Matthew Poole and continuators on Hebrews 2:16

16 For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels , but he took on him the Seed of Abraham .

The Spirit having asserted the Deliverance of the Children from their Slavery to the Devil, shews here the means by which it was effected, even by the Gospel-Prophet, being a Man, and not an Angel; he took their Nature to himself, that by Death he might deliver them, [non-Latin text not transcribed] may signifie no where, or in no wise, [non-Latin text not transcribed] is read by some, to take hold of, and so make this Work denied of God the Son, that he did not take hold of the falling Angels, to save or recover them; but the Spirit speaks not one Word of lapsed Angels in either this, or the foregoing Chapter, and so it cannot refer to them; and for good Angels they never departed or fell, that he should stretch out his Hand to save them. And it cannot be understood otherwise than affirmatively here, which must needs have another Sense, because the same Act is denied and affirmed. The Word therefore signifieth to assume, or to take to one, to assume or take into Vnion. He united not to his Person the Angelical Nature, the individual Substance of an Angel, so as to redeem those sinning lapsed Spirits.

But he assumed into Vnion with his Person the Seed of Abraham; which Seed is not to be understood here collectively, for either his carnal or believing Seed; but it is the one singular eminent Seed of Abraham, in and by whom himself, Seed, and all Nations were to be blessed, Gen. 22.18. comp. Gal. 3.16. the Man Christ Iesus. This Man, God the Son, took of the Virgin Mary the Off-spring of Abraham, and united him to his Person, and of God and this Seed united into one Person, became our Lord Jesus Christ, so as he might bring the blessing of Salvation to the chosen of God in all Nations. The Assumption of this eminent Seed into the Unity of his own Person, is here asserted by the Spirit, and denied concerning any Angel, there being no Promise ever made to them for it, Zech. 13.7. Luke 1.31, 35. Gal. 4.4. 1 Tim. 2.5. If the Verb signifie no such Assumption in human Authors, as some cavil, it is because the matter to which it is here applied, was never treated on among them; and it is common with the Spirit to make Words which are ordinary with Men, transcendent, when he applieth them to the great Mysteries of God, as Trinity, Son, Adoption, &c.

Marginal references: Gr. he taketh [illegible: 1 word] bold of [illegible: 1 word], but of the [illegible: 1 word] of Abraham [illegible: 1 word] taketh bold.