The New Testament applies Psalm 110:1 to Jesus being with his Father in heaven

Introduction

This article shows how the New Testament applies Ps 110:1 to Jesus with his Father in heaven. This article is designed to tell the significant New Testament truth that English translations have needlessly obscured about Jesus and his Father.

• NT quotations of Ps 110:1 use the Greek term ‘ek’ to depict Jesus’ position beside God, which English versions render ‘at’ or ‘on’ the right hand (see [A] [1],[2]; [C] [4]).
• However, English versions continue using ‘at’ or ‘on’ when the Greek changes to ‘en’ with the momentous meaning of ‘in’, understood by our first century Greek (using) brethren & sisters.
• Sometimes English versions, even in the same verse, translate two uses of ‘en’ as ‘in’, but retain ‘at’ for the third: “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenlies” (Eph. 1:20). KJV has: ‘at’ Rom. 8:34; Heb. 12:2, and ‘on’ Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3; Heb. 8:1; 1 Pet. 3:22. Only Rev. 3:21 has ‘in’.
• The change of meaning – from ek to en – marks the culminating ‘in-ness’ of Jesus’ intimate unity with God, his Father; beyond beside God is the fellowship of being ‘in’ (see [C] [5]).
• This outcome for Jesus, entailed in Psa. 110:1, previews God becoming “all and in all” (1 Cor. 15:28), which is the ‘in’ and ‘one’ (unity) end to which Jesus directs his prayer in John 17.

Data

[A] Texts directly citing and closely representing the wording of Psa. 110:1.

[1] The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make/appoint/set thine enemies thy footstool.				[2] Sit thou at my right hand until I make/appoint/set thine enemies thy footstool.
Matt. 22:44	Mark 12:36	Luke 20:42- 43	Acts 2:34 -35	Heb. 1:13	Heb. 10:12 -13

[B] Texts using Ps 110:1 which are not about ‘right hand’:

[3] …until he hath put/set [all = Ps 8:6(7)] enemies [under his feet = Ps 8:6(7)]

1 Cor 15:25

[C] Texts talking about the fulfillment of the state of affairs that Ps 110:1 predicts. There are two groups of texts [4] and [5].

[4] Allusions to Ps 110:1 mostly with ek as ‘on’/‘at’ with “sit[ing] on/at the right hand”.

Matt. 26:64 Son of man sitting on/at the right hand of power	Mk. 14:62 Son of man sitting on/at the right hand of power	Mk. 16:19 he was received up to heaven and sat on/at the right hand of God.	Lk. 22:69 …shall the Son of man sit on/at the right hand of the power of God.
evk dexiw/n[gk]	[gk]evk dexiw/n	evk dexiw/n	evk dexiw/n
ek dexiōn	ek dexiōn	ek dexiōn	ek dexiōn
(out)of/at the right	(out)of/at the right	(out)of/at the right	(out)of/at the right

 

Acts 2:33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God.	Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted to [his] right hand	Acts 7:55-56 Jesus…. the Son of man standing on/at the right hand of God.
th/| dexia/|	th/| dexia/| auvtou/	evk dexiw/n
tē dexia	tē dexia autou	ek dexiōn
to the right	to his right	(out)of/at the right

[5] Allusions to Ps 110:1 using en ‘in’ not ek, beginning at Rom 8:34 ‘in’ + ‘right hand’:

Rom. 8:34 who is even in the right hand of God	Eph. 1:20 and sat him in his own right hand in the heavenlies.	Col. 3:1 where Christ is, sitting in the right hand of God.	Heb. 1:3 …purged out sins, sat down in the right hand of the Majesty on high
evn dexia/|	evn dexia/|	evn dexia/|	evn dexia/|
en dexia	en dexia	en dexia	en dexia
in the right	in the right	in the right	in the right

 

Heb. 8:1 high priest, who is seated in the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens	Heb. 12:2 and sat him in the right hand of the throne of God.	1 Pet. 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is in the right hand of God.	Rev. 3:21 am seated with my Father in his throne. (Cp. Rev. 12:5)
evn dexia/|	evn dexia/|	evn dexia/|	evn tw/| qro,nw auvtou/|
en dexia	en dexia	en dexia	en tō thronō autou
in the right	in the right	in the right	in his throne

Note

I have italicised hand since ‘hand’ is not used with ‘right’ in the Hebrew or Greek texts. Except for reasons of space in the bottom (English translation) row of the tables, I have not eliminated ‘hand’ since there is a deep associative background between God’s ‘right’ and His ‘hand’ in the OT (e.g., Exod. 14-15.) Also, ‘hand’ in some other uses is understood (e.g., Gen. 48:13, 14; Matt. 27:29; Rev. 5:7.) This is an area for more precise determination. E.g., What has ‘the right of fellowship’ (Gal. 2:9), which does not contain ‘hand’, to do with Jesus being ‘in’ God’s right?