“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:”

By James Stewart

Delling in Kittel’s Theological Dictionary Of The New Testament on page 479 made an important statement that needs to be kept in mind while looking at occurrences of ARCHE, “ARCHE always signifies “primacy,” whether in time “beginning,” principium or in rank: “power,” “dominion,” “office.”  As a foundation, Rev. 3:14 needs to be put in the context of the entire book of Revelation.  In 1:5, Jesus is called the (Ruler) ARCHON over the Earth’s Kings.  ARCHON obviously overlaps in meaning with ARCHE as can be seen from a check of the standard lexicons.  In 1:17, Jesus is “The First and The Last” as in 2:8 and 22:13.  YHWH in the Old Testament has this name in Isaiah 44:6 and 48:12.  In Rev. 5:13-14, a picture is given of  “One sitting on the throne” and “to the Lamb” receiving worship.  In 22:13, Jesus is given three names: The First and The Last, The Beginning and The End, and The Alpha and The Omega.  This gives Jesus the same names of the Almighty as in 1:8 and 21:6.  This is the high Christology of Revelation. 

What we have in Rev. 3:14 are three active titles for Jesus.  The first title is The Amen.  This is most probably the same title of YHWH in Isaiah 65:16.  His second title is “The Faithful and True Witness.”  His third title is “The Ruler over God’s creation.”  It could also mean ‘Source.’  Ruler or Source are both active titles in this context. Beginning does not fit the immediate or the wider context.  Some who want ARCHE (see Objections, below) to have a passive use.  By doing this, they destroy the parallelism of the titles.  I understand the genitive in Rev. 3:14 to be objective.

In certain examples where beginning is a possibility, I think that we would find that more of an idea of ‘chief things’ would be more proper.  For example, in Mark 1:1, ARCHE could mean ‘chief things’, ‘essentials’, or ‘summary.’  See Allen Wikgren in JBL “ARCHE TOU EUAGGELIOU” pages 11-20 (need vol and date).

Another interesting point is that whenever ARCHE refers to a person (now, of course, only persons can be rulers), it almost always has something to do with rule, dominion, or authority of some type.  If some would argue that ‘beginning’ is the unmarked meaning to ARCHE, I would say  I agree.  But then I would say that the contextual marker for ARCHE to mean ‘ruler’ is that it refers to a person.  In fact, it is so obvious that I am tempted to say that ARCHE referring to a person has to do with some type of authority.  Unless there is some contextual marker to change its meaning.  This is backed up from the LXX, New Testament, and secular usage.  J.R. Mantey in Depth Explorations In The New Testament on page 100 stated, “Outside the NT, we found the following ideas expressed by the word: Beginning or Source, eighty-seven times; authority, forty times; office, thirty-six times; ruler or commander, thirty-two times; realm or dominion, eighteen times.  A few samplings of the usage as ruler are Plutarch, Morals II.151F, “he held the greatest and the most perfect position as a ruler.” In Lives VIII, Sertorius 10, “They were altogether lacking in a commander of great reputation.”  In Morals V.75.E, “For it is not fitting for the Ruler and Lord of all to listen to anyone.”  In Diodorus Siculus II Bk.3.5.1, “him  the multitudes take for their king.”  In Philo, Alleg. III.58, “for the sake of being a ruler with governors”; 66, ”Amalek, the ruler of nations.”  Ruler in Rev. 3:14 also comports well with one of the most famous Messianic prophecies Isaiah 9:5-6 where the LXX uses ARCHE for Christ’s rule.  

I end with a quote from Louw & Nida’s  Greek-English Lexicon page 779, entry 89.16, “one who or that which constitutes an initial cause – ‘first cause, origin.’  H ARCHE THS KTISEWS TOU THEOU ‘the origin of what God has created’ Rev. 3:14.  It is also possible to understand ARCHE in Rev. 3:14 as meaning ‘ruler’ (see 37.56).”  

One interesting historical side-note, Rev. 3:14 never comes up during the Arian controversy.

 arch thV ktisews tou qeou

Ê ARXÊ TÊS KTISEWS TOU THEOU

The Beginning of the Creation of God.

The “ruler” (arche, “source,” “origin”) further amplifies the Amen statement. Paul used arche in Colossians 1:18 to describe Christ as the source or origin of all creation (not the first created; cf. Prov 8:22; John 1:3), no doubt to correct a heresy. Since Colosse was a neighboring city of Laodicea, it is not improbable that the same heresy was also affecting the sister church at Laodicea. But this is not explicit. What is plain is this: When Christ addresses a church that is failing in loyalty and obedience, he is to them the “Amen” of God in faithfulness and in true witness, the only one who has absolute power over the world because he is the source and origin of all creation (1:17; 2:8; 22:13) (EBC).

The beginning of the creation of God (hê archê tês ktiseôs tou theou). Not the first of creatures as the Arians held and Unitarians do now, but the originating source of creation through whom God works (Col 1:15, 18, a passage probably known to the Laodiceans, John 1:3; Heb 1:2, as is made clear by 1:18; 2:8; 3:21; 5:13) (RWP).

Jehovah’s Witnesses

objection:  In his book The Role of Theological Bias in Bible Translation, Rolf Furuli presents a number of arguments in favor of the view that the “beginning of creation” signifies that that Son is “first-created.”  Let’s consider them in order:

1. Page 255: “From the above it is clear that arche, in more than 75% of its occurrences, means “beginning.” 
2. Page 255: “…7 of the instances with the meaning “government” are in the plural.  Also, the four singular occurrences with this meaning are qualified, either by “every”…or by a genitive construction…”
3. Page 255: “The word arche in Colossians 1:18 stands unqualified as a predication of Jesus, and the meaning “government” seems to be out of the question in this verse.”
4. Page 256: “The application of arche to Jesus in Revelation 3:14 is parallel to its use in Colossians 1:15.  In Revelation 3:14, arche is qualified by “God’s creation,” and this presents a problem for those who support the trinity doctrine.  The sense “government, authority” is hardly fitting…”

Response:  Page 255: “From the above it is clear that arche, in more than 75% of its occurrences, means “beginning.” 

This statistic can be misleading.  In the LXX, it is closer to approximately 50% with the meaning of ‘beginning’.  ARCHE can mean beginning, rule, sum, choicest, edge, band, highest, origin, and top.  Context will determine the meaning of each occurrence.  In the New Testament, the writers just happen to have used the meaning ‘beginning’ in most of it was used.

Page 255: “…7 of the instances with the meaning “government” are in the plural.  Also, the four singular occurrences with this meaning are qualified, either by “every”…or by a genitive construction…”

Mr. Furuli does not tell us why ARCHE in the singular or plural is significant.  In those contexts, the ARCHAI are a multitude of false, spiritual entities at war with Christ and the saints or world rulers.  They are always a multiplicity.  But if Rev. 3:14 is taken as ‘ruler,’ it would stand in beautiful contrast to the multitude of false ARCHAI of the world and spiritual realms.  Since when does the number of a noun have any relation to its meaning apart from context?  Is Mr. Furuli trying to say that if John wanted to communicate that he meant ‘ruler’ by using ARCHE, he would have to put it into a plural?  If he is, see Luke 20:20 to find ARCHE in the singular meaning ‘ruler.’  Nor does he state the significance of ARCHE qualified by ‘every’ or the ‘genitive.’  Is he trying to say this is the only way ARCHE can mean ‘ruler?’  I don’t know.  But this statement could contradict Mr. Stafford’s argument in number 5 above.

Page 255: “The word arche in Colossians 1:18 stands unqualified as a predication of Jesus, and the meaning “government” seems to be out of the question in this verse.”

How can “government” or more properly ‘ruler’ “…be out of the question…”  for Col. 1:18?  The context of Col. 1:15-18 is that Christ is preeminent and that all things are held together by him.  ‘Ruler’ fits the context and makes perfect sense.  The context of Gen. 49:3 and Deut. 21:17 is the first son born.

Page 256: “The application of arche to Jesus in Revelation 3:14 is parallel to its use in Colossians 1:15.  In Revelation 3:14, arche is qualified by “God’s creation,” and this presents a problem for those who support the trinity doctrine.  The sense “government, authority” is hardly fitting…”

I agree that Rev. 3:14 is parallel to Col. 1:15, but I take both genitives of each verse to be objective.  If they are objective genitives, Col. 1:15 could be translated as ‘the Firstborn over all creation’ and Rev. 3:14 could be translated as ‘the Ruler of God’s creation.’  So also, Rev. 1:5 could be translated as “the Ruler (ARCHON not ARCHE} over the Kings of the Earth.”  Notice the parallelism to Rev. 3:14.  Jesus is the Ruler and Faithful Witness!  Referring to Rev. 3:14, Mr. Furuli states that, “The sense government, authority is hardly fitting here…”  Why, because Mr. Furuli says so?  He continues, “…the only other meaning which is which is found in the N.T., namely, ‘beginning’, then Jesus is described as ‘the beginning of God’s creation,’ and this a part of creation.”  Not necessarily, since these titles of Jesus in Rev. 3:14 are active, beginning would mean ‘the one who starts it.’  Besides, why is ‘beginning’ the only other meaning which is found in the New Testament?  Is he stating that other meanings of ARCHE are not available to John?  Is there a rule somewhere that states there is only three meanings to ARCHE in the New Testament?  I always thought context determined meaning!  It is obvious from this line of reasoning that Mr. Furuli does not want ARCHE to mean Ruler and Origin in Rev. 3:14.

objection:  Like Mr. Furuli, Greg Stafford has also argued in favor of the “first-created” meaning for ARCHE in this verse.  Mr. Stafford’s arguments are as follows:

1. Page 236: “While it is true that arche can have a meaning other than “beginning,” a check of all the occurrences in NT of arche followed by a genitive expression (as we have in Rev 3:14) shows that it always denotes a beginning or first part of something…”
2. Page 237: “Also, we should point out that BAGD went on to say regarding the use of arche in Rev. 3:14, “the [meaning] beginning=first created is linguistically [possible].”
3. Page 236-237: “The final 11 are used to denote “governments” or “rulers,” and with such a meaning are always used with other expressions denoting “power” … or “authority”…”
4. Page 237-240: “Biblical parallels to the grammar of Revelation 3:14.”  Matt. 24:8, Mark 13:19, John 2:11, Philip. 4:15, Heb. 3:14, 5:12, 6:1, 7:3, 2Pet. 3:4, Job 40:19
5. Page 239: “Burney believes Revelation 3:14 is an allusion to Proverbs 8:22, and with reference to the meaning of Revelation 3:14 he states the truth of the matter  when he says that exegetes ‘have not a shadow of authority for the limiting in meaning to the source of God’s creation’.”
6. Page 240: “Returning to the issue of parallels to Revelation 3:14, another example that is particularly striking in its similarity to Revelation 3:14 is Job 40:19”
7. Page 240: “Also, in Revelation 3:14 it is said that Jesus is the arche of “God’s creation,” so whatever meaning we give to arche in this verse it does not negate the fact that Jesus is distinct from the being of God.”

