“What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and has crowned him with glory and honour.” Ps. 8:4-5 (KJV, emphasis added)
or
“What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!” Ps. 8:4-5 (NASB, emphasis added)
I was in a Bible study class a few years ago where the above scripture was discussed. The scripture was read by someone from the KJV and then in discussing it, someone else in the class criticized the KJV for translating the word angels incorrectly. In the Hebrew text the word used is elohim which, according to the gentleman who spoke, only refers to God. So he stressed that mankind was made a little lower than God and we are at least equal to or superior to the angels.
Although it’s true that elohim refers to God the majority of the time in scripture, we must compare scripture with scripture to find out what the translation of the word should be. Our answer is found in Hebrews 2 where the writer describes this Psalm as being messianic–
“Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: …
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Heb. 2:7, 9)
Bible versions, such as the NASB, that translate the word as God in Psalms turn around and translate the word as angels in Hebrews. Why? The word angels is how it really should be translated in the context of scripture since the Psalm is messianic and spoke of how Jesus would humble himself to take on the form of feeble humanity. The KJV translaters got it correct because they knew the importance of comparing the whole word of God to make sure they translated properly. They knew that the New Testament revealed what was concealed in the Old Testament.
But God always supplies us with two or three witnesses as verification, so let’s see if anywhere else in scripture we find the principle of man being lower than the angels–
“And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Luke 20:34-36 (emphasis added)
In this passage, Jesus clearly states that once the saints are given their resurrected bodies, they become equal to the angels. We understand from the scriptures our resurrection is a promotion from our present corrupt state. Therefore, if we get a promotion to become equal to angels, then we are at this time lower than (inferior to) the angels.
So, saints of God, let’s not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think.
–Harry A. Gaylord–
March 7, 2007 at 9:32 pm |
[...] Furthermore, those who are saved will one day receive a resurrection body that will make them equal to the angels (Luke 20:36). Man will never be a [...]
March 10, 2007 at 6:11 am |
[...] Bible says man will never be a god and the desire to be like a god comes from Satan (Genesis [...]
February 19, 2009 at 4:52 pm |
As I read Psalm 8 I see no evidence that it is a “Messianic” Psalm. As David is admiring the glory of God’s creation in his awe he asks God “Why do you care about man? What is it about him that interests you when you are obviously so much more glorious? I don’t think that David would ask a question like this in reference to Jesus. Nor would I think that God would inspire such a statement about the Son of God. I think that this Psalm is speaking of mankind and if you look at Genesis 1:26-31 you can see that Psalm 8 is referring to the authority and dominion that God gave Adam.
February 19, 2009 at 10:59 pm |
[As I read Psalm 8 I see no evidence that it is a “Messianic” Psalm.]
You have to understand that scriptures sometimes refer to multiple incidents throughout history. In other words, prophecies in the scripture can be fulfilled by more than one occurrence in history. For instance, Jeremiah 31:15 prophesies of Rachel (Rahel) weeping for her children, the nation of Israel. This prophecy spoke of Israel’s defeat and captivity in a foreign land. But this prophecy was also fulfilled and quoted in Matthew 2 when Herod slaughtered innocent children of Bethlehem in an attempt to snuff out the Messiah.
Psalm 8 speaks of man’s dominion, but it also speaks about the Messiah coming to Earth in the form of a man, a form that was lower than the angels. This is what the writer of Hebrews is showing us in the New Testament in chapter 2. The writer of Hebrews wrote what the Holy Spirit told him to, which is why it appears in the Bible. Are you saying–since you don’t agree with Psalm 8 being Messianic–that the writer of Hebrews is wrong?
February 21, 2009 at 11:02 am |
No, I am still trying to sort this out. I am leaning toward the understanding that Elohim in Hebrews 2:7 is Godhead not angels. How can we be lower than the angels if according to Hebrews 1:14 “Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” and 1 Corinthians 6:3 says that we will judge angels?
February 21, 2009 at 1:16 pm |
With questions like the ones you’ve raised, you have to look at the whole scripture from Genesis to Revelation and you have to look at the scriptures with exegesis (getting out of it what God is really saying) as opposed to eisegesis (reading into it what you want to get out of it).
The context of Hebrews 1 and 2 is showing how Jesus, who is superior to the angels, humbled himself to be made lower than the angels like man is, so he could save man.
Angels are our ministers, but so is Jesus. Jesus said in Matthew 20:27-28, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” You’re making the assumption that ministers in God’s kingdom are like the ministers in earthly kingdoms. In other words, you mistakenly believe a minister is lower than the ones they serve.
1 Corinthians 6:3 says we will judge angels, but that is in the future when we have gone through the judgment seat of Christ and are given our resurrected bodies to reign alongside the Lord. It is only at that time that we will become “equal unto the angels,” as Jesus told us in Luke 20:36. If we become equal to the angels at the time of our resurrection, and our resurrection is a promotion, then it stands to reason that in our present state of having corruptible bodies that we are lower than the angels.
