For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
For verily, х deepou (G1222)] - 'For as we all grant.' Paul alludes to Isaiah 41:8; Jeremiah 31:32, Septuagint х epilabomenou (G1949) mou (G3450) tees (G3588) cheiros (G5495) auton (G846)]. All Jews would know that the fact stated as to Messiah was what the prophets led them to expect.
Took not on him ... - rather, 'it is not angels that He is helping [the present, epilambanetai (G1949), implies duration]; but it is the seed of Abraham that He is helping.' literally, to help by taking one by the hand, as Hebrews 8:9; answering to "succour," Hebrews 2:18; "deliver," Hebrews 2:15. 'Not angels,' who have no flesh and blood, but "the children," who have "flesh and blood," He takes hold of to help by 'Himself taking part of the same' (Hebrews 2:14). Whatever effect Christ's work may have on angels, He is not taking hold of them to help them by suffering in their nature to deliver them from death, as in our case.
Seed of Abraham. He views Christ's redemption (in compliment to the Hebrews, and as enough for his purpose) with reference to Abraham's seed, the Jewish nation. The Gentiles (Hebrews 2:9, "for every man"), when believers, are also the seed of Abraham spiritually (cf. Hebrews 2:12; Psalms 22:22; Psalms 22:25; Psalms 22:27); but direct reference to them, such as is in Romans 4:11-12; Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:7; Galatians 3:14; Galatians 3:28-29, would be out of place in his present argument. It is the same argument for Jesus being the Christ which Matthew, writing for Hebrews, uses, tracing His genealogy from Abraham, the father of the Jews, to whom those promises were given on which the Jews especially prided themselves (cf. Romans 9:4-5).