6 And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

6 Όταν δε παλιν εισαγαγ τον πρωτότοκον εις την οικου μενην, λέγει Και προσκυνησο ατωσαν αυτῷ παντες αγγελοι Θεου.

days were fulfilled; and was a seed not raised up after him of his sons ; and never was in any sense settled in God's house or temple; the person spoken of in the revelation to Nathan cannot be Solomon, but must be Messiah, who was settled both in God's house and in God's kingdom for ever, that is, was a priest as well as a king.-Secondly, in the revelation made to David, Solomon is mentioned by name, 1 Chron. xxii. 9. Behold a Son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about, for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. 10. He shall build an house for my Name, and be shall be my Son, and I will be his Father, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever. This prophecy contains particulars which are not applicable to Messiah, who instead of having rest from all his enemies round about, was persecuted and put to death by them: But every thing contained in it agreeth to Solomon.-Thirdly, the promise to establish the kingdom of David's seed mentioned in the revelation to Nathan, is unconditional: Whereas the promise to David to establish the kingdom of his seed is conditional, 1 Chron. xxviii. 7. Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my judgments, as at this day. Accordingly, from this consideration David urged Solomon to serve the Lord, ver. 9. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, be will cast thee off for ever.-Fourthly, the angel, who announced to the virgin that she was to bring forth the expected Messiah, applied the promise of the everlasting kingdom in the revelation to Nathan, expressly to her Son, Luke 1. 32. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. 33. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

To the foregoing interpretation of the revelation to Nathan, it hath been objected, that what is mentioned, 2 Sam. vii. 14. cannot be understood of Messiah. If be commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children of men. 15. But my mercy shall not depart away from him, &c. To this objection Peirce replies, that the text ought to be translated, whosoever, namely of Messiah's people, committeth iniquity, I will chastise him with the rod of men, &c. and in support of his transiation he produces various passages, in which the Hebrew relative pronoun asher, signifies, whosoever. Besides, this passage is applied to Messiah's children, Psal. lxxxix. 30, 31, 32.

Farther, it hath been objected that, on supposition the revelation made to Nathan relateth solely to Messiah, the apostle's application of the promise,

6 But when he bringeth again' the first-born into the world,3 he saith, (xx) Yea let all the angels of God worship him.

6. But instead of calling any of the angels his begotten Son, When God foretells his bringing a second time, the first-born into our world by raising him from the dead, to shew that he hath subjected the angels to him, he saith, (Ps. xcvii. 7.) Yea worship him all ye angels of God.

I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son, for proving the Son superior to angels, is false reasoning, because the same promise was made in the revelation to David concerning Solomon, who certainly was not thereby proved superior to the angels. To this objection I reply, that the promise in question, as applied to Messiah, hath a very different meaning from what it hath when applied to Solomon. Speaking of Messiah, it is a prediction that God would in the most public manner declare Jesus his Son, by voices from heaven, uttered on different occasions, and by the descent of the Holy Ghost on him after his baptism, and by his resurrection from the dead.-Whereas the same promise spoken concerning Solomon, means only that he was to be the object of God's especial affection and care. Accordingly it was so explained in the revelation to David himself, I will give him rest from all bis enemies round about.

Ver. 6.-1. When he bringeth again. Пaw, here properly signifies, the second time. Ess. iv. 270.-The Son of God was brought into our world, the first time, by his incarnation. But the angels were not then commanded to worship him. That command was given after his resurrection, which being, as it were, a second incarnation, is fitly called a bringing him a second time into our world: when, as the reward of his having suffered death during his first residence in the world, he was made in the human nature the object of the worship, not only of men, but of angels. So Paul told the Philippians, chap. ii. 9, 10, 11.

2. The first-born. Because #groTox

comes from TT which signifies to beget (gigno) as well as to bring forth (pario) it may be rendered either the first-born, or the first begotten. I think it should here be translated, firstSee Col. i. 15. note 2. Rom. viii. 29. born, answering to heir, ver. 2.

