Hebrews 2:13 · Bible study
Hebrews 2:13 Commentary: Christ's Trust and the Children God Gave Him
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine why Hebrews 2:13 quotes Isaiah 8:17-18 and Psalm 18:2 to highlight Christ's identification with believers, his trust in God, and his reception of the children
Research Summary
- Meaning: Christ identifies with believers by trusting God like us and presenting us as the children the Father has given him.
- Key words: “I will be trusting” (πεποιθώς, perfect participle, ongoing, settled trust); “Behold I and the children”, emphatic ἐγώ in both citations, stressing Christ's personal identification.
- Main debate: Whether the first quotation comes from Psalm 18:2 or Isaiah 8:17.
- Theological theme: Christ's solidarity with humanity in faith and family.
- Best use: Preaching on Christ's humanity, the nature of faith, and our inclusion in God's family.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And once again: “Here am I, and the children God has given Me.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
Again, “I will put my trust in him.” Again, “Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me.”
KJV King James Version 1769
And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold, I and the children whom God hath given me.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and again, `Behold I and the children that God did give to me.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And again, I will trust in him. And again, Behold, I and the children which God has given me.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And again: I will put my trust in him. And again: Behold I and my children, whom God hath given me.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y otra vez: Yo confiaré|strong="G2071, G3982" en él. Y otra vez: He aquí, yo y los hijos que me dió Dios.
E outra vez: Nele confiarei. E outra vez: Eis-me aqui, com os filhos que Deus me deu.
Et encore:
Und abermals: “ Ich will mein Vertrauen auf ihn setzen.” und abermals: “ Siehe da, ich und die Kinder, welche mir Gott gegeben hat.”
En wederom: Ik zal Mijn betrouwen op Hem stellen. En wederom: Zie daar, Ik en de kinderen, die Mij God gegeven heeft.
E di nuovo: Io metterò la mia fiducia in Lui. E di nuovo: Ecco me e i figliuoli che Dio mi ha dati.
I zasię: Ja w nim ufać będę; a zasię: Oto ja i dzieci, które mi dał Bóg.
И еще: Я буду уповать на Него. И еще: вот Я и дети, которых дал Мне Бог.
又說：我 要 倚賴 他； 又說：看哪，我 與 神 所給 我 的兒女。
And again he says, I will put my faith in him. And again, See, I am here, and the children which God has given to me.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Hebrews 2:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the two Old Testament quotations in Hebrews 2:13 serve the author's argument that Christ fully identifies with believers. The first quotation, “I will put my trust in him”, is seen by most (Barnes, Calvin, Gill) as coming either from Psalm 18:2 or Isaiah 8:17. Either way, it places Christ in a posture of dependence on God, sharing the same trust his brothers and sisters exercise. The second quotation, “Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me”, is taken directly from Isaiah 8:18. In its original setting, Isaiah and his children were signs to Israel. The author of Hebrews reads these as fulfilled in Christ, who presents the redeemed community as the children the Father has given him. As Wesley observed, this is “a like acknowledgment of his near relation to them, as younger brethren.” The exact source of the first quotation is debated, but the point stands: Christ so enters the human condition that he not only trusts God like us, but also gathers us as his own family, presenting us before the Father.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Christ identifies with believers by sharing their trust in God and by presenting them as the children the Father has given him.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Source of the first quotation | Both Psalm 18:2 and Isaiah 8:17 express trust in God, and the author uses the Septuagint text. | Some (Calvin, Gill) favor Psalm 18, noting its messianic elements; others (Barnes, Cambridge) prefer Isaiah 8 because it immediately precedes the second quotation and matches the Septuagint wording. |
| Author's interpretive method | The author applies Old Testament passages to Christ in a way that goes beyond their original historical context. | Some (Cambridge, Vincent) see this as a 'dissociation from context' following first-century Jewish exegesis; others (Clarke, Jamieson) argue that the original contexts already prefigure Christ, making the application legitimate. |
| Identity of the 'children' | The children are believers whom the Father gives to the Son for salvation. | Some emphasize the corporate identity of the church as the new spiritual Israel; others focus on individual election, the children are those ‘given’ in eternity past (Gill, JFB). |
| Christ's trust as man vs. divine independence | Christ's trust demonstrates genuine human dependence on the Father. | Catholic and Orthodox traditions stress that this trust reflects Christ's human will fully cooperating with the divine will; Protestant traditions emphasize that Christ's faith is both exemplary for us and vicarious, fulfilling the trust we owe God. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Isaiah 8:17, 18 comes from a period of political crisis. Judah faced an alliance between Israel and Syria during the reign of Ahaz (c. 734 BC). The king and his court were tempted to trust in Assyrian military might or in the occult. In response, Isaiah withdrew, determined to trust the Lord alone. His two sons, Shear-jashub (“a remnant shall return”) and Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“swift spoil, quick plunder”), were living prophecies, their names proclaiming judgment and hope. When Isaiah said, “I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and for wonders,” he meant that his household embodied God’s message to the nation.
