Hebrews 1:10

{9} And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast {u} laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: (9) He proves and confirms the dignity of Christ revealed in the flesh, by these six evident testimonies by which it appears that he far surpasses all angels, so much so that he is called both Son, and God in Heb 1:5,6,7,8,10,13. (u) Made the earth firm and sure.

Sixth quotation ( Hebrews 1:10-12 ), exhibiting the superior dignity of the Son as creator in contrast with the creature. Psalm 102:26-28 . The Psalm declares the eternity of Jahveh. And - in the beginning (καὶ - κατ' ἀρχάς) And connects what follows with unto the Son he saith, etc., Hebrews 1:8. Κατ' ἀρχὰς in the beginning, N.T.o. Often in Class., lxx only Psalm 119:152. The more usual formula is ἐν ἀρχῇ or ἀπ' ἀρχῆς. Hast laid the foundation (ἐθεμελίωσας) Only here in Hebrews. In Paul, Ephesians 3:18; Colossians 1:23.

Hebrews 1:10 . In Hebrews 1:10-12 the writer introduces another quotation from Psalms 102 (in LXX Psalm 101:25–7). The quotation is verbatim from the LXX except that σὺ is lifted from the fifth to the first place in the sentence, for emphasis, and that a second ὡς ἱμάτιον is inserted after αὐτούς in Hebrews 1:12 . With the introductory καὶ Weiss understands πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν λέγει , as in Hebrews 1:8 . He is also of opinion that the writer considers that the words were spoken by Jehovah and that κύριε , therefore, must be the Messiah. This is possible, but it is not necessary for the justification of the Messianic reference. This follows from the character of the psalm, which predicts the manifestation of Jehovah as the Saviour of His people, even though this may only be in the far future (see Psalm 103:13 : “Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion.… So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, etc.”) Prof. B. W.

Bacon of Yale has investigated this matter afresh and finds that, so far from the application of these verses to the Messiah being an audacious innovation, or even achieved, as Calvin says, “pia deflectione,” “the psalm itself was a favourite resort of those who sought in even pre-Christian times for proof-texts of Messianic eschatology”; also that “we have specific evidence of the application of Psalm 102:23-24 to the Messiah by those who employed the Hebrew or some equivalent text” and finally that by the rendering of ענה in Psalm 102:24 (English Psalm 102:23 ) by respondit or ἀπεκρίθη “we have the explanation of how, in Christian circles at least, the accepted Messianic passage could be made to prove the doctrine that the Messiah is none other than the pre-existent wisdom of Proverbs 8:22-31 , “through whom,” according to our author, Hebrews 1:2 , “God made the worlds.” Indeed, we shall not be going too far if with Bruce we say: “It is possible that the writer (of Heb.) regarded this text ( Psalm 102:25-27 ) as Messianic because in his mind creation was the work of the pre-existent Christ. But it is equally possible that he ascribed creative agency to Christ out of regard to this and other similar texts believed to be Messianic on other grounds.” See Preuschen’s Zeitschrift für N.T. Wissenschaft , 1902, p. 280. In Hebrews 1:13-14 , we have the final contrast between the place of the Son and that of the angels in human redemptive history.

Hebrews 1:10-12 . And thou, Lord, in the beginning, &c. — These words, with those contained in the two following verses, are quoted from Psalm 102:25-27 , where they are evidently spoken of the God of Israel, the living and true God. “Some have thought they are here addressed to the Father, and not to the Son. But, as the former passages are directed to the Son, it is reasonable to suppose this is so likewise: especially as it would not have been to the apostle’s purpose to quote it here, if it had been addressed to the Father. By affirming that these words were spoken to the Son, the apostle confuted the opinion of those Jews who held that the angels assisted in making this mundane system; an error which was afterward maintained by some heretics in the Christian Church. They — Permanent as they seem, and though firmly founded; shall at length perish — Of the perishing of the earth and aerial heavens, Peter speaks, 2 Peter 3:10-13 , where he also foretels that there shall be new heavens and a new earth, formed for the habitation of the righteous, after the old creation is destroyed. But thou remainest — Διαμενεις , continuest in undecaying glory; as a vesture — Περιβολαιον , a mantle, upper garment, or cloak; shalt thou fold them up — With infinite ease; and they shall be changed — Into new heavens and a new earth; or thou shalt remove them out of their place, and introduce a new scene of things with as much ease as a prince lays aside one robe and puts on another.

Hebrews 1:10 . Καὶ , and ) This particle connects the testimonies.— σὺ κατʼ ἀρχὰς — οὐκ ἐκλείψουσι ) Psalm 102:26-28 ; LXX. κατʼ ἀρχὰς σὺ , Κύριε , τἡν γῆν , etc., the remainder in the same words. The time of the creation is intimated, to which the end of the world is opposed; and by this very fact, Dissertation 3. of Artemonius is done away with.— σὺ , Thou ) The same to whom the discourse is directed in the preceding ver.— Κύριε , O Lord ) The LXX. have repeated that from ver. 23 of the same psalm. Christ is preached (proclaimed) even in those passages, where many might contend that the writer was principally speaking of the Father.— γῆν , the earth: οὐρανοὶ , the heavens ) A gradation. There is no reason why the angels may not be included in the word heavens , as the creation of man is included under the word earth , which passes away.

10 . Thou, Lord, in the beginning ] The quotation is from Psalm 102:25-27 . The word “Lord” is not in the original, but it is in the LXX.; and the Hebrew Christians who already believed that it was by Christ that “God made the world” (see note on Hebrews 1:2 ) would not dispute the Messianic application of these words to Him. They are a prayer of the afflicted written at some late period of the exile. Calvin (on Ephesians 4:8 ) goes so far as to say of such passages that the Apostle “by a pious diversion of their meaning ( piâ deflectione ) accommodates them to the Person of Christ.” The remark illustrates the courageous honesty and stern good sense of the great Reformer; but no Jewish-Christian exegete would have thought that he was practising a mere pious misapplication of the sacred words, or have admitted the objection of Cardinal Cajetan that “in a matter of such importance it was unbecoming to use such an argument.” The writer’s object is not proof —which was for his readers unnecessary; he wished to illustrate acknowledged truths by admitted principles. in the beginning ] Heb. לְפָנִים , “face-wards,” i.e. of old.

10. And—In another passage (Ps 102:25-27) He says. in the beginning—English Version, Ps 102:25, "of old": Hebrew, "before," "aforetime." The Septuagint, "in the beginning" (as in Ge 1:1) answers by contrast to the end implied in "They shall perish," &c. The Greek order here (not in the Septuagint) is, "Thou in the beginning, O Lord," which throws the "Lord" into emphasis. "Christ is preached even in passages where many might contend that the Father was principally intended" [Bengel]. laid the foundation of—"firmly founded" is included in the idea of the Greek. heavens—plural: not merely one, but manifold, and including various orders of heavenly intelligences (Eph 4:10). works of thine hands—the heavens, as a woven veil or curtain spread out.