Response:  Page 236: “While it is true that arche can have a meaning other than “beginning,” a check of all the occurrences in NT of arche followed by a genitive expression (as we have in Rev 3:14) shows that it always denotes a beginning or first part of something…” D. A. Carson lists using statistics to “stack the deck” as a common exegetical fallacy (Carson, Fallacies, p. 102).  I believe Mr. Stafford, perhaps unknowingly, has committed such a fallacy here.  Why should the analysis of ARCHE be limited to the New Testament?  Mr. Stafford does not so limit himself when he is dealing with other passages.  His “rule” is coincidence rather than some statistical discovery.  Here is a list of occurrences in the LXX of ARCHE followed by a genitive expression: Gen. 1:16, 40:20; Ex. 6:25; Psalm 109:3, 136:6; Prov. 17:14; Jer. 22:6; Dan. 6:26, 7:12, 11:41; Amos 6:11; Ob. 20; Mic. 3:1.  As can be seen from these passages, a genitive expression is not a contextual marker for ARCHE to mean ‘beginning.’

Page 237: “Also, we should point out that BAGD went on to say regarding the use of arche in Rev. 3:14, “the [meaning] beginning=first created is linguistically [possible].”

Again, I believe this “rule” is a coincidence.  Here is a list from the LXX of ARCHE denoting ‘government’ and ‘ruler’ without “…other expressions denoting “power” or “authority…”: Gen. 1:18, 40:13, 20,21, 41:13; Ex. 6:25; Deut. 17:18, 20; 1 Chron. 26:10; Neh. 9:17; Psalm 109:3, 138:17; Isa. 9:5-6, 10:10, 41:27, 42:10; Jer. 13:21, 30:2; Ezk. 29:15; Dan. 6:26, 7:12, 11:41; Hos. 1:11; Amos 6:1; Obad.  20; Mic. 3:1; Naham 1:6, 3:8.  Based on these examples, ARCHE can mean ‘ruler’ in Rev. 3:14.  Actually, any nuance available to an author at any given point in history is possible.  The question is what is exegetically probable.

Page 236-237: “The final 11 are used to denote “governments” or “rulers,” and with such a meaning are always used with other expressions denoting “power” … or “authority”…”

Mr. Stafford’s quote from BAGD is his escape clause from the lexicon’s conclusion.  The problem is that just because something is linguistically possible or probable does not make it a viable translation.  The lexicon defines ARCHE in this verse as “source.”  Even the new edition of the lexicon, in which Dr. Danker changes the reference to “first-created” from “linguistically possible” to “linguistically probable,” continues to define ARCHE in Rev. 3:14 as “source.”  (The most recent edition in German edited by Bauer retains the earlier “possible” reference [German: möglich]).  There are a few meanings to ARCHE that are “linguistically possible” but not exegetically possible, such as ‘extremities’ in this context.

Page 237-240: “Biblical parallels to the grammar of Revelation 3:14.”  Matt. 24:8, Mark 13:19, John 2:11, Philip. 4:15, Heb. 3:14, 5:12, 6:1, 7:3, 2Pet. 3:4, Job 40:19

Let’s take a look at these parallels”

Matt. 24:8 – This is grammatically parallel, but ARCHE as a noun is being used differently.  ARCHE in Rev. 3:14 is being used as a title.  Matt. 24:8 is not.  ARCHE in Rev. 3:14 is active.  Matt. 24:8 is passive.  Context will determine the meaning.  In my opinion, I have established that ARCHE with a “genitive expression” is not relevant.  Again, let’s put some of the meanings of ARCHE into this verse and see which one best fits the context: ruler, extremities, top, head, band, sum, or beginning.  I think it is a pretty easy choice.

Mark 13:19 – This is not a grammatical parallel for ARCHE is the object of a preposition, and APO ARCHE is used as a temporal expression.  ARCHE as a noun is being used differently.  ARCHE in Rev. 3:14 is being used as a title.  Mark 13:19 is not.  ARCHE in Rev. 3:14 is active.  Mark 13:19 is passive. Again, let’s put some of the meanings of ARCHE into this verse and see which one best fits the context: ruler, extremities, top, head, band, sum, or beginning.  I think it is a pretty easy choice.

John 2:11 – Same as Mark 13:19

Philip. 4:15 – Same as Mark 13:19

Heb. 3:14 – Same as Matt. 24:8

Heb. 6:1 – Same as Matt. 24:8

Heb. 7:3 – Same as Matt. 24:8

2 Pet. 3:4 – Same as Mark 13:19

Further, of these examples, not one has ARCHE referring to a person!

Mr. Stafford’s list of scriptures from the LXX in note 119 on page 239 are the same type of verses he listed in the New Testament, and they have similar explanations.  They are not parallel to Rev. 3:14.

Page 239: “Burney believes Revelation 3:14 is an allusion to Proverbs 8:22, and with reference to the meaning of Revelation 3:14 he states the truth of the matter  when he says that exegetes ‘have not a shadow of authority for the limiting in meaning to the source of God’s creation’.”

First, I do not see Rev. 3:14 as an allusion to Prov. 8:22.  Wisdom is just a simple personification as in the previous chapters of Proverbs.  ARCHE is being used in two different ways in these passages.  In Rev. 3:14, ARCHE is an active title for Christ.  In Prov. 8:22, ARCHE is a passive use.  Put some of the other meanings in these contexts and you’ll find that ‘ruler’ or ‘source’ fit perfectly in Rev. 3:14 and beginning fits perfectly in Prov. 8:22.  

Second, Burney’s interpretation is completely different than that of Mr. Stafford.  Burney may have seen a connection here with Proverbs 8:22, but his understanding of the Proverbs passage, when quoted more fully, damages the Jehovah’s Witness position.  Burney states on page 162 that, “…the ground-meaning of  KANA…,” referring to wisdom as, “…in the case of wisdom by accumulating it through mental application.”  The NWT states “produced me” in Prov. 8:22.  Burney interprets ‘production of wisdom’ as meaning in the sense of accumulation such through mental application.   Burney states on page 168 of his article ‘Christ As The ARCHE Of Creation’ in JTS 27, “…Wisdom being regarded as one of the works of God, though indefinitely anterior to all other words which she was instrumental in calling into being.  It would, however, be legitimate to render, ‘the antecedent of his works’- a rendering which serves merely to state the priority of Wisdom to the words of God, without necessarily placing her in the same category with them.  This rendering appears to be preferable, as preserving a measure of ambiguity which is inherent in the original…We arrive, then, at the following rendering for the verse as a whole:- The Lord begat me as the beginning of His way, The antecedent of His works, of old.”  Then on page 172, he stated, “The answer is to be found in the consideration that human terminology, framed to describe events happening in time, is inadequate to the description of eternal facts.”  

The key to understanding what Burney meant by the last sentence in the passage quoted by Mr. Stafford is the word “limited.”  Burney is not denying the meaning “source” at all, but saying that the meaning is not limited to it!  We only need to complete the quote Mr. Stafford provides to see this: “There is every reason to suppose that ARCHE is here used with all the fullness of meaning which St Paul extracts from reshith-Beginning, Sum-total, Head, First-fruits.  This at any rate fits in with the statement of xxi 6, EGW TO A KAI TO W, H ARCHE KAI TO TELOS, where TO TELOS embodies the interpretation of Bereshit ‘into him’ as the goal.” 

Page 240: “Returning to the issue of parallels to Revelation 3:14, another example that is particularly striking in its similarity to Revelation 3:14 is Job 40:19”

Let’s consider the context of this passage.  Job 40:15 states, “But look at Behemoth, my creature, just as you are.”(NJB)  Verse 19 states, “He is the first of the works of God.  His Maker threatened him with the sword…”  This is neither ‘striking’ nor parallel to Rev. 3:14.  The context is the Behemoth as a creation by God (verse 15).  In context, this is obviously a hyperbolic usage of ARCHE, if it means “first-created,” as Mr. Stafford would agree.  If Behemoth is not a literal “first-created, and these verses are indeed a “striking” parallel, why should we take the Son as a literal “first-created?”  Further, the Breton translation of the LXX renders ARCHE “Chief” in this verse, which seems a likely rendering, given the context is the supremacy of Behemoth over other created beings.  In Rev. 3:14, ARCHE is an active title.  In Job 40:15, 19, ARCHE is passive and the object of EIMI. 

Page 240: “Also, in Revelation 3:14 it is said that Jesus is the arche of “God’s creation,” so whatever meaning we give to arche in this verse it does not negate the fact that Jesus is distinct from the being of God.”

Mr. Stafford has not proved distinct beings only distinct persons.  He comes to this passage with Henotheistic presuppositions.  I, of course, come to this passage with Trinitarian presuppositions.  The question, really, is what kind of distinction is being made here and elsewhere between God (the Father) and Jesus (the Son)?  Should the use of ARCHE in this verse – which at the very least is ambiguous with regard to meaning “first-created” – inform our exegesis of clear statements of Christ’s Deity (John 1:1; 1:3; 20:28; Col 2:9)?  Or should sound exegetical principles lead us to the opposite conclusion, in which clear declarative statements inform our interpretation of more ambiguous verses, such as this one?

