Acts 13:33
this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that the resurrection of Jesus is the definitive moment God declared Him His Son, fulfilling the ancient promise. This "begetting" isn't about Jesus' eternal nature but about His public, powerful revelation as the Son of God through His triumph over death. This means the resurrection wasn't just proof of His identity, but the very act that officially established and manifested it for all to see.
Paul is presenting Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel, a promise rooted in the Davidic covenant. He has just spoken of God's faithfulness to the fathers and how this faithfulness now extends to their descendants, symbolized by the resurrection of Jesus. This verse connects the resurrection directly to Psalm 2, highlighting Jesus' divine sonship as declared by God Himself.
Paul declares that God's promises to Abraham find their ultimate 'yes' in Jesus' resurrection. What does this connection reveal about God's plan?
Paul is connecting the dots for his audience, showing how God's ancient promises to Israel are being powerfully fulfilled. He points to Jesus' resurrection not just as a historical event, but as the definitive act that brings God's covenant faithfulness into sharp focus.
Why does Paul pull a verse from Psalm 2, a royal psalm about an earthly king, to describe Jesus? What's the deeper meaning of 'Today I have begotten you'?
Paul applies Psalm 2:7 to Jesus, a verse historically understood as referring to Israel's kings. He’s not saying Jesus became God’s Son at his resurrection, but that the resurrection manifested and declared His eternal Sonship in a way that was undeniable.
Understand the original words
ekpeplērōken · Greek Verb
To bring to pass, complete, or realize that which was formerly foretold or promised by God. It signifies the transition from shadow or prophecy to the historical reality of the New Covenant.
Huios · Greek Noun
A unique title of Jesus Christ, emphasizing His divine nature, His eternal relationship with the Father, and His position as the mediator and representative of God’s kingdom.
gegennēka · Greek Verb
The process of being brought forth. In the New Testament, it is used in the context of the resurrection to signify the manifestation or declaration of Jesus as the eternal Son of God in human history.
Paul's proclamation in Acts 13 highlights how Jesus' resurrection powerfully fulfilled the Second Psalm, demonstrating His divine sonship in a way that would have resonated deeply with his Jewish audience, who understood this psalm as Messianic.
c. 1000 BC
David Anointed King
David is anointed king over Israel, a pivotal moment in the history of God's people and a foreshadowing of the Messiah.
c. 970 BC
Solomon Succeeds David
Solomon, David's son, becomes king, and the foundational prophecies about the Davidic line and the Messiah are solidified.
c. 500 BC
Second Psalm Written
The Second Psalm, with its prophecy of God's Anointed King, is composed and circulated among God's people.
c. 500 BC
Second Psalm Numbered
The Second Psalm is formally recognized and numbered, though some traditions counted it as an introduction to the Psalter.
c. 400 BC
Old Testament Canon Forms
This is the direct Old Testament source for the quote Paul uses, showing that this declaration of sonship was a divine decree from ancient times.
Romans 1:4This passage echoes Paul's argument in Acts, explicitly stating that Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power through his resurrection.
Hebrews 1:5This verse also quotes Psalm 2:7, but uses it to emphasize Christ's superiority over the angels, highlighting his unique divine sonship.
Colossians 1:18This verse calls Christ the 'firstborn from the dead,' linking his resurrection to his preeminence and role as Son, similar to how Acts 13 connects the resurrection to his divine designation.
ellicottActs 13:33: "God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."
(33) God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children. —The better MSS. give, with hardly an exception, unto our children, and the Received text must be regarded as having been made to obtain what seemed a more natural meaning. St. Paul’s language, however, is but an echo of St. Peter’s “to us and to…
clarkeActs 13:33: "God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."
Written in the second Psalm - Instead of τῳ ψαλμῳ τῳ δευτερῳ the second Psalm, πρωτῳ ψαλμῳ, the first Psalm, is the reading of D, and its Itala version, and several of the primitive fathers. Griesbach has received it into the text; but not, in my opinion, on sufficient evidence. The reason of the…
The verse highlights that the resurrection of Jesus is the definitive moment God declared Him His Son, fulfilling the ancient promise. This "begetting" isn't about Jesus' eternal nature but about His public, powerful revelation as the Son of God through His triumph over death. This means the resurrection wasn't just proof of His identity, but the very act that officially established and manifested it for all to see.
Paul is presenting Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel, a promise rooted in the Davidic covenant. He has just spoken of God's faithfulness to the fathers and how this faithfulness now extends to their descendants, symbolized by the resurrection of Jesus. This verse connects the resurrection directly to Psalm 2, highlighting Jesus' divine sonship as declared by God Himself.
Paul is presenting Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promise to Israel, a promise rooted in the Davidic covenant. He has just spoken of God's faithfulness to the fathers and how this faithfulness now extends to their descendants, symbolized by the resurrection of Jesus. This verse connects the resurrection directly to Psalm 2, highlighting Jesus' divine sonship as declared by God Himself.
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The books of the Old Testament, including the Psalms, are largely collected and recognized as authoritative scripture.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Resurrection
Jesus Christ is resurrected from the dead, a foundational event in Christian theology and the ultimate fulfillment of Old Testament promises.
c. AD 45-49
Paul's First Missionary Journey
Paul and Barnabas preach the Gospel in various regions, including Pisidian Antioch, explaining how Jesus' life, death, and resurrection fulfill prophecy.
"this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,
“‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.’" — The verse highlights that the resurrection of Jesus is the *definitive moment* God declared Him His Son, fulfilling the ancient promise. This "begetting" isn't about Jesus' eternal nature but about H…