Hebrews 1:10
in Hebrews 1And: “In the beginning, O Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of thy hands:
KJV
And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:
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This verse in Hebrews 1
Commentary
13 notes on this verseAnd thou Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth,.... The person here addressed, as the Lord or Jehovah, and as the Maker of the heavens and the earth, is the same with the Son spoken to, and of, before; for the words are a continuation of the speech to him, though they are taken from another psalm, from Psa 102:
This site's exposition
laid the foundations of the earth
on Hebrews 1:10-12
Psalm 102:25 to 27, addressed to the eternal Creator, is here applied to the Son. The heavens will all wear out like a garment, while You remain the same, and Your years will never end. The letter returns to this unchanging Son at 13:8.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
And again he saith: "Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thine hands. They shall perish, but Thou remainest, and they shall all wax old as a garment, and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same and Thy years shall not fail." Lest hearing the words, "and when He bringeth in the First-Begotten into the world"; thou shouldest think it as it were a Gift afterwards super-added to Him; above, he both corrected this beforehand, and again further corrects, saying, "in the beginning": not now, but from the first. See again he strikes both Paul of Samosata and also Arius a mortal blow, applying to the Son the things which relate to the Father. And withal he has also intimated another thing by the way, greater even than this. For surely he hath incidentally pointed out also the transfiguration of the world, saying, "they shall wax old as a garment, and as a vesture Thou shall fold them up, and they shall be changed." Which also he saith in the Epistle to the Romans, that he shall transfigure the world. And showing the facility thereof, he adds, as if a man should fold up a garment so shall He both fold up and change it. But if He with so much ease works the transfiguration and the creation to what is better and more perfect, needed He another for the inferior creation? How far doth your shamelessness go? At the same time too this is a very great consolation, to know that things will not be as they are, but they all shall receive change, and all shall be altered, but He Himself remaineth ever existing, and living without end: "and Thy years," he saith, "shall not fail."
This is the way, dear friends, in which we found our salvation, Jesus Christ, the high priest of our offerings, the protector and helper of our weakness. Through him we fix our gaze on the heights of heaven. In him we see mirrored God's pure and transcendent face. Through him the eyes of our hearts have been opened. Through him our foolish and darkened understanding springs up to the light. Through him the Master has willed that we should taste immortal knowledge. For, since "he reflects the glory of God," "he is as much superior to the angels as the name he has obtained is more excellent than theirs." For thus it is written: "He makes his angels winds, and his servants flames of fire." But of his Son this is what the Master said: "You are my son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession." And again he says to him, "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool." Who are meant by "enemies"? Those who are wicked and resist his will.
"And you, O Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning." For when he again brings in the Firstborn; that is, when the Father was pleased to reveal His Firstborn Son in the flesh to those who dwell in the world. For it …
The Medieval Church2 voices
Lest you, hearing the words "when He brings the Firstborn into the world," should think that this is a gift given to Him afterwards by the Father, he now shows that He is the Creator of the world not in recent times, but from of …
67. – Above, the Apostle mentioned four things in which Christ excelled the angels, and he proved two of them, namely, that He excels them, because He is the Son and because He is the heir. Now he proves the third, namely, that He excels …
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): And thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands. The Lord Christ had the original right to govern the world, because he made the world in the beginning. His right, as Mediator, was by commission from the Father.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
, where the omnipotence of the Lord Jesus Christ is declared as it appears both in creating the world and in changing it. First, In creating the world (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
And, Thou, Lord - This is an address to the Son as the Creator, see Heb 1:2; for this is implied in laying the foundation of the earth. The heavens, which are the work of his hands, point out his infinite wisdom and skill.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
