Before the mountains were settled
"Plunged" F12, or fixed in the earth; and which was done by the great strength of the Lord, upon their proper bases, ( Psalms 65:6 ) ; and which were "aborigine", or from the beginning of the world, and therefore called the ancient mountains, ( Deuteronomy 33:15 ) ; to be before the mountains is a periphrasis of eternity, and is a phrase expressive of God's eternity; and being here used of the Son's, shows his eternity is the same with his Father's, ( Psalms 90:2 ) ; before the hills was I brought forth;
which is repeated partly to show the importance of it; this being a matter of infinite moment and concern, and deserving of the strictest attention and observation; and partly to show the certainty of it; the eternal generation of Christ being an article of faith most surely to be believed.