Made a little lower than angels; Jesus crowned through death; worshiped still
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9)
Having made the body his own, he suffered in it willingly, and through the passion he is crowned with the highest glories, as having abolished death through it and rendered corruption idle — since he himself is incorruption and life. So when Scripture names him Jesus and says he was made lower than the angels, we no longer understand a human piecemeal and separately, but the Only-begotten himself economically yielding preeminence to the holy angels, because in truth he who is lesser than their superiority has become human. The angels’ superiority is that they are outside flesh and stronger than dying — and the Son has come into these things through the voluntary emptying.
Yet the One made a little lower than angels, because of the measure of humanity, being in the superiority of deity, is worshiped by them (Hebrews 1:6), and is seated on thrones that they stand around forever glorifying, naming him Lord of their powers.
Greek
«Τὸν δὲ βραχύ τι παρ’ ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένον βλέπομεν Ἰησοῦν διὰ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ θανάτου δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφανωμένον, ὅπως χάριτι Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ παντὸς γεύσηται θανάτου.»
ποιησάμενος, ἐν αὐτῷ πέπονθεν ἑκών, καὶ ταῖς ἀνωτάτω δόξαις στεφανοῦται διὰ τὸ πάθος, ὡς δι’ αὐτοῦ καταργήσας τὸν θάνατον καὶ ἄπρακτον ἀποφήνας τὴν φθοράν, ἅτε δὴ καὶ ὑπάρχων ἀφθαρσία καὶ ζωή. ὅταν οὖν Ἰησοῦν ὀνομάζῃ καὶ ἠλαττῶσθαι λέγῃ παρὰ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτόν, οὐκέτι ἄνθρωπον ἀνὰ μέρος καὶ ἰδικῶς ἀλλ’ αὐτὸν νοοῦμεν τὸν Μονογενῆ παραχωροῦντα τοῦ προὔχειν οἰκονομικῶς τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀγγέλοις, ὅτι ἀληθείᾳ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος ὁ τῆς ἐκείνων ὑπεροχῆς ἡττώμενος· τὰ δὲ τῆς ὑπεροχῆς τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀγγέλοις, ὅτε καὶ ἔξω σαρκὸς καὶ τοῦ τεθνάναι κρείττους εἰσί, γεγονότος ἐν τούτοις τοῦ Υἱοῦ διὰ τὴν ἑκούσιον κένωσιν.
ἀλλ’ ὁ βραχὺ παρ’ ἀγγέλους ἠλαττωμένος, διά γε τὸ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτρον, ἐν ὑπεροχῇ θεότητος ὢν προσκυνεῖται παρ’ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐνίδρυται θώκοις οὓς περιιστᾶσιν ἐκεῖνοι δοξολογοῦντες ἀεί, καὶ τῶν δυνάμεων αὐτοῦ ὀνομάζοντες Κύριον.
About this text
Cyril’s court treatise on right faith for Pulcheria and Eudocia (CPG 5220). One Son who suffers in flesh yet remains impassible as God. English from Pusey’s Greek.
English follows Pusey’s 1877 Greek of De recta fide ad Pulcheriam et Eudociam. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Pusey, De recta fide ad reginas (Oxford, 1877) (Greek · CPG 5220 §§1–48)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.