Biblical Hebrew Forum

[John Ronning <ronning AT ilink.nis.za>]

Rolf Furuli wrote re. Col 1:15 (Christ as firstborn of all creation)

>
> I use 16 pages in my book to a discussion of Colossians 1(my viewpoint is
> all the time what is linguistically possible and preferable). Conclusion: A
> rendition of pas as "all other" is perfectly legitimate and "other" is no
> addition (See BDB � 480). And particularly if prototokws in 1:15 is taken
> in the only meaning it has in the Bible, "the one who is born first", a
> rendition which many translations are at pains to avoid, the word "other"
> can also be conceptually defended.

"Firstborn" does not have just one meaning in the Bible.  In Ps 89:27/28 God 
speaks of
making David a firstborn w.r.t. the kings of the earth, so firstborn has to 
do with
his status or office, certainly not any process of birth.  According to 2 Sam 
7 and
Psalm 2, God's anointed king becomes his "son" (i.e. is "begotten") when he 
assumes
the throne; as applied to the Lord by the apostles, Jesus is "begotten" at the
resurrection (his raising up to the throne; Acts 13:33).  Again, no 
implication of a
creation involved.

Regards,
John