Hebrews opens with one of the most theologically dense and confrontational statements in the New Testament. In just a few verses, the author dismantles lesser views of Christ and establishes the absolute supremacy of the Son.
One phrase in particular does enormous theological work:
“He is the radiance of the glory of God…” (Hebrews 1:3)
The word translated radiance is rare—so rare that it appears only once in the entire New Testament. That word is ἀπαύγασμα (apaugasma).
To understand what the author of Hebrews means, we must trace where this word comes from—and what it meant to Jewish readers steeped in Second Temple theology.
A Rare Word with a Very Specific Source
The Greek word apaugasma appears only one other time in ancient Jewish literature:
📖 Wisdom of Solomon 7:26
“For she is a reflection (apaugasma) of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness.”
This is not accidental. The author of Hebrews is intentionally borrowing language from Wisdom literature, specifically the portrayal of divine Wisdom as the radiant outshining of God’s own glory.
Wisdom in the Jewish Imagination
Jewish readers would immediately recognize this imagery because it draws from Proverbs 8, where Wisdom is personified and speaks:
- She existed before creation
- She was with God
- She functioned as the agent of creation
- She rejoiced continually in God’s presence
“Then I was constantly at his side…” (Proverbs 8:30)
This language is personification, not mythology. Wisdom is not a separate being alongside God. She represents God’s own eternal wisdom expressed in relational, poetic form.
Why the Feminine Language?
The feminine pronouns have nothing to do with gender. The Hebrew word ḥokmah (wisdom) is grammatically feminine.
This is grammatical gender, not biological gender—just as some languages assign gender to inanimate objects. The point is theological, not anatomical.
Wisdom Is Eternal—Because God Is Eternal
Here is the critical theological insight:
There was never a time when God lacked wisdom.
If wisdom were created, God would have once been ignorant—and such a being would not be God.
Therefore:
- Wisdom is eternal
- Wisdom is inseparable from God
- Wisdom is an attribute of God Himself
When Scripture speaks of Wisdom “coming forth” from God, it is describing eternal self-expression, not a beginning in time.
Jesus and Wisdom in the Gospels
The New Testament does something startling with this Wisdom imagery.
In Luke 11:49, Jesus says:
“The Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles…’”
But in the parallel passage in Matthew 23:34, Jesus says:
“Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes…”
Same speech.
Same authority.
Different speaker.
Luke attributes the words to Wisdom.
Matthew places them directly in Jesus’ mouth.
Together, the Gospels identify Jesus as the embodied Wisdom of God—the one who sends prophets, judges Israel, and speaks with Yahweh’s authority.
What Hebrews 1:3 Is Really Saying
Now return to Hebrews:
“He is the apaugasma of the glory of God…”
By choosing this specific word, the author is saying:
- The Son is not merely reflecting God’s glory
- He is the outshining of it
- He shares God’s eternal nature
- He is uncreated
- He is co-creator
This is reinforced immediately:
“Through whom also He created the world” (Hebrews 1:2)
Jesus is not one of the created “sons of God.” He is the eternal Son—distinct from angels, yet fully divine.
A Direct Challenge to Torah-Centered Theology
Some Jewish traditions equated Wisdom with Torah, treating the Law as eternal and divine.
The author of Hebrews knows this—and deliberately overturns it.
The Torah is not:
- the radiance of God’s glory
- the exact imprint of God’s nature
- the agent of creation
The Son is.
This explains the book’s relentless argument:
- Christ is greater than angels
- greater than Moses
- greater than the Law
- greater than the old covenant
Hebrews is not a bridge back to Judaism—it is a warning not to return.
Conclusion: Why This Matters
By calling Jesus the apaugasma of God’s glory, Hebrews declares that:
- Jesus is eternal Wisdom
- God has fully revealed Himself in the Son
- There is no higher revelation coming
- Returning to the old system is regression, not faithfulness
The gauntlet is laid down in Hebrews 1.
God has spoken—not incrementally, not partially, not through shadows—but in His Son, who is the radiant outshining of His very being.
References
Michael Heiser, Naked Bible Podcast, Episode 175
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