Seed of David according to the flesh, Son of God in power by the resurrection (Romans 1:3–4)

Says The gospel is "regarding His Son" (περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ). Two participial clauses then describe him, each with a κατά phrase (note.language.Rom.1.3.kata-sarka-pneuma): - τοῦ γενομένου ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυὶδ κατὰ σάρκα, "who came from the seed of David according to the flesh" (1:3); - τοῦ ὁρισθέντος υἱοῦ θεοῦ ἐν δυνάμει κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν, "who was appointed Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead" (1:4).

Implies The Son exists as Son before both clauses. Paul names him "His Son" first, and only then says he "came from" David's line. Romans 1:4 therefore does not teach that Jesus became God's Son at the resurrection. It describes his installation, as the Son already, in messianic power and rule. Compare 8:3, 32 and Gal 4:4, where the Father sends or gives up his own Son (note.language.Rom.1.4.horisthentos; note.language.Rom.1.4.ps-2-7-my-son).

Says God promised David, "I will raise up your descendant after you" (2 Sam 7:12, BSB; LXX ἀναστήσω τὸ σπέρμα σου), promised to "establish the throne of his kingdom forever" (7:13), and said, "I will be his Father, and he will be My son" (7:14). Psalm 2:7 applies the father–son language to the Davidic king on the day of his enthronement: "You are My Son; today I have become Your Father" (BSB; note.language.Rom.1.3.seed-son-throne; note.language.Rom.1.4.ps-2-7-my-son; xref.Rom.1.3.2Sam.7.12.heb; xref.Rom.1.4.2Sam.7.14.heb; xref.Rom.1.3.2Sam.7.16.heb; xref.Rom.1.4.Ps.2.7.heb). Implies "From the seed of David" presents Jesus as the promised heir of 2 Sam 7, and the resurrection as his enthronement in the sense of Ps 2. Paul applies Ps 2:7 to the resurrection in Acts 13:33. The "forever" of the promise reached beyond Solomon, and the Psalms and Prophets carried that hope forward (Ps 89; Isa 9:6–7, MT 9:5–6; Jer 23:5). Rom 15:12 (Isa 11:10, "the Root of Jesse") closes the letter's argument on the same note. An echo of ἀναστήσω in ἀναστάσεως is possible, but in 2 Sam 7 the verb means "set up," so the commentary gives it little weight.

Says ὁρισθέντος (horisthentos) is the aorist passive participle of ὁρίζω. In its other New Testament uses the verb means "determine, appoint" (Acts 10:42; 17:31). Uncertain Whether to render it "appointed" or "declared" (BSB). The verb's usage favors "appointed, installed." "Declared" is a defensible rendering of the same idea, since the Son was installed in a position, not made Son (note.language.Rom.1.4.horisthentos; lex.G3724).

Uncertain What ἐν δυνάμει ("in power") modifies. It may go with "Son of God," giving "Son-of-God-in-power," or with the participle, giving "powerfully declared." The word order and the contrast with the Son's earthly state "according to the flesh" favor the first, and the team prefers it (note.language.Rom.1.4.horisthentos).

Uncertain The sense of κατὰ σάρκα / κατὰ πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης. There are three main construals. 1. Two natures, human and divine. This is the patristic and Reformation reading. It is true theology, but "flesh and spirit" is not Paul's usual way of speaking of Christ's deity. 2. Two eras or orders. The Son lived in the order of the flesh before the resurrection and is exalted in the order of the Spirit after it (compare 8:4–9 and Gal 4:29). This line of reading was developed by Vos and Murray (src.vos-eschatological-spirit; src.murray-romans). 3. The Holy Spirit as agent. πνεῦμα ἁγιωσύνης (pneuma hagiōsynēs) would then be a Semitic-style way of saying "Holy Spirit."

The team holds (2) and (3) together: the Spirit who raised Jesus (8:11) installs him in power. This does not deny (1), and all three affirm the Son's deity. The Hebrew background supports (3). Isa 63:10–11 speaks of רוּחַ קָדְשׁוֹ (ruakh qodsho, "his Holy Spirit," literally "the spirit of his holiness"), and Ps 51:11 (MT 51:13; LXX 50:13) of "your Holy Spirit," in the same construct idiom. The LXX renders both with the adjective ἅγιον, so Paul's genitive ἁγιωσύνης stands closer to the Hebrew wording (note.language.Rom.1.4.ruach-qodesh; xref.Rom.1.4.Isa.63.10.heb; xref.Rom.1.4.Ps.51.11.heb; lex.G42).

Says ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν reads literally "from (the) resurrection of the dead." Implies ἐξ is both temporal ("from the time of") and causal ("on the basis of"). The plural νεκρῶν may hint that Jesus' resurrection begins the resurrection of the dead (compare 1 Cor 15:20–23), but the commentary does not press this.

Uncertain Whether 1:3–4 quotes an earlier confession. The parallel clauses and some unusual vocabulary have suggested this to some interpreters. Either way Paul makes the words his own, and they are his teaching.