Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of his descendants, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
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Irenaeus of Lyons
AD 202
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made
he goes on with his encomium upon David,
he was a prophet, for he knew that God had sworn an oath to him:
But this he says, that were it but on account of the honor shown to David, and the descent from him, they may accept what is said concerning Christ's resurrection, as seeing that it would be an injury to the prophecy, and a derogating from their honor, if this were not the fact. And knowing, he says, that God had sworn an oath to him— he does not say simply promised
about the fruit of his loins, about the One who would sit upon his throne.:
Now, those who explain this simply of Solomon, they will send me into a fit of laughter. For David will evidently have brought forth Solomon! But is not Christ here designated the seed of David, as of that womb which was derived from David, that is, Mary's? Now, because Christ rather than any other was to build the temple of God, that is to say, a holy manhood, wherein God's Spirit might dwell as in a better temple, Christ rather than David's son Solomon was to be looked for as the Son of God. Then, again, the throne for ever with the kingdom for ever is more suited to Christ than to Solomon, a mere temporal king.
"This fruit "therefore, "of David's loins "that is to say, of his posterity in the flesh, God swears to him that "He will raise up to sit upon his throne."