The Hebrew Bible testifies that Jehovah alone is the incomparable God in heaven and on earth:

“You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides him there is no other… Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.” Deuteronomy 4:35, 39

“so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.” 1 Kings 8:60

“For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law.” 2 Chronicles 15:3

“Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.” Psalm 86:8-10

“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.’” Isaiah 43:10-11

“I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:5-6  

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” Isaiah 46:9

“Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols.” Jeremiah 2:11

And since he alone is God, Jehovah alone created and gives life to all created things, and is the one and only sovereign Ruler who reigns over the entire heavens and earth:

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.” Deuteronomy 10:17

“See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” Deuteronomy 32:39

“You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” Nehemiah 9:6

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3

“Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,” Psalm 113:5

“Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.” Psalm 136:2-3

“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.” Psalm 148:13

“Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth… Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.” Isaiah 37:16, 20

“This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come— yes, let them foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one… This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth BY MYSELF,” chapter Isaiah 44:6-8, 24

“But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath. Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.’” Jeremiah 10:10-11

THE NEW TESTAMENT WITNESS

Astonishingly, the inspired Christian Scriptures proclaim that Jesus Christ is the one and only supreme God who humbled himself to be born as a human being in order to redeem his creation:

“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned… For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:1-2, 6-7 – Cf. Matthew 4:12-16; Luke 1:26-35, 78-79

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God [ho Theos] with us’). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” Matthew 1:18-25

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:1-6

Remarkably, the prophecy mentioned here identifies this Ruler as an eternal Being who condescends to be born of a woman so as to become an Israelite for the purpose of shepherding his people:

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago (miqqedem), From the days of eternity (olam). Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel. And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.” Micah 5:2-4 New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995)

In fact, the foregoing texts ascribe to Jesus the very unique name, characteristics and functions of Jehovah:

“If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you… Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.” Psalm 130:3-4, 7-8

“In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.” Isaiah 10:20-21 – Cf. Nehemiah 9:32; Psalm 24:8; Jeremiah 32:18

“LORD, are you not from everlasting (miqqedem)? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, LORD, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.” Habakkuk 1:12  

The [N]ew [T]estament has more to say:

“‘Return home and tell how much God (ho Theos) has done for you.’ So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus (ho Iesous) had done for him.” Luke 8:39  

Luke is clear that Jesus is the God who had done so much for the demoniac. Once again, Christ is described in ways that the OT speaks of Jehovah:

“Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.” Psalm 66:16

And here’s how our Lord describes his relationship to God and believers:

“‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.’ Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ ‘We are not stoning you for any good work,’ they replied, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’” John 10:27-33

Jesus attributes to himself the unique abilities and roles that the Hebrew Bible assigns to Jehovah alone:

“Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,” Psalm 95:6-8 NASB1995

“Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” Isaiah 43:13

These are not the only places where the inspired Scriptures call Jesus God in contexts which clearly equate him with Jehovah Almighty:

“Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said TO HIM, ‘My Lord and my God (ho Kyrios mou kai ho Theos mou)!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” John 20:27-29  

Thomas worships the risen Christ as his Lord and God, even though Jehovah is the only Lord God whom an Israelite can confess and trust in:

“Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord (elohay wadonay).” Psalm 35:23

“Wake up! And pay attention to my trial, my God and my Lord (ho Theos mou kai ho Kyrios mou), to my case!” Psalm 34:23 LXX

Jesus is the God who redeemed a people to be his flock by his blood which he shed for the forgiveness of their sins:

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Acts 20:28 – Cf. Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14

And yet Jehovah is the God who went out to purchase and redeem a people for himself:

“O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? Remember the nation you purchased long ago, the people of your inheritance, whom you redeemed—Mount Zion, where you dwelt.” Psalm 74:1-2

Christ is also the eternally praised God,

“Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” Romans 9:5

And the very great God who ransomed a people for his own possession due to his being an impartial righteous Savior:

“while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (tou megalou Theou hemon kai Soteros Iesou Christou), who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:13-14

“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ (tou Theou kai Soteros hemon Iesou Christou) have received a faith as precious as ours:” 2 Peter 1:1

Jesus is even said to be the true God and eternal life!

“We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life (ho alethinos Theos kai zoe aionios).” 1 John 5:20  

That John is describing Christ as the true God is confirmed by what he wrote at the beginning of his epistle:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life (ten zoen ten aionion), which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3

The Son is the Word of life, the life, and that very eternal life whom John and the disciples saw and physically handled. This proves that Jesus is the true God spoken of at the conclusion of the inspired letter.   

This explains why Jude could refer to Jesus as being our only sovereign God and Lord:

“For there are certain men who crept in secretly, even those who were long ago written about for this condemnation: ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into indecency, and denying our only Master, God, and Lord, Jesus Christ (ton monon despoten Theon kai Kyrion hemon Iesoun Christon).” Jude 1:4 World English Bible (WEB)

“… and our only Master, God, and Lord — Jesus Christ — denying,” Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

If the foregoing is still not enough to convince readers that the NT depicts Jesus as God Almighty in the flesh, then the next set of texts should leave no doubt whatsoever:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind… The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-4, 9-10, 14

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and FOR HIM. He IS BEFORE all things, and IN HIM all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:13-20

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,” Colossians 2:9

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven… And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’… But about the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God (ho Theos), will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.’… He also says, ‘In the beginning, Lord [the Son], you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.’” Hebrews 1:1-3, 6, 8-12

Christ is described as the eternal, unchangeable Creator and Sustainer of all creation who possesses the complete divine essence as he rules forever as the God-Man with a glorified, immortal physical body!

This explains why Hebrews has God the Father praising his Son in the words of the following Psalm, which glorifies Jehovah as the immutable Creator and Preserver of the heavens and the earth!

“Hear my prayer, LORD; let my cry for help come to you… But you, LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations… So I said: ‘Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.’” Psalm 102:1, 12, 24-27

As if this wasn’t enough to establish Jesus’ identity as Jehovah God Almighty who became a man, Christ is even said to be the only sovereign Lord of lords and the immortal First and Last, the very names which the OT attributes to Jehovah alone!  

“to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which HE will bring about at the right time—HE WHO is the blessed and ONLY Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is HE ALONE WHO has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:14-16 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

“and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen… When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Revelation 1:5-6, 17-18

“They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” Revelation 17:14 – Cf. 19:16

Hence, Jesus Christ is truly Jehovah God Almighty in the flesh, being the uniquely beloved Son of the Father and the eternal Companion of the Holy Spirit!

Amen! Come Lord Jesus, come!

Unless noted otherwise, biblical quotations taken from the New International Version (NIV) of the Holy Bible.

FURTHER READING

Jesus Is Yahweh: Examining the New Testament Use of Old Testament Passages to Demonstrate the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus as Yahweh: Examining Paul’s use of Lord in reference to Christ

ENDNOTES

(1) There is a variant here since some of the early Greek copies do not have the word “God,” which is why some modern translations render the text in the following manner:

“For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord (ton monon despoten kai Kyrion hemon Iesoun Christon).” Jude 1:4

Nonetheless, this reading still affirms the absolute Deity of Christ since no heavenly creature can be identified as the ONLY Sovereign Lord of believers, especially since the Scriptures proclaim that Jehovah is the only Master dwelling in heaven that believers are to put their hope in:  

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” Psalm 73:25

“I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.” Psalm 123:1-2

These are the notes that I prepared in response to Ali Ataie’s lies and misinformation regarding Isaiah 42, which can be viewed here: Amazing Description of Prophet Muhammad in Isaiah 42.

THE SERVANT IS AN ISRAELITE

Examining Isaiah 42 in light of the rest of the “Servant Songs” of Isaiah conclusively proves that the Servant IS NOT an Arab from Kedar. For instance, contrast what this chapter states in regards to the Servant with Isaiah 49:

“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly FOR HIS LAW. Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it, I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as A COVENANT TO THE PEOPLE, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison. I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you. Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them. Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voices, The settlements where Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing aloud, Let them shout for joy from the tops of the mountains. Let them give glory to the LORD And declare His praise in the coastlands. The LORD will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.” Isaiah 42:1-13

“Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me. He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver. He said to Me, ‘You are My Servant, ISRAEL, In Whom I will show My glory.’ But I said, ‘I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God.’ And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, And My God is My strength), He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, ‘Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.’ Thus says the LORD, ‘In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for A COVENANT OF PEOPLE, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; Saying to those who are bound, “Go forth,” To those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.” Along the roads they will feed, And their pasture will be on all bare heights. They will not hunger or thirst, Nor will the scorching heat or sun strike them down; For He who has compassion on them will lead them And will guide them to springs of water. I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways will be raised up. Behold, these will come from afar; And lo, these will come from the north and from the west, And these from the land of Sinim.’ Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted.” Isaiah 49:1-13

Isaiah 49 explicitly identifies the Servant as an Israelite whom God raises up to save his brethren and to bring God’s salvation to all the nations that dwell on the earth. That this is the same Servant spoken of in chapter 42 is confirmed by the fact that both chapters say that the Servant will be a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, and who partakes of God’s glory which is given to no one else.

JEWISH INTERPRETATION OF ISAIAH 42

We will now see that the Jewish sources, including Jewish Christian, identify the Servant as an Israelite or the Messiah.

MATTHEW’S GOSPEL

“But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, and warned them not to tell who He was. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory. And in His name the Gentiles will hope.’ Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw.” Matthew 12:15-22

THE TARGUMS

Chapter XLII.

1 Behold, my servant, THE MESSIAH, whom I bring, my chosen in whom one delights:^l as for my Word, I will put my Holy Spirit upon Him; He shall reveal my judgment unto the nations.

2 He shall not cry aloud, nor raise a clamour, and He shall not lift up His voice in the street.²

3 The meek who are like a bruised reed He shall not break,³ and the poor who are as a glimmering⁴ wick with Him, He will not quench: He shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

4 He shall not faint nor be weary, till He have established judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for His law.

5 Thus saith the God of eternity, who hath created the heavens and suspended them, who hath founded the earth, and hath given breath to its inhabitants, even to the people upon it, and spirit them that walk therein.

6 I, the Lord, I will make Thee to grow in truth, and will hold Thine hand, and I will direct Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7 To open the eyes of the house of Israel, who are blind to the law, to bring back their captivity⁵ from among the nations, where they are like prisoners, and to redeem them from the servitude of the kingdoms being shut up as those that are bound in darkness.

8 I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory in which I am revealed to you I will not give to another people; nor my praise to the worshippers of images.

9 Behold, the former things⁶ are come to pass, and new things do I declare: I apprize you of them before they come to pass.

10 Sing unto the Lord a new song, proclaim His praise from the ends of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and its fulness; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.

11 Let the wilderness⁷ praise Him, and the cities that are in it,⁸ the villages which inhabit the wilderness of the Arabians; let the dead praise Him, when they go forth from their long abodes;⁹ from the tops¹⁰ of the mountains let them lift up their voice.

