It is treated, α.of that Generation explicitly in Psalm 2:7.In which Psalm, in favor of the incarnate Son of God is decided the suit brought against Him, both in His person in the time of His earthly life, and then in the ministers preaching Him, according to those things that are found in Acts 4:23-29.Controversy was primarily moved, both concerning His divine Filiation, and concerning His true Messiahship.From the testimony of the Father, the Messiah confirms that both are applicable to Him, verses 7, 8.Those were the things on account of which He was demanded and delivered over to death, Matthew 26:63-65; John 19:7; Luke 23:2.He here vindicates His Filiation in verse 7, His Messiahship in verses 8, 9.אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה אֶֽ֫ל חֹ֥ק, I will declare the decree, says the Anointed of Jehovah; in order I will rehearse, distinctively I will recount, the determination, the statute.Whether that חֹק be understood of the eternal Decree of God, or the Law of faith to be promulgated before men, or yet with VRIEMOET[1] in his Thesibus Scripturarum CCCCLXXXII, let us explain חֹקin this place of the inheritance of the kingdom determined for the Son by the Father, which is described in verses 8, 9.According to this variety of interpretations, the preposition אֶל, which precedes, is also able to be taken in a variety of ways:either simply, as a note of the accusative, comparing in Jeremiah 4:23, וְאֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם, and the heavens;[2] in Jeremiah 10:2, אֶל־דֶּרֶךְ;[3] in which cases it will agree with לְסַפֵּ֣ר חֻקָּ֑י, to declare my statutes, Psalm 50:16:or it is able to be translated of/concerning, so that it might be the same as the related עַל/concerning elsewhere, I will relate concerning the statute, comparing in Genesis 20:2, אֶל־שָׂרָה, concerning Sarah;[4] in 2 Kings 19:9, אֶל־תִּרְהָקָה, concerning Tirhakah;[5] in 2 Chronicles 32:19, אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם, concerning the God of Jerusalem;[6] in Psalm 69:27, וְאֶל־מַכְאוֹב, concerning the grief.[7]Nothing is more common thanאֶלtaken in this way, says the Most Illustrious SCHULTENS[8] on Job 5:8.[9]It would suffice in Job 42:7, 8, לֹ֣א דִבַּרְתֶּ֥ם אֵלַ֛י נְכוֹנָ֖ה, ye have not spoken concerning me rightly.[10]Or its common signification, to, is able to be retained:I will narrate to, according to, the statute of God, for the reception of the statute in faith by men.And what then would be the argument of this narration of the great Prophet?Namely, the saying of the Father, בְּנִ֥י אַ֑תָּה, thou art my Son, not in any more common manner, but in that manner in which His divine Filiation was opposed, as He indicates an added foundation of the Filiation, אֲ֜נִ֗י הַיּ֥וֹם יְלִדְתִּֽיךָ׃, this day have I begotten thee.Which is not to be understood metonymically of a public indication and demonstration of the Generation and Filiation of the divine Messiah through His Resurrection and Mission into the world, and through the many verbal and real evidences, whereby His Filiation was thereafter confirmed:in which manner, nevertheless, on account of the Apostolic citation, these words are taken by many Men, truly great, ancient and more recent, Ambrose, Theodoret, Chrysostom, Gregory Nyssen, Methodius, Cyril of Alexandria, Œcumenius; and Piscator,[11] Pellican,[12] Calvin, Bugenhagen,[13] Bucer,[14] Francis Junius, Outhof:see OUTHOF, Bibliotheca Bremensi, Classis II, fascicle IV, chapter IV, § 12, 13, pages 661-669, compared with WESSELIUS, Nestorianismo et Adoptianismo redivivo confutato, chapter V, § 94, page 178-185, chapter IX, § 132-138, pages 277-295, chapter XXII, § 261-263, pages 482-485; upon which matter also consult the use of the verb יָלַד, to beget, in Proverbs 17:17,[15] and of the word הַיּוֹם, this day, in Psalm 95:7;[16] Proverbs 7:14,[17] which הַיּוֹם thus indicates the present time of the manifestation of the Filiation of Christ.But יְלִדְתִּיךָ, I have begotten thee (instead of יְלַדְתִּיךָ, in comparison with Numbers 11:12,[18] and שְׁאִלְתִּיו, 1 Samuel 1:20[19]), will signify the very divine Generation of the Son by the Father, 1.according to the especially proper signification of the word יָלַד, 2.which ought not to be neglected here, when, thou art my Son, precedes, and, 3.nothing is more suitable than that, after the setting forth of this narration, the true and proper cause of this Filiation be be indicated, which is not able to be more natural than in Generation:indeed, 4.it is able to appear necessary to make mention of this together with the title of Son, lest anyone shoud take that title in less weighty manner.And, 5.that proper signification of יָלַד is all the more to be held here, because it is evident from elsewhere that Christ by Nativity, and not in any metaphorical way, is the Son of God.And, that not only הוֹלִיד, to beget or caust to beget, but also יָלַד, to beget, is taken also of