132 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. I.
of appropriation unto him, is more excellent than any that was ever given unto angels, as a sign of their dignity, authority, and excellency. And these things, for the clearing of the apostle’s ar- gument, must particularly be insisted on.
First, The words produced do peculiarly belong unto him to whom they are applied; that is, it is the Messiah who is prophe- sied of in the second psalm, from whence they are taken. . This with all Christians is put beyond dispute, by the application of it in several places unto him; as Acts iv. 25-27, xiii. 33; Heb. v. 5. It is certain, also, that the Jews always esteemed this psalm to relate unto the Messiah; they do so to this day. Hence the Targum on the psalm expressly applies it unto him, thus rendering these words: “O beloved! as a son to his father, thou art pure to me as in the day wherein I created thee.’ So are the words perverted by the Targumist, not knowing what sense to ascribe unto them; which is frequent with him. But it is manifest that the constant opinion of the ancient Jews was that this psalm principally intended the Mes- siah, nor did any of them of old dissent. Some of their later masters are otherwise minded, but therein discover their obstinacy and iniquity.
Thus Rabbi Solomon Jarchi, in his comment on this psalm, in the Venetian edition of the great Masoretical Bibles, affirms that “whatever is sung in this psalm our masters interpreted of Messiah the king; but,” saith he, “according unto the sound of the words, and for the confutation of the heretics” (that is, Christians), “it is convenient that we expound it of David.’ So wickedly corrupt and partial are they now in their interpretations of the Scripture. But these words are left out in the Basle edition of the same notes and comments; by the fraud, it may be, of the Jews employed in that work, so to hide the dishonesty of one of their great masters. But the confession of the judgment of their fathers or predecessors in this matter is therein also extant. And Aben Ezra, though he would apply it unto David, yet speaks doubtfully whether it may not better be ascribed unto the Messiah.
But this was not enough for the apostle, that those with whom he dealt acknowledged these words to be spoken concerning the Messiah, unless they were so really, that so his argument might proceed “ex veris” as well as “ ex concessis,”—from what was true as upon what was granted. This, then, we must next inquire into.
The whole psalm, say some, seems principally, if not only, to intend David. He having taken the hill and tower of Zion, and settled it for the seat of his kingdom, the nations round about tu- multuated against him; and some of them, as the Philistines, pre- sently engaged in war against him for his ruin, 2 Sam. v.17. To declare how vain all their attempts should be, and the certainty of
VER. 5.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 133
God’s purpose in raising him to the kingdom of Israel, and for his preservation therein against all his adversaries, with the indignation of God against them, the Holy Ghost gave out this psalm for the comfort and establishment of the church in the persuasion of so great a mercy. And this is borrowed of Rashi.
But suppose the psalm to have a further respect than unto David and his temporal kingdom, and that it doth point at the Messiah under the type of David, yet then also whatever is spoken in it must firstly and properly be understood of David. So that if the words insisted on by the apostle do prove that the Lord Christ was made more excellent than the angels, they prove the same concern- ing David also, concerning whom they were spoken in the first place.
Ans. 1. There is no cogent reason why we should acknowledge David and his kingdom to be at all intended in this psalm. The apostles, we see, apply it unto the Lord Christ without any mention of David, and that four several times,—twice in the Acts, and twice in this epistle. The Jews acknowledge that it belongs unto the Messiah. Besides, there are sundry things spoken in the psalm that could never truly and properly be applied unto David. Such are the promises, verses 8, 9, and the invitation of all men to put their trust and confidence in him, verse 12. And we have a rule given us by the Holy Ghost,—That where any thing seems to be spoken of any one to whom it doth not properly belong, there the person is not at all to be understood, but the Lord Christ himself immediately. This rule Peter gives us in his interpretation of the 16th psalm, and his application of it unto the Lord Jesus, Acts ii. 29-31. So that there is no necessity to grant that there is any reference in these words to any type at all. But,—
2. We grant that David was a type of Christ, and that as he was king of the people of God. Hence he is not only often sig- nally called “'The;son of David,” but “ David” also, Jer. xxx. 9; Ezek. xxxvii. 24, 25; Hos. i. 5. And the throne and kingdom promised to David for ever and ever, that it should be as the sun, and established for ever as the moon, Ps. lxxxix. 36, 37,—that is, whilst the world endures,—had no accomplishment but in the throne and kingdom of his Son, Jesus Christ. Thus also many other things are said of him and his kingdom, which in propriety of speech can no way be applied unto him but as he was a type of Christ, and represented him to the church. We may then grant, as that about which we will not contend, that in this psalm consideration was had of David and his kingdom, but not absolutely, but only as a type of Christ. And hence two things will follow:—