12 Let them ascribe glory unto the Lord, and declare His praise in the islands.

13 The Lord shall be seen to do mighty things: He shall reveal Himself in anger to do a mighty work by the word of His wrath; He shall reveal Himself to His enemies by His might in an earthquake.

14 I have given them prolongation for a long time, if they would but return to my law; but they did not return. My judgment shall be revealed upon them, as pains on a woman in travail; they shall be destroyed, and come to an end together.

15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

16 And I will lead the house of Israel,¹⁸ who are like the blind, in a way which they knew not, in paths they have not learned I will lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and the rugged place a plain. These things will I do for them, and will not forsake them. (Targum Isaiah: The Chaldee Paraphrase on the Prophet Isaiah, translated by Rev. C. W. H. Pauli, Presbyter [London Society’s House, 16, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London 1871], pp. 142-144; bold and capital emphasis mine)

The Targum has a lot more to say in regards to the coming Messiah:

ISAIAH 43

Ye are my witnesses,⁸ saith the Lord, and MY SERVANT, THE MESSIAH, in whom is my delight, in order that ye may know, and that ye may believe in me, and understand that I am He who was from the beginning; yea, ages after ages are mine, and beside me there is no god. (Ibid., p. 148; bold emphasis mine)

ISAIAH 52:13-53:13

13 Behold, MY SERVANT THE MESSIAH shall prosper, He shall be exalted and extolled, and He shall be very strong.

14 As the house of Israel anxiously hoped⁵ for Him many days, (which was poor⁶ among the nations; their appearance and their brightness being worse than that of the sons of men; )

Thus shall He scatter⁷ many nations; before Him kings shall keep silence: they shall put their hands upon their mouths, for that which had not been told them shall they see: and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

1 Who hath believed this our report? and to whom is now1 the power of the arm of the Lord revealed?

2 The righteous shall be great before Him, behold, like branches that bud; and like a tree which sends forth its roots by the streams of water, thus shall the generation of the just multiply in the land, which hath need of Him.²

3 His visage shall not be the visage of a common person, neither His fear the fear of a plebeian;³ but a holy brightness shall be His brightness, that every one who seeth Him shall contemplate Him.⁴

4 Although He shall be in contempt; yet He shall cut off the glory of all the wicked,⁵ they shall be weak and wretched. Lo, we are in contempt and not esteemed, as a man of pain and appointed to sickness, and as if He had removed the face of His Shekinah from us.

5 Therefore He shall pray for our sins, and our iniquities FOR HIS SAKE shall be forgiven us; for we are considered crushed, smitten of the Lord, and afflicted.

6 He shall build the house of the sanctuary,⁶ which has been profaned on account of our sins; He was delivered over on account of our iniquities, and through His doctrine peace shall be multiplied upon us, and through the teaching of His words our sins shall be forgiven us.⁷

7 All we like sheep have been scattered, every one of us has turned to his own way; it pleased the Lord⁸ to forgive the sins of all of us FOR HIS SAKE.

8 He shall pray and He shall be answered, yea, before He shall open His mouth, He shall be heard; He shall deliver over the mighty of the nations as a lamb to the slaughter, and like a sheep before her shearers is dumb, none shall in His presence open his mouth, or speak a word.

9 He shall gather our captives⁹ from affliction and pain, and who shall be able to narrate the wonderful works which shall be done for us in His days? He shall remove the rule of the nations from the land of Israel, the sins which my people have committed¹⁰ have come upon them.

10 And He shall deliver the wicked into hell, and the riches of treasures which they got by violence unto the death of Abaddon,¹¹ that they who commit sin shall not remain, and that they should not speak folly¹² with their mouth.

11 And it was the pleasure of the Lord to refine and to purify the remnant of His people, in order to cleanse their souls from sin, that they might see the kingdom of their Messiah, that their sons and daughters might multiply, and prolong their days, and those that keep¹³ the law of the Lord shall prosper through His pleasure.

12 He shall deliver their souls from the servitude of the nations, they shall see the vengeance upon their enemies; they shall be satisfied with the spoil of their kings. By His wisdom He shall justify the righteous, in order to make many to keep u the law, and He shall pray for their sins.

13 Therefore I will divide to Him the spoil of many people, and the treasures of strong fortifications; He shall divide the spoil; BECAUSE HE HAS DELIVERED HIS LIFE UNTO DEATH, and He shall make the rebellious to keep¹⁵ the law; He shall pray for the sins of many, and as for the transgressors, each shall be pardoned FOR HIS SAKE. (Ibid., pp. 181-185; bold and capital emphasis mine)

ISAIAH 9

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and He has taken the law upon Himself to keep it.⁴ His name is called from eternity, Wonderful, The Mighty God, who liveth to eternity, The Messiah, whose peace shall be great upon us in His days. (Ibid., pp. 31-32; bold emphasis mine)

ISAIAH 11

1 And a King shall come forth from the sons of Jesse, and from his children’s children the Messiah shall be anointed.¹

2 And there shall dwell upon Him the Spirit of prophecy from before the Lord: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

3 He shall bring him to the fear of the Lord: and He shall not judge according to the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears.

4 But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with faithfulness the needy of the earth ; and He shall smite the sinners of the earth with the word of His mouth, and with the speech of His lips He shall slay the wicked.²

5 And the righteous shall be round about Him, and those that work in faith3 shall draw nigh unto Him.

6 In the days of the Messiah of Israel peace shall be multiplied in the earth. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall dwell with the kid; and the calf, and the lion, and the fatling together; and a little sucking child shall be leading them.

7 And the cow and the bear shall feed together, their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put forth his hand on the glistering pupil¹ of the eyes of the cockatrice.

9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the fear of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

10 And there shall be at that time a son of the son of Jesse, who shall stand for an ensign of the people; kings shall obey Him, and the place of His dwelling shall be in glory. (Ibid., pp. 40-41; bold emphasis mine)

ISAIAH 4

2 At that time shall the Messiah of the Lord be for joy and for glory to those that are escaped, and those that keep the law shall be for greatness and for praise. (Ibid., p. 14)

ISAIAH 16

1 They shall bring tributes to the Messiah of Israel, who shall prevail1 over those who are in the wilderness, unto the mountain of the congregation of Zion…

5 Then the throne of the Messiah of Israel shall be established in goodness, and He shall sit upon it in truth in the city of David, judging and seeking justice, and executing truth. (Ibid., pp. 52-53; bold emphasis mine)

ISAIAH 28

At that time, the Messiah of the Lord of hosts shall be for a crown of rejoicing, and for a crown of praise to the remnant of His people: (Ibid., p. 87)

RASHI

Behold My servant, I will support him: Behold My servant JACOB is not like you, for I will support him.

My chosen one: ISRAEL IS CALLED ‘My chosen one’ ([mss.:] His chosen one) (Ps. 135:4) “For the Eternal chose Jacob for Himself.” Scripture states also (infra 45:4): “For the sake of My servant Jacob and Israel My chosen one.”

whom My soul desires; I have placed My spirit upon him: to let his prophets know My secret, and his end will be that ‘he shall promulgate justice to the nations,’ as it is stated (supra 2:3): “And let Him teach us of His ways etc.”

(The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary, v. 1 https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15973/showrashi/true#v1; capital emphasis mine)

I called you: TO ISAIAH HE SAYS.
and I formed you: Heb. וְאֶצָּרְ. When I formed you (כְּשֶׁיְצַרְתִּי) , this was My thought, that you return My people to My covenant and to enlighten them.
for a light to nations: Every tribe is called a nation by itself, as the matter is stated (Gen. 35:11): “A nation and a congregation of nations.”

(Ibid., v. 6 https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15973/showrashi/true#v6; capital emphasis mine)

His praise from the end of the earth: Perforce, when they see My mighty deeds FOR ISRAEL, all the heathens (nations [Parshandatha, K’li Paz]) will admit that I am God.
those who go down to the sea: Those who embark in ships.
and those therein: Those whose permanent residence is in the sea and not in the islands, but in the midst of the water, they spill earth, each one of them, enough for a house, and go from house to house by boat, like the city of Venice. [As in Warsaw ed. and Parshandatha.]

(Ibid., v. 10 https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15973/showrashi/true#v10; capital emphasis mine)

The desert and its cities shall raise [their voice]: their voice in song.
Kedar shall be inhabited with villages: (Connected to “The desert… shall raise.” The desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, shall raise their voice and sing. It is like: And the villages with which Kedar is settled.) The desert of Kedar, where they now dwell in tents, will be permanent cities and villages.
rock dwellers: The dead who will be resurrected. So did Jonathan render this.
from the mountain peaks they shall shout: From the mountain peaks they shall raise their voices [from Jonathan].

(Ibid., v. 11 https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15973/showrashi/true#v11; capital emphasis mine)

THE KEDARITES SUBJECTED TO ISRAEL

The same Isaiah prophecied of a day when God will judge the peoples who oppressed Israel, including Kedar and Nebaioth, by subjecting them all to his covenant people:

“Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes round about and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms. Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you. A multitude of camels will cover you, The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, And will bear good news of the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar will be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth will minister to you; They will go up with acceptance on My altar, And I shall glorify My glorious house. Who are these who fly like a cloud And like the doves to their lattices? Surely the coastlands will wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, For the name of the LORD your God, And for the Holy One of Israel because He has glorified you. Foreigners will build up your walls, And their kings will minister to you; For in My wrath I struck you, And in My favor I have had compassion on you. Your gates will be open continually; They will not be closed day or night, So that men may bring to you the wealth of the nations, With their kings led in procession. For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined. The glory of Lebanon will come to you, The juniper, the box tree and the cypress together, To beautify the place of My sanctuary; And I shall make the place of My feet glorious. The sons of those who afflicted you will come bowing to you, And all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; And they will call you the city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 60:1-14

THE CONFUSION REGARDING MUHAMMAD’S GENEAOLOGY  

There is no conclusive proof for Muhammad being an Ishmaelite, let alone a descendant of Kedar.

CHALLENGE TO ALI ATAIE

1. Prove from the Quran that Muhammad was a descendant of Ishmael.

• Provide some pre-Islamic archaeological, textual, and/or historical that the Arabs of Mecca/Medina were actual physical descendants of Ishmael through his son Kedar.

Moreover, Ataie lied when he claimed al-Tabari affirmed that Muhammad was a descendant of Kedar. Al-Tabari, along with the other scholars and commentators, candidly admitted that there is massive confusion and contradiction regarding this issue.

