And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
Parallel translations
- WEB When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.”
- BSB And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him.”
- NKJV But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”
- NASB And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
- NLT And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, “Let all of God’s angels worship him.”
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
When God brings His firstborn into the world, even the angels are commanded to worship Him. The one angels worship is plainly greater than they are.
Overview
The author cites Scripture to show that angels are summoned to worship the Son, decisively settling the question of rank. 'Firstborn' here denotes supreme status and inheritance rights, not a beginning in time. Since worship belongs to God alone, this verse underscores the Son's full deity and His worthiness of the praise that creatures owe their Creator.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 97:7Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.
- 1 Pet 3:22Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
- Deut 32:43Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.
- Col 1:18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
- Col 1:15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
- John 1:14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
- Rev 5:9–12And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
- Rev 1:5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
- Rom 8:29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
- Prov 8:24–25When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
- Luke 2:9–14And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
- Heb 1:5For 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?
- 1 Jn 4:9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
- Heb 10:5Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
- John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- John 1:18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 1:6 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.