3. Into the world. Omaevay, the habitable world; our world. The first coming of the heir into the world, is thus expressed, Heb. x. 5. ElospoμEYR ELS TOV MOTMOV, when coming into the world.

4. Let all the angels of God worship him. In the Hebrew text it is, Col Elohim, which in our Bibles is rendered, all ye Gods. But the expression is elliptical, and may be supplied as the writer of this epistle hath done, all ye angels of God. The LXX. likewise have supplied the word angels; but instead of 8, answering to Elohim, they have put aurs.-Wall, in his note on Deut. xxxii. 43. where the LXX. have the apostle's words verbatim, saith this quotation is made from that passage in the LXX. For although in our Hebrew copy there is nothing answering to it, he thinks the corres

7 And of the angels he

saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

8 But unto the Son he

7. Και προς μεν τους αγ. γελους λέγει· Ὁ ποιων τους αγγελους αυτού πνεύματα, και τους λειτουργους αυτου πυρος φλογα

8 Προς δε τον υιον Ὁ saith, Thy throne, Ο God, χρονος σου, ὁ Θεός, εις τον

is for ever and ever; a

sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy king

dom.

αιώνα του αιώνος· ραβδος EVθύτητος ἡ ραβδος της βασιλειας σου.

ponding clause was in the copy from which they made their translation.— In Psal. xcvii. whence it is commonly thought this quotation is made, the establishment of the kingdom of Christ is foretold, together with its happy influence in destroying idolatry.-Because, in a few instances, the word Elohim denotes Idols, this clause is translated by some, worship him all ye idols. But how can idols, most of whom are non-entities, worship the Son? See Beza -This text is quoted by the apostle to prove, that even in the human nature the Son is superior to all the angels. See note 1. on this verse.

Ver. 7.—1. Who made his angels spirits, &c. 'O wowv, being the participle of the imperfect tense, should be translated, not who maketh, but who made. Some think the translation of the clause should run in this manner, Who maketh winds bis messengers, and a flame of fire his ministers; supposing that the Psalmist alludes to the agency of the angels, in forming the tempest and lightnings which accompanied the giving of the law.-Peirce is of opinion that the translation should be, who maketh his angels winds; because the comparing the angels to a flame of fire, in the last clause of the verse, naturally leads to apprehend them as compared to winds, in the first.—I have adopted the common translation, in which the order of the original words is followed, because it shews that the apostle is speaking not of winds, but of angels.

Ver. 8.-1. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever. Because is the nominative, some translate this clause, God is thy throne; that is, the support of thy throne. But the nominative was often used by the Attics for the vocative. It is so used by the LXX. likewise in many places of the Psalms; and by St. Paul, Rom. viii. 15. and in ver. 9. of this chapter.-In the opinion of some commentators the Psalm, from which the passage under consideration is quoted, was composed concerning Solomon's marriage with Pharaoh's daughter. But could Solomon with any propriety be addressed by the title of God? Or, could it be said of him that his kingdom, which lasted only forty years, is eternal ? It was not even eternal in his posterity. And with respect to his loving righteousness, and hating wickedit but ill applies to one who in his old age became an encourager af Idolatry, through the influence of women. This Psalm therefore is appli

ness,

7 (Kas πp, 224. 290.) Besides, of the angels indeed he saith, Who made1 his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire;

8 But (ap) to the Son, Thy throne O God is for ever and ever.' The sceptre of thy kingdom, is a Sceptre (EUTTOS) of rectitude.2

7 Besides, of the angels indeed David saith, Ps. civ. 4. Who made his angels spiritual substances, and his ministers a flame of fire: that is, the greatest thing said of angels is, that they are beings not clogged with flesh, who serve God with the utmost activity.

