is attributed to the Messiah, and this is very closely allied46 to his kingdom, it is evident that they do not intend to deny eternity to the latter. Therefore sws in Psalm cx. 1, does not mean,47 that, when every enemy has been subdued, the government48 is to be

a Ps. cx. 4, comp. with Heb. vii. 1—3.

taken by St. Paul in the sense of eternity (v. 3, 23–25), but the Psalmist himself also pretty clearly interprets it in the same way, while he derives the Messiah's priesthood from a divine decree, of a very solemn and sacred character (Heb vii. 20), and never to be changed. See Bib. Cab. Vol. iii. Tittmann's Synon. p. 66.

46 Compare also Heb. v. 5, where it is shewn that Jesus obtained from God a most glorious priesthood, from a passage which refers more properly to his kingdom (note 16.)

47 Compare the passages cited by Glass (Philol. S. p. 382 s. vol. 1. Ed. Dathe. Lips. 1776.) Isa. xlvi. 4. Matt. xxviii. 20. 1 Tim. iv. 13.

48 That sitting at the right hand of God is in this passage indicative of divine government, I gather from 1 Cor. xv. 25; Heb. viii. 1, to say nothing of other passages (xii. 2, Eph. i. 20 ss. Mark xvi. 19 s.), which not quite so clearly refer to the Psalm in question, treating of the kingly priest (comp. Heb. viii. 1.) and considered at large in Ch. vi. 20, vii. But if it be inquired, for what reason mention is made of the right hand of God, the answer is easy. For, as there was evidently no danger (1. Cor. xv. 27), that he who bade the Messiah to sit on his right hand, should be thought inferior to him, and as, on the other hand, it was necessary to take particular care to place the wonderful dignity of the Messiah clearly before the view, it was certainly proper to speak not of the left, but the right hand, which is a token of honour (Comp. Matt. xxv. 33 s.; Gen. xlviii. 13 ss. and Müntinghe kurze Anm. zu den Psalmen, p. 187 s.) But the meaning is, that the Messiah, generally near God, sits on the very throne of God. Whence immediately afterwards (Ps. cx. 5), God is in turn (Comp. Comm. in ep. ad

a

taken away from Christ; but as the general object or this whole Psalm is to shew, that the designs of his enemies against the divine prince would at length have an ending altogether different from that which they expected, it was in exact conformity with such a design to establish this point especially, that the divinely appointed Lord should reign, until all his enemies should be subjected to his own power. Which does not mean, that he to whose government the enemies shall be subjected, (which circumstance proves of itself the continuance of that government,) should then resign his power; but, on the other hand, the result of the whole matter is declared to be this, that they who had refused to acknowledge this prince, and wished to remove him by force from his government, are all overthrown and confounded, while he himself, on the contrary, is sitting at the right hand of God. He shall reign for a considerable time in the midst of enemies, securelyd expectinge an end of the rebellion; but, while he himself is sitting at the right hand of

C

a V. 2 ss. compared with ii. 1 ss. c V. 2.

d ii. 4.

b

cx. 1.

e Heb. x. 13.

Hebr. p. 81), said to be at the right hand, that is, (comp. Herder, vom Geist der heb. Poësie, P. ii. p. 404, 409), at the side of the kingly priest. But the reason why I hesitate to refer the v. 5, to the Messiah himself, is that otherwise the

term

אֲדנָי

pronoun of the second person in the word '

would have to

be transferred to God, although the Psalm in other places usually speaks of God in the third (v. 1 s. 4), but of the Messiah in the second (v. 2 s. 4, 1), person, (comp. Müntinghe Besondre Anm. p. 170.)

God, it shall at length come to pass, that all his adversaries shall be reduced under subjection to his authority. Such being the meaning of the Psalm, and this sense of it being recognized by St. Paul himself, who has evidently made the dignity of the Messiah, described in the Psalm, coequala with his life, which he shews to be eternal; we seem to be going quite in opposition to his design, by supposing that in 1 Cor. xv. any end is assigned to the Messiah's kingdom. Therefore the government, which it is said in v. 24, he shall restore49 to God, even the Father, must not be supposed to mean Christ's goverment, but that of every opposing50 power, which is evidently declared to be destroyed, that the power may be restored to God. For since those who set themselves against Christ, at the same time resist God also ; the government is restored to God, when it is restored to Christ, subduing51 those who are at the same time the enemies of himself and of God, and thus recovering the government for God and for himself,e from the enemies who had usurped it. That this is the meaning of the passage under discussion, appears to me to be con

a Heb. vii. 23-25. c Ps. ii. 2.

b Rom. vi. 9. Heb. vii. 25, 24. d Rev. xi. 17; xix. 6.

