christ's death in behalf of (υπερ), and so instead of, every man as the motive for his incarnation and death on the Cross. The phrase to taste death (γευομα θανατου) occurs in the Gospels (Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27; John 8:52), though not in the ancient Greek. It means to see death (Hebrews 11:5), "a bitter experience, not a rapid sip" (Moffatt). His death was in behalf of every one (not everything as the early Greek theologians took it). The death of Christ (Andrew Fuller) was sufficient for all, efficient for some. It is all "by the grace (χαριτ, instrumental case) of God," a thoroughly Pauline idea. Curiously enough some MSS. read χωρις θεου (apart from God) in place of χαριτ θεου, Nestorian doctrine whatever the origin.