What Does Hebrews 2:6 Mean in the King James?
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?
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
God’s attention to you is not distant awareness: the word “visitest” makes that regard arrive.
THE MEANING
You are held in God’s attention even when your smallness makes you seem easy to overlook. That regard comes near as active attention: God visits you.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that being small makes you forgettable to God.
THE ROOT
μιμνῄσκῃ
mimnēskē
GROWS FROM
μνη-
The Greek stem μνη- (mnē-) carries the sense of remembering and keeping in mind.
“Mindful” is more than a passing thought: the verb carries the sense of keeping someone in remembrance. The verse places that sustained attention beside “visitest,” showing that being remembered opens into being met.
ALSO GROWS
mnēmē: Memory or remembrance.
μνήμη
The shared stem makes God’s regard sound like continuing remembrance, not a momentary notice.
mnēmoneuō: To remember or call to mind.
μνημονεύω
This related verb makes explicit the act of bringing someone back into thought.
mnēmosynon: A memorial or remembrance.
μνημόσυνον
A memorial gives remembrance a lasting form, echoing the verse’s sense of being kept in mind.
ἐπισκέπτῃ
episkeptē
GROWS FROM
σκοπ-
The Greek stem σκοπ- (skop-) carries the sense of looking at, examining, or attending to.
The verb translated “visitest” conveys directed attention that turns toward someone and attends to them. Paired with “mindful,” it presents regard as something that comes near rather than remaining abstract.
ALSO GROWS
skopeō: To look at or consider carefully.
σκοπέω
It shows the attentive looking within the sense of visiting.
episkopos: An overseer, one who watches over.
ἐπίσκοπος
The related word joins looking with responsibility for what is seen.
תִפְקְדֶנּוּ
tifqedennu
GROWS FROM
פקד
The Hebrew root פקד (p-q-d) carries senses of attending to, visiting, and taking account of.
“visitest” in this verse is tifqedennu. The Psalm quoted here uses פקד (p-q-d) where the Greek has ἐπισκέπτομαι (episkeptomai), “visit.” In both languages the word reaches beyond noticing: the one who is seen is attended to.
ALSO GROWS
paqad: To attend to, visit, or take account of.
פָּקַד
This verb gives the source wording its sense of attention directed toward a person.
pequddah: Oversight, visitation, or an appointed charge.
פְּקֻדָּה
The related noun shows the root extending from an act of attention to the care or charge that follows.
THE PATTERN
Divine attention holds the human in remembrance and comes near in particular care.
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.THE THREAD
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,Hebrews uses ἐπισκέπτομαι (episkeptomai), “visit,” for God’s attention to the human; Luke uses the same Greek verb when God “hath visited” his people. The shared root presents divine regard as an arrival into the life it beholds.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us