Bellarmine on Psalm 2 : Verse 7 (Part 1)

 Verse 7

The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.

Dominus dixit ad me : Filius meus es tu; ego hodie genui te.

This is the beginning and foundation of the divine decree : for to Christ is due all power in heaven and on earth,[1] for He is the true and natural Son of God. There are three explanations of this text, all literal and drawn from the Holy Spirit. The first refers to (His) eternal generation, which may be gathered from the Apostle in Hebrews, “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels hath he said at any time, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee?”[2]  This text of the Apostle cannot be understood of the generation of any created entity, as in the case of birth or resurrection according to the flesh, because it is through generation that the Angels are created sons of God, as is evident in chapters i, ii and iii of the book of Job; and yet the Apostle intends to show that Christ is a Son but that angels are attendants. The words of the Apostle cited in the Psalm need to be interpreted literally, St. Augustine rightly explains, as referring to an eternal generation; the word hodie  (“this day”) supports this interpretation, because eternity is an enduring present, with no beginning or end.

[1] Cf. And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Et accedens Jesus locutus est eis, dicens : Data est mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra : euntes ergo docete omnes gentes : baptizantes eos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti: [Matt. xxviii 18-19]

[2] Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels hath he said at any time, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee? tanto melior angelis effectus, quanto differentius prae illis nomen haereditavit. [5] Cui enim dixit aliquando angelorum : Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te? [Hebr. I 4-5]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.