Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Ver. 18. Of his own will begat he us] Gr. απεκυησε, brought he us forth, as a special instance of his free grace and fatherly goodness, Ephesians 1:4,5. The word properly signifies, He did the office of a mother to us, the bringing us into the light of life. The Hebrew word ילד also signifieth genuit, peperit, parturiit; et est proprium feminarum: quamvis eleganter de viro etiam et aliis rebus dicatur, to bring forth. (Marenus in Arca Noae.)