Hebrews 1:3
“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
King James Version (KJV)
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These words open the letter to the Hebrews, written to believers tempted to drift back from Christ. The author immediately establishes the surpassing greatness of the Son above the prophets and angels.
What Does Hebrews 1:3 Mean?
Hebrews 1:3 says the Son perfectly reveals God, holds the universe together, dealt fully with our sins, and now reigns at God's right hand. The verse opens the letter by lifting the Son above every angel, prophet, and priest. He is the "brightness" of God's glory -- not a reflected gleam but the very shining-forth of God, the way light streams inseparably from its source. To see Him is to see what God is truly like.
He is also the "express image" of God's person, a phrase drawn from the impression a seal stamps into wax: exact, faithful, leaving nothing out. And He is no distant figure -- He is "upholding all things by the word of his power," actively carrying creation forward moment by moment. The turning point is the clause "when he had by himself purged our sins." The cleansing was His own work, accomplished personally and completely. Then He "sat down," the posture of finished labor; a priest whose work is done no longer stands. Seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high, He holds the place of highest honor and authority. The whole sweep of the verse moves from who He is, to what He made, to what He did for us, to where He now reigns.
In the Original Language
The Greek charaktēr ("express image") is the precise impress left by an engraving tool or seal, and apaugasma ("brightness") is the radiance that streams out from a light source.
Cross References
“And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
- Colossians 1:17
“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
- John 14:9
“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”
- Hebrews 10:12
Application
Because the Son fully reveals God and has personally purged our sins, we can trust both what God is like and that our cleansing is genuinely accomplished in Him.
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