Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 45:1

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer.

1. Introduction and dedication.

My heart &c.] Better, My heart bubbleth over with goodly words. The nobility of his subject inspires him with an impulse which will not be restrained.

I speak of the things &c.] Better, I speak the things which I have made (i. e. composed, cp. Old Eng. maker = poet) touching a king. The absence of the article ( a king) lays stress upon the dignity rather than upon the personality of the subject of the Ps.; one who is a king and of no lower rank. The punctuation of the Massoretic Text points to a slightly different rendering: I am about to speak; my work is for (or, touching) a king.

the pen of a ready writer ] Prompt to express and record the thoughts with which the mind is overflowing. The words rendered ready writer are applied to Ezra (Psa 7:6) the ‘ready scribe,’ but clearly they do not here bear this technical sense of ‘a learned student of the law,’ but the literal sense of ‘a skilful and rapid penman.’

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

My heart is inditing – That is, I am engaged in inditing a good matter; though implying at the same time that it was a work of the heart – a work in which the heart was engaged. It was not a mere production of the intellect; not a mere work of skill; not a mere display of the beauty of song, but a work in which the affections particularly were engaged, and which would express the feelings of the heart: the result or effusion of sincere love. The word rendered is inditing – rachash – is rendered in the margin, boileth or bubbleth up. It means properly to boil up or over, as a fountain; and the idea here is that his heart boiled over with emotions of love; it was full and overflowing; it found expression in the words of this song. The Hebrew word does not occur elsewhere in the Bible.

A good matter – literally, a good word; that is, it was something which he was about to say which was good; something interesting, pure, important; not only a subject on which his heart was engaged, but also which was worthy of attention.

I speak of the things which I have made – literally, I say my works to the king. That is, My work – that which I meditate and am about to compose – pertains to the king.

Touching the king – He is to be the main subject of my song. Compare the notes at Isa 5:1. If the remarks made in the introduction to the psalm are correct, then the king here referred to was the future Messiah – the great personage to whom all the writers of the Old Testament looked forward, and whose glory they were so anxious to see and to describe. Compare the notes at 1Pe 1:10-12.

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer – Let my tongue in speaking of him be as the pen of a rapid writer. That is, let my tongue rapidly and freely express my thoughts and feelings. The word rendered pen – et – means a stylus, usually made of iron, used for the purpose of inscribing letters on lead or wax. See the notes at Job 19:24. The idea is that the psalmists mind was full of his subject, and that he desired to express his thoughts in warm, free, gushing language – the language of overflowing emotion.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Psa 45:1-17

My heart is inditing a good matter; I speak of the things which I have made touching the king.

The song of the heavenly nuptials

In accordance with unbroken tradition of the Church from the beginning, we interpret this as a spiritual epithalamium or nuptial-song, in honour of the wondrous espousals whereby Christ the Son of God takes into most real, intimate, blissful and everlasting union and fellowship with Himself the Church of ransomed, regenerate, believing souls.

I. The bridegroom (Psa 45:1-9).

1. In His present qualities.

(1) Comeliness of countenance (Son 5:10-16).

(2) Gracefulness of speech. He was, indeed, in highest sense, master of sentences–possessor of noble and powerful gift of eloquence, which He employed in commending the true, the holy, the blissful, impressing on their attention and reception what was for health and joy to them now and for ever.

2. In His warlike preparations and achievements. Peace and goodwill, benign, never-ending fellowship for all who choose to be loyal subjects of the King of kings, and faithful followers of truth and meekness and righteousness, but war to the death, wounds unto death in which there is no dying, unto all who persist in wicked hostility and revolt.

3. In His kingly administration. He is God, and He became man; and it is properly in respect of His manhood–His Mediatorship especially on the side of His manhood, that we are to think of the sovereignty here spoken of as exercised. From the beginning and all through there were glimmerings, recognized and confessed, of the hidden majesty.

(1) The duration of His sovereignty. For ever and ever; what contrast ,to earthly kings and human dynasties!

(2) Its character. A right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, etc.

(3) The personal reward which was to crown and consummate His administration. Anointed Thee with the oil of gladness, etc.

4. In His nuptial splendour (Psa 45:8-9). Ivory palaces, resounding with strains of grandest music, and filled with fragrance of choicest perfumes; a queenly bride in gold embroideries, with retinue of princely virgins; and, centre of all, the Bridegroom–Immanuel, showing perfection of beauty, renown of heroism, splendour of royalty, yea, of Divine majesty, associated with all gaiety and gladness of nuptial festivity. And where and when becomes it realized? Up yonder on the other side of the resurrection.

II. The bride (Psa 45:10-15).

1. The present summons (Psa 45:10-12). And what have we here in the pure spiritual reality–stripped of allegorical drapery, but the substance of all genuine evangelical teaching? What is to be the central scope and aim of all pastoral labour and pulpit ministration and sanctuary ordinance and more private Christian effort but to win souls, one by one, and in collective multitude as well, from other and alien relationship unto Christ, ever more truly and nearly unto Christ?

2. The call itself. The manner of the utterance breathes the spirit of urgent solicitation, with undertone, as our ear catches it, of authoritative command; blending of majesty and grace such as is reflected in the entire range of Gospel overture and offer. And what, then, means the summons in its plain and direct application to us? It means conversion–the turning round of the soul, in respect of bent and aim, from course original and natural into channel that is new–transference of affection and aspiration from the sphere of the carnal into that of the holy, the heavenly, the divine.

3. The reasons which go to support the summons. He by whom or for whom it is given has–

(1) The authority to command compliance. He is thy Lord, and worship thou Him.

(2) The bounty–the resources and the readiness–to reward compliance. There is reward of affection direct from Himself; and there are droppings of bounty, tokens of regard, through creature instrumentalities.

(3) The excellence to deserve compliance.

4. What is spoken of the Bride (Psa 45:13-15).

III. Messiahs offspring and renown (Psa 45:16-17).

1. Declaration concerning offspring to Messiah–fruit of the espousals (Psa 45:16). In ordinary earthly households you look to find a family likeness. So it is in the spiritual household. Resemblance, first of all, to remoter ancestry–to the fathers, the fleshly ancestry of Immanuel, the prime and chief of these: on just such principle has an apostle hung before us a grand gallery of these in the eleventh of Hebrews. But likeness especially to the immediate common parent; and so that fine old picture-gallery takes us an to this for last halting-place and life-pattern–Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. The more that there can be seen in you, not an affected imitation, but a genuine embodiment of all that Christ was; the more that His humility, and gentleness, and purity, and integrity, and devoutness, and whatever else went to constitute His perfection of excellence, become radiant in your character, grow to be a very fragrance cleaving to you and diffusing itself from you around, the more claim have you to rank among the children whom He is to set for princes in the earth.

2. Prediction to Himself of eternal renown (verse 17).

(1) Purpose of spreading and perpetuating the renown. Can you be too prompt, too eager, too constant, in the showing forth of His praise?

(2) Assured prospect of responding praise. (D. McLean.)

A unique king

Although it cannot be proved that such a king as represented in this psalm ever existed in fact, it is obvious that he existed in the conception of the poetic author.

I. His ideal conception of his king stirred his soul.

1. An idea that appears good to a man carries with it a power to move the affections. My heart bubbleth up. What the mind sees clearly the heart must ever feel more or less deeply. There is a King–Jesus of Nazareth–true ideas concerning whom are a good matter that will break up the fountains of the heart, and make all the affections like a well of water spring up to everlasting life.

2. When the affections are properly moved there will be a free-ness and aptness of utterance. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Charge a mans soul with true emotions and he will grow eloquent.

II. His conception of his king corresponds with no known historic character. Not in Egypt, Judaea, Persia, Rome or Europe has a king appeared answering to our poets conception. Man has the power of conceiving better things than he has ever seen, better characters than have ever appeared. A glorious power this!

1. It is a proof of the Divine within us.

2. It is an incentive to moral progress.

III. His conception of his king approaches the divine type.

1. His appearance was beautiful.

2. His campaign was moral.

3. His rule was righteous.

4. His character was true.

5. His patron was God.

6. His influences were delightful.

7. His associations were magnificent.

8. His fame was enduring.

IV. His conception of his king was not equal to the character of kind Jesus, (Homilist.)

The things concerning Zions King, good matters to all His true subjects

I. The king.

1. Jesus Christ is a King.

(1) He is expressly so called by the Father (Psa 2:6; Mic 5:2).

(2) Jesus affirms this concerning Himself (Joh 18:37).

(3) All true believers own and acknowledge Him to be a King, and their King in particular (Isa 33:22; Joh 1:49).

(4) He was set forth to the Church by the prophets as a King (Gen 49:10). Also by type–David, Solomon, Melchisedec, etc.

(5) Kingly titles and epithets are given Him in Scripture. Prince of peace; blessed and only Potentate; King of kings and Lord of lords (Php 2:11).

(6) Kingly prerogatives and badges of royalty are ascribed to Him (Psa 89:20; Son 3:11; Psa 65:1; Eph 3:8).

2. Jesus Christ is the King by way of eminence and excellency.

(1) He is so in respect of His person (Isa 9:6.

(2) He is a most ancient King (Mic 5:2).

(3):He is most singularly qualified for the management of His Kingdom (Col 2:3; Mat 28:18).

(4) He is a most righteous King; He governs both His essential and mediatorial kingdoms with the strictest justice and equity (Isa 32:1; Psa 45:7; Isa 11:5).

(5) He is a most rich and opulent King (Joh 1:8; Col 1:16; Mat 11:27; Eph 3:8).

(6) He is a singularly blessed and happy King (1Ti 6:15; Psa 21:6).

(7) Zions King is immortal, and therefore eternal (1Ti 1:17; Rev 1:18).

(8) He is a most gracious, loving and affectionate King (Exo 34:6-7).

(9) He is a most glorious King, yea, the King of glory. Heaven and eternal glory is a purchased possession (Eph 1:14), and He is the purchaser. He is the preparer of glory for all His true subjects (Joh 14:2). He is the bestower of glory upon all the heirs of promise (Luk 22:29).

II. Some things which concern the King, and are good matters in the esteem of his people.

1. The glory and excellency of the Kings person is a matter much set by in the esteem of all His true subjects (1Co 2:2; Php 3:10; Joh 1:14; Psa 73:25).

