John Calvin Commentary Hebrews 1:8

"but of the Son [he saith,] Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom." — Hebrews 1:8 (ASV)

But to the Son, etc. It must indeed be allowed that this Psalm was composed as a marriage song for Solomon, for his marriage with the daughter of the king of Egypt is celebrated here; but it cannot be denied that what is related here is much too exalted to be applied to Solomon.

The Jews, so that they may not be forced to acknowledge Christ as God, make an evasion by saying that the throne of God is spoken of, or that the verb “established” is to be understood. Thus, according to the first interpretation, the word Elohim, God, is to be construed with “throne,” as in “the throne of God;” and according to the second, it is assumed to be an incomplete sentence.

But these are mere evasions. Whoever reads the verse, if they are of a sound mind and free from a spirit of contention, cannot doubt that the Messiah is called God. Nor is there any reason to object that the word Elohim is sometimes applied to angels and to judges, for it is never found applied simply to one person, except to God alone.

Furthermore, not to argue about a word, whose throne can be said to be established forever, except that of God alone? Hence, the perpetuity of his kingdom is evidence of his divinity.

The scepter of Christ’s kingdom is later called the scepter of righteousness. There were some, though obscure, features of this in Solomon; he exhibited them insofar as he acted as a just king and was zealous for what was right. But righteousness in the kingdom of Christ has a wider meaning, for by his gospel, which is his spiritual scepter, he renews us after the righteousness of God. The same must also be understood of his love of righteousness, for he causes it to reign in his own people because he loves it.