And--In another passage (Ps 102:25-27) He says. in the beginning--English Version, Ps 102:25, "of old": Hebrew, "before," "aforetime." The Septuagint, "in the beginning" (as in Ge 1:1) answers by contrast to the end implied in "They shall perish," &c. The Greek order here (not in the Septuagint) is, "Thou in the beginning, O Lord," which throws the "Lord" into emphasis.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And - That is, “To add another instance;” or, “to the Son he saith in another place, or in the following language.” This is connected with Heb 1:8. “Unto the Son he saith Heb 1:8, Thy throne,” etc. - and Heb 1:10 he “also” saith, “Thou Lord,” etc. That this is the meaning is apparent, because: (1) The “object” of the whole quotation is to show the exalted character of the Son of God, and, (2) An address here to Yahweh would be wholly irrelevant. Why, in an argument designed to prove that the Son of God was superior to the angels, should the writer break out in an address to Yahweh in view of the fact that he had laid the foundations of the world, and that he himself would continue to live when the heavens should be rolled up and pass away? Such is not the manner of Paul or of any other good writer, and it is clear that the writer here designed to adduce this as applicable to the Messiah. Whatever difficulties there may be about the principles on which it is done, and the reason why This passage was selected for the purpose, there can be no doubt about the design of the writer. He meant to be understood as applying it to the Messiah beyond all question, or the quotation is wholly irrelevant, and it is inconceivable why it should have been made. “Thou Lord.” This is taken from Psa 102:25-27. The quotation is made from the Septuagint with only a slight variation, and is an accurate translation of the Hebrew. In the Psalm, there can be no doubt that Yahweh is intended. This is apparent on the face of the Psalm, and particularly because the “name” Yahweh is introduced in Heb 1:10, and because He is addressed as the Creator of all things, and as immutable. No one, on reading the Psalm, ever would doubt that it referred to God, and if the apostle meant to apply it to the Lord Jesus it proves most conclusively that he is divine. […]
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
Michael S. Heiser"Naked Bible Podcast Episode 176: Hebrews 1:5-14" show notes (drmsh.com) (2017)
The writer of Hebrews builds on his assertions that the particular son of God (Jesus) who was the agent of creation, eternal wisdom, and the essence of God, by comparing him to other supernatural sons of God (angels).
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| σὺ | su | You yourself | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| κατ᾽ | kat᾽ | in | G2596 → | 468 times |
| ἀρχάς, | archas | [the] beginning, | G746 → | 55 times |
| κύριε, | kurie | Lord, | G2962 → | 711 times |
| τὴν | ten | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆν | gen | earth | G1093 → | 248 times |
| ἐθεμελίωσας, | ethemeliosas | laid the foundation, | G2311 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἔργα | erga | works | G2041 → | 168 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χειρῶν | cheiron | hands | G5495 → | 175 times |
| σού | sou | of You | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| εἰσιν | eisin | are | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανοί· | ouranoi | heavens; | G3772 → | 272 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
σὺYou yourself
suG4771 →2973 times
κατ᾽in
kat᾽G2596 →468 times
ἀρχάς,[the] beginning,
archasG746 →55 times
κύριε,Lord,
kurieG2962 →711 times
τὴνof the
tenG3588 →19766 times
γῆνearth
genG1093 →248 times
ἐθεμελίωσας,laid the foundation,
ethemeliosasG2311 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἔργαworks
ergaG2041 →168 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
χειρῶνhands
cheironG5495 →175 times
σούof You
souG4771 →2973 times
εἰσινare
eisinG1510 →2333 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανοί·heavens;
ouranoiG3772 →272 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
it leads to
- John 1:1–3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
- Isaiah 45:18
For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens—He is God; He formed the earth and fashioned it; He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be…
- Revelation 4:11
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.”
- Colossians 1:16–17
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.
- John 1:1–3
Through
Jeremiah 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!
it leads to
- Luke 1:37
For no word from God will ever fail.”
- Jeremiah 32:27
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?
- Genesis 18:14
Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
- Luke 1:37
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies23
On this chapter
- Angelology
- The Divine Council
- Hearing God
- The Joy Set Before Him
- Michael the archangel
- Once for All: the Finished Sacrifice
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About Hebrews
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Clement of Rome, 1 CLEMENT 36.1-6; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews 3; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Michael S. Heiser, "Naked Bible Podcast Episode 176: Hebrews 1:5-14" show notes (drmsh.com); Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Hebrews and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Hebrews.