2. The love of Christ; the love of a three-one God in Him, is truly a good matter to believers. Their life lies in His favour, and His lovingkindness is better than life.

3. The righteousness of our Lord Jesus is a good matter to believers.

4. The fulness of Christ is a good matter to believers (Col 1:9; Joh 1:14; 1Co 1:30; Joh 17:2; Col 2:10).

5. The prosperity and success of His kingdom is a good matter to all His true subjects.

6. All His commandments are good matters to His people (Psa 119:32).

7. The very cross of Christ; all the tribulations and calamities which they are at any time called to endure for His names sake are accounted good matters by His true followers (Act 5:41; Heb 11:26).

8. What the King Himself is to His people, what He has done for them, what He has wrought in them, and what they yet expect from Him, are all good matters in their esteem. His true subjects have already received abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17). And shall reign in life by Jesus Christ.

III. Whence it is that the things concerning the king are viewed, as matters truly good, by all who believe in him.

1. Because of the great love and regard believers have for the King Himself.

2. Because there is a real worth and excellency in all the things which concern this glorious King. They are suited to give satisfaction to the soul (Son 2:8; Psa 36:7).

3. Because believers have eyes to discern the value and excellency of divine things (Mat 13:16; Mat 16:17).

4. Because the King Himself is theirs, and they are His (Son 2:16).

IV. Use.

1. Of information.

(1) See from this subject the amazing condescension of the great God our Saviour, in submitting to exercise a variety of offices for the spiritual good and advantage of perishing sinners.

(2) See one special difference between the true believer and the hypocrite. Hypocrites may assent to the truth of many things taught in the Word concerning Christ; but they have no love to His person, nor can they have any heart-affection to things touching Him.

(3) See suitable exercise for the children and people of God. It is to meditate much upon Christ His person, offices, grace and fulness; particularly they should give themselves much to meditation upon His kingly office; the glory of His kingdom, with the justice and equity of His government.

(4) See when it is persons can speak suitably concerning Christ and the things of Christ. When their hearts are in some measure filled with His grace.

(5) See matter of terror to all the enemies of Zions King. Who are Christs enemies? All in a natural state and condition are His enemies; yea, the carnal mind is enmity against Him in the very abstract (Rom 8:7).

2. Of trial and examination.

(1) What views have you got of your natural state and condition? Have you seen it to be a state of sin, captivity and bondage?

(2) Did ever this glorious King reveal His powerful arm to you, thereby making you heartily willing to renounce your own, and submit to His righteousness? (Isa 45:24). And are you willing to be indebted to Him, not only for righteousness as the ground of your justification and acceptance before God, but likewise to deny yourselves, take up the cross, and follow Him?

(3) Do you love Christ? Can you say to Himself, Thou knowest that I love Thee?

(4) Do you love your fellow-subjects? (1Jn 3:14).

(5) Have you a prevailing desire and concern for the success and prosperity of Gods work in the Church? (Isa 62:6-7).

(6) Is the opposition that still remains in your own hearts to this glorious King, with the many dis-honours done Him in the world about you, matter of grief and sorrow to you? (Psa 139:21-22).

3. Of exhortation.

(1) To the true subjects of Christ.

(2) Bless God for sending His Son into the world to be your King, and determining your hearts to accept of Him by faith as made of God to you wisdom, righteousness, etc. Trust in your glorious King; this is your duty at all times, and in every circumstance (Psa 62:8).

(3) Be glad and rejoice in your King–in His love, wisdom, power, faithfulness, all-sufficiency and immutability.

(4) Be concerned to grow in acquaintance with your King (2Pe 3:18).

(5) Seek to have the declarative glory of your King advanced in your day and generation. We exhort all the enemies of this glorious King to relinquish the camp of Satan and come over to Christs standard. While you refuse to submit to His righteousness, you are in a state of the vilest slavery and bondage (Eph 2:3). Our Lord Jesus, the King, is your rightful Lord and Sovereign. There is no possible way for you to escape from the curse of the broken law and the wrath to come but your uniting with Christ by faith. However long you have slighted the offers of His grace, He is still waiting that He may be gracious to you. His sceptre of grace is stretched out, and He invites you to take hold of it. (T. Bennet.)

The conquests of Messiah

I. His matchless beauty (Psa 45:2).

1. A description of His person. We have, indeed, no direct and positive information in regard to His personal appearance. But it is certainly no extravagant supposition that His human form would be rendered as fit as it could be for the indwelling of the celestial inhabitant. And it is no unwarrantable supposition that perfect, truth, benevolence and purity should depict themselves on the countenance of the Redeemer–as they will be manifested in the aspect wherever they exist–and render Him the most beautiful of men; for the expression of these principles and feelings in the countenance constitutes beauty. And it is no improbable supposition that this beauty was marred by His long-continued and inexpressibly deep sorrows, and that He was so worn down and crushed by the sufferings which He endured as scarcely to have retained the aspect of a man.

2. The qualifications with which He was endowed.

(1) The gracefulness of His speech.

(2) The sweetness and excellence of the truths He declared.

3. The Divine favour with which He was regarded. Our Lord is now in heaven on the ground of His own worthiness.

II. His glorious exploits. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, etc. The propagation of the Gospel is here referred to.

1. The appellation employed. He is mighty to destroy, as those will be brought to feel against whom His wrath will be kindled; but judgment is His strange work, while it is with unbounded joy that He exclaims, I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

2. The petition presented. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, is evidently intended. And as David said of the sword of Goliath, There is none like that,; so can we say with the fullest confidence concerning this heavenly instrument. For the word of God is quick and powerful, etc.

3. The reasons adduced.

(1) The character of the Conqueror. One who is truth itself, who is meek and lowly in heart, and who never has acted, and never will, but in strictest accordance with the principles of perfect rectitude. Blessed Jesus! ride on.

(2) The results of His victories. Not merely is He distinguished by truth, and meekness, and righteousness, but He diffuses these blessings wherever He goes.

4. The confidence displayed. And in Thy majesty ride prosperously, etc. That this confidence was well founded, the early history of the Christian cause abundantly demonstrates. Transformations of the most amazing kind took place; the Church beheld her converts flocking to her from all quarters, and her bitterest enemies became her most devoted friends. (Anon.)

A missionary discourse

I. A preface or introduction to what follows.

1. The subject. A good matter; things touching the King. Christ is the king. The things that concern Christ as a King are, the dignity of His person, the wisdom and equity of His government, the extent of His dominions, the happiness of His subjects, and the perpetuity of His reign. This is good matter. It is illustrative of the character of Him who is essential goodness. The nearer we approximate towards a perfection of goodness, the more this good matter will occupy our attention.

2. A source whence it proceeded. My heart is inditing, boiling or bubbling up, in allusion to water put in motion by the action of fire, or bubbling up from a spring. How the love of Christ will constrain us to speak of Him.

3. A manner of expression. My tongue is the pen, etc. Many imitate the psalmist in the fluency of their speech; they talk rapidly, but alas! they talk wickedly. Others converse freely and piously; but incoherently, enthusiastically, and erroneously. Let us always think before we speak; and let our words be seasoned with grace that we may minister grace to the hearers.

II. A description of character. Thou art fairer, etc.

1. In His person. There is moral as well as physical beauty. How holy was Christs soul! What wisdom, love, patience, humility did He possess.

2. In His address. He not only possessed a plenitude of grace for His own support in the arduous work in which He was engaged, but that He might instruct add console others.

3. By the commendation of Jehovah. God hath blessed, i.e. extolled His Son in the ascriptions of Divine titles, honours and perfections to Him.

III. A petition addressed to the messiah.

1. The cause He maintains. Not to dethrone monarchs, but to subdue vices.

(1) Truth in opposition to error, shadow, prophecy. Christ accomplished and fulfilled all righteousness.

(2) Meekness. Worldly warfare is the child of wrath; and fury and malevolence are its inseparable companions. But nothing could surpass the meekness and gentleness of Christ; and His disciples were to be formed on the same plan: Learn of me (Mat 11:29).

(3) Righteousness. He Himself is the Lord of righteousness; and His laws, requirements, people and kingdom are all righteous.

2. The manner how the psalmist expected the Messiah to achieve His victories. Gird thy sword, etc. This is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, the Gospel of our salvation (Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16). The power of the Gospel surpasses all description (Rom 1:16; 2Co 4:7; 1Th 1:5).

3. The interest which the psalmist took in the extension of the Redeemers kingdom. He prays, Gird thy sword, etc. (Psa 90:16-17; Psa 118:25; 2Th 3:1). The same spirit pervades all Christians. (Sketches of Four Hundred Sermons.)

The excellency of Christ

The special matter of the psalm is, A song of loves. This may be so called–

1. Because the psalm tells of the love of Christ to His Church, and of her love to Him. Or–

2. It may be put in the plural, as is frequent in Hebrew, by way of eminency; so that what is meant is that the love told of is most excellent and incomparable.

3. It may be so called because of the manifold fruits of that one love. But probably the second sense is the one intended here–the mystical spiritual love that is between Christ and the Church is the most excellent love. Therefore, note–

I. This love of Christ and the church in their espousals is matter of great joy and rejoicing.

1. To God Himself (Zep 3:17).

2. To Jesus Christ (Son 3:11).

3. To believers themselves (1Pe 1:8). And the reason of all this joy is–

(1) On the part of God, because He saw the design and purpose of His grace accomplished (Eph 1:6).

(2) It is joy to Christ because He saw of the travail of His soul, and is satisfied. This is that He laboured for. As Rachel was to Jacob (Hos 12:12).

(3) And it is joy to all believers because it instates them in such new relations and conditions as they never could have looked for (Isa 54:5). Let us learn, then, Gods infinite wisdom, condescension and goodness in disposing the way of saving poor sinners, so as that it shall be matter of joy and rejoicing to Him, to Jesus Christ and to believers themselves. We were poor, desolate, forlorn, lost creatures; and that God should bring us into a way of saving us, so as that the heart of God and Christ and our own hearts should rejoice in it; this calls for our admiration. Do we find this joy in our own hearts? Shall God rejoice, and Christ rejoice, and not we?