By the first century AD, Jewish interpreters (including the author of Hebrews) commonly applied such passages to the Messiah. Hebrews quotes the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, which in Isaiah 8:17 has the same phrasing that appears in Hebrews 2:13. The author sees Christ as the ultimate faithful prophet, the one who trusts God completely in the face of opposition. And the “children” are no longer Isaiah’s biological sons but the spiritual family Jesus brings to glory, as the surrounding context (Hebrews 2:10, 12) makes clear. The original historical sense is not abandoned; it is seen as prefiguring the greater reality of Christ and his redeemed people.
The Psalm 18 connection adds another layer. This royal psalm of David celebrates deliverance from enemies. Early Christian tradition interpreted it messianically, as Romans 15:9 shows. By applying David’s words “I will put my trust in him” to Christ, Hebrews affirms that the Son of David shares the same reliance on the Father that all God’s children must have.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries and lexical sources note no significant textual variants for Hebrews 2:13. The verse appears consistently in the Greek manuscript tradition as quoted from the Septuagint. The only slight variation is the insertion of ἐγώ (“I myself”) in the first quotation, which some manuscripts omit, but the best evidence (including the interlinear data) supports its presence as emphatic. This insertion is likely the author's own addition to highlight the speaker as Christ.
Reception History
Early church fathers such as Chrysostom and Theodoret saw in Hebrews 2:13 proof of Christ's genuine humanity and his role as the head of the redeemed. For them, the trust Christ expresses grounds Christian confidence that God can be trusted in suffering. Medieval commentators like Thomas Aquinas used the verse to illustrate Christ's headship of the church: as the children are given to him, he stands before the Father as their representative. Reformation-era writers (Calvin, the Geneva Bible) emphasized that Christ's trust shows he is not merely a distant judge but a brother who shares our condition. In modern critical scholarship, the verse has become a test case for the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament, with some questioning the author's historical fidelity and others defending his typological approach. Across all periods, the verse has been sung in hymns celebrating Christ's solidarity with his people, often echoing the phrase “Behold I and the children.”
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Christ trusts like we do. The Son does not claim exemption from dependence. As man, he looks to the Father for strength, modeling the life of faith his people are called to live.
- Christ includes us as his family. He does not come alone. He presents himself “and the children God has given me.” Salvation is not individual rescue; it is being brought into a family headed by the Son.
- Christ presents us to the Father. The quotation echoes a priestly or mediatorial action: the Son stands before God with his people, claiming them as his own. This is the basis for our confidence before God.
Five-point outline
- Solidarity in dependence: Jesus trusts the Father in his suffering, showing that trust is appropriate for every child of God.
- Solidarity in identity: The “children” are those the Father gives, this is a gift, not an achievement.
- Solidarity in mission: Like Isaiah’s children who were signs, believers today are signs of God’s work in Christ.
- Solidarity in suffering: Trust is forged in difficulty. Christ’s trust was tested (see Hebrews 5:7), and he passes the test as our representative.
- Solidarity in glory: The end of Hebrews 2 is Christ crowned with glory. We share that destiny because we share his family.
Illustration hooks
- A parent who steps into a child's fear, sitting beside them in the dark, trusting together that morning will come.
- A team leader who does not stand apart giving orders but works alongside, showing trust in the same plan.
- A pastor who, after a public failure, says “I need to trust God just like you do”, and the congregation feels closer, not scandalized.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does Jesus really understand what it's like to need to trust God when everything goes wrong?
