Heb.
me’elohim, literally,
“than God.” The Targums, the LXX, the Syriac, and the quotation of this verse in
Heb. 2:7 read
“angels” instead of
“God.” However, the Greek versions of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, as well as the Vulgate, retain the translation
“God.” It has been supposed that
’Elohim may be applied to men or angels (see
Ex. 21:6; Ps. 82:1; Vol. I, p. 171). Gesenius renders the text:
“Thou hast caused him to want but little of God,” that is,
“thou hast made him but little lower than God” (see
Gen. 1:26). Whether we read
“than the angels” (see GC 511) or
“than God,” man is shown to be on a much higher level than the animal kingdom, because of his kinship with God. Nevertheless, at his best, finite man is far inferior to the infinite God. See further on
Heb. 2:7.