II. There is no love like to the love between Christ and believers–no, not the flaming love in some to their hearts, and in others to the world that even devour them. But who can tell adequately of the love of Christ? Consider it–

1. In its condescension (Php 2:6-8).

2. In His suffering.

3. The care and tenderness which the Lord Jesus continues to manifest towards us now He is in heaven (Heb 5:2; Heb 4:15).

Then, on the other side, I say the love of believers to Christ is beyond all other love whatsoever.

1. In a way of value (Mat 13:45). They will part with all that they have to obtain Christ. They part with their sin, lust and corruption (Gal 5:24). Now that love which will carry a man out to deny all ungodliness and to renounce all his own righteousness, to lose all he hath wrought in his own strength, to deny himself upon every instance wherein Christ requires him; this is a transcendent love, above all other love whatsoever.

2. The love of believers manifests itself also in suffering for Christ; and oh, who can tell what the martyrs endured from love to the Lord Jesus? So that this psalm which treats of the espousals of Christ and believers may well have this title, A song of loves; it being the most excellent love. Two things from hence are incumbent upon us.

(1) To labour to get a sense of this love of Christ upon our hearts.

(2) Let us examine ourselves whether we have this transcendent love to Jesus Christ in our hearts. If we have, it will continually keep us up to the mortification of all our sin; and it will make us continually ready for all the service and suffering Christ shall call us unto. (J. Owen, D. D.)

The excellency of Christ

The preface of this psalm is in verse six. The song itself from verse two to the end. First, from the preface we learn that he that lays a good foundation makes a good beginning of what he hath to say. It is from his heart.. My heart, saith he, is inditing. A sacrifice without a heart, a silly dove that hath no heart, are things that God abhors (Hos 7:11).

I. The subject treated of.

1. In general, that it is a good matter. It is not about vain and empty, much less about wicked things, as the songs of the world are. Nor is it only about true things, for true things may have no goodness in them.

2. What this good matter is. The subject of this song is the King. And it is limited to things concerning Him; as if He had said, it is not for me, it is not for any mortal man to conceive or express all the glories and excellencies of the great King, Jesus Christ; but, saith He, something touching, something concerning Him. The best we can reach or attain unto in this world is only something touching Christ. We cannot yet behold the King in His glory, we cannot see His uncreated excellencies or beauties, nor those unspeakable glories of His person, natures, and works, as we shall one day contemplate and behold. I speak, saith he, of the things I have made; that is, which I have prepared; I will mention only the things which I have composed concerning Christ.

II. There is the manner of their delivery, both as to their conception and as to outward expression; their conception it was in his heart; as to the outward delivery, it was by his tongue. And there is a peculiarity in both. It is not an ordinary conception of the heart, it is not a common expression of the tongue. The word refers to the bubbling up of water in a fountain or spring. The heart of the psalmist was so full of these things of Christ, things touching the King, that they did naturally overflow, as water rising out of a spring naturally flows into the stream without any labour or difficulty. It is promised that it shall be thus with them who believe (Joh 4:14). A ready writer is one able with speed and steadiness to set down any thought or conception whatsoever. And now from the words thus explained let us observe–

1. That the things which concern Jesus Christ are a good matter to believers. And their being thus good to them distinguishes the sincere believer from the mere hypocrite. These latter assent to the Gospel as true, but never embrace its teachings as good; they do not cleave unto them as finding a rest, sweetness, excellency and suitableness in them for their own need. But to believers the things of Christ are good.

(1) In themselves (Col 1:18). Whatever is good in any kind, it all centres in Christ. The good things of Christ are Gods best things. How, then, can they be otherwise than a good matter?

(2) And they are so because believers have received the Spirit whereby they discern the excellency of them. Other men do not see such excellency (Isa 53:2). But believers can (1Co 2:7-10). Let us, for application, inquire, Do we esteem them good things; are they so to us? Can we say as did Paul (Php 3:8)? Is our satisfaction with them so high that we can be satisfied without other things? This I can say, that the nearer some have been to the loving of all things, even life itself, the better Christ hath been unto them. Examine, therefore, yourselves, whether you do not only give a naked assent to the Gospel and the things of Christ; or whether you find a goodness in them, a suitableness and satisfaction in them; that it is a good matter unto you. And let us observe–

2. Also, from the words, that it is the duty of believers to be making things concerning Jesus Christ. Things that I have made touching the King. Now, this is to meditate upon them and upon Christ; this it is which is here called, The things I have made, composed, framed in my mind. He did not make pictures of Christ, or frame such and such images of Him; but he meditated upon Christ. It is called beholding the glory of the Lord in a glass (2Co 3:18). What is our work and business? Why, it is to behold this glory, that is, to contemplate upon it by faith, to meditate upon it. If I have observed any thing by experience, it is this, a man may take the measure of his growth and decay in grace, according to his thoughts and meditations upon the person of Christ, and the glory of Christs kingdom, and of His love. A heart that is inclined to converse with Christ as He is represented in the Gospel is a thriving heart. And especially should we meditate upon Him in His Kingly offices (Isa 63:1). When a heart is full of love to Christ it will run over (2Co 4:13; Act 4:20). But what sad evidence there is in mens silence about Him, of their lack of love for Him. Lastly, that profession alone is acceptable to God and useful in the Church, which proceeds from the fulness of the heart. It is no use to be able to speak much if the heart be not full. (J. Owen, D. D.)

A good matter

I speak of the things which I have made touching the King. It is not hearsay that I am descanting upon; I am not dealing in second-hand experience. It bubbles up from within me. I am not so much a reservoir or cistern that contains supplies from other sources, but God has caused me through His grace to be as a spring of living water. An ounce of experience is worth a ton of hearsay. Well, now, what is this goodly matter?

I. First, it is concerning Christ, the king himself–His glorious person, His matchless charms, His ineffable grace.

1. Notice that as soon as we begin to speak of Jesus He appears amongst us. The first verse declares the intention of the psalmist, and he has no sooner declared his purpose than, straightway, faith perceives the subject of the song in the very midst, and love adores. Thou art fairer than the children of men Every other man, however good and noble, has, it must be owned, even by his most ardent admirers, some lack, some fault or blemish; but I challenge Christs friends or foes to find in Him any fault at all. No one was exposed to such severe tests as He; yet all men confessed that He was the Holy One of God.

2. Next, He is gloriously worthy because of His gracious words. Grace is poured into thy lips. The people all hung upon Him listening; He riveted their attention when He was here among men. The words that He has left to us, they are spirit, and they are life. They are the words of a King, and where the word of a king is there is power.

II. I see Him further on in the chapter ascending His throne and acting as A judge rather than as a King. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre, etc. The idea, if I mistake not, is that this King, though He does not set aside His regal rights, or lay His sceptre by, is virtually on the seat of justice. There He sits, dispensing justice, determining the laws, meting out evenhandedly the justice that is in His heart. Oh think of it, rejoice because of it! That throne is not a mere sham and delusion; it is a throne of justice; He reigns in equity.

III. Further on in the chapter I recognize this same King as the husband (Psa 45:9). There is in Jesus what I may call the domestic side of His character. This should touch us very closely. He is our Husband, our Lover, our fellow-Friend. He is our glorious Head, not merely as a mighty:Emperor, but as the pledged and espoused Lover of our souls. Come near to Him till your garments catch the perfume of His, and you, too, made glad by the ivory palaces, become redolent of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia. You need not flee away from Him. He has not come to crush, and condemn, and doom you; He fights your cause, lie loves to save and serve you. Bow at His feet by all means, but you may climb His chariot too, and go forth to fight beneath His shield. (Thomas Spurgeon)

Concerning the King

The real meaning is, I am saying to myself, my works (or my compositions) are about the King. He keeps repeating this to himself, like some one continually reminding himself of good news which he can scarce believe for joy. The privilege he has obtained, the task he is performing, is a glory not to be missed and not to be diminished; so, lest he should flag or fail, or do his work unworthily, he keeps his enthusiasm on fire by constantly repeating, My works are concerning the King.

I. Choose the highest ideal for your life. Remember that the value of your work depends entirely upon the choice of your ideal. To live your life without an aim is to fling it away. The man of pressure is dead while he lives. Choose a definite ideal in life, and see to it that you choose an ideal worthy of our human estate. Though you scorn the aimlessness of a drifting life, and though energy and resolution and diligence strongly mark your character, yet you may bend all these upon an ideal that will nullify their power and lay their glory in the dust. The ideal you choose for your life is of primary importance; therefore, I pray you, consider it well. The perfect ideal for the lives of all men is found in Christ. His kingship over human character is twofold. He presents the sovereign ideal for character, and tie makes the realization of that ideal possible. Follow the vision of His glory until you find it fulfilled in your own life. The greatest moral heroes of history have been Christs men.

II. Having chosen your ideal, fill your heart to the brim with it. You will have what the psalmist calls goodly matter to deal with; therefore make your heart well up with it, let the springs gush forth abundantly, fill the fountains to the brim. When an evil thought comes, look straightway for a counteracting thought of good, and let that drive the other out. If another evil thought come, it shows that you have still some vacant space left, so get another holy thought to chase away the new evil. This welling up of goodly things in the heart will become increasingly spontaneous. Gradually the goodly matter which is stored in the heart will begin to spring up unbidden. The spirit will spontaneously produce celestial forms, and send forth angels even through the gates of dreams. Blessed is the life which has been thus built up into a temple of God and goodness!

III. Having chosen your ideal, and having brimmed the heart with it, flush the life to the lips with it. The royal theme of the psalmist passed from the overflowing of the heart to the outpouring of the lips. My tongue, he said, is the pen of a ready writer. You will find it a great joy to let the lips express what the heart feels. Is it not an hour of delights for the seer when he illuminates the world with the new light that has flashed on his soul? Who can tell the rapture of the poet when his heart pours forth its siren music along the shores of Lime? Aye, and if you will let your lips and lives tell out without restraint the glory of the King that reigns within you, you shall know a joy as deep as the joy of Heaven. (J. Thomas, M. A.)

A gude word for the King

There is a sweet story in the Bonny Brier Bush about a young Scotch minister who, called upon to preach his first sermon, thrust the clever discourse he had prepared into the fire-grate when he remembered the dying words of his mother, Oh, laddie, be sure ye say a gude word for Jesus Christ. The gude word from his heart brought the critical old Scotch folk to tenderness and tears, and made the kirk a very sanctuary that morning. Let us, wherever we are, and whoever we are, be ready with a gude word for Jesus Christ.

