John Calvin Commentary Psalms 45:16

"Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, Whom thou shalt make princes in all the earth." — Psalms 45:16 (ASV)

Instead of your fathers shall be your children. This also serves to show the glory and transcendent excellence of this kingdom: namely, that the children will not be inferior in dignity to their fathers, and that the nobility of the race will not be diminished after the death of Solomon; for the children who will be born to him will equal those who had preceded them in the most excellent virtues.

Then it is added that they shall be princes in all the earth, because the empire will enjoy such an extent of dominion on every side that it might easily be divided into many kingdoms. It is easy to gather that this prophecy is spoken expressly concerning Christ; for the sons of Solomon were so far from having a kingdom of such an extent as to divide it into provinces among them, that his first successor retained only a small portion of his kingdom.

There were none of his true and lawful successors who attained the same power which he had enjoyed; being princes only over one tribe and a half of the people, they were, on this account, shut up within narrow limits and, as we say, had their wings clipped. But at the coming of Christ—who appeared at the close of the ancient Church and the beginning of the new dispensation—it is an undoubted truth that children were begotten by Him. These children were inferior in no respect to their fathers, either in number or in excellence, and He set them as rulers over the whole world.

In the estimation of the world, the ignominy of the cross obscures the glory of the Church; but when we consider how wonderfully it has increased, and how much it has been distinguished by spiritual gifts, we must confess that it is not without cause that her glory is in this passage celebrated in such sublime language.

However, it should be observed that the sovereignty mentioned here does not consist in the persons of men, but refers to the Head.

According to a common way of speaking in the Word of God, the dominion and power which properly belong to the Head, and apply particularly to Christ alone, are often ascribed to His members.

We know that those who occupy prominent positions in the Church, and who rule in the name of Christ, do not exercise a lordly dominion but rather act as servants.

However, since Christ has entrusted them with His Gospel—which is the scepter of His kingdom—and committed it, so to speak, to their keeping, they exercise, in a sense, His power.

Indeed, Christ, through His ministers, has subdued the whole world to His dominion and has established as many principalities under His authority as there have been churches gathered to Him in various nations by their preaching.