13) Hebrews 1:8-14, Is the Son called God? Did Jesus create the heavens?

This episode is a continuation of our two-part study on chapter 1 of the Book of Hebrews. In the first episode we examined Hebrews 1:1-7. In this episode we examine Hebrews 1:8-14. For full summary notes to this podcast, click here.

https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2020/04/hebrews-18-14-is-son-called-god-did.html

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We note that the word “saying”, or “he says” which appears in English translations in Hebrews 1:8 is not in the Greek original text. The speaker of the words quoted from Psalm 45 is not God, but the Psalmist. Adding “he says” or “saying” to Hebrews 1:8 makes it sound, incorrectly, that God is calling the Son, “God”. But the speaker at this point is not God.

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Hebrews 1:8-9 is a quote from Psalm 45, a marriage hymn of a king descended from David (perhaps Solomon?) to a what appears to be a foreign princess. The Davidic king has a God who has blessed him (45:2) and anointed him (45:7). The Davidic king is lauded for his strength and just rule (45:2-6). Part of the reason for lauding the king is to convince the princess that it will be worthwhile and a blessing to marry him.

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Most English translations translate the word “God” in the first part of the quote from Psalm 45 in Hebrews 1:8, as:
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever”, that is, taking the word “God” as a vocative, or as a direct address, understanding that in some way the king in Psalm 45 was called “God”, and by extension, that Jesus the Son was called God.

But the “O” of “O God” is only interpretation. Grammatically it is possible, I think preferable, to translate Hebrews 1:8a as:

“Your throne is God forever and ever”,

or,

“God is your throne for ever and ever.”

That is, the word “God/Elohim” in the verse does not have to be understood as a vocative.

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For the rest of the summary notes to this podcast, click here.

https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2020/04/hebrews-18-14-is-son-called-god-did.html