And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Parallel translations
- WEB And, “You, Lord, in the beginning, laid the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands.
- KJV And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
- NKJV And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
- NASB And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands;
- NLT He also says to the Son, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Scripture addresses the Son as 'Lord' who laid the earth's foundations and made the heavens. The creation itself is His handiwork.
Overview
Quoting Psalm 102:25, the author applies words spoken to Yahweh directly to the Son, affirming His role as Creator. This places Christ on the divine side of the Creator-creature distinction. By doing so the author shows that the Son's eternity and creative power far surpass anything that can be said of angels.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 102:25–27In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
- Gen 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- John 1:1–3In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- Jer 32:17“Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
- Isa 48:13Surely My own hand founded the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they stand up together.
- Ps 8:3–4When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—
- Isa 42:5This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it:
- Zech 12:1This is the burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. Thus declares the LORD, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth, who forms the spirit of man within him:
- Prov 8:29when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.
- Isa 51:13But you have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth. You live in terror all day long because of the fury of the oppressor who is bent on destruction. But where is the fury of the oppressor?
- Isa 64:8But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
- Rev 3:14To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation.
- Ps 19:1For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
- Deut 4:19When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
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Christ at the center
Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.
How Hebrews 1:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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