Hebrews 2:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

See how again he joins them to Christ, honoring and consoling them, and calling them Christ’s brethren because “all are from One.” Yet at the same time he defines his words and shows that he is speaking of Christ according to the flesh. Saying: “He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified.” Do you see the difference between Him and us? He sanctifies, and we are sanctified. Above, too, He was called the author of their salvation. “For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things” (1 Cor. 8:6). “Therefore He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Do you see how again he shows His superiority? By the expression “He is not ashamed,” he shows that all this depends not on the nature of the thing, but on the mercy and great humility of Him who is not ashamed.

By accepting flesh, He also accepted brotherhood. Brotherhood came together with the flesh. Yet here again there is superiority. "I will declare," He says, to those in darkness and without knowledge. This is like: "I have manifested Your name to the men" (Jn 17:6).

We were not His brothers, but had become enemies through our falls into sin. Yet He, not a mere man but God, after granting us freedom, also calls us His brothers. For it is said: "I will declare Your name to My brethren." Therefore, if we turn our thought to His divine nature, the One who redeemed us is neither our brother nor a man. But if we consider His gracious condescension toward us, then He calls us brothers and descends to humanity.

But lest this seem strange to you, the prophet long ago foretold it, saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the Church," that is, the assembly of believers, "I will praise," or sing to, "You" (Ps 21:23).

“For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: ‘I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren. In the midst of the Church I will sing praise to Thee.’ And again: ‘I will put My trust in Him.’ And again: ‘Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.’” This phrase “He is not ashamed” is enough to show the distinction of sonship. When speaking of masters and servants, and showing the humility of masters, we are accustomed to say: “He is not ashamed to eat and drink with servants, to sit with them, and himself to heal their sick.” Therefore the same thing is implied here. The One who accepted suffering for us is not ashamed to call brethren those for whom He endured suffering. He calls them not only brethren, but also children.

Saying, "I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the Church I will sing to You" (Ps 21:23), He declared to the apostles that His Father is God. In the midst of the assembly He glorified Him by ascribing all His works to Him and thereby magnifying Him. Having clothed Himself in flesh, He also clothed Himself in brotherhood, and through the flesh He acquired brotherhood for Himself.

These apostolic words disclose the need for the death of the Son of God as arising from Himself. The Apostle begins his reasoning by observing that, in the wondrous divine economy of men’s salvation, the Lord God had appointed that both the sanctifying Son of God and the sanctified men should proceed from one beginning. They were to have one vital source, in a word, to be of one and the same nature. This providential purpose of God for men was fully realized through the Incarnation of the Son of God. Saint Paul finds it necessary to confirm his thought about the unity of nature between Jesus Christ and men, and about their brotherhood according to humanity, by the God-inspired words of David the psalmist (Ps. 21:23) and the prophet Isaiah (Is. 8:17, 18). For among the Hebrews, the words of Scripture always had the greatest demonstrative force and persuasiveness.

The Old Testament also testifies that this Sanctifier always regarded, felt, and even designated Himself as the brother of men, and as close to those chosen by God for sanctification. Thus the Messiah, as depicted in Ps. 21:20, appears as acting among men and proclaiming to them the name of God. He calls men His brethren. The Apostle further proves the same thing by the words of the prophet Isaiah (Is. 8:17). In Isaiah’s life, namely in one event, Isaiah, by God’s command, approached the prophetess and she bore him two sons. By the names given to them, they symbolically indicated the destinies of all members of the kingdom of God. At this moment in Isaiah’s life, the Apostle regards him as a type of the Messiah.