The glory of Christ partially described

The Alps, as a whole, are too extensive and of too varied beauty for any one artist to take into his perspective and paint upon his canvas. The best thing he can do is to portray just one or two of the main features of the scene which are visible from his point of view. It is equally the case respecting the infinite perfections and majestic character of Christ. Christ Himself in His infinite fulness has never yet been preached by mortal tongue. Mans gifts, though surpassing those of the highest order, cannot compass such a theme. It is, however, given unto him out of a full heart to speak of the things which he has made touching the King.

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

PSALM XLV

The contents of this Psalm are generally summed up thus: The

majesty and grace of Christ’s kingdom; or an epithalamium of

Jesus Christ and the Christian Church; the duty of this Church,

and its privileges. The Psalm contains a magnificent

description of the beauty, ornaments, valour, justice, and

truth of the Divine Bridegroom; the beauty, magnificence, and

riches of the bride, who was to become mother of a numerous and

powerful posterity. The preamble is found in the title and

verse 1.

The description and character of the Bridegroom, 2-9.

The address to the bride by her companions, 10-15.

A prediction of her numerous and glorious descendants, 16, 17.

NOTES ON PSALM XLV

The title is nearly the same with that of Psalm 69 and Ps 80 “To the chief musician, or master of the band of those who played on the six-stringed instruments, giving instruction for the sons of Korah; a song of loves, or amatory ode; or a song of the beloved maids.” The Vulgate and Septuagint have, For those who shall be changed, or brought into another state, which some have interpreted as relating to the resurrection of the just; but if I could persuade myself that the title came by Divine inspiration, I would say it more properly belonged to the calling and conversion of the Gentiles, and bringing them over from idolatry to the worship of the true God. By some the word shoshannim, is translated lilies; and a world of labour has been spent to prove that these lilies mean the saints, Jesus Christ himself, and the Divine light which is a banner to them that fear him. I cannot believe that any such meaning is intended, and, consequently, I cannot attempt to interpret the Psalm after this model. I believe it to be an epithalamium, or nuptial song, which primarily respected Solomon’s marriage with the daughter of Pharaoh; and that it probably has a prophetic reference to the conversion of the Gentiles, and the final aggrandizement of the Christian Church.

Verse 1. My heart is inditing a good matter] rachash, boileth or bubbleth up, as in the margin. It is a metaphor taken from a fountain that sends up its waters from the earth in this way. The Vulgate has eructavit, which is most literally translated by the old Psalter: Mi hert ryfted gude word. [Anglo-Saxon] My heart belcheth. – Anglo-Saxon.

I speak of the things which I have made touching the king] , literally, “I dedicate my work unto the king.” Or, as the Psalter, I say my werkes til the kyng. This was the general custom of the Asiatic poets. They repeated their works before princes and honourable men; and especially those parts in which there was either a direct or constructive compliment to the great man. Virgil is reported to have a part of his AEneid before Augustus, who was so pleased with it that he ordered ten sestertia to be given him for every line. And the famous Persian poet Ferdusi read a part of his Shah Nameh before Sultan Mahmoud, who promised him thirty thousand denars for the poem.

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.] I shall compose and speak as fluently the Divine matter which is now in my heart, as the most expert scribe can write from my recitation. My tung of maister swiftly wrytand. “That es, my tung is pen of the Haly Gast; and nout but als his instrument, wham he ledis als he wil. For I speke noght bot that he settis on my tung; als the pen dos noght withouten the writer. Swyftly wrytand, for the vertu of goddes inspiracioun is noght for to thynk with mons study, that he schewes til other of the purete of heven; that es some for to com that he wrytes.” – Old Psalter.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

To the chief musician upon Shoshannim; which title is also prefixed to Psa 119, and with some small addition, Psa 130, and with a little variation, Psa 60. It seems to be the name of a song or tune, or instrument of music. It properly signifies lilies or roses; which some apply to the subject of the Psalm, because those flowers were used ill garlands, or otherwise in nuptial solemnities, and because Christ calls himself the lily and the rose, Son 2:1.

A Song of loves, to wit, of Christ and his church. Or, of the beloved ones, to wit, the virgins, who waited upon the bride, as some men did upon the bridegroom, who thence were called his friends, Joh 3:29; in whose name and person this Psalm may seem to be uttered.

The psalmist singeth of the beauty of Christ above that of the children of men, Psa 45:1,2; of his terribleness and conquest over his enemies, Psa 45:3-5; of his everlasting throne, and unction above his fellows, Psa 45:6-9. The church is invited to forsake her fathers house, that Christ might delight in her, Psa 45:10-12. Her glory and excellency by his graces, which shall be remembered and praised for ever, Psa 45:13-17.

My heart; I am about to utter not vain, or rash, or foolish, or false words, but such as proceed from my very heart, and most serious thoughts, and cordial affections.

Is inditing, Heb. boileth, or bubbleth up, like water in a pot over the fire. This phrase notes that the workings of his heart in this matter were frequent and abundant, fervent and vehement, free and cheerful, and withal kindled by Gods grace, and by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

A good matter; either,

1. Pleasant or delightful, and fit for the nuptial solemnity here expressed; as a feast day is sometimes called a good day. Or,

2. Excellent, as this word is oft used, as Num 24:5; Deu 8:12; or, holy and spiritual, as it is most commonly used. This is no vain, or carnal, or wanton love song, but sublime and heavenly, and full of majesty, as is manifest from the body of this Psalm.

Which I have made; which I by Divine inspiration have composed.

Touching the king; or rather, to the king; for to him he addresseth his speech in the following verses; and this Hebrew prefix lamed generally signifies to, though sometimes it be rendered of, or concerning. The pen; or, as the pen; whereby he intimates that he was only the pen or instrument in uttering this song, and that it had another and a higher original, to wit, the Spirit of God, by whose hand this pen was guided and managed.

Of a ready writer; whereby he understands either,

1. Gods Spirit, who writ or spoke this by the pen or mouth of the psalmist; or,

2. Himself; whom he so calls, not out of vain ostentation, or self-commendation, but to teach us that this song was not the effect of his own deep and serious study, but did freely flow into him by Divine inspiration, and did as freely and readily flow from him.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1. An animated prefaceindicative of strong emotion. Literally, “My heart overflows:a good matter I speak; the things which I have made,” &c.

inditingliterally,”boiling up,” as a fountain overflows.

my tongue is the penamere instrument of God’s use.

of a ready writerthatis, it is fluent. The theme is inspiring and language flows fast.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

My heart is inditing a good matter,…. What is valuable and excellent, concerning the excellency of Christ’s person, of his kingdom, of his love to the church, and of the church itself; what is pleasant and delightful, comfortable, useful, and profitable: this his heart was inditing; which shows that it was under the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, and denotes the fervour of it; it “boiling up”, as the word x signifies; being heated by the fire of the divine Spirit, whereby it was hot within him, and caused him to speak with his tongue; and also the abundance that was in it, it “bubbling up” y, as some choose to render it: from whence this good matter flowed like water out of a fountain;

I speak of the things which I have made touching the King; the King Messiah; the King of the whole world, and of the kings of it, and of the saints in it; over whom he reigns in a spiritual manner, and in righteousness; concerning whom this psalm or poem was composed by David under divine inspiration, and which he here delivers:

my tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer; or as z one; such an one as Ezra was, Ezr 7:6, that writes swiftly and compendiously; suggesting, that as he was; full of matter, he freely communicated it, being moved by the Holy Spirit, who spake by him, and whose word was in his tongue; which made him so ready and expert in this work. The allusion is to scribes and notaries, and such like persons, that are extremely ready and swift in the use of the pen. The word for “pen” is derived either from , which signifies “to fly” a, and from whence is a word used for a “flying fowl”; yet we are not to imagine that here it signifies a pen made of a bird’s quill, as now in common use with us: for this did not obtain until many hundred years after David’s time. It seems that Isidore of Seville, who lived in the seventh century, is the first person that makes mention of “penna”, a “pen”, as made of the quill of a bird b, but rather the pen has its name in Hebrew, if from the above root, from the velocity of it, as in the hand of a ready writer; or rather it may be derived from , “to sharpen”, in which sense it seems to be used, Eze 21:15; and so a pen has its name from the sharp point of it: for when the ancients wrote, or rather engraved, on stone, brass, lead, and wood, they used a style or pen of iron; see Job 19:24; so when they wrote on tables of wood covered with wax, they used a kind of bodkin made of iron, brass, or bone;

[See comments on Hab 2:2]; and when upon the rind and leaves of trees, and on papyrus and parchment, they made use of reeds, particularly the Egyptian calamus or reed; and the word here is translated calamus or reed by the Targum, Septuagint, and all the Oriental versions. Now as the Jews had occasion frequently to copy out the book of the law, and other writings of theirs, their scribes, at least some of them, were very expert and dexterous at it; but whether the art of “shorthand” was to any degree in use among them is not certain, as it was in later times among the Romans, when they used marks, signs, and abbreviations, which seems to have laid the foundation of the above art, and had its rise, as is said, from Cicero himself, though some ascribe it to Mecaenas c: and in Martial’s time it was brought to such perfection, that, according to him, the hand could write swifter than a man could speak d.

