Hebrews 2:6 Meaning: When We Ask 'What Is Man?'
But one has somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him?
But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
But one hath somewhere testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
and one in a certain place did testify fully, saying, `What is man, that Thou art mindful of him, or a son of man, that Thou dost look after him?
but one has testified somewhere, saying, What is man, that thou rememberest him, or son of man that thou visitest him?
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Hebrews quote Psalm 8 with 'one has somewhere testified'? It shows God's care for frail people and points to Jesus as the true Son of Man.
Context
Hebrews is written to believers who are tempted to turn back because following Jesus feels hard. The first two chapters make a case that Jesus is greater than angels. Now the writer shows that the world to come, the new creation God is bringing, is not put under angels. It is put under human beings. That was God's plan from the beginning, but we do not yet see it fully realized. Then the writer reaches for an ancient song. He does not name the singer. He simply says someone, somewhere, once testified, and those words carry the weight of everything that follows.
Key Words
The Greek verb behind 'testified' is diamarturomai. It carries the force of a solemn, earnest witness, not just a passing comment. This is a testimony that matters. The word 'mindful' comes from mimnēskō, which means to remember, to hold someone in thought even when they are not present. And 'care for' translates episkeptomai, a word used of visiting the sick or the imprisoned, coming close to help. The Hebrew behind this verse uses enosh for man, a word that means weak, fragile, sick. So the question is not 'What is so great about man?' but 'What is this frail creature that You, God, would keep him in mind and come to him?' The wonder grows when you feel small.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have long read this verse through two lenses, and both are held with sincerity. Some, like the early Reformed commentators, see it as first about Adam and his lost dominion, then fulfilled in Christ the representative Man. Others emphasize that the Psalm directly praises God for crowning all humanity with glory, and the writer of Hebrews applies it to Jesus because He is the true human being in whom that glory is finally seen. The Anglican Cambridge Bible puts it gently: the Psalm applies to man in general, and only in a secondary sense to Jesus as man. Both readings point to the same wonder, God's attention to us, and its ultimate yes in Christ.
A common misunderstanding
Some people read 'What is man?' and hear only human worthlessness, a shrug from heaven. In fact, the question runs the other way. The Hebrew word for man here, enosh, means weak and mortal, and the Psalmist's amazement is that God would remember such a creature at all. The verse is not about how small we are, but about how stunning it is that God cares for the small.
Living This Out
This week, you may feel like enosh, fragile, forgettable, worn down. Try sitting with the question the verse asks, not as a put-down but as an invitation. God thinks of you. He visits you. He does not wait for you to be impressive. The connection you long for is already His idea. When you pray tonight, let the wonder of that settle in before you ask for anything.
Main takeaway: God remembers and cares for frail human beings, and that care is perfectly shown in Jesus, the Son of Man.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God thinks about you all the time. He even visits you in your heart. Isn't that amazing?
For ages 9, 12
This verse asks a question that surprises us: 'What is a human being that God would even think about them?' The answer is not that we are great enough to earn His attention. It is that God is so good that He pays attention to small, weak people. And He showed that fully when Jesus came to be with us.
Questions People Ask
Why does Hebrews say 'one has somewhere testified' instead of naming David?
It was a common Jewish way of quoting Scripture with reverence. The writer assumes his readers know the Psalm well. By not naming the author, he draws attention to the authority of the words themselves, not the human speaker.
Does the 'son of man' in this verse refer to Jesus directly?
In the original Psalm, 'son of man' means any human being, a child of Adam. But the writer of Hebrews uses the quote to introduce Jesus, who is the Son of Man in a unique sense. The phrase points to His full humanity and His role as the representative of all people.
How does this verse fit into Hebrews' argument about angels?
The writer is proving that the world to come is not subjected to angels, but to humanity. By quoting Psalm 8, he shows that God's original plan was for humans to rule. That plan is not yet fully seen, but it is already true in Jesus, who is crowned with glory and honor.
What does 'mindful' mean in this verse?
The Greek word means to remember or keep someone in thought. It suggests that God does not forget us even when we are absent or distant. His attention to us is steady and personal.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study