Hebrews 2:4
What does Hebrews 2:4 mean?
A plain-English look at Hebrews 2:4 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Hebrews 2:4 means
God himself added his testimony to the apostolic preaching by granting signs and wonders, various displays of power, and distributions of the Holy Spirit’s gifts according to his will. These were not mere spectacles but divine endorsements, confirming that the message came from him. The variety (“manifold powers”) shows God’s freedom in how he authenticated the gospel. The stress on “according to his own will” reminds us that God governs the gifts; they serve his purpose of witnessing to Christ, not human agendas. Thus the gospel stands on multiple pillars: proclaimed by the Lord, confirmed by eyewitnesses, and attested by God’s acts and Spirit, leaving hearers without excuse.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.
KJV
King James Version · 1611God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And God was a witness with them, by signs and wonders, and by more than natural powers, and by his distribution of the Holy Spirit at his pleasure.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862God also bearing joint-witness both with signs and wonders, and manifold powers, and distributions of the Holy Spirit, according to His will.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752God also bearing them witness by signs and wonders and divers miracles and distributions of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890God bearing, besides, witness with [them] to [it], both by signs and wonders, and various acts of power, and distributions of [the] Holy Spirit, according to his will?
Context
Verse 4 completes the evidentiary chain supporting the opening exhortation (vv.1–4). The readers are meant to feel the cumulative weight: the Lord spoke, trusted witnesses confirmed, and God validated. With the warning firmly established, the writer now resumes the theme of Christ’s superiority to angels from chapter 1, but with a new angle: not angels, but the Son, rules the coming order (v.5). To prove this, he turns to Scripture, particularly the testimony found in Psalm 8 (vv.6–8), and then applies it christologically to Jesus (vv.8b–9).
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me:
- Acts 2:32
This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses.
- Ephesians 1:5
having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
- Acts 14:3
Long time therefore they tarried there speaking boldly in the Lord, who bare witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
- 1 Corinthians 12:4
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
- Acts 19:11
And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
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