x “ebullit”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator so Ainsworth. y “Eructavit”, V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, Munster. z So the Targum, Tigurine version, Gejerus, Michaelis. a Vid. Kimchi Sepher Shorash. rad. . b Origin. l. 6. c. 13. c Vid. Kipping. Antiqu. Roman. l. 2. c. 4. p. 554. d “Currant verba licet, manus est velociter illis nondum lingua suum, dextra peregit opus”, Martial. Epigr. l. 14. ep. 189. of the origin of shorthand with the Romans, and among us, with other curious things concerning writing, and the matter and instruments of it, see a learned treatise of Mr. Massey’s, called, “The Origin and Progress of Letters”, p. 144. printed 1763.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(Heb.: 45:2-3) The verb , as shows, signifies originally to bubble up, boil, and is used in the dialects generally of excited motion and lively excitement; it is construed with the accusative after the manner of verbs denoting fulness, like the synonymous , Psa 119:171 (cf. Talmudic , let thy tongue overflow with songs of praise). Whatever the heart is full of, with that the mouth overflows; the heart of the poet gushes over with a “good word.” is a matter that finds utterance and is put into the form of words; and describes it as good with the collateral idea of that which is cheerful, pleasing, and rich in promise (Isa 52:7; Zec 1:13). The fact that out of the fulness and oppression of his heart so good a word springs forth, arises from the subject in which now his whole powers of mind are absorbed: I am saying or thinking ( pausal form by Dech, in order that the introductory formula may not be mistaken), i.e., my purpose is: , my works or creations (not sing., but plur., just as also in Exo 17:3; Num 20:19, where the connection leads one to expect the plural) shall be dedicated to the king; or even: the thought completely fills me, quite carries me away, that they concern or have reference to the king. In the former case dispenses with the article because it is used after the manner of a proper name (as in Psa 21:2; Psa 72:1); in the latter, because the person retires before the office of dignity belonging to it: and this we, in common with Hitzig, prefer on account of the self-conscious and reflecting by which it is introduced. He says to himself that it is a king to whom his song refers; and this lofty theme makes his tongue so eloquent and fluent that it is like the style of a . Thus it is correctly rendered by the lxx; whereas as an epithet applied to Ezra (Ezr 7:6) does not denote a rapid writer, but a learned or skilled scribe. Rapidly, like the style of an agile writer, does the tongue of the poet move; and it is obliged to move thus rapidly because of the thoughts and words that flow forth to it out of his heart. The chief thing that inspires him is the beauty of the king. The form , which certainly ought to have a passive sense (Aquila ), cannot be explained as formed by reduplication of the first two radicals of the verb ( ) ; for there are no examples to be found in support of quinqueliterals thus derived. What seems to favour this derivation is this, that the legitimately formed Pealal (cf. the adjective = , Jer 46:20) is made passive by a change of vowels in a manner that is altogether peculiar, but still explicable in connection with this verb, which is a twofold weak verb. The meaning is: Thou art beyond compare beautifully fashioned, or endowed with beauty beyond the children of men. The lips are specially singled out from among all the features of beauty in him. Over his lips is poured forth, viz., from above , (gracefulness of benevolence), inasmuch as, even without his speaking, the form of his lips and each of their movements awakens love and trust; it is evident, however, that from such lips, full of , there must proceed also (Luk 4:22; Ecc 10:12). In this beauty of the king and this charm of his lips the psalmist sees a manifestation of the everlasting blessing of God, that is perceptible to the senses. It is not to be rendered: because Elohim hath blessed thee for ever. The assertion that is used in some passages for cannot be proved (vid., on Psa 42:7). But the meaning of the psalmist is, moreover, not that the king, because he is so fair and has such gracious lips, is blessed of God. If this were the idea, then the noble moral qualities of which the beauty of this king is the transparent form, ought to be more definitely expressed. Thus personally conceived, as it is here, beauty itself is a blessing, not a ground for blessing. The fact of the matter is this, beauty is denoted by as a reason for the blessing being known or recognised, not as a reason why the king should be blessed. From his outward appearance it is at once manifest that the king is one who is blessed by God, and that blessed for ever. The psalmist could not but know that “grace is deceitful and beauty vain” (Pro 31:30), therefore the beauty of this king was in his eyes more than mere earthly beauty; it appears to him in the light of a celestial transfiguration, and for this very reason as an imperishable gift, in which there becomes manifest an unlimited endless blessing.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

Nuptial Song; Glories of the Messiah.

To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil. A song of loves.

      1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.   2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.   3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.   4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.   5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.

      Some make Shoshannim, in the title, to signify an instrument of six strings; others take it in its primitive signification for lilies or roses, which probably were strewed, with other flowers, at nuptial solemnities; and then it is easily applicable to Christ who calls himself the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys, Cant. ii. 1. It is a song of loves, concerning the holy love that is between Christ and his church. It is a song of the well-beloved, the virgins, the companions of the bride (v. 14), prepared to be sung by them. The virgin-company that attend the Lamb on Mount Zion are said to sing a new song,Rev 14:3; Rev 14:4.

      I. The preface (v. 1) speaks, 1. The dignity of the subject. It is a good matter, and it is a pity that such a moving art as poetry should every be employed about a bad matter. It is touching the King, King Jesus, and his kingdom and government. Note, Those that speak of Christ speak of a good matter, no subject so noble, so copious, so fruitful, so profitable, and so well-becoming us; it is a shame that this good matter is not more the matter of our discourse. 2. The excellency of the management. This song was a confession with the mouth of faith in the heart concerning Christ and his church. (1.) The matter was well digested, as it well deserved: My heart is inditing it, which perhaps is meant of that Spirit of prophecy that dictated the psalm to David, that Spirit of Christ which was in the prophets, 1 Pet. i. 11. But it is applicable to his devout meditations and affections in his heart, out of the abundance of which his mouth spoke. Things concerning Christ ought to be thought of by us with all possible seriousness, with fixedness of thought and a fire of holy love, especially when we are to speak of those things. We then speak best of Christ and divine things when we speak from the heart that which has warmed and affected us; and we should never be rash in speaking of the things of Christ, but weigh well beforehand what we have to say, lest we speak amiss. See Eccl. v. 2. (2.) It was well expressed: I will speak of the things which I have made. He would express himself, [1.] With all possible clearness, as one that did himself understand and was affected with the things he spoke of. Not, “I will speak the things I have heard from others,” that is speaking by rote; but, “the things which I have myself studied.” Note, What God has wrought in our souls, as well as what he has wrought for them, we must declare to others, Ps. lxvi. 16. [2.] With all possible cheerfulness, freedom, and fluency: “My tongue is as the pen of a ready writer, guided by my heart in every word as the pen is by the hand.” We call the prophets the penmen of scripture, whereas really they were but the pen. The tongue of the most subtle disputant, and the most eloquent orator, is but the pen with which God writes what he pleases. Why should we quarrel with the pen if bitter things be written against us, or idolize the pen if it write in our favour? David not only spoke what he thought of Christ, but wrote it, that it might spread the further and last the longer. His tongue was as the pen of a ready writer, that lets nothing slip. When the heart is inditing a good matter it is a pity but the tongue should be as the pen of a ready writer, to leave it upon record.

      II. In these verses the Lord Jesus is represented,

      1. As most beautiful and amiable in himself. It is a marriage-song; and therefore the transcendent excellencies of Christ are represented by the beauty of the royal bridegroom (v. 2): Thou art fairer than the children of men, than any of them. He proposed (v. 1) to speak of the King, but immediately directs his speech to him. Those that have an admiration and affection for Christ love to go to him and tell him so. Thus we must profess our faith, that we see his beauty, and our love, that we are pleased with it: Thou are fair, thou art fairer than the children of men. Note, Jesus Christ is in himself, and in the eyes of all believers, more amiable and lovely than the children of men. The beauties of the Lord Jesus, as God, as Mediator, far surpass those of human nature in general and those which the most amiable and excellent of the children of men are endowed with; there is more in Christ to engage our love than there is or can be in any creature. Our beloved is more than another beloved. The beauties of this lower world, and its charms, are in danger of drawing away our hearts from Christ, and therefore we are concerned to understand how much he excels them all, and how much more worthy he is of our love.

      2. As the great favourite of heaven. He is fairer than the children of men, for God has done more for him than for any of the children of men, and all his kindness to the children of men is for his sake, and passes through his hands, through his mouth. (1.) He has grace, and he has it for us; Grace is poured into thy lips. By his word, his promise, his gospel, the good-will of God is made known to us and the good work of God is begun and carried on in us. He received all grace from God, all the endowments that were requisite to qualify him for his work and office as Mediator, that from his fulness we might receive, John i. 16. It was not only poured into his heart, for his own strength and encouragement, but poured into his lips, that by the words of his mouth in general, and the kisses of his mouth to particular believers, he might communicate both holiness and comfort. From this grace poured into his lips proceeded those gracious words which all admired, Luke iv. 22. The gospel of grace is poured into his lips; for it began to be spoken by the Lord, and from him we receive it. He has the words of eternal life. The spirit of prophecy is put into thy lips; so the Chaldee. (2.) He has the blessing, and he has it for us. “Therefore, because thou art the great trustee of divine grace for the use and benefit of the children of men, therefore God has blessed thee for ever, has made thee an everlasting blessing, so as that in thee all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” Where God gives his grace he will give his blessing. We are blessed with spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, Eph. i. 3.

      3. As victorious over all his enemies. The royal bridegroom is a man of war, and his nuptials do not excuse him from the field of battle (as was allowed by the law, Deut. xxiv. 5); nay, they bring him to the field of battle, for he is to rescue his spouse by dint of sword out of her captivity, to conquer her, and to conquer for her, and then to marry her. Now we have here,

      (1.) His preparations for war (v. 3): Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O Most Mighty! The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. By the promises of that word, and the grace contained in those promises, souls are made willing to submit to Jesus Christ and become his loyal subjects; by the threatenings of that word, and the judgments executed according to them, those that stand it out against Christ will, in due time, be brought down and ruined. By the gospel of Christ many Jews and Gentiles were converted, and, at length, the Jewish nation was destroyed, according to the predictions of it, for their implacable enmity to it; and paganism was quite abolished. The sword here girt on Christ’s thigh is the same which is said to proceed out of his mouth, Rev. xix. 15. When the gospel was sent fort to be preached to all nations, then our Redeemer girded his sword upon his thigh.

      (2.) His expedition to this holy war: He goes forth with his glory and his majesty, as a great king takes the field with abundance of pomp and magnificence–his sword, his glory, and majesty. In his gospel he appears transcendently great and excellent, bright and blessed, in the honour and majesty which the Father had laid upon him. Christ, both in his person and in his gospel, had nothing of external glory or majesty, nothing to charm men (for he had no form nor comeliness), nothing to awe men, for he took upon him the form of a servant; it was all spiritual glory, spiritual majesty. There is so much grace, and therefore glory, in that word, He that believes shall be saved, so much terror, and therefore majesty, in that word, He that believes shall not be damned, that we may well say, in the chariot of that gospel, which these words are the sum of, the Redeemer rides forth in glory and majesty. In thy majesty ride prosperously, v. 4. Prosper thou; ride thou. This speaks the promise of his Father, that he should prosper according to the good pleasure of the Lord, that he should divide the spoil with the strong, in recompence of his sufferings. Those cannot but prosper to whom God says, Prosper, Isa. lii. 10-12. And it denotes the good wishes of his friends, praying that he may prosper in the conversion of souls to him, and the destruction of all the powers of darkness that rebel against him. “Thy kingdom come; Go on and prosper.”

