Lower than the angels

This article is about the scriptural phrase. For the novel by Virginia Sorensen, see A Little Lower Than the Angels (novel). For the book by Diarmaid MacCulloch, see Lower than the Angels (book).

"A little lower than the angels" is a phrase from Epistle to the Hebrews Chapter 2 and Psalm 8:5. It is a frequent locus of Christological controversy throughout the history of Christianity and theology.^{[ citation needed ]}

Source passages

The original phrase is drawn from Psalm 8:5, however the author of Hebrews follows the Greek of the Septuagint with the reading "lower than the angels" (Hebrews 2:7) instead of the Hebrew "lower than God" (Elohim). ^[1] The original Hebrew text is usually construed as "you made him [man] lower than God", while the Septuagint has the meaning "you made him [man] lower than the angels". ^[2]

Psalms 8:4-6 in Hebrew [3] [a]	English translation of Psalms 8:4-6 from Hebrew [4]	Psalms 8:4-6 in Septuagint Greek [5]	English translation of Psalms 8:4-6 from Greek [6]	Hebrews 2:6-8 [7]
4 מָה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ וּבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם כִּ֣י תִפְקְדֶֽנּוּ׃‎	4 What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?	4 τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι μιμνῄσκῃ αὐτοῦ; ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι ἐπισκέπτῃ αὐτόν;	4 What is man that you are mindful of him or son of man that you attend to him?	6 What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?
5 וַתְּחַסְּרֵ֣הוּ מְּ֭עַט מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכָב֖וֹד וְהָדָ֣ר תְּעַטְּרֵֽהוּ׃‎	5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God, [b] and crowned them with glory and honor.	5 ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι παρ᾿ ἀγγέλους, δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφάνωσας αὐτόν,	5 You diminished him a little in comparison with angels; with glory and honor you crowned him.	7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor,
6 תַּ֭מְשִׁילֵהוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣י יָדֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֝֗ל שַׁ֣תָּה תַֽחַת־רַגְלָֽיו׃‎	6 You have given them dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet,	6 καὶ κατέστησας αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου· πάντα ὑπέταξας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ,	6 And you set him over the works of your hands; you subjected all under his feet,	8 subjecting all things under their feet.

History of exegesis

The passage occupies a central place in Tertullian's Adversus Praxean. ^[8]

The passage was the occasion of the break in friendship between Erasmus and Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples. Lefèvre argued that the passage in Hebrews, although it clearly says "angels" in the Greek, should still be understood according to the original source in the Hebrew text with "lower than God", while Erasmus argued that exegesis of Hebrews 2 should follow the Septuagint of Psalm 8:5. Erasmus took the controversy to the extent of publishing seventy-two reasons why his interpretation was to be preferred. ^[9]

See also

• Christian angelology
• Divine filiation  – Christian doctrine
• Fall of man  – Adam and Eve's loss of innocence in the Abrahamic religions
• Quotations from the Hebrew Bible in the New Testament

Notes

1. In the Jewish verse numbering, the ascription of this psalm is verse 1, and the rest of the psalm begins from verse 2. However, the Christian verse numbering does not count the ascription as a separate verse.
2. Literally, "Elohim."

References

1. James W. Thompson Hebrews 2008 Page 62 "following the LXX with “lower than the angels” (2:7) instead of “lower than God” as in the Masoretic Text, the author fits the passage to his comparison of the Son with the angels. In the extended citation in 2:6–8 the author follows the LXX but omits Ps 8:6a, “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands,” before continuing the interpretation of the psalm in 2:8b–16. In the words “he subjected” (2:5)"
2. Radu Gheorghita The Role of the Septuagint in Hebrews 2003 Page 46 "The Hebrew text is probably best construed as "you made him [man] lower than God", while the Septuagint conveys the meaning "you made him [man] lower than the angels". By using the Greek text of Ps. 8 the Author not only understood the Psalm in the translation tradition of the Septuagint, but also expounded its message by building on the particular meaning of aggelos in Ps. 8:6 LXX."
3. "Psalms 8, New Jewish Publication Society of America Tanakh". Sefaria. Jewish Publication Society. 1985. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
4. "Psalms 8, New Revised Standard Version of the Bible". YouVersion. Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. 1989. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
5. "Septuagint Psalms: The Greek Old Testament". Ellopos. Elpenor in Print. 30 May 2018. ISBN   9781388379667 . Retrieved 13 June 2025.
6. "A New English Translation of the Septuagint" (PDF). Oxford University Press. 2 November 2007. p. 550. ISBN   9780195289756 . Retrieved 13 June 2025.
7. "New Revised Standard Version of the Bible". YouVersion. Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. 1989. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
8. Edgar G. Foster, Angelomorphic Christology And the Exegesis of Psalm 8:5 in Tertullian's Adversus Praxean 0761833145 2005
9. John Sandys-Wunsch What Have They Done to the Bible?: A History of Modern ...0814650287 2005 - Page 67 "The dispute between Erasmus and Lefevre was caused by a textual divergence between the Masoretic Hebrew text and the Septuagint. Both Erasmus and Lefevre agreed that this verse refers to Christ, not to mankind in general, as it did in ... ..The extent of Erasmus's annoyance is shown by the fact that he gave seventy-two reasons why his interpretation was to be preferred"