But somewhere it is testified in these words: “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
Parallel translations
- WEB But one has somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him?
- KJV But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
- NKJV But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him?
- NASB But someone has testified somewhere, saying, “What is man, that You think of him? Or a son of man, that You are concerned about him?
- NLT For in one place the Scriptures say, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for 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
Scripture marvels that God should be mindful of frail humanity and care for the son of man. It raises the question of humanity's place and dignity in God's purposes.
Overview
Quoting Psalm 8:4, the author voices wonder at God's attentiveness to lowly human beings. In its original setting the psalm celebrates humanity's God-given dignity and dominion. Hebrews will apply 'the son of man' especially to Jesus, who fulfills humanity's intended destiny on our behalf.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ps 8:4–8what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?
- Ps 144:3O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?
- Job 7:17–18What is man that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart upon him,
- Isa 51:12“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Why should you be afraid of mortal man, of a son of man who withers like grass?
- Job 15:14What is man, that he should be pure, or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
- Job 25:6how much less man, who is but a maggot, and the son of man, who is but a worm!”
- Heb 4:4For somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in this manner: “And on the seventh day God rested from all His works.”
- Luke 7:16A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”
- Gen 50:24Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
- 1 Pet 1:11trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
- Isa 40:17All the nations are as nothing before Him; He regards them as nothingness and emptiness.
- Heb 5:6And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
- Luke 1:78because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,
- Luke 1:68“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.
- Ps 146:3–4Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
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 2:6 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.