AL-TABARI

`Adnan⁴⁸

Ma’add was the son of ‘Adnan. ‘Adnan had two paternal half brothers, one called Nabt and the other ‘Amr. The genealogists do not differ concerning the descent of our Prophet Muhammad as far as Ma’add b. ‘Adnan, which is as I have expounded it.

Yunus b. ‘Abd al-A’la–Ibn Wahb–Ibn Lahi’ah–Abd al-Aswad and others: The lineage of the Messenger of God is as follows; Muhammad b. ‘Abdallah b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib b. Hashim b. ‘Abd Manaf b. Qusayy b. Kilab b. Murrah b. Kab b. Lu’ayy b. Ghalib b. Fihr b. Malik b. al-Nadr b.Kinanah b. Khuzaymah b. Mudrikah b. Ilyas b. Mudar b. Nizar b. Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad; they differ concerning what comes after that.

‘Adnan’s Descent from Ishmael, Abraham, and Adam⁴⁹

Al-Zubayr b. Bakkar-Yahya b. al-Migdad al-Zam’i-his paternal uncle Musa b. Ya’rub b. ‘Abdallah b. Wahb b. Zam’ah-his maternal aunt Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet: I heard the Messenger of God say, “Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad b. Zand b. Yard b. A’raq al-Thara.” Umm Salamah: Zand is al-Hamaysa’, Yard is Nabt and A’raq al-Thara is Ishmael, son of Abraham.

Al-Harith-Muhammad b. Sa’d-Hisham b. MuhammadMuhammad b. ‘Abd al-Rahman al – ‘Ajlani-Musa b. Ya’qub al-Zam’I–his paternal aunt–her grandmother Bint al-Migdad b. alAswad al-Bahrani: The Messenger of God said, “Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad b. Yard b. A’raq al-Thara.”⁵⁰

Ibn Humayd-Salamah b. al-Fadl–Ibn Ishaq: ‘Adnan, as some genealogists assert, was the son of Udad b. Muqawwam b. Nahur b. Tayrah b. Ya’rub b. Yashjub b. Nabit b. Ismail (Ishmael) b. Ibrahim (Abraham), WHILE OTHERS SAY: ‘Adnan b. Udad b. Aytahab b. Ayyub b. Qaydhar b. Ismail (Ishmael) b. Ibrahim (Abraham). Qusayy b. Kilab traces his descent back to Qaydhar in his poetry. YET OTHER GENEALOGISTS SAY: ‘Adnan b. Mayda’ b. Mani’ b. Udad b. Kab b. Yashjub b. Ya’rub b. al-Hamaysa’ b. Qaydhar b. Isma’il (Ishmael) b. Ibrahim (Abraham). These differences arise because it is an old science, taken from the people of the first Book (the Old Testament).

Al-Harith–Muhammad b. Sa’d–Hisham (al-Kalbi): Someone told me on the authority of my father, Muhammad b. al-Sa’ib al-Kalbi, although I did not hear this from him myself, that he traced the descent as follows; Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad b. al-Hamaysa’ b. Salaman b. ‘Aws b. Buz b. Qamwal b. Ubayy b. al-‘Awwam b. Nashid b. Hazy b. Bildas b. Yidlaf b. Tabakh b. Jaham b. Tahash b. Makha b. ‘Ayfa b. ‘Abgar b. ‘Ubayd b. al-Da’a b. Hamdan b. Sanbar b. Yathribi b. Yahzan b. Yalhan b. Ar’awa b. ‘Ayfa b. Dayshan b. `Isar b. Agnad b. Ayham b. Mugsir b. Nahath b. Rizah b. Shamma b. Mizza b. ‘Aws b. ‘Arram b. Qaydhar b. Ismail (Ishmael) b. Ibrahim (Abraham).

Al-Harith–Muhammad b. Sad-Hisham b. Muhammad (al-Kalbi): There was a man from Tadmur whose patronymic (kunyah) was Abu Yaqub. He was one of the children of Israel who had become a Muslim, who had read in their books and become deeply learned. He said that Barukh b. Nariyya,⁵¹ a scribe from Urmiya, had established the lineage of Maadd b. ‘Adnan with him and had set it down in his writings. It was well known among the learned men of the People of the Book and set down in their books. It was close to the names given above, and perhaps the difference between them was owing to the language, since these names had been transliterated from the Hebrew.

Al-Harith-Muhammad b. Sa’d: Hisham (al-Kalbi) recited to me the following line of verse, which was related to him by his father:

I belong to no tribe which brought me up

but that in which the descendants of Qaydhar and al-Nabit took root.

By al-Nabit, he meant Nabt b. Isma’il (Ishmael).

Al-Zubayr b. Bakkar–’Umar b. Abi Bakr al-Mu’ammali–Zakariyya’ b. Isa–Ibn Shihab: Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad b. al-Hamaysa’ b. Ashub b. Nabt b. Qaydhar b. Ismail (Ishmael).

Others relate: Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad b. Umayn b. Shajab b. Tha’labah b. ‘Atr b. Yarbah b. Muhallam b. al-‘Awwam b. Muhtamil b. Raimah b. al-‘Aygan b. ‘Allah b. al-Shahdud b. al-Zarib b. ‘Abgar b. Ibrahim (Abraham) b. Ismail b. Yazan b. A’waj b. al-Mutim b. al-Tamh b. al-Qasur b. ‘Anud b. Dada’ b. Mahmud b. al-Za’id b. Nadwan b. Atamah b. Daws b. Hisn b. al-Nizal b. alQumayr b. al-Mushajjir b. Mu’damir b. Sayfi b. Nabt b. Qaydhar b. Ismail (Ishmael) b. Ibrahim (Abraham), the Friend of the Compassionate.

Still others: Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad b. Zayd b. Yaqdir b. Yaqdum b. Hamaysa’ b. Nabt b. Qaydhar b. Isma’il (Ishmael) b. Ibrahim (Abraham).

Others: Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad b. al-Hamaysa’ b. Nabt b. Salman, who is Salaman, b. Hamal b. Nabt b. Qaydhar b. Isma’il (Ishmael) b. Ibrahim (Abraham).

Others: Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad b. al-Mugawwam b. Nahur b. Mishrah b. Yashjub b. Malik b. Ayman b. al-Nabit b. Qaydhar b. Ismail (Ishmael) b. Ibrahim (Abraham).

Others: Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udd b. Udad b. al-Hamaysa’ b. Ashub b. Sad b. Yarbah b. Nadir b. Humayl b. Munahhim b. Lafath b. al-Sabuh b. Kinanah b. al-‘Awwam b. Nabt b. Qaydar b. Ismail (Ishmael).

A certain genealogist told me that he had found that some Arab scholars had memorized forty ancestors of Ma’add as far as Isma’il (Ishmael) in Arabic, quoting Arabic verses as evidence for this, and that he had collated the names they gave with what the People of the Book say and had found that the number agreed but that the actual names differed. He dictated these names to me and I wrote them down. They are as follows; Ma’add b. ‘Adnan b. Udad b. Hamaysa’ (Hamaysa’ is Salman, who is Umaya b. Hamayta’ (who is Hamayda’, who is al-Shajab) b. Salaman (who is Munjir Nabit, so called, he claimed, because he fed the Arabs on milk and flour anjara, as the people lived well in his time. He quoted as evidence for this, the verse of Qa’nab b. ‘Attab al-Riyahi:

Tayy calls upon me, but Tayy is distant, and reminds me of the baludh⁵² of the times of Nabit.)…

b. Ja’tham (who is ‘Uram, who is al-Nabit, who is Qaydhar; the interpretation of Qaydhar, he said, is “ruler”, for he was the first of the descendants of Ismail to be king) b. Ismail (Ishmael), who was faithful to his promise, b. Ibrahim (Abraham), the Friend of the Compassionate, b. Tarih (who is Azar) b. Nahur b. Saru’ b. Arghawa b. Baligh (the interpretation of Baligh is “the divider” as in Syriac; this is because it was he who divided the lands between the descendants of Adam, and he is Falij) b. ‘Abar b. Shalikh b. Arfakhshad b. Sam (Shem) b. Nuh (Noah) b. Lamk b. Mattushalakh b. Akhnukh (he is the prophet Idris)⁵⁵ b. Yard (he is Yarid, in whose time idols were made) b. Mahla’il b. Qaynan b. Anush b. Shithth (who is Hibatallah) b. Adam. Shithth (Seth) was the successor of his father after Habil (Abel) was killed; his father said, “A gift of God (Hibatallah) in exchange for Habil,” and his name was derived from this.

We have mentioned earlier in this work in a concise and abridged form a part of what we have been able to discover of the accounts of Ismail (Ishmael) b. Ibrahim (Abraham) and his ancestors, male and female, back to Adam, and of the events of every age during this period of time, and we shall not repeat them here. Hisham b. Muhammad: The Arabs used to say, “The flea has bitten since our father Anush was born, and sin has been forbidden since our father Shithth was born.” The Syriac name for Shithth is Shith. (The History of Al-Tabari: Muhammad at Mecca, translated and annotated by W. Montgomery Watt & M. V. McDonald [State University of New York Press (SUNY), Albany, NY 1988], Volume VI, pp. 37-43; bold and capital emphasis mine)

IBN KATHIR

There is no question of ‘Adnan being of the line of Ishmael, son of Abraham, upon both of whom be peace. What dispute there is relates to the number of forebears there were from ‘Adnan to Ishmael according to the various sources.

At one end of the spectrum, there is the extreme view that considers there to have been FORTY; this is the view of Christians and Jews who adopted it from the writings of Rakhiya, the clerk of Armiya (Jeremy) b. Halqiya, as we will relate.

Some authorities maintain there THIRTY, others TWENTY, yet more FIFTEEN, TEN, NINE, or SEVEN.

It has been said that the lowest estimate given is for FOUR, according to the account given by Musa b. Ya‘qub, on the authority of ‘Abd Allah b. Wahb b. Zum’a al-Zuma‘i from his aunt, and then from Umm Salama who stated that the Prophet said that the line was: “Ma‘ad b. ‘Adnan b. Adab b. Zand b. al-Tara b. A‘raq al-Thara”.

According to Umm Salam this Zanad was al-Hamaysa‘, al-Yara was Nabit, while A‘raq al-Thara was Ishmael. This was implied because he was Abraham’s son; for Abraham was not consumed by hell-fire, since fire does not consume moist earth, the meaning of al-thara.

