 |  |
How does it comes about that the word almuth can mean either "maiden" or "secret"
or "for ever"? The Hebrew root Alm means to hide or conceal, and gives us "secret"
(Psa. 90: 8), "hide" (Psa. 10: 1) and in the East in old time, a virgin (maiden, damsel or
youth) was called almah because of the concealed or retired state of the unmarried of
both sexes. "The virgins shut up in chambers" is an expression found in the Apocrypha.
From this same root comes the word translated "age" and "ever", being a period of time,
whose end or duration is hidden from view. It will be seen therefore that the rendering
"concerning the secrets of the Son" given by the LXX two centuries before Christ, has
much in its favour.
(3) The internal evidence of Psalms 8: and 45:
At first there does not appear to be any distinctive feature common to both Psalms,
until we realize the way in which they are quoted in the epistle to the Hebrews.
Hebrews 1: & 2:
A | 1: 1, 2. God spoke once by the prophets. Now by His Son.
B | 1: 2-14. The Son. His glories. Better than angels.
Quotation from Psalm 45:
"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever."
A | 2: 1-4. God spoke once by angels. Now by the Lord.
B | 2: 5-18. The Son. His sufferings. Lower than angels.
Quotation from Psalm 8:
"What is man . . . . . or the Son of Man?"
With these evidences before us, we feel that the translations given "death to the
champion" and "concerning maidens" must give place to the ancient interpretation "the
secrets of the Son" and "concerning secrets", and we can read with richer and fuller
understanding both the Psalms themselves and the quotations from them in Heb. 1: and 2:
This subject is discussed at greater length in a series entitled "In Adam", but as this
cannot be printed for several years, it was felt that the reader would value this rather
condensed presentation of the subject, owing to its extreme importance in the matter of
dispensational truth.