      (3.) The glorious cause in which he is engaged–because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness, which were, in a manner, sunk and lost among men, and which Christ came to retrieve and rescue. [1.] The gospel itself is truth, meekness, and righteousness; it commands by the power of truth and righteousness; for Christianity has these, incontestably, on its side, and yet it is to be promoted by meekness and gentleness, 1Co 4:12; 1Co 4:13; 2Ti 2:25. [2.] Christ appears in it in his truth, meekness, and righteousness, and these are his glory and majesty, and because of these he shall prosper. Men are brought to believe on him because he is true, to learn of him because he is meek, Matt. xi. 29 (the gentleness of Christ is of mighty force, 2 Cor. x. 1), and to submit to him because he is righteous and rules with equity. [3.] The gospel, as far as it prevails with men, sets up in their hearts truth, meekness, and righteousness, rectifies their mistakes by the light of truth, controls their passions by the power of meekness, and governs their hearts and lives by the laws of righteousness. Christ came, by setting up his kingdom among men, to restore those glories to a degenerate world, and to maintain the cause of those just and rightful rulers under him that by error, malice, and iniquity, had been deposed.

      (4.) The success of his expedition: “Thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things; thou shalt experience a wonderful divine power going along with thy gospel, to make it victorious, and the effects of it will be terrible things.” [1.] In order to the conversion and reduction of souls to him, there are terrible things to be done; the heart must be pricked, conscience must be startled, and the terrors of the Lord must make way for his consolations. This is done by the right hand of Christ. The Comforter shall continue, John xvi. 8. [2.] In the conquest of the gates of hell and its supporters, in the destruction of Judaism and Paganism, terrible things will be done, which will make men’s hearts fail them for fear (Luke xxi. 26) and great men and chief captains call to the rocks and mountains to fall on them, Rev. vi. 15. The next verse describes these terrible things (v. 5): Thy arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies. First, Those that were by nature enemies are thus wounded, in order to their being subdued and reconciled. Convictions are like the arrows of the bow, which are sharp in the heart on which they fasten, and bring people to fall under Christ, in subjection to his laws and government. Those that thus fall on this stone shall by broken, Matt. xxi. 44. Secondly, Those that persist in their enmity are thus wounded, in order to their being ruined. The arrows of God’s terrors are sharp in their hearts, whereby they shall fall under him, so as to be made his footstool, Ps. cx. 1. Those that would not have him to reign over them shall be brought forth and slain before him (Luke xix. 27); those that would not submit to his golden sceptre shall be broken to pieces by his iron rod.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Psalms 45

The Great King and Bride Psalm

Scripture 1-17:

This Is a Messianic psalm. It describes God seated upon an everlasting throne, waiting to be reunited with His Holy Bride. What David beheld in a vision he described with eloquent tongue and ready pen. He beheld six striking things about this bridegroom-king:

1) Verse 2, His beauty.

2) Verse 3, His sword.

3) Verse 4, His cause.

4) Verse 5, His arrows.,

5) Verse 6, 7, His throne and sceptre.

6) Verse 8, His fragrant garments.

This Is a parallel view of the marriage of Jesus Christ to His bride, the church, at the end of this age. In context, it is a Messianic psalm, Rev 19:5-9, describing His second advent or coming.

Verse 1 relates that David’s heart was bubbling over to testify to the honor of the King of glory, as his tongue was like the quick pen of a ready writer, something to record at once to share as news with others; It is much as Ezra was called a “ready scribe,” in matters of the law of Moses, Ezr 7:6.

Verse 2 describes His appearance as Bridegroom-King, as “fairer than the children of men,” perfectly beautiful, a thing not said of Him, at His first advent; For then He had “no beauty,” that men should desire him, Isa 53:2. It is added that “grace” was “poured into His lips or words.” Therefore the Elohim God (trinity) would bless Him forever, for who He was, and for what He had done, v. 7, 17; Luk 4:22, even from His first coming, Isa 61:1-2.

Verse 3 calls upon Him to gird his sword upon His thigh “O most mighty,” in harmony with His glory and majesty, as He shall return to the earth, after the marriage of the Lamb, Rev 19:7-9; Rev 19:11-16, to destroy all His enemies, 1Co 15:23-28. See also Psa 110:5; Isa 9:6; Luk 1:33-35.

Verse 4 calls upon Him to ride prosperously in His majesty, because of His nature of truth, meekness, and righteousness. For He is the embodiment of these virtues. His right hand of power in judgment termination of the battle of Armageddon is to teach Israel terrible things, as this terminates her years of tribulation suffering, Rev 16:15-16; Rev 19:15-21.

Verse 5 adds that his arrows (of judgment) are penetrating, sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies, whereby the people fall under Him (literally), at His second coming, as King of kings and Lord of lords; These are judgment arrows not to be spiritualized away, Deu 32:23; Deu 32:41-42; 2Th 1:6-10; Rev 19:11-21.

Verse 6 extols “Thy throne O God (adonai)” name for the bridegroom God, in marriage to His church, Rev 19:5-9,” is forever and ever,” without cessation or end, Isa 9:7; Luk 1:33-35; It perpetuates David’s throne, in the millennial age, and the age of the ages, And it is declared that the “sceptre of his kingdom is a right sceptre,” as certified Gen 49:10; Psa 72:1-2; 2Sa 23:3-4; Isa 11:3-4; Psa 68:4. See also Psa 93:2; Heb 1:8.

Verse 7 asserts that this Bridegroom-King continually loves righteousness and hates wickedness, therefore it is concluded that God his God, (the trinity-elohim) had anointed Him with the “oil of gladness,” above His fellows, of the heavens, even above the unfallen archangels, Michael and Gabriel, Lev 8:12; Psa 89:20; Psa 21:6; Joh 20:17.

Verse 8 describes all the garments of the Bridegroom-King as fragrant with pleasant odors of myrrh, aloes, and cassia from the ivory palaces, heaven itself, whereby the groom-king was made glad, for the “joy that was set before Him,” back when He had “endured the cross and despised (taken lightly) the shame,” in giving Himself as a ransom for all men, for the earth, and in purchasing the church with His own blood, 1Ti 2:5-6; Joh 3:16; Act 20:28; Eph 5:25; Heb 12:2.

Verse 9 declares that the “King’s daughters”, the redeemed of Israel (not of the Bride of Christ, the church,) were to be among the honorable women at the Bridegroom-King’s marriage. But upon the Groom’s right hand did stand or lean the Queen (the church Bride) bedecked in the gold of Ophir, most precious of metals, Joh 3:19; Joh 3:30; 2Co 11:2; Eph 5:12-32; Rev 19:7-9. The kings are the “called” or invited ones to the marriage, v. 9.

Verse 10 addresses the Queen as “O daughter,” as also v. 13. She is called to hear, consider, incline her ear to the voice of the Groom-King, with reverence and obedience in all things; Even as Paul instructed the church at Ephesus in this identical matter, Eph 5:22-32. She is called upon to forget, forsake, or turn fully away from her former family attachments, to give herself wholly to her Groom-King, Deu 21:13; Deu 23:9. Such is not easy, but it is the .will of God, Gen 2:24; Gen 12:1; Mat 10:37; Mar 8:34-37.

Verse 11 adds that when or as the new bride does this the king will greatly desire, be pleased with her beauty. Because He is the Lord, it is added, “worship thou (bow down, be in subjection) before Him,” Let His will be your will, even as Jesus did always the things that pleased His Father, Joh 4:34; Joh 6:38; Joh 5:30; Mat 26:39; Joh 17:4. See also Psa 95:6; Isa 54:5; Eph 5:22-32.

Verse 12 adds that “the daughters of Tyre,” the gentile redeemed, will be there, as one called to the marriage, Rev 19:9. She will come with gladness and the gift of praise saying, “Let us rejoice and give honor,” Rev 19:7-9. Even the rich among the people shall intreat your favor, in the ages to come, when the twelve apostles of the church sit on 12 thrones in the golden age with His Queen-Bride, the church, millennial age, as pledged Luk 22:29-30.

Verses 13, 14 describe the presentation of the Queen bride, the church, to the groom by her virgin companions, the redeemed of the ages, who are not of the church; She the Queen Bride, is all glorious in her clothing wrought of gold and needlework, even “clean and white, which is (exists as) the righteousness, righteous deeds of the saints,” the members of the Bride, the church, Rev 19:7-8: Son 1:4.

Verses 15-17 explain that all they of the Bride shall enter the King’s palace with gladness and rejoicing, Php_4:4. Instead of our Hebrew fathers, those before the church age, shall be the children, members of the Bride of the whole earth, to rule during the golden millennium, making the Bride and the Groom to be remembered and praised through all generations, Mat 25:21; Eph 3:21; Rev 5:9-10. Some of the Bride shall reign over five and some over ten cities, Luk 19:17-19.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

1 My heart is boiling over (157) with a good matter This preface shows sufficiently that the subject of the psalm is no common one; for whoever the author of it may have been, he here intimates, at the very outset, that he will treat of great and glorious things. The Holy Spirit is not accustomed to inspire the servants of God to utter great swelling words, and to pour forth empty sounds into the air; and, therefore, we may naturally conclude, that the subject here treated of is not merely a transitory and earthly kingdom, but sortie-thing more excellent. Were not this the case, what end would it serve to announce, as the prophet does in such a magnificent style, that his heart was boiling over, from his ardent desire to be employed in rehearsing the praises of the king? Some prefer to translate the word to utter; but the other signification of the word appears to me to be more appropriate; and it is confirmed by this, that from this verb is derived the noun מרהשת, marchesheth, a word which is found once or twice in Moses, and signifies a frying-pan, in which sweatmeats are baked. It is then of the same import as if the inspired writer had said, My heart is ready to breathe forth something excellent and worthy of being remembered. He afterwards expresses the harmony between the tongue and the heart, when he compares his tongue to the pen of a swift and ready writer

(157) “ רחש, rachash, boileth, or bubbleth up, denotes the language of the heart, full and ready for utterance.” — Bythner ’ s Lyra The Psalmist’s heart was so full and warmed with the subject of the psalm, that it could not contain; and the opening of the poem evinces that it was so, for he abruptly breaks forth into an annunciation of its subject as if impatient of restraint. Ainsworth thinks there is here an allusion to the boiling of the minchah, or meat-offering under the law in the frying-pan, (Lev 7:9.) It was there boiled in oil, being made of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil, (Lev 11:5😉 and afterwards was presented to the Lord by the priest, verse 8, etc. “Here,” says he, “the matter of this psalm is the minchah or oblation, which with the oil, the grace of the spirit, was boiled and prepared in the prophet’s breast, and now presented.”