- If Christ is God, how can he say “I will put my trust in him”? Doesn't trust imply uncertainty?
- What does it mean that we are “given” to Christ, are we objects without choice?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is a window into how the author of Hebrews reads the Old Testament in light of Christ. He takes a passage about the prophet Isaiah and his children and applies it directly to Jesus and believers. The point is not word-for-word prediction but deep continuity: the same trust in God that marked the faithful remnant now defines the Messiah and his people. As you discuss, consider both the historical meaning and the New Testament claim that Christ fulfills it.
Discussion questions
- Read Isaiah 8:11, 18. What was the original situation, and what did Isaiah mean by “I will wait for the Lord” and “I and the children”?
- Why do you think the author of Hebrews applies these words to Jesus? What does that tell us about how the New Testament uses the Old?
- The Greek text says “I will be trusting”, a continuous state. What does this suggest about Christ's earthly life?
- How does Christ's trust differ from ours? Is it perfect trust, or just trust in the same sense?
- What does it mean for us to be “children given” to Christ? How does that shape your understanding of salvation?
- In verse 12, Christ calls believers “brothers.” In verse 13, they are “children.” Why the shift in language?
- If Jesus needed to trust the Father, what does that say about our own need to trust? Is trust optional for Christians?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 33:5 | He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” |
| Genesis 48:9 | Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.” |
| II Samuel 22:3 | God is my rock in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My savior, you save me from violence. |
| Psalms 16:1 | A Poem by David. Preserve me, God, for I take refuge in you. |
| Psalms 18:2 | Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. |
| Psalms 36:7 | How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings. |
| Psalms 36:8 | They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures. |
| Psalms 91:2 | I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that the apostle quotes these Old Testament phrases not as isolated proof texts, but as catch-words pointing to entire prophetic passages that together foretell the Messiah. Each quotation summons a larger context—like Psalm 18—that encompasses Christ’s sufferings, the signs at his crucifixion, and the calling of the Gentiles.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the quotation originally described Isaiah's own feelings, not a direct prediction of the Messiah. But the resemblance between Isaiah's situation and Christ's was so close that the same language fittingly applies to Jesus, showing his identification with his people. This typological reading does not require an original messianic reference.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that the verse about putting trust in God ultimately belongs to Christ, not only to David. The Psalm's grandiose claims of ruling distant nations and receiving willing submission far exceed anything David accomplished. Only Christ fulfills these words, as people from every land freely obey Him through the power of His teaching, not military force.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the author of Hebrews takes these Old Testament verses entirely out of their original historical setting and applies them to Christ and believers. This was a standard interpretive method among Jews and Christians at that time, though the commentator regards it as an extreme example of reading Scripture in a Messianic sense.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight that Christ declares his own trust in the Father and then identifies himself with the believers God has given him. This shows Christ
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that these verses show Christ truly took on human nature, because as God he could not be said to trust. The Messiah exercised faith and hope in God, committing his spirit at death and trusting for resurrection. Christ openly owns believers as children given to him, proving they are one family.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes that Christ's declaration of trust in the Father was not for himself, since he is one with the Father, but as a pattern for his people. He also sees Christ presenting believers as God's children, already considered such in God’s eternal purpose, as the antitypical fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic role.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange treats the psalm as describing humanity's original destiny, not directly Christ. The "son of man" refers to mankind, whose intended dominion is not yet seen. But we see Jesus as the one representative Man in whom this destiny is realized, first humbled briefly, then crowned through suffering.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that Christ's sufferings were not a defeat but a fitting and proper choice by God, who orders all things for His own glory. Making the captain of salvation perfect through suffering was the appropriate means for God to bring many sons to glory.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that the New Testament writer takes Isaiah's words out of their original historical setting—where the prophet and his children served as living symbols of God's will during a war—and instead reads them as a messianic statement about Christ's trust in God and his unity with believers. He treats the passage as separate from its context, even inserting a Greek word to emphasize the speaker as the Messiah.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights Christ's twofold identification with believers. First, Christ speaks as one who shares fully in human suffering and nature, placing his own trust in God to carry him through trials. Second, Christ presents believers to the Father as younger siblings entrusted to him, acknowledging them as God's own gift.