Thou art my Son. Note the emphatic position of vids son. See on ver. 4. In the O. T. son is applied to angels collect- wely, but never individually. See Ps. xxix. 1; Ixxxix. 6. Similarly, son is applied to the chosen nation, Ex. iv. 22; Hos. xi. 1, but to no individual of the nation.
Have | begotten (yeyévynxa). Recognised thee publicly as sovereign; established thee in an official sonship-relation. This official installation appears to have its N. T. counterpart in the resurrection of Christ. In Acts xiii. 33, this is dis- tinctly asserted ; and in Rom. i. 4, Paul says that Christ was “powerfully declared” to be the Son of God by the resurrec- tion from the dead. Comp. Col. i. 18; Apoc. i. 5.*
Second quotation, 2 Sam. vii. 14. The reference is to Solomon. David proposes to build a temple. Nathan tells him that this shall be done by Solomon, whom Jahveh will adopt as his son. In 2 Cor. vi. 18, Paul applies the passage to followers of the Messiah, understanding the original as referring to all the spiritual children of David.
* Opinions differ as to the sense in which this expression is applied to the Messiah. Origen, Athanasius, Liinemann, Alford, Bleek, the eternal gener- ation of the Son: Chrysostom, Theodoret, Eusebius, Gregory of Nyssa, the generation of the Son in time: De Wette, the manifestation of Jesus to men as the Son of God: von Soden, the establishment of the Son as heir in the world to come. ‘The reference to the resurrection is held by Delitzsch, West- cott, Weiss, Calvin. According to these different explanations, o7jpuepov to-day will signify eternity, the time of the incarnation, the time of the first pro- phetic announcement of Christ as Son, the time of the ascension.
388 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu I.
A father—a son (els marépa—eis viov). Lit. for or as a father —son. This usage of e’s mostly in O. T. citations or established formulas. See Matt. xix. 5; L. ii. 34; Acts xix. 27; 1 Coraiv.s,
6. Third quotation, marking the relation of angels to the Son.
And again, when he bringeth in, etc. (érav dé manu eica- yayn). Const. again with bringeth in. ‘When he a second time bringeth the first-begotten into the world.” Referring to the second coming of Christ. Others explain again as introducing a new citation as in ver. 5; but this would require the reading wddw 6€ étav and again, when. In Hebrews, wa@duv, when joined to a verb, always means a second tueme. See v. 12; vi. 1,2. It will be observed that in this verse, and in vy. 7, 8, God is conceived as spoken of rather than as speaking; the subject of Neyer saith being indefinite. This mode of introducing citations differs from that of Paul. The author’s conception of the inspiration of Scripture leads him to regard all utterances of Scripture, without regard to their connection, as distinct utterances of God, or the Holy Spirit, or the Son of God; whereas, by Paul, they are des- ignated either as utterances of Scripture in general, or of individual writers. Very common in this Epistle are the expressions, “God saith, said, spake, testifieth,” or the like. See chai lisls aie? sciv. 4, Ts vil. QV > x05, 8 25Rs0, Comp. with these Rom. i. 17; ii. 24; iv. 17; vii. 7; ix. 18; x. 5, 16, 20, 21; xi. 2. “Otay eicayayn whenever he shall have brought. The event is conceived as occurring at an indefinite time in the future, but is viewed as complete. Comp. J. xvi. 4; Acts xxiv. 22. This use of érav with the aorist subjunctive never describes an event or series of events as completed in the past.
The first-begotten (rév rpwrtdroxov). Mostly in Paul and Hebrews. Comp. Rom. viii. 29; Col. i. 15,18; Apoe. i. 5. Movoyerys only-begotten (J. i. 14,18; iii. 16,18; 1 J. iv. 9