If we go along with your understanding that man is a little lower than God and is superior to the angels, then our resurrection becomes a demotion where we become equal to the angels. Why did Jesus suffer all that he suffered just for us to be demoted in the end? This goes against everything the scriptures teach.
The scriptures tell us that angels can move faster than us, are way stronger physically than us, and that they go back and forth from heaven to earth on a regular basis. We as humans don’t have this power within ourselves to do these things like angels do. This alone shows us they are superior to us.
March 7, 2009 at 3:12 pm |
you use equal to be synonymous with the same. OK Luke 20 36 is one scripture that is clearly talking about being like angels when it comes to them being eternal i.e. not dying. You have pointed out that in strength, speed and travel we are different i.e not the same, so are we in purpose, redemption, grace and mercy. You think that beings that cannot know Grace, Redemtion, Mercy and God dwelling in them are superior !!!
March 7, 2009 at 4:31 pm |
[you use equal to be synonymous with the same]
This isn’t my doing. The context and content of certain scriptures proves that “equal” and “same” mean that the nouns being spoken of are on the same level, that one is not above or below the other.
Scriptures prove that heavenly angels at the present time are superior to humans. I’ve provided more than enough scriptures to prove this point that God himself has made obvious in the Bible. To argue against this established truth only means that the person(s) going against this truth is caught up in man-made doctrine to which they have been subjected to for an extended period of time. Instead of taking God at his word, they have given in to lies taught to them by men who they have esteemed too highly.
March 8, 2009 at 8:50 am |
So, saints of God, let’s not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think.
—
Yes this is true because the law which came from heaven stated to us that:
Mt:20:27: And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
the angels and we are all servants in different category as shown in revelation and daniel.
April 6, 2009 at 7:11 am |
The two passages of scripture that are in question here are just that two different passages of scripture. The one in Psalms is relating the position that God made man in orginally in creation. God made man to have dominion over ALL things that he created. The word dominion in the orginal Hebrew means to rule or reign. This is not man thinking more highly of himself than he ought to think. This is God placing his created man in a position of ruling just a little lower than Himself ( God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost and then created man).
It is clearly seen that created man is the crowning creation. But man fell from this God given place when he traded everything that God had given him to Satan. Now when this happened man lost his place of rule over the rest of creation and found himself at the bottom of creation under the rule of creation. ie. Satan
The passage in Hebrews, when you read it is almost a direct quote from Psalms, but stop and think about it. The word angels here when you look at it in the Greek is the word messenger or angels. And rightly so. Jesus, the Son of God, willingly set aside his Glory and came to this world as a man. ( He was fully God and Fully man). The only way Jesus could make the way of salvation availible to man was to come in the same place of man, which is now lower than the angels.
So we have two different scripture talking about two different things. One is talking about man in his orginal created form and the other about Jesus coming to man’s defeated position.
Now let me share one other thing to you. 2 Cor. 5:17 Says Therefore if any man be in Christ then he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Behold ALL things are become new.
The word creature in the Greek means orignal formation. When you come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as your personal saviour God restores you back to your orginal formation. We now have our place back that God had made for man in the begining!!!
Is it any wonder why this scripture is getting some much attention in today’s time. Satan is doing his best to keep Christians away from the truth of God’s word. Satan is trying to keep Christians in a defeated position. Satan don’t want Christians (born-again Bible believing and restored) knowing what position we hold in God’s order of creation. Satan knows that if we get ahold of this truth then he has no hold over us. Because we have the power to rule over him, not by anything we have of ourselves but throught the blood of Jesus Christ.
April 6, 2009 at 5:55 pm |
Ronnie,
Nice try, but the writer of Hebrews quotes the Psalm to reveal to us what it means. Both scriptures have the same meaning. Even in our original state, we were lower than the angels. Adam and Eve never flew back and forth to heaven as angels do. Adam and Eve were not able to pass through solid objects like angels can.
Your twisting of the scripture even flies in the face of what the Lord Jesus told us about our resurrected bodies. It is only when we are physically resurrected that we become equal to the angels [Luke 20:34-36]. When you make a spiritual point, you have to compare scripture with scripture to make sure your point is correct. You in your explanation have failed to do this.
April 7, 2009 at 6:39 am |
Well thank you for your time. It was a pleasure talking with you. And I will not be one to argue over God’s word. But I just can’t get over what you said about the King James version of the Bible giving the right translation of the word angels in Psalms. I did not realize that all of the people including the apostles were wrong. I thought the Bible said that all of the writers of the Bible were led by the Holy Ghost to write what they did, not just King James. When was the King James version written? 1511?-1611? Any way may God richly bless you.
April 7, 2009 at 10:51 pm |
Ronnie,
I’m glad you left your comments. I just wanted to clarify a couple of things. King James commissioned a group of scholars to gather the most reliable manuscripts (the Masoretic text, Textus Receptus) to compile the KJV. Neither he nor any of his chosen scholars wrote the Bible, they just translated what the prophets and apostles had already written.
