Psalms 109:3

Verse 3. Principality. Christ says, All power is given to me. Matthew 28 and this he will display ( Bible.) in the day of judgment. Saint John Chrysostom—Αρχη is used in this sense by Xenophon, and so forth ( Calmet.) as principium is by Suetonius, (in Aug.) yet it may also signify, This is the “origin,” or source of thy authority, from the womb,” and so forth Saint John Chrysostom Bert.—The consubstantiality of the Son is hence manifest, and this ensures every perfection. Bible.—The Father and the Son are both principals. Saint Jerome—Christ was in the beginning, (John 1) and the very beginning. His eternal birth is here mentioned, though some have explained it of his temporal nativity, which took place before the rising of the day-star. Calmet.—This, however, would seem a trivial circumstance, (Bert.) whereas the birth of Christ before the whole creation is of great consequence.—Saints. Or “holy places,” sanctorum. Hebrew “In the beauties (behadre. Bible.) Saint Jerome has read berri, in the mountains, ( Calmet.) of holiness, (Mont.) or of the sanctuary.” Christ will come to judge surrounded by his angels, ( Calmet.) and saints. Bible. Saint Augustine—I begot thee. This expresses the sense more clearly ( Bible.) than the Hebrew tibi ros emissio (Hebrew tal.) nativitatis tuæ. S. Jerom’s version must be deemed inaccurate, and the Hebrew points, (Bert.) which render the modern versions so very different from ours, may be safely rejected. Bible. See Muis. Geneb. Calmet.—Robertson mentions fourteen different translations of this text, and many more might be given. Bible.—But ours is clear, and beautiful. Calmet.—Prot. “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness, from (Marg. more than) the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.” Bible.—Thy offspring shall be very numerous, (Isaiah 48:1 and 14:8) and people shall willingly join thy banners, or rather come to offer victims in the sanctuary. Calmet.—The eternal birth of Christ, (Mic. 5:2) from his father’s substance, establishes his principality, so that he rises triumphant, and so forth Worthington.—The present Hebrew text seems to be purposely rendered obscure, or unintelligible by the Jews, both in this verse, and in the following. D.