a Father generating, equally with the mother bearing, is evident from Genesis 4:18;[20] 10:8;[21] etc.Then that הַיּוֹם, this day, used of two divine Persons, when the divine Subsistence of the same is treated, will best denote immutable Eternity, which in God is, as it were, the altogether invariable present and now, in comparison with 2 Peter 3:8, there being no past in God, no future; hence it is said of the Son of God, John 8:58, πρὶνἈβραὰμγενέσθαι, ἐγώεἰμι, before Abraham was, I am, not ἐγώἦν, I was:now the Hebrews are wont to describe Eternity in expressions taken from time, י֤וֹם׀ י֑וֹם, daily/ever, Proverbs 8:30;[22]מִקֶּ֖דֶם מִימֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃, from of old, from the days of antiquity, Micah 5:2;[23]וְעַתִּ֥יק יוֹמִ֖ין, and the Ancient of Days, Daniel 7:9;[24]εἰςἡμέραναἰῶνος, unto the day of the age, 2 Peter 3:18.[25]CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, Catechetical Lectures XI, § 2, page 137, Ὁ Υἱὸς αὐτὸς λέγει περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς, Κύριος εἶπε πρός με, Υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε· τὸ δὲ σήμερον, οὐ πρόσφατον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀΐδιον, τὸ σήμερον ἄχρονον, πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων, The Son Himself says concerning the Father, The Lord hath said to me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee:but the this day is not the recent, but the eternal day, the timeless day, before all ages.RAYMUNDUS MARTINUS,[26] Pugione Fidei, page 526, has:“Note that He does not say, of old I have begotten thee, for thus this generation would appear to be altogether passed and finished; neither did He say, today I am begetting thee, because thus it would appear newly to have begun:therefore, He has more fittingly said, this day have I begotten thee, so that He might give to be understood by this day that that generation has not passed by, nor finished; and by I have begotten that it never started nor recently began:”compare also ARNOLDI’S Refutationem Catecheseos Racovianæ, on chapter I, de Cognitione Personæ Christi, questions 16, 19, pages 56-58, § CIV-CIX, pages 208-210; DE STOPPELAAR’S Voorreden voor Brakonier uytgezochte Keurstoffen, ***** 2; LODEWIJK GERARDUS VAN RENESSE’S[27]Commentariolum historicum Actorum in Revisione Versionis Belgicæ Novi Testamenti, found in Nicolaas Hinlopen’s Historie van de Nederlandsche Overzettinge des Bybels, who relates on pages 137, 138, “The Translators of the Old Testament were everywhere adding to have translated the word γεννᾷν by winnen, to obtain, where follows or is understood sons or daughters:but, in Psalm 2:7, the word יְלִדְתִּיךָ by Ich hebbe gegenereert, I have begotten:because there it is treated of His eternal Generation, so that thus it might be distinguished from Christ’s human γεννήσει/ begetting and ours.”But from this real argument of the paternal speech is prudently to be distinguished His saying to the θεάνθρωπον/incarnate Messiah, following in time, real and verbal,יְֽהוָ֗ה אָמַ֘ר אֵלַ֥י, the Lord hath said to me, to which Paul chiefly has regard in his several citations of these words:upon which if Interpreters had duly attended, they had not so readily explained יָלַד, to beget, of the indication and demonstration of the Filiation and Generation of the divine Messiah; since in the verb יָלַד, to beget, is already contained, what is then distinctly indicated by אָמַר, to say.The Lord said that, in words mediately and immediately, Luke 1:32, 35; 2:10, 11; Matthew 3:17; 17:5; in real testimonies, by miracles wrought by Christ according to the will of the Father, John 5:36, 37; 10:33-38; 20:31; through the raising of Christ from the dead, for which He was condemned as a blasphemer, Romans 1:4; through His exaltation to the Father’s right hand and the inheritance of the nations given to Him, which was presupposing His Filiation, John 17:5; Philippians 2:9-11:compare HOORNBEECK’S Socinianismum confutatum, tome 2, book I, chapter I, section I, pages 8-19; MARCKIUS’ Exercitationes Textuales XV, Part II; and WESSELIUS’ Nestorianismum et Adoptianismum redivivo=um confutatum, chapter V, § 94, page 178-185, chapter IX, § 132-138, pages 277-295, chapter XXII, § 261-263, pages 482-485.