Other versions used corrupted manuscripts where many deletions and additions of words had been made. The KJV got the words of the apostles correct while other versions mistranslated many of their sayings. This is why there is confusion about the scriptures in the Psalms and Hebrews that I highlighted in this post. The correct word is “angels” and the KJV got the translation correct in agreement with what the psalmist and writer of Hebrews said.
The doctrine of man being a little lower than God got its start in the garden of Eden when the serpent told Eve about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods…” [Genesis 3:5]
Ever since that day, man has sought to elevate himself in the same way that Lucifer sought to elevate himself higher than where God intended for him to be. This is the root of the false doctrine that man is a little lower than God and the doctrine really spread after less reliable, newer versions of the Bible became prominent. The doctrine was first embraced in modern times by the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement.
April 8, 2009 at 6:43 am |
Thank you. May God truly bless you.
April 19, 2009 at 3:34 am |
Hey I’m a little behind, but I for one am glad I am a man and not an angel even if they are higher. Unlike angels I can experience grace, forgiveness and and freedom in Christ! To be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ and to know it beyond all doubt in your heart, is something that nothing can compare to! I could never trade that for anything! Those were just my thoughts after reading through the comments.
May 2, 2009 at 7:34 am |
Ps ch 8, Heb ch 2 and many other scriptures that are out there mean that we are indeed a little lower that God and His Angels. But one thing I know is this, that I will in no way say that God’s Word is not true. It is true and will always be, but in Eph ch 2:6 and 1:20 states that I’m seated with Christ in heavenly places or to paraphrase (that just as Christ is seated next to the Father there I am also) that is where I can see that we are indeed under God and higher than the Angels. But really It does not matter to a certain degreee because we are there in the Heavenly places and that we are on the same team Amen!
May 2, 2009 at 9:32 am |
[But really It does not matter to a certain degreee...we are on the same team]
We may be on the same team, but it definitely DOES matter what we teach since doctrine is important in that it shows us how we should see ourselves, how we perceive others, and how we perceive God (what pleases him or displeases him).
Yes, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, but this position still does not make us superior to angels. In the spirit realm we also know, according to scripture, that there are cherubim whose wings go over God’s mercy seat, but their physical position does not mean they are superior to God.
No matter what you argue, you still can’t get around the fact that Christ himself said that we will be “equal” to the angels in the resurrection. That’s as high as we’ll ever get.
This false doctrine of us being higher than the angels is rooted in ungodly pride. If you don’t believe me, just go to any church that preaches this doctrine. Most of them are charismatic or pentecostal and all you have to do is look around and look behind the scenes at how they operate. You’ll see pride, pride, and more pride! They strive with each other out of pride. They seek to get in good with men or women who are placed on pedestals to exalt themselves in their pride. They will snub people not in their cliques out of pride.
October 12, 2009 at 12:45 pm |
Translators of the NASB were confused about who God really is, and how He compares to man.
God is infinite, and there is no such thing as “a little less infinite,” or “a little more infinite.”
Man was created a little lower than angels, and Jesus was (in His humanity) created a little lower than angels, and Hebrews 2:9 explains why:
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
In what respect are we lower than the angels? At least in this one; we die, angels do not.
Modern translators have been nibbling at the KJV for years, and have misled many good Christians into believing much of their nonsense. Even some Fundamental Christians of believing the KJV is more accurate than some of the Originals. The truth is, copies of the Originals have been perverted, and the KJV translators recognized that, and acted accordingly.
Mac
November 3, 2009 at 6:19 pm |
I am going with Mike on this all the way! Check out
Hebrews 1:14 and 1 Corinthians 6:3!! Thanks Mike!
November 3, 2009 at 11:17 pm |
The context of Hebrews 1 is that the Lord Jesus Christ is superior to the angels and then it quotes all of the prophecies in the Old Testament that show Christ is over the angels. Then the chapter concludes in v. 14 by stating angels are ministering spirits, not agents of salvation like Christ, who minister to those of us who inherit salvation. This in no way has anything to do with saying saints are superior to angels, because we’re not.
The angels we as saints will judge in 1 Corinthians 6:3 are the angels who kept not their first estate, i.e. the fallen angels. There is no need for us to judge the heavenly angels who are obedient to God. Fallen angels received a demotion when they rebelled against God and are considered below the saints according to the scriptures. That’s why we can command them to flee in the name of the Lord Jesus. Jesus has given us power over them.
So the doctrine of the pentecostals/charismatics claiming we are superior to the heavenly angels is incorrect according to the scriptures. You can misquote and twist scripture to your personal satisfaction all you want to try to promote your false doctrine, but at the end of the day (resurrection day to be precise) we will still be equal to the heavenly angels just like Christ said we would be.