To be begotten normally describes the physical relation of parent and child, but Scripture also uses it figuratively for God’s relation to Israel, believers, and Christ. In passages concerning Christ, “begotten” emphasizes His sonship and royal or priestly dignity, with differing interpretations concerning the precise event referred to.
Definition
To be begotten normally describes the physical relation by which a parent bears or begets a child. Scripture also uses the term figuratively for God’s relation to Israel, believers, and the Messianic king, and for the spiritual beginning produced by God’s work in people.
Biblical Usage
The Bible speaks of God begetting or bringing forth His people and of those who love and obey Him as begotten of God. “Begotten” is also applied to Christ’s sonship and dignity. The supplied discussion considers whether this refers to eternal sonship, incarnation, resurrection, ascension, or the historical realization of His filial and priestly status.
Historical Background
The Hebrew and Greek terms can describe either a father’s begetting or a mother’s bearing. In Christian interpretation, the emphasis in the passages concerning Christ falls on the fact and status of sonship rather than on identifying one single time of begetting.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>be-got'-'-n (yaladh; "to bear," "bring forth," "beget"; denotes the physical relation of either parent to a child, Ge 3:16; 4:18): Used metaphorically of God's relation to Israel (De 32:18) and to the Messianic king (Ps 2:7); (gennao, "to beget," or "bear"): generally used of a father (Mt 1:1-16); more rarely of a mother (Lu 1:13,57); used metaphorically of causing or engendering moral and spiritual relations and states (1Co 4:15; Phm 1:10); of the new birth the Holy Spirit (Joh 3:3 ff). Men who obey and love God as sons are begotten of Him (Joh 1:13; 1Jo 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18; compare 1Pe 1:23). Used especially of God's act in making Christ His Son: "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee" (Ps 2:7) quoted in Ac 13:33 in reference to His resurrection (compare Ro 1:4). The same passage is cited (Heb 1:5) as proving Christ's filial dignity, transcending the angels in that "he hath inherited a more excellent name than they," i.e. the name of son; and again (Heb 5:5) of God conferring upon Christ the glory of the priestly office.</p><p>Commentators differ as to whether the act of begetting the Son in these two passages is</p><p>(a) the eternal generation, or</p><p>(b) the incarnation in time, or</p><p>(c) the resurrection and ascension.</p><p>The immediate context of Heb 1:5 (see Heb 1:3) seems to favor the last view (Westcott). The first view would not be foreign to the author's thought: with Heb 5:5 compare Heb 6:20, "a high priest forever" (Alford). The author of Heb thinks of the eternal and essential sonship of Christ as realized in history in His ascension to the "right hand of the Majesty" (Heb 1:3). And what is emphatic is the fact and status of sonship, rather than the time of begetting.</p><p>T. Rees</p>