[1] Emo Lucius Vriemoet (1699-1760) was a Dutch Reformed Theologian and Orientalist, serving as Professor of Oriental Languages at Franeker. [2] Jeremiah 4:23: “I beheld the earth (אֶת־הָאָרֶץ), and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens (וְאֶל־הַשָּׁמַיִם, with אֶל in the place of the Direct Object marker אֶת), and they had no light.” [3] Jeremiah 10:2: “Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way (אֶל־דֶּרֶךְ) of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.” [4] Genesis 20:2: “And Abraham said of Sarah (אֶל־שָׂרָה) his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.” [5] 2 Kings 19:9: “And when he heard say of Tirhakah (אֶל־תִּרְהָקָה) king of Ethiopia, Behold, he is come out to fight against thee: he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying…” [6] 2 Chronicles 32:19: “And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth (אֶל־אֱלֹהֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כְּעַ֗ל אֱלֹהֵי֙ עַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ), which were the work of the hands of man.” [7] Psalm 69:26: “For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief (וְאֶל־מַכְאוֹב) of those whom thou hast wounded.” [8] Albert Schultens (1686-1750) was a Reformed scholar and philologist. He served as Professor of Hebrew at Franeker (1713-1729), and Professor of Oriental Languages at Leiden (1732-1750). In his day, he was the pre-eminent teacher of Arabic in Europe. Schultens wrote Animadversiones philologicas in Iobum. [9] Job 5:8: “I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause (אוּלָ֗ם אֲ֭נִי אֶדְרֹ֣שׁ אֶל־אֵ֑ל וְאֶל־אֱ֜לֹהִ֗ים אָשִׂ֥ים דִּבְרָתִֽי׃)…” [10] Job 42:7, 8: “And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right (לֹ֣א דִבַּרְתֶּ֥ם אֵלַ֛י נְכוֹנָ֖ה), as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right (לֹ֣א דִבַּרְתֶּ֥ם אֵלַ֛י נְכוֹנָ֖ה), like my servant Job.” [11] John Piscator (1546-1626) was a learned Protestant divine. He held the position of Professor of Divinity at Herborn (1584). His German version was the first, complete and independent, since that of Martin Luther. Through his career, his views changed from those of the Lutherans to those of the Calvinists, and from those of the Calvinists to those of the Arminians. He remains widely regarded for his abilities as a commentator (Commentarii in Omnes Libros Veteris et Novi Testamenti). [12] Konrad Pellican (1478-1556) began his career as a Franciscan friar and scholar. He gradually embraced the doctrines of the Reformation. In 1526, he made the move to Zurich and became Professor of Greek, Hebrew, and Old Testament. His abilities in Hebrew (still comparatively rare at that time) and Greek are on display in his seven-volume commentary on the Bible. [13] Johannes Bugenhagen (1485-1558), called Doctor Pomeranus by Martin Luther, was the Reformer of Pomerania and Denmark, and instrumental in the organization of Lutheran churches in Northern German and Scandinavia (earning him the title, the second Apostle of the North). He participated in the translation of the Scriptures into German, and wrote commentaries on several Biblical books, include the Psalter. [14] Martin Bucer (1491-1551) was a German Reformed theologian, working for Reformation in Strasbourg. Originally a Dominican, Bucer was converted to the cause of the Reformation by Martin Luther. He was ecumenical in orientation, seeking to mediate between Luther and Zwingli, the Lutherans and the Reformed, and Protestants and Catholics. When Strasbourg embraced the Augsburg Interim, Bucer was exiled to England, where he participated in the revision of the Book of Common Prayer. He wrote a commentary on the Psalms. [15] Proverbs 17:17: “A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born (יִוָּלֵד) for adversity.” [16] Psalm 95:7: “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day (הַיּוֹם) if ye will hear his voice…” [17] Proverbs 7:14: “I have peace offerings with me; this day (הַיּוֹם) have I payed my vows.” [18] Numbers 11:12: “Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them (יְלִדְתִּיהוּ), that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?” [19] 1 Samuel 1:20b: “…and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him (שְׁאִלְתִּיו) of the Lord.” [20] Genesis 4:18: “And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamechוַיִּוָּלֵ֤ד לַֽחֲנוֹךְ֙) אֶת־עִירָ֔ד וְעִירָ֕ד יָלַ֖ד אֶת־מְחֽוּיָאֵ֑ל וּמְחִיּיָאֵ֗ל יָלַד֙ אֶת־מְת֣וּשָׁאֵ֔ל וּמְתוּשָׁאֵ֖ל יָלַ֥ד אֶת־לָֽמֶךְ׃).” [21] Genesis 10:8: “And Cush begat Nimrod (וְכ֖וּשׁ יָלַ֣ד אֶת־נִמְרֹ֑ד): he began to be a mighty one in the earth.” [22] Proverbs 8:30: “Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily (י֤וֹם׀ י֑וֹם) his delight, rejoicing always before him…” [23] Micah 5:2: “But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (מִקֶּ֖דֶם מִימֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃).” [24] Daniel 7:9: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days (וְעַתִּ֥יק יוֹמִ֖ין) did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.” [25] 2 Peter 3:18: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever (καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος). Amen.” [26] Ramón Martí (died 1284) was a Catalan Dominican friar and theologian. In 1250, he was appointed by the provincial chapter, together with seven others, to study the oriental languages for the purpose of mission work among the Jews and the Moors. [27] Lodewijk Gerardus van Renesse (1599-1671) was a Dutch pastor and theologian. He was appointed to work on the revision of the Dutch translation.