“Dominus possedit me in initio viarum suarum antequam quidquam faceret a principio.”
“The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.”
“The LORD created me as His first course, before His works of old.”
““Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.”
“Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old.”
Possessed. As Christ was with God, equal to him in eternity, John i. Septuagint, “created,” which many of the Fathers explain of the word incarnate, (see Cornelius a Lapide; Bossuet) or he hath “placed me,” (St. Athanasius iii. contra Arian. Eusebius) a pattern of all virtues. The Septuagint generally render kana, “possessed,” as Aquila does here. (Calmet)
I. His personality and distinct subsistence, one with the Father and of the same essence, and yet a person of himself, whom the Lord possessed (v. 22), who was set up (v. 23), was brought forth (v. 24, 25), was by him (v. 30), for he was the express image of his person, Heb 1 3.
Verses 22-31 The Son of God declares himself to have been engaged in the creation of the world. How able, how fit is the Son of God to be the Saviour of the world, who was the Creator of it! The Son of God was ordained, before the world, to that great work. Does he delight in saving wretched sinners, and shall not we delight in his salvation?