8 But to shew that the Son is Governor of the world, he saith to him, Ps. xlv. 6. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever. And, Of this government thou art worthy, because the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of rectitude: Thy government is exercised for maintaining truth and righteousness in the world.

cable only to the Christ.-Farther, Solomon's marriage with Pharaoh's daughter, being expressly condemned as contrary to the law, (1 Kings xi. 2.) to suppose that this Psalm was composed in honour of that event, is certainly an ill-founded imagination.-Estius informs us that the Rabbins in their commentaries, affirm, that Psal. xlv. was written wholly concerning the Messiah. Accordingly they translate the title of the Psalm as we do; a Song of Loves. The LXX. adn weg to ajannte, a song concerning the beloved: Vulgate, pro dilecto: a title justly given to Messiah, whom God, by voices from heaven, declared his beloved Son.—Besides, as the word Maschil, which signifies, for instruction, (LXX. eis ouvesiv; Vulg. ad intellectum) is inserted in the title, and as no mention is made in the Psalm of Solomon, from an account of whose loves, as Peirce observes, the Jewish church was not likely to gain much instruction, we are led to understand the Psalm, not of Solomon, but of the Messiah only.

66

Peirce saith," They who imagine this Psalm is an Epithalamium upon "Solomon's marrying Pharaoh's daughter, must suppose that it is here "foretold, that Solomon was to have a numerous progeny by her, whom he "should set up for princes and rulers up and down the world, by one of "whom he should be succeeded. Ver. 16. Instead of thy fathers, shall be “ thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. But this can"not be true: for beside that we read not of any children Solomon "had by Pharaoh's daughter, it is certain that Rehoboam, who succeeded "him, was the son of Naamah an Ammonitess, 2 Chron. xii. 13. and so far "was he from being able to set up his sons to rule over other countries, "that it was with great difficulty that his successors kept two tribes of the "twelve stedfast to them," &c.-From all which Peirce concludes, Certainly a greater than Solomon is here.

9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity : therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

10 And, thou, Lord, in

9 Ηγάπησας δικαιοσυνην, και εμίσησας ανομίαν δια του το έχρισε σε ο Θεός, ὁ Θεός σου, ελαιον αγαλλιάσεως παρα τους μετόχους σου.

10 Και Συ κατ' αρχας,

the beginning hast laid the Κυριε, την γην επεμελίωσας,

foundation of the earth;

and the heavens are the

works of thine hands:

11 They shall perish,

11 Αυτοι απολουνται, συ

but thou remainest; and δε διαμενεις και παντες ὡς

they all shall wax old, as doth a garment ;

12 And as a vesture

shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

ἱματιον παλαιωθησονται·

12 Και ώσει περιβόλαιον έλιξεις αυτους, και αλλαγησονται· συ δε ὁ αυτος ει, και τα έτη σου ουκ εκλείψουσι.

2. The sceptre of thy kingdom, is a sceptre of rectitude. Peirce understands this of the antecedent government of the Son, which he thinks extended only to the Jews. But whoever considers this and the following verse, will be sensible, that they are a prophecy of the duration and righteousness of that universal kingdom, which Christ was to administer after his resurrection: and, that the following verse is a declaration, that he should receive the universal kingdom as a reward of that love of righteousness, which he shewed in his incarnation and death. See Philip. ii. 8, 9.

Ver. 9.-1. Hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness. Anciently Kings, Priests, and Prophets, were consecrated to their several offices, by the ceremony of solemn unction with perfumed oil; called in the Psalm the oil of gladness, because it occasioned great joy, both to the person anointed, and to those who were present at the ceremony. Wherefore, the Son being appointed of God, to the high offices of universal King, Priest, and Prophet, among men, he is called by way of eminence, The Lord's Messiah, Christ, or anointed one. But the oil, with which God anointed or consecrated him to these offices, was not any material oil; nor was the unction external; but internal with the Holy Ghost. We may therefore understand the Psalm as a prediction of the descent of the Holy Ghost on Jesus at his baptism, whereby was signified God's giving him the Spirit without measure, John iii. 34.

Ver. 10.-1. Thou Lord in the beginning foundedst the earth, &c. Some think this was addressed to the Father, and not the Son. But as the former passages are directed to the Son, it is reasonable to suppose this is so like