Hebrews 1:5

Hebrews 1:5. My Son. Again by position the emphasis is on this name, and on the relation it describes: My Son art thou, today have I begotten thee. These words have been referred to the incarnation, when the ‘holy thing' born of the Virgin was called Son of God (Luke 1:35); or to His resurrection and exaltation, when He is marked out as Son of God in regal dignity, ‘in power' as Messianic King (Romans 1:4). This last view is favoured by Acts 13:32-33, where this identical promise is said to be fulfilled unto us when God raised up Jesus. Others refer the words to the essential nature of our Lord, as Son of the Father by ‘eternal generation,' as it is called. God sent the Son, it is said, and so He had dignity before His incarnation and before His resurrection. The fact is, the word Son describes His relation to the Father, both personal and official; and ‘I have begotten thee' applies to every state to which the word ‘Son' applies His original nature, His incarnation, and His kingship. In the following verse He is called ‘the first-begotten' a title not given to Him in connection with His incarnation, but describing His dignity and rights. He is called first-begotten, never first- created, for all things belong to Him, as all things were made by Him. This expression, the first-begotten, is peculiar in this figurative sense to Paul's writings (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5; comp. Hebrews 12:23).