Evidence · Case 04 · The Trinity
A creation psalm about the LORD addressed to the Son, Psalm 102:25-27 in Hebrews 1:10-12
One exhibit from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
Psalm 102 addresses the eternal LORD who laid the earth’s foundations: “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth.” Hebrews quotes it as spoken to the Son.
Sources
Psalm 102:25-27, NASB.
Hebrews 1:10-12, NASB.
- Richard Bauckham, “Jesus and the God of Israel” (Eerdmans, 2008), on the divine-identity pattern. (opens in a new tab)
Richard Bauckham, “Jesus and the God of Israel” (Eerdmans, 2008), on the divine-identity pattern.
Objections & responses
- Hebrews quotes the Septuagint, which some argue already reads Psalm 102 as God speaking to someone else. Isn’t the author following a translation quirk rather than making a claim about Christ?
The Septuagint reading is a live discussion in Hebrews scholarship. But whatever the author’s exegetical route, the result is unambiguous: he applies a psalm about the eternal, unchanging Creator who laid the earth’s foundations to the Son, in a chapter whose whole point is that the Son is superior to angels because he is worshiped by them and addressed as God (1:6, 1:8). The author’s method may be debatable; his conclusion is not.