Al-Daraqatni stated that he knew of no “Zand” except the one in this tradition, and Zand b. al-Jawn, who was Abu Dalama the poet.

Abu al-Qasim al-Suhayli and other Imams stated that the time lapse between ‘Adnan and Ishmael was too great for there to have been only FOUR, TEN, or even TWENTY generations between them. That, they said, was because the age of Ma‘ad son of ‘Adnan was twelve at the time of Bukhtunassar (Nebuchadnezzar).

Abu Ja‘far al-Tabari and others related that Almighty God sent a revelation at that time to Armiya’ b. Halqiya telling him to go to Bukhtunassar to inform him that God had given him rule over the Arabs. And God commanded to Armiya’ to carry Ma‘ad b. Adnan on the horse al-Buraq so that they would not bear him any rancour saying, “For I shall draw forth from his loins a noble Prophet by whom I shall seal the prophets.”

‘Armiya did that, bearing Ma‘ad on al-Buraq to the land of Syria where he grew up among the Jews who remained there following the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem. There he married a woman named Ma‘ana, daughter of Jawshin unrest had quietened [sic] down and accord prevailed in the Arabian peninsula. Rakhiya, Armiya’s scribe, wrote his master’s genealogy down in a document he had there which was to go into Armiya’s library; and he similarly preserved the genealogy of Ma‘ad. But God knows best.

And this is why Malik, God bless him, DID NOT ENTHUSE OVER THE ATTEMPT AT TRACING GENEALOGY BACK TO BEFORE ‘ADNAN.

Al-Suhayli commented further, “We have merely discussed tracing back these lines to accord with the school of thought of those scholars who favour and do not disapprove of it, men such as Ibn Ishaq, al-Bukhari, al-Zubayr b. Bakkar, al-Tabari, and others.”

As for Malik, God have mercy on him, he expressed disapproval when asked about someone tracing his descent back to Adam and commented: “WHENCE COMES TO HIM KNOWLEDGE OF THAT?” When he was asked about tracing back to Ishmael, he expressed similar disapproval, asking, “WHO COULD PROVIDE SUCH AN INFORMATION?” Malik also disliked tracing the genealogy of the prophets, such as saying, “Abraham son of so-and-so”. Al-Mu‘ayti stated this in his book.

Al-Suhayli commented also that Malik’s viewpoint was analogous to what was related of ‘Urwa b. al-Zubayr who is reported to have said, “WE HAVE FOUND NO ONE WHO KNOWS THE LINE BETWEEN ‘ADNAN AND ISHMAEL.”

It is reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Between ‘Adnan and Ishmael there were 30 ancestors WHO ARE UNKNOWN.”

Ibn ‘Abbas is also reputed to have said when he traced back lines of descent as far as ‘Adnan: “The genealogists have LIED. TWICE OR THRICE.” And that (scepticism) is even more characteristic of Ibn Mas‘ud, whose (attitude) was like that of Ibn ‘Abbas.

‘Umar b. al-Khattab stated, “We carry back the genealogy ONLY AS FAR AS ‘ADNAN.”

Abu ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-Barr stated in his book Al-Anba’ fi Ma‘rifat Qaba’il al-Ruwah (Facts Concerning Knowledge of the Tribes of the Transmitters) that Ibn Lahi‘a related from Abu al-Aswad that he heard ‘Urwa b. al-Zubayr say, “WE NEVER FOUND ANYONE WHO KNEW [sic] GENEALOGY BACK PAST ‘ADNAN, NOR PAST QAHTAN, UNLESS THEY WERE USING CONJECTURE. “

Abu al-Aswad stated that he had heard Abu Bakr Sulayman b. Abu Khaytham, one of the very most knowledgeable men of the poetry and the genealogy of Quraysh, say, “WE NEVER KNEW ANYONE WITH INFORMATION GOING BACK BEYOND MA‘AD B. ‘ADNAN, whether relating poetry or other knowledge.”

Abu ‘Umar said that there was a group of the predecessors including ‘Abd Allah b. Mas‘ud, ‘Amr b. Maymun al-Azdi, and Muhammad b. Ka‘b al-Quradhi who, when they recited the verse from the Qur’an “and those after them who no one but God knows” (surat Ibrahim, XIV, v. 9) would comment, “THE GENEALOGISTS LIED.”

Abu ‘Umar, God have mercy on him, stated, “We hold the meaning of this to differ from their interpretation. What is implied is that regarding those who claim to enumerate Adam’s descendants, no one knows them except God who created them. But as for the lines of descent of the Arabs, the scholars conversant with their history and genealogy were aware of and learned by heart about the people and the major tribes, DIFFERING IN SOME DETAILS OF THAT.” (The Life of the Prophet Muhammad (Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya), Volume I, translated by professor Trevor Le Gassick, reviewed by Dr. Ahmed Fareed [Garnet Publishing Limited, 8 Southern Court, south Street Reading RG1 4QS, UK; The Center for Muslim Contribution to Civilization, 1998], pp. 50-52; bold and capital emphasis mine)

A NEW SONG

Contrary to Ali’s assertion, a new song has nothing to do with Scriptures but refers to believers praising God for his marvelous deeds and/or intervention in the world, for the purpose of delivering his people from their calamities etc.:

“Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the Lord is upright, And all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.” Psalm 33:1-5

“I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count.” Psalm 40:1-5

“Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.’ Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness.” Psalm 96:1-13

“O sing to the LORD a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him. The LORD has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn Shout joyfully before the King, the LORD. Let the sea roar and all it contains, The world and those who dwell in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness And the peoples with equity.” Psalm 98:1-9

“Blessed be the Lord, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle; My lovingkindness and my fortress, My stronghold and my deliverer, My shield and He in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him? Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow. Bow Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; Touch the mountains, that they may smoke. Flash forth lightning and scatter them; Send out Your arrows and confuse them. Stretch forth Your hand from on high; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, Out of the hand of aliens Whose mouths speak deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood. I will sing a new song to You, O God; Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, Who gives salvation to kings, Who rescues David His servant from the evil sword. Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens, Whose mouth speaks deceit And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” Psalm 144:1-11

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. Let Israel be glad in his Maker; Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing; Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation. Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations And punishment on the peoples, To bind their kings with chains And their nobles with fetters of iron, To execute on them the judgment written; This is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the LORD!” Psalm 149:1-9

FURTHER READING

Muhammad Bears Witness that Jesus is the Servant of Isaiah 42!

The Prophet Isaiah – Islam’s Nightmare Pt. 1

The Prophet Isaiah – Islam’s Nightmare Pt. 2

ISAIAH 53 IS NOT ABOUT NATIONAL ISRAEL

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 in Jewish Tradition

The following is taken from The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecies: Studies and Expositions of the Messiah in the Old Testament, eds. Michael Rydelnik & Edwin Blum, published by Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 2019, pp. 747-756. All emphasis will be mine.

Proverbs 30:4

The Riddle of the Son

EVA RYDELNIK

The identity of the Messiah revealed by the Old Testament prophets is central to faith in the Lord Jesus. 4uestions that often arise include: Where is His identity revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures? and What is His relationship with the Lord God Almighty? Clues to the identity of the promised Messiah appear throughout the Tanakh, but perhaps one of the most intriguing passages is the riddle of the Son’s identity in Prv 30:1-6.

This article will decipher that riddle by looking first at the context of Prv 30, then at the author and message of the saying, 30:1-3. Next, it will examine the questions of Prv 30:4 involving both the description and the identity of the figures in this verse. Finally, it will look at the solution to the riddle as found in Prv 30:5-6.

THE CONTEXT OF PROVERBS 30

The book of Proverbs is a handbook for wise, godly living the heart of the wisdom literature of the Bible. The collected sayings were primarily from King Solomon, but the book also included other sources. Applying the principles of Proverbs will supply skill for life and a deeper knowledge of the Lord, as well as insight regarding the Messiah. 1 The book of Proverbs is not merely a random collection of wise sayings, but rather it has structure and indicates a specific purpose. The book opens with a prologue and an appeal to wisdom with a series of 12 exhortations (chaps. 19). The central teaching of the book (chaps. 10–29) comprises wise sayings for study and meditation. These include 375 proverbs of Solomon (10–22:16), and a smaller group of sayings of the wise (22:17–24:34), along with proverbs collected by King Hezekiah (25–29). The book concludes with words from Agur and King Lemuel presenting application of wisdom in specific situations (30–31). 2

The last two chapters of Proverbs, the sayings of Agur and Lemuel, serve as an appendix to the book. The theme of Proverbs is: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (9:10). The riddle of the son, found in 30:16, speaks to this core issue as Agur expresses his “knowledge of the Holy One” (30:3) before presenting the riddle of the Son (30:4-5).

THE WRITER OF PROVERBS 30

The identity of Agur is often debated. His name means “to gather,” and it has been suggested that this is a pseudonym for Solomon, who wrote the majority of the book of Proverbs. 3 Just as Solomon identified himself as 4oheleth, the “teacher/caller/preacher,” in Ecclesiastes (Ecc 1:1, 12), here it is suggested Solomon is using Agur to identify his work of gathering wise sayings. Seeing Agur as a pseudonym for Solomon is one of the ancient Jewish understandings from the Midrash, which sees an allusion to Solomon; he was called Agur because he stored up knowledge of the Torah.⁴ This tradition of authorship was followed by the early Christian traditions from Jerome, but the majority of modern Christian and Jewish commentators reject this idea and take the name Agur to be a proper name of an individual, the son of Jakeh, meaning “obedient or pious.” Neither of these names is used elsewhere in Scripture, but they are found as proper names in cognate Semitic languages. 5 Perhaps Agur was a wise man and a contemporary of King Solomon, similar to Ethan or Heman (1Kg 4:31; Ps 89). Anything beyond this is mere speculation regarding his identity. However, far more important than his identity is the content of his message.

THE MESSAGE OF PROVERBS 30

The opening words of Prv 30 give a preview of the significance of the message to follow. First, Agur identifies his words as “the oracle” (ha-massa, “the burden”) at the start of the verse (30:1a). This term is frequently used of the message of a prophet given by God (e.g., Prv 31:1; Isa 13:1; 14:28; Jer 23:33; Nah 1:1; Hab 1:1; Zch 12:1). However, the translation of this word has caused some speculation. Rather than translating this as “the oracle,” a few commentators have suggested Agur was a Massaite because one of Ishmael’s sons was named Massa (Gn 25:14). Ascribing this passage to a non-Jewish writer was an attempt to show that the plain truth of Scripture is evident to the pious of any nation, or perhaps suggesting that Agur was a proselyte. However, this is highly conjectural and not based on the clearest meaning of the Hebrew. 6 It is best to identify Agur as a Jewish sage presenting these truths.

