| Psalms 109:3
| With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength; in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day-star I begot thee.
| Principality. Christ says, All power is given to me, Matthew xxviii., and this he will display (Haydock) in the day of judgment. (St. Chrysostom) --- Arche is used in this sense by Xenophon, etc., (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," etc. (St. Chrysostom) (Berthier) --- The consubstantiality of the Son is hence manifest, and this ensures every perfection. (Haydock) --- The Father and the Son are both principals. (St. Jerome) --- Christ was in the beginning, (John i.) 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, (Berthier) whereas the birth of Christ before the whole creation is of great consequence. --- Saints. Or "holy places," sanctorum. Hebrew, "In the beauties (behadre.; Haydock) St. Jerome has read berri, in the mountains, (Calmet) of holiness, (Montanus) or of the sanctuary." Christ will come to judge surrounded by his angels, (Calmet) and saints. (Haydock) (St. Augustine) --- I begot thee. This expresses the sense more clearly (Haydock) than the Hebrew tibi ros emissio (Hebrew tal.) nativitatis tuae. St. Jerome's version must be deemed inaccurate, and the Hebrew points, (Berthier) which render the modern versions so very different from ours, may be safely rejected. (Haydock) See Muis. (Genebrard) (Calmet) --- Robertson mentions fourteen different translations of this text, and many more might be given. (Haydock) --- But ours is clear, and beautiful. (Calmet) --- Protestants, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness, from (Marginal note, more than) the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth." (Haydock) --- Thy offspring shall be very numerous, (Isaias 48:1., and 45:8.) and people shall willingly join thy banners, or rather come to offer victims in the sanctuary. (Calmet) --- The eternal birth of Christ, (Micheas 5:2.) from his father's substance, establishes his principality, so that he rises triumphant, etc. (Worthington) --- The present Hebrew text seems to be purposely rendered obscure, or unintelligible by the Jews, both in this verse, and in the following. (Du Hamel)
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