Biblical Hebrew Forum

[peter_kirk AT SIL.ORG]

Concerning Psalm 89:28, Marvin Tate in Word Biblical Commentary vol.20 
(Word, Dallas 1990) quotes T.N.D. Mettinger, "King and Messiah...", 
(Gleerup, Lund 1976) p.268 in saying that this verse "refers to a 
status 'bestowed upon the king by a divine act of will, and not of a 
right held by descent': 'I will make him my firstborn' - David is 
Yahweh's 'firstborn'!... The supreme expression of a king's position 
is that of a BKWR ('firstborn')-status (Mettinger, 263)." I would 
suggest that this is the sense in focus in Col. 1:15.

Peter Kirk