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

RUIN AND REDEMPTION

Psalms 42-50

WE have already called attention to the fact that the Books of the Psalms constitute a Pentateuch, and there are excellent students of the Word who consider that the five Books of the Psalms correspond, in spiritual character, to the five volumes that constitute the Pentateuch.

Beginning, then, with the forty-second chapter and concluding with the seventy-second, we have the second Book, which is supposed to parallel Exodus.

Exodus is the Book of Redemption, the story of Israels recovery from Egyptian bondage. This fact is voiced in the following sentence, Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people which Thou hast redeemed; Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation (Exo 15:13).

It will be conceded also that the types in Exodus turn the attention to redemption. Even the Divine title Jah, the abbreviated form of Jehovah, is employed first in the Book of Exodus (Exo 15:3) and it is a significant fact that this same title is employed in this second Book of the Psalms (Psa 68:4).

There are those also who see another point of parallelism: The Book of Exodus opens with a picture of oppression in Egypt, while the second Book of the Psalms opens with a cry for God. The second Book of the Psalms also refers, in passing, to localities and individuals, as for instance, Sinai and Miriam, found in the second Book of the Pentateuch.

It is not unnatural, therefore, to discuss the first ten chapters of this Book under heads that would naturally remind one of the old Exodus experience, namely, The Ruin Realized, The Deliverance Needed, and the Deliverer Discovered.

THE RUIN REALIZED

First, in The conscious loss of God!

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the House of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God; for I shill yet praise Him for the kelp of His countenance (Psa 42:1).

One wonders at such language. It involves figurative difficulties and also excites a certain astonishment. Does the hart always pant after the water-brooks? No! There is but one time when the hart pants after the water-brooks and that is when he is chased by his enemy, when the dog is on his trail, or the wolf pack has sighted or scented him and is crowding him hard. Then the exhaustion of the race is such, and the terrible fear that takes possession of him is so great, that moisture leaves his body and he is compelled shortly to reach the brook and be refilled and refreshed that his strength may suffice in further efforts of escape. In truth it is commonly the habit of a deer or hart, when thus in danger, not only to seek the brook for drink, but to plunge its entire body into the water with the dual purpose of cooling the fevered veins and at the same time throwing the enemy off the scent and thereby securing time in which to escape the vicinity of danger.

Its a satisfactory figure then. The Psalmist had his enemies, and as they pressed him hard, thirsting for his life-blood, he felt his need of Gods refreshing and protecting presence. In all likelihood David wrote these words at the very time when he was being hunted like the partridge on the mountain; when Absaloms henchmen sought his life. He was compelled to accomplish a hiding in a well over which a woman threw a cover and spread corn thereon until the danger was over-past, and David and his followers made their escape over Jordan as recorded in 2 Samuel 17.

In evidence of this probable fact, it will be remembered that that chapter closed with the statement that certain people

brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,

And honey, and butter, and sheep, and cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat; for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness (2Sa 17:28-29).

It is great to believe that God is the answer to heart-hunger. It is great to know that God is rest for the weary. It is good to know that in Him is an unfailing fountain for the thirsty. It is good to believe that God is for the hour of danger and need!

Second, the consequent sense of loneliness!

O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts; all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me.

Yet the Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

I will say unto God my rock, Why hast Thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God (Psa 42:6-11).

It is doubtful if there is any more disquieting experience than the feeling that one has lost God. One of the most pathetic questions to be found in all the Book of the Psalms is (Psa 77:7-9), Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will He be favourable no more? Is His mercy clean gone for ever? Doth His promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He, in anger, shut up His tender mercies?

Such is an hour in which the soul is cast down. Such is the day in which the waves and billows go over one. Frightful is the feeling that one is God-forsaken. The oppression of the enemy is then heavy indeed. The very bones are thrust through with the sword and the daily reproaches of the enemy, Where is thy God? produce a disquieted spirit, and praises perish from the lips and the countenance shows no health!

But even here Jesus has gone before! On the Cross even He cried, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? (Mat 27:46). That was the darkest hour of His days on earth.

Three times in very recent years, young women have come to me, whose God has been taken from them by the false philosophies of the present-day college-life and teaching, and with cheeks scalded with hot tears, have told how they lost Him, how their teachers had taken away their Lord, and they could no longer find Him; how even their very eyes had been blinded, not alone to His beauty, but also to His existence; and how heart-loneliness and soul-anguish had followed. One might imagine that with David there was sufficient mental and even physical resources to keep from despair, but it is doubtful if any or all the natural resources of life bring the least satisfaction to the soul that feels that God is gone. The consciousness of His presence and the certainty of His loving-kindness these and these alone can satisfy the soul. That is the true meaning of Davids cry for both.

The third suggestion is inevitablewhen one has consciously lost his God and has come into the consequent sense of loneliness, he seeks to no other than did David.

He cried for the Light!

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

For Thou art the God of my strength; why dost Thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles;

Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy; yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God.

Why art Thou east down, O my soul? and why art Thou disquieted within me? hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God (Psa 43:1-5).

The significant sentence in this Psalm is this: O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles (Psa 42:3).

How strange; and yet, how natural! Men are always asking God to do what He has long since done. They are asking Him to show mercy. He has proffered it a thousand times, and it is always awaiting the man who will appropriate it. They are asking that He send out light as if He could withhold it, even! God is light! The difficulty with men is that they turn their backs on God and look into the darkness cast by their own shadows, and feel as if the light did not exist. It is a strange conclusion, but it is a natural product of human sin and human skepticism. No man ever got light by asking for it. The light is secured by turning to it.

I saw some years ago a statement that illustrates just what I mean. Dwight S. Bayley, writing in the Sunday School Times, said, It was just after sunset, and I was enjoying a short wheel ride before supper. The sun had sunk behind the mesa, whose outline drew its dark, rugged silhouette boldly against the red sky beyond. Presently I came to the railroad crossing, and there I dismounted to stand and watch the western glory. The rails stretched their parallel course east and west, and, as I looked toward the east, to see if any train were approaching, I saw the track soon disappear into the gloom of the approaching night. But turning again to the west, I saw the rails become two paths of shining light, penetrating, and, for the moment, making me forget the gathering dusk.

And as I stood there in the sweet silence of the closing day, I thought of One who is the Light of the world. How many, said I, find their path dark, and leading only into deeper gloom, because they are facing away from the light. And how many, thank God, forget the surrounding dusk, and tread a path that is clear and joyful, because they are walking toward the Light.

Gods light is shining constantly and as certainly for one as for another. Those who face toward it will be led by it. By it they will be brought unto Gods Holy hill and unto Gods tabernacle. By it they will go unto the altar of God with exceeding joy, and in consequence of it they will praise God with the harp and hope in Him who is the help of their countenance and their God.

But we pass to the future study,

THE DELIVERANCE NEEDED

Gods help is a matter of history!

We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us, what work Thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

How Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thy hand, and plantedst them; how Thou didst afflict Thy people, and cast them out.

For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favour unto them.

Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.

Through Thee will we push down our enemies: through Thy Name mil we tread them under that rise up against us.

For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

But Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy Name for ever. Selah (Psa 44:1-8).

The providential dealings of God are matters of history. He made records long before Edison devised his scheme of catching the voice and giving permanence to words. So important were His acts that men made note of them and not only rehearsed them, but wrote them down that the future might be refreshed by the reading; and perhaps the most dependable records that exist in the archives of man relate to Gods dealings with His people and with the world.

We live in a day when men are attempting to trace God in nature, or, if they deny His existence, to tell us what nature itself has accomplished. They talk of what took place trillions of years ago and what happened a few billions since, and what man was doing 500,000 summers gone. And then they have the effrontery to call that science, or even to speak of it as the history of the ages. They seem to forget that science is knowledge gained and verified, and they seem to ignore the fact that history is a systematic record of past events, especially the record of events in which man has taken part. What nonsense then to talk of the history of a trillion or a million or even of 20,000 years ago!

Scientists, at this present moment, are mad with speculations, and in order to add authority to their speech they name it science or history, when it is neither.

But we have history, and it honors God. It tells how He bared His arm in behalf of His people; how it was His Word rather than their sword that gave His people the promised land, and His arm, not their own strength that saved them, and His favor that prospered them. It was in a power Divine that they pushed down their enemies and trod under foot those who rose against them. In Him alone, had they any right to boast.

Stopford Brooke truthfully said, God dwells in the great movements of the world, in the great ideas which act in the human race. Find Him there in the great interests of man. Find Him by sharing in those interests, by helping all who are striving for truth, for education, for progress, for liberty all over the world.

The man who said, Gods in His Heavenalls well with the world, spoke a half truth, which is always a whole falsehood. God is in His Heaven ; but all is not well with the world! That is not Gods fault! He is constantly intervening in the affairs of men to make things right. He is constantly overthrowing heathenism in that interest. He is constantly favoring His people to that very end. God doesnt favor His people because He is partial; but He favors them because He is righteous. God doesnt favor His own because they are His own, and He has no interest in others. He saves His own because His own are worth saving and were willing, and He overwhelms their enemies because their enemies are evil.

The history of Divine providence is at once the most interesting and the most inspiring history ever written. We do well to study the relationship that God sustained to our fathers. We do well to make ourselves acquainted with how He wrought with them and how He fought for them. The man who would make God his King, and be content under that Divine administration, must needs know God, who He is and what He has done. In other words, history must be His teacher and the record of Divine providences the inspiration of His faith.

