olden days. In discussing the “primal rule” in 4:8 we considered whether this went back to the origins of David’s dynasty or to the beginnings of time. The same possibilities exist here. A lot depends on settling the meaning of môṣāʾôt. But in any case the person spoken of here has some connection with the remote past. “One whose origin is from of old, from ancient times” (NJPS). A legitimate sensus plenior is that this Ruler will be a superhuman being, associated with God from the beginning