Agur further identifies his words as a prophetic message. They are an “oracle” (ne’um, “utterance, declaration, revelation”). The genitive which follows is usually the name of the Lord, Yahweh (“the declaration or oracle of Yahweh”) or occasionally, a synonym for God’s name (cf. Isa 1:24; 19:4). Therefore this phrase describes direct words from the Lord.⁷ This word is used with a human in only four places in the OT. The first two refer to an oracle of Balaam (Nm 24:3,

15), the third identifies an oracle of David (2Sm 23:1), and the fourth is here in Prv 30:1 where it says of Agur, “the man’s oration.” The Hebrew word ne’um should be translated “oracle” and indicates a prophetic oracle. Therefore, these words of Agur are not a simple collection of wise sayings, but rather in his opening words, he declares that what follows is a prophetic message. This is evident by his use of these two specific Hebrew words for a divine utterance. Moreover, the other three similar usages of ne’um introduced a messianic prediction, as does Agur’s oracle here. This obviously becomes important in light of the riddle regarding the Son in Prv 30:4b.

As the passage begins, two individuals are specifically addressed. First is “Ithiel,” a name meaning “with me is God.” Nothing is known about this individual, but Ithiel is the name of a Benjamite who returned from the exile with Nehemiah (Neh 11:7). Next “Ucal,” a name meaning “I am strong” or “I am consumed,” is likewise unknown beyond this passage. Their names suggest they were seriously seeking to know the Lord. Their exact relationship to Agur is not given, but perhaps they were his sons, disciples, or students. His message was directed to them, but also it was universal in scope, as is all Scripture. However, if the words ithiel and ucal are not considered names, but are combined with a different word division in the MT, with different vowel points, the verse is translated as: “I am weary, God, but I can prevail” or “I am weary, O God, and worn out” (NIV, NLT, ESV). This reading is primarily an attempt to deal with a difficult phrase and make it an introduction to Agur’s description of himself, “I’m the least intelligent of men” (v. 2). This “weary” phrase does not seem as likely a translation of the Hebrew as simply Agur’s address to the men Ithiel and Ucal (as it is translated in HCSB, NASB, KJV, NKJV). 8

Agur not only describes himself as “least intelligent of men,” he also goes on to describe himself as a man who lacks “ability to understand” (v. 2). He is thus pointing out the need for divine revelation. Most translations continue this negative description as: “I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One” (v. 3). This, however, is not the literal reading of the Hebrew text, which should be translated, “but I do possess knowledge of the Holy One.”⁹ Although Agur has not gained wisdom, the last half of verse indicates he does have knowledge of the Holy One as demonstrated by the questions he raises.

Agur may lack wisdom, but he is committed to know “the Holy One,” a name for the Lord used here as well as in Prv 9:10. This phrase “the Holy One” is a shortened form of the divine title of the “Holy One of Israel” frequently found in the OT, with 25 of those uses in Isaiah. Isaiah 40:25 presents a similar question regarding the work of the Holy One (cf. Ps 71:22; Isa 1:4; 12:6; 41:14; 43:3; 60:9). This name for God highlights His unique character, since He alone is “glorious in holiness” (Ex 15:11; Rev 15:4). He is supreme in wisdom, power, authority, purity, and perfection. Agur refers to his knowledge of the Holy One (cf. Prv 2:5) and displays its significance by raising the profound questions which follow in v. 4. By using two sets of rhetorical questions, he will draw out a strong conclusion.

THE “WHO?” QUESTIONS (PROVERBS 30:4A)

After Agur declares his knowledge of the Holy One, he asks four questions or riddles to provoke the reader to greater understanding. Riddles are a type of word puzzle often used in Scripture as a test of wisdom or to disclose important truth in a thought-provoking manner (Prv 1:6; 30:18-23; Jdg 14:12-14). The first four questions are in an anaphoric style, each one beginning with the same word, “Who,” and draw the reader to reach a clear conclusion at the end. All of the questions are answered directly elsewhere in Scripture. These questions are reminiscent of the lessons the Lord taught Job from the whirlwind (Job 38–41), asking questions such as: “Who fixed [the] dimensions [of the earth]?”; “Who enclosed the sea behind doors?”; “Who cuts a channel for the flooding rain?” (Job 38:5, 8, 25). The implied answer to all these questions to Job is, “God alone.” Agur’s questions are likewise parallel to a poetic declaration of God’s greatness posed in the form of a series of questions and statements, for example: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand … Who has gathered the dust of the earth in a measure” (Isa 40:12). Then the prophet Isaiah supplies the answer to his series of questions: “God is enthroned above …” (Isa 40:22).

The first “who?” question, “Who has gone up to heaven and come down?” is an allusion to Dt 30:12. The question is not just who has gone up, or perhaps the answer might be Elijah (2Kg 2:1-18). However, the prophet did not go up and come down with divine wisdom. The Lord God alone is the One who has done this, as He is portrayed in Ps 68, descending from heaven and ascending to His throne in Zion (esp. vv. 17-21; see also Ps 47 and Jn 3:13).

The second “who?” question, “Who has gathered the wind in His hands?” is answered in Amos, “He is here: the One who forms the mountains, creates the wind” (Am 4:13). The psalmist also says, “He … brings the wind from His storehouses” (135:7; cf. Jer 10:13). No one but God has this power.

The third “who?” question, “Who has bound up the waters in a cloak?” is similar to the Lord’s query of Job: “Who enclosed the sea behind doors … when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its blanket?” (Job 38:8-9, see also Job 26:8; 37:11). It is also parallel to Isaiah’s inquiry: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?” (40:12). Only God has the power to collect water into rain clouds, as a cloak. Grisanti observes that “God’s sovereignty is often emphasized by means of his control over water [cf. Gn 1:9-10; chaps 6-9; Ps 104:6-7, 10-13; Am 5:8].” 10

The fourth “who?” question, “Who has established all the ends of the earth?” is also parallel to the Lord’s question of Job: “Where were you when I established the earth?” (Job 38:4-5). Here the idea is establishing a fixed boundary of the earth by separating the land from the waters and setting a boundary for the sea (Job 38:10-11; Prv 8:29; Ps 104:9; Jer 5:22). This work is unique to the Lord, and found throughout the Scriptures, beginning in the Genesis creation account (Gn 1:1; Ps 104:5; Isa 45:18). God alone “established the earth, and it stands firm” (Ps 119:90).

The phrase “ends of the earth” is frequently used as a synecdoche indicating He has created, and has dominion over, everything in the world (Dt 30:4; 1Sm 2:10; Job 28:24; 37:3; Ps 2:8). The Lord’s dominion as Creator is further indicated by the chiastic pattern of these four “who?” questions. The first and the fourth questions compose a merism of “heaven” (“Who has gone up to heaven?”) and “earth” (“Who has established the earth?”). The center two questions concerning “wind” and “water” reflect the Lord’s daily sustaining care of all of His creation.¹¹ Thus the four “Who?” questions encompass the idea of the Lord being the powerful creator and sustainer of everything between heaven and earth.

THE “NAME” QUESTIONS (PROVERBS 30:4B)

The “What-is-His-name?” questions at the end of v. 4 are a further request for an answer to the “Who?” questions earlier in the verse. It is necessary to understand that the request for the name in this instance is more than a demand for identification. The divine name is an expression of the character of God by which He reveals Himself (Ex 3:13-15; 34:5-7). Throughout the Bible, He has presented Himself with many identifying names (e.g., God Most High/El Elyon, Ps 7:17; God who Sees/El Roi, Gn 16:14; God Almighty/El Shaddai, Ps 91:1; LORD/Yahweh, Ex 3:13-14). Taken as a whole, the collected names of God in the Scriptures bring to light His attributes and nature. Often the Lord’s character and His work are identified by His “name” (e.g., Ex 20:7; Lv 19:12; Ps 30:4; Prv 18:10; Isa 26:13; Mic 4:5; Zch 10:12). The essence of the Lord’s character is focused in His name, and reveals His power, authority, and holiness. God is identified as “Holy One” (30:3), and His attributes described in 30:4a are extensive.

The answer to the first “What-is-His-name?” question is straightforward. A close look at the characteristics of the four “who” questions reveals a clear answer: the Lord alone.¹² The question echoes the foundational question of Scripture asked by Moses—“What is His name?” (Ex 3:13) and “can produce but one answer—‘Yahweh.’”¹³ The early rabbinic writings also understood this to be God, and they respond to these questions, “His name is the Lord.”¹⁴ The answer is found intertextually in the Scriptures and is particularly clear in the parallel ideas of Job, where the Lord asks him questions that demand the answer: not you, Job, or any man, but God alone is the all-powerful creator and sustainer of life. This pattern of “who” with an implied answer of “the LORD” has a remarkable parallel to the hymnic refrain, “The LORD of Hosts is His name” (cf. Ex 15:3; Isa 48:2; Jer 10:16; 31:35; 32:18; 33:2; Am 4:13; 5:8, 27; 9:6). 15

The second question (“what is the name of His Son?”) is a more challenging inquiry. It is linked with the first name request, and “since ‘God’ is the only possible answer to that question, it is striking that the text speaks of his ‘son.’”¹⁶ Although this question is frequently glossed over by commentators, it is essential to understanding the passage. The answer lies at the heart of solving the riddle: What is the name of His Son in this passage? Several identities have been suggested as the answer to this puzzling question.¹⁷

First, perhaps the weakest possibility is that it refers to Agur’s sons, Ithiel and Ucal. This is based on the lexical presupposition that in Proverbs “son” refers to the son being taught by his father (Prv 1:8; 2:1; 3:1; 5:1; 6:20). There are two problems with this view. First, although Agur identifies Ithiel and Ucal, they are not identified as his sons. Furthermore, the question of the son’s identity is not linked to Agur, but to the Lord, the One who is described in the four “Who?” questions.