49 Comp. 2 Chron. viii. 2, Obss. Gramm. p. 357.

e xi. 15.

50 That hostile power is meant, is shewn not only by the explanation (wávras Toùs 'EXOPOT'Σ) subjoined in v. 25, but by the very word xaragyńry in v. 24, which, like the word åæindvráμesvos and similar expressions (Col. ii. 15), shews plainly, that inimiκαὶ ἀρχαὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαι are intended.

51 See Rev. vi. 16, 17; xvii. 14; xix. 11 ss.; Ps. ii. 9, 12; cx. 3. Also the last enemy (1 Cor. xv. 26) Christ shall destroy (v. 21, s. 57. John v. 21-29; vi. 39 s. Phil. iii. 21.)

firmed also by what immediately follows. For St. Paul clearly shews, in 1 Cor. xv. 27, that v. 25 by no means expresses in the words axis ou a limit and end of Christ's government; but that all that we are to understand is, that all things, and therefore all enemies also, are to be subjected to the empire of Christ. According to this interpretation, therefore, the general drift of the Apostle will be this; that "for all52 the friends of Christ53 who, after the example of himself,

a V. 25 s.

52 Not only are these the only persons mentioned in v. 23, (we know, indeed, that iv rỹ ragovoía avrov he will restore life to others also; but it will not be such as to deserve the name, but only death and penal suffering (John v. 29;) but, besides this, the whole context speaks, not of the dead in general, but concerning those particularly of the κεκοιμημένοι, who ἘΝ XPIETÓ xoμnbévres (v. 18,) shall, in their own order and place, obtain the same life to which Christ first attained (v. 23, 20, 49, comp. with Phil. iii. 21;) a life more happy than this present, not sought after by all (1 Cor. xv. 19,) but properly by those only who have had faith in Christ (v. 19,) and in his gospel for the attainment of their salvation (v. 14, 17 2.) and who, on account of their love for Christ, and for that better life to which they believed him to have gone before (v. 14, 17, 4 ss,) have suffered multiplied hardships (v. 19, 30 ss :)—— or, in short, the άváσraσis of which St. Paul speaks in this passage, is joined with βασιλείας θεοῦ κληρονομία (v. 50,) an object worthy of the most ardent endeavours (v. 58,) and of the warmest gratitude (v. 54-57) Comp. Phil. iii. 11, Obss. Gramm. p. 32.

and

53 As all those who have believed in the gospel of Jesus concerning life eternal, who are no more vrais àμagríais (v. 17,) who aμra iv Xgiore (v. 18,) who are not unwilling, for the sake of Christ and in the hope of a better life, to pass the present in misery (v. 19), and who are among that number of mortals of whom Christ is the first (v. 20,)—die on account o

who was the first that rose again,a have been recalled from death to a life of blessedness, an end54 is at hande to which both the expectations of believers are directed, and the divine promises, upon which these expectations rest, all point. For that this is as it were the scope and end of the divine promises, that the empire of Christ will at length so far prevail, that all enemies shall be subjected to him, of whom death must be reckoned the last,558 which will be destroyed by the

54

c V. 24.

1 Cor. xv. 26.

Adam: so these same shall also be all blessed through Christ with a life (v. 22,) and resurrection (v. 21,) which is not death and punishment xgías, John v. 29,) but exactly opposite to the death introduced by Adam (1 Cor. xv. 21.) Comp. note 52. “ Εἶτα (after the ἀνάστασις 1 Cor. xv. 23,) τὸ τέλος (that is ora, comp. Mark xiii. 7; Luke xxi. 9, with Matt. xxiv. 6, 14), then, when the time of the dead shall have come (Rev. xi. 18), ΤΕΛΕΣΘΗΣΕΤΑΙ τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς εὐηγγέλισε τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ δούλοις τοῖς προφήταις (*. 7), so that γέγονε, xxi. 6, may have the fullest force possible." Comp. riλos, Luke xxii. 37.

55 Many enemies shall be subdued (Rev. xviii. xix. xx. 9, 10) before all the children of God shall have risen to life (v. 12). But as soon as these shall have come to life, all the wicked have been subdued, and are paying the punishment of their rebellion (v. 15.) After this there is no death (xxi. 4) except in hell (v. 8); and not indeed here does the ancient form of death continue, but a death of a far different kind (ö dúrigos Jávaros) reigns there, an abiding testimony of the victory and power of Christ (2 Thess. i. 9.) As this abstract doctrine was to be represented by a vision, and placed before the eyes of St. John, death and dns are depicted (comp. Rev. vi. 8) as an enemy (comp. 1 Cor. xv. 26, 54 s.), opposed to the peace of them that are heirs of God (v. 50), and fellow-citizens of