Second, the people of Israel have been suggested as the name of the son. This links the name of the son with that of the Lord, as Israel is related to Him. At the time of the exodus, Israel is called God’s firstborn son (Ex 4:22). Israel is often called the son of God throughout the OT (e.g., Dt 14:1; 32:5-6, 19; Isa 43:6; 45:11; Jer 3:19). The problem with seeing the people of Israel as the answer to the riddle of the name of the Son is that the people of Israel are a group, whereas the question of the name of the Son seems to be demanding an individual person. Jewish interpreters wrestled with this verse by understanding the noun as plural, rather than singular, identifying son as “the children of Israel” or “the name of his sons.” This is the LXX translation, as well as Midrash Yalkut Shimoni,¹⁸ but does not seem true to the question of the name of the son as an individual.

Third, the son has been identified as the demiurge, based on the description of God in Prv 30:4. Understood thus, the son is not God, but is somehow involved in the creation, having been created by God. A similar idea is to identify the son as the LXX concept of logos (Ps 33:6) but not fully God.¹⁹

Fourth, it has been suggested that this individual is an ideal son. He is a son who gains wisdom from his father who teaches him the Scriptures as the source of divine knowledge and understanding. This is a good general description of any individual who has a right relationship with the Lord and applies the Word of God to his (or her) life, as Prv 9:10-11 teaches; however, it seems to fall far short of the urgent question regarding the name of the son.

A clearer understanding of the identity of the Son is found by considering his relationship to the One identified as the answer to the first “name” question, the Lord. His name and the name of His Son suggest a unique relationship between the two, and a hint at the divine quality of the Son.²⁰

The book of Proverbs provides a helpful insight into the identity of the Son in the personification of wisdom passage (Prv 8:22-31). In the wisdom passage, God’s creative activity is described, similar to Prv 30:4a, and wisdom is present with Him “from the beginning” (8:22-23), at His side as a “skilled craftsman.” This innertextual connection further suggests the relationship between the Lord and this Son. Thus, there is a tradition of understanding His name and His Son’s name as alluding to a Trinitarian understanding of God.²¹

The implied answer to the first question is the Lord, the Creator of all. As such, there is an implied dynamic relationship between that One and the Son in the second “name” question. Linking the Lord as Creator with the Son raises the implication of the role of the Son in creation. The personification of wisdom is linked with creation in Prv 8. A close textual study of Prv 8 suggests that Wisdom should be understood as eternal, not created.²² Thus, clues are being revealed to solve the riddle of the Son. Delitzsch points out that the writer of Proverbs “attributes an existence preceding the creation of the world, he thereby declares her to be eternal, for to be before the world is to be before time.”²³

Targum Neofiti (TN), a pre-Christian rabbinic Aramaic paraphrase of the Bible, provides an insight into the role of Wisdom in creation. Linking Prv 30:4 with Gn 1:1, TN reads “In the beginning, with wisdom, the Son of Yahweh created the heavens and the earth.” The prophet Jeremiah also says God established the world by His wisdom (Jer 10:12; 51:15), as does Psalms (Ps 104:24). Shepherd refers to the linkage of Prv 30:4 and Gn 1:1 and says, “The Targum also finds support within the book of Proverbs for its understanding of the Son’s role in creation.”²⁴

There is a remarkable comment at the end of 30:4. After asking for “His name” and “the name of His Son,” the verse poses an interesting inquiry—“if you know?” (HCSB). This phrase, however, is more likely translated as a positive statement based on the asseverative use of ki, indicating certainty. 25 A better translation would read: “surely you know” (ESV, NIV, NASV, YLT), as the same phrase is found in Job 38:5 as “Certainly you know.” As in the questions raised in Job, the identity of God is implied as an answer to this question regarding the Son. Based on the reference to the Son, the link to the Creator and the parallelism for His name “Christian interpreters have understood this to be a reference to the Son of God (a subtle anticipation of the full revelation of the NT).”²⁶

THE PURITY OF SCRIPTURE AND THE RIDDLE OF THE SON (30:5-6)

The passage concludes by pointing to Scripture as the source of the answer to all these questions. It is from the understanding of Scripture that the answer is surely known (30:5a). The verse affirms that “Every word of God is pure” (tserupah), meaning “flawless,” a term used to describe the purifying of metal by the smelting process (cf. Isa 1:25; 48:10; Jer 9:7). Thus, every word of Scripture is trustworthy, and has stood the test, and is the source of knowledge by which God, the Holy One, is known (cf. Pss. 119:89, 142, 160). The source of this truth is God, who is linked here with His Son. Ecclesiastes, another of the wisdom books, identifies the words of wisdom as being given by “one Shepherd,” a messianic title used by Ezekiel (Ecc 12:11; Ezk 34:23; 37:24).

The passage then illustrates the reliability of Scripture. First, it points to God and His word as “a shield,” a defender who protects His faithful ones; this is a familiar description (e.g., Ps 3:3; Prv 2:7). Proverbs 30:5 makes an intertextual reference that is almost a direct quote of David’s affirmation of the reliability of the Lord’s word (2Sm 22:31).

Next, God’s word is a “refuge,” an image used earlier as “the name of [the Lord] is a strong tower” to which the righteous run and are safe (Prv 18:10). Taking refuge in the Lord means to trust in Him by obedience to His word in every circumstance of life.

More significant, in light of the riddle of the name of the Son, is the connection of “refuge” in Prv 30:5 to Ps 2, a key messianic text. That Psalm speaks of “the LORD and His Anointed (Messiah)” and identifies Him, the Anointed One (2:2), as “You are My Son” (2:7), an important correlation to the “name” questions of Prv 30:4b. Psalm 2 concludes with the demand that homage be given to the Son, resulting in blessing to “all those who take refuge in Him” (Ps 2:12). Thus, Prv 30:4-5 is illustrated and the identity of the Son brought into focus by Ps 2.

This section ends with a warning not to “add to His words” or “you will be proved a liar” (30:6). This echoes the words of Moses (Dt 4:2; 12:32), as well as the closing words of the NT (Rev 22:18-19). So the passage concludes with a stern emphasis on the importance of the lesson regarding the identity of the Son.

Thus, taking all the evidence together, the name of the Son is the Messiah. As Gill remarks, “This Scripture is a proof of Christ’s being the eternal Son of God; of his equality with his divine Father as such, their name and nature being alike ineffable; of his co-existence with his Father as such; and of his omnipresence and omnipotence, expressed by the phrases here used of ascending and of his distinct personality from the Father; the same question being distinctly put of him as of the Father.”²⁷

CONCLUSION

Considering the question of the “name of His Son” in the context of Prv 30:1-6, it is best to see this as a reference to the Messiah. The identity of the Son is not a matter of human biological relationships, speaking of father as older and the begetter of the young son. Instead it should be understood as the Son of God as one of the divine persons, coexistent with the Father from eternity (Mic 5:2). This, as Cooper points out, is the view of the inspired writer of Prv 30:4.²⁸ This text does not give a full-orbed description of the Lord Jesus revealed in the NT as drawn from a broad base of Messianic prediction and profile throughout the whole Tanakh (OT). However, a careful reading of the passage does provide a cogent answer to the riddle of His Son’s identity. He is the Messiah, whose personal name is revealed in the NT as Jesus (Mt 1:21).

1. See B. Leventhal’s article in this Handbook, “Messianism in Proverbs.”

2. J. Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 350.

3. For a thorough discussion of the identity of Agur, see Bruce Waltke, The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15–31. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 465.

4. A. Cohen, Proverbs, The Soncino Books of the Bible (London: Soncino Press, 1980), 200.

5. Waltke, Book of Proverbs, 465, fn 89.

6. A. Cohen, Proverbs, 200.

7. S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text of Samuel (Winona Lake, IN: Alpha Publications, repr. 1984; Oxford 1889), 356.

8. Waltke, Book of Proverbs, 455, 467–68. For a more detailed discussion of this issue see Waltke’s comments in his footnotes 9, 100, and 101.

9. Sailhamer, NIV Compact Bible Commentary, 354. See also The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford: JPS, 2004), note on Prv 30:3.

10. M. A. Grisanti, New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology, 2:929, s.v. mayim.

11. Waltke, Book of Proverbs, 471–72.

12. R. K. Harrison, “Proverbs” in Baker Commentary on the Bible, ed. W. A. Elwell, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989), 429.

13. J. Pauls, “Proverbs 30:1–6, ‘The Words of Agur’ as Epistemological Statement” (ThM thesis, Regents College, 1998), 117; quoted from Waltke, The Book of Proverbs, 473.

14. B. L. Visotzky, Midrash on Proverbs (Yale University Press, 1992), 118.

15. J. L. Crenshaw, Hymnic Affirmation of Divine Justice (Society for Biblical Literature, Dissertation Series 24: Missoula: Scholars, 1975), 75–92.

16. D. A. Garrett, “Proverbs” in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1993) 237.

17. C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, “Proverbs” in Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 6 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 279.

18. Visotzky, Midrash on Proverbs, 118.

19. NET Bible 30:4. fn 2, 1144.

20. Keil and Delitzsch “Proverbs” in Commentary on Old Testament, 277.

21. D. J. Treier, Proverbs & Ecclesiastes, Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2011), 106–107.

22. One essential translation issue is that the Hebrew verb kanah should be translated “begotten” not “made” in Prv 8:22. See Seth Postell’s article in this Handbook—“The Messiah: Personification of Divine Wisdom.”

23. C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, The Pentateuch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. 1 (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1966), 133.

24. M. A. Shepherd “Targums, the New Testament, and Biblical Theology of the Messiah,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (51:1, March 2008), 51.

25. The absolute certainty with which a result is to be expected is frequently emphasized by the insertion of kiy. Gesenius, Kautzsch, Cowley, Advanced Hebrew Grammar, Title, Gesenius Hebrew Grammar. W. Gesenius, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, ed. E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley, 2nd English ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982), 498.

26. A. P. Ross, “Proverbs,” Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 5, ed. F. E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991), 1119–20.

27. J. Gill “Proverbs” in Exposition of the Whole Bible, www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-thebible/proverbs-30-4.html (accessed February 9, 2019).

28. D. L. Cooper, The God of Israel, Messianic Series Number One (Los Angeles: Biblical Research Society, 1945), 63–64.

FURTHER READING

The Incomprehensible Nature of God and his Son

The incomprehensible Son of God and sovereign Lord of all creation

The Lord Jesus Christ – The Incomprehensible Son of Proverbs 30:3-4

THE TRINITY IN TARGUM NEOFITI

PROVERBS 8:22-36: THE ETERNALLY BEGOTTEN SON