The charge of Gods withdrawal is unjust.

But Thou hast cast off and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies.

Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.

Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

Thou sellest Thy people for nought, and dost not increase Thy wealth by their price.

Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face covered me,

For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.

All this is come upon us, yet have we, not forgotten Thee, neither have we dealt falsely in Thy covenant.

Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy way;

Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

If we have forgotten the Name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

Shall not God search this out? for He knoweth the secrets of the heart.

Yea, for Thy sake are we kilted all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Awake, why steepest Thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever.

Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression.

For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth,

Arise for our help, and redeem us for Thy mercies sake (Psa 44:9-26).

The Psalmist certainly has spiritual chills and fevers. One moment he is filled with praises to God and the next he is mouthing complaints.

Thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies,

Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves,

Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen,

Thou sellest Thy people for nought, and dost not increase Thy wealth by their price,

Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us,

Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people,

My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger,

All this is come upon us, yet have we not forgotten Thee, neither have we dealt falsely in Thy covenant,

Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from Thy way;

Though Thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

If we have forgotten the Name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

Shall not God search this out? for He knoweth the secrets of the heart,

Yea, for Thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter,

Awake, why steepest Thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever,

Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth,

Arise for our help, and redeem us for Thy mercies sake (Psa 44:9-26),

What biliousness! Strange what foolish speech can escape the lips of true believers and how unjustifiable complaints can characterize a Christian! It is always true perhaps that a man looking into the past, thinks God treated his fathers better than He is treating him. That is because he sees in history the very path by which his fathers were led, and marks the fact that it is a path which, however crooked, leads ever upward and ever onward toward the shining gates of the Celestial City. He doesnt see the bleeding feet that pressed that path. He cannot mark the edges of the sharp stones that cut deeply into the flesh. The distance is too great for him to make observation in minutiae! He cam not even tell how precipitous the difficulty hills were. He cannot even see any of the lions that stalked that path or the dangers that beset the journey! And so he concludes that God was good to his fathers, but that He is forgetting him.

It is a foolish reasoning! We sing quite often, at least in orthodox circles,

Faith of our fathers, living still,

In spite of dungeon, fire and sword,

O how our hearts beat high with joy

Wheneer we hear that glorious word!

Faith of our fathers, holy faith,

We will be true to thee, till death.

But the sad part of it is that we sing it without experience of dungeon, without smell of fire, and without ever having felt the edge of the sword.

We render a second verse:

Our fathers chained in prisons dark,

Were still in heart and conscience free;

And blest would be their childrens fate,

If they, like them, should die for Thee:

Faith of our fathers, holy faith,

We will be true to thee till death.

But the probabilities are that if we had a little touch of dungeon, fire and sword, or any prospect whatever of martyrdom, we would make a louder complaint than the Psalmist here records. We would think that we were utterly forgotten, that God had turned His back upon us and flung us willingly into the hands of our enemies, to let us be eaten as sheeps meat, or sold for nothing according to the opponents pleasure. We would imagine that He had made us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to men of the world, a byword among the heathen and that all this had come upon us in spite of our utter loyalty to Him, and our perfect keeping of every covenant made and our upright walk.

How ridiculous! What poor occasions we have for parading our faithfulness or even referring to the importunity of our prayers, or, for that matter, to the sacrifices we have made. We slip ourselves and imagine that God is slipping. We turn our backs upon Him and imagine that He has hid His face. We call upon Him to arise for our help when the truth is that He is up already and we are down!

It is difficult to be patient with people that not only complain of their fellows, but even reach the point where they complain of God; and seldom is there any instance of the sort divorced from personal unworthiness and self-blame.

Gods Son is the souls adequate solace!

My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the King: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into Thy lips: therefore God hath blessed Thee for ever.

Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty.

And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things.

Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies; whereby the people fall under Thee.

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy Kingdom is a right sceptre.

Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness: therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.

All Thy garments smelt of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad.

Kings daughters were among Thy honourable women: upon Thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy fathers house;

So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him.

And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

The kings daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.

She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto Thee.

With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the Kings palace.

Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

I will make Thy Name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise Thee for ever and ever (Psa 45:1-17).

Beyond all question, this is a picture of Jesus, the King, the One fairer than the children of men, into whose lips grace is poured; who wears the sword at His thigh and whose glory and majesty and might know no measure; whose truth, meekness and righteousness render majestic; the power of whose right hand is to be truly feared; the sharpness of whose arrows can lay the enemy low and whose throne is established; whose sceptre is a right sceptre; who loves righteousness, hates iniquity, and who is, therefore, the One that God hath anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows. As if to put beyond question who this person is, the Psalmist says, All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia; out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad (Psa 45:8).

When was there ever any life in this world that had the aroma of beauty and sweetness about it that Christs life had? Kings daughters were among Thy honourable women: upon Thy right hand did stand the queen of Ophir, plainly refers to the women redeemed by His Word and to the Church, His coming Bride, the Bride whose beauty the King Himself desired and in whose worship He delighted.

What a picture this also of the Churchs pleasure in her Lord!

The kings daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is of wrought gold.

She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto Thee.

With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the Kings palace.

Instead of Thy fathers shall be Thy children, whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

I will make Thy Name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise Thee for ever and ever (Psa 45:13-17).

Join all the glorious names Of wisdom, love, and power,That ever mortals knew,Or angels ever bore:All are too mean to speak His worth,Too mean to set the Saviour forth.

Great Prophet of our God,Our tongues shall bless Thy Name;By Thee the joyful newsOf our salvation came,The joyful news of sins forgiven,Of hell subdued, and peace with Heaven.

Jesus, our great High Priest,Has shed His Blood and died;Our guilty conscience needsNo sacrifice besides:His precious Blood did once atone And now it pleads before the throne.

THE DELIVERER DISCOVERED

The forty-fifth chapter, then, discovers the Deliverer in Christ, the coming One, the all glorious One! That naturally leads to the exclamations of the forty-sixth chapter.

Faith finds herself a voice.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble;

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her, and that right early.

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations He hath made in the earth.

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;

He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot in the fire.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (Psa 46:1-11).

It is a great utterance. It is a rebound from the black unbelief of chapter forty-four. A man is never quite so happy, never quite so joyful, as when he comes out of the storm into calm, out of the black night into a bright morning, out of poverty and weakness into riches and strength, out of feelings of insufficiency into a consciousness of Gods sufficiency.

It is a triumphant utterance:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble;

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof (Psa 46:1-3).

Is it possible that this is the same man who wrote but yesterday

Thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies;

Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy; and they which hate us spoil for themselves;

Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen;

Thou sellest Thy people for nought, and dost not increase Thy wealth by their price;

Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a, derision to them that are round about us;

Thou makest us a byword among the heathen (Psa 44:9-14)?

Yes, the very same man! What is the difference? This: yesterday the Psalmist had his eyes upon himself; he reflected upon his weakness, his failure, his confusion, his shame! Today, he has his eyes upon God. The night is gone, the sun has risen. The flood is over, and in its stead there is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God. * * God is in the midst of her: she shall not be moved; God shall help her, and that right early; the heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted; the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge (Psa 46:4-7). Oh, what a change! The God of refuge is with us.

God is the refuge of His saints,

When storms of sharp distress invade;

Ere we can offer our complaints,

Behold Him present with His aid.

Loud may the troubled ocean roar;

In sacred peace our souls abide,

While every nation, every shore,

Trembles and dreads the swelling tide.

There is a stream, whose gentle flow

Supplies the City of our God,

Life, love, and joy still gliding through,

And watering our Divine abode.

That sacred stream, thy holy word,

Our grief allays, our fear controls;

Sweet peace thy promises afford,

And give new strength to fainting souls.

Praise discovers fit expression.

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph;

For the Lord Most High is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth;

He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved. Selah.

God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet

Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto, our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth; sing ye praises with understanding.

God reigneth over the heathen; God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness.

The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham; for the shields of the earth belong unto God; He is greatly exalted.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the City of our God, in the mountain of His holiness;

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away.

Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish it for ever. Selah.

We have thought of Thy loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of Thy Temple.

According to Thy Name, O God, so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of righteousness.

Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Thy judgments.

Walk about Zion, and go round about her; tell the towers thereof.

Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.

For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our Guide even unto death (Psa 47:1 to Psa 48:14).

Was there ever a more blissful burst of true belief? This is an instance in which the Psalmist starts a solo, but his singing becomes a contagion; it swells not to a duet or quartette, but into a mighty chorus. He directs; O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph (Psa 47:1); and he gives the reason, He is a great King over all the earth; He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet; He shall choose our inheritance for us? (Psa 47:2-4); and as if to bring the last tongue to praises, he calls to all that have breath, Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto our King; sing praises (Psa 47:6).

O worship the King, all glorious above,

And gratefully sing His wonderful love,

Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of days,

Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air, it shines in the light,

It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain

And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;

Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

God and God alone is adequate.

Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world;

Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

I will incline mine ear to a parable; I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my keels shall compass me about?

They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him;

(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever;)

That He should still live forever, and not see corruption.

For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names; nevertheless man being in honour abideth not; he is like the beasts that Perish.

This their way is their folly; yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah.

Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me. Selah.

Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased;

For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him.

Though while he lived he blessed his soul; and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from; the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence; a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice; and the heavens shall declare His righteousness; for God is judge Himself. Selah.

Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against Thee; I am God, even thy God.

I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt-offerings, to have been continually before Me.

I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds;

For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

If I were hungry, I would not tell Thee; for the World is mine, and the fulness thereof.

Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High;

And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.

But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth?

Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee.

When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mothers son.

These things hast Thou done, and I kept silence; Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as Thyself; but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.

Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight; that Thou oughtest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and 1 shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the hones which Thou hast broken may rejoice.

Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.

Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners Shall be converted unto Thee.

Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness.

O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.

For Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it; thou delightest not in burnt-offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion; build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt-offering and whole burnt-offering; then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar (Psa 49:1 to Psa 51:19).

Here we come to the conclusion of the matter, so far, at least, as certain experiences are concerned; and that conclusion is that God, and God alone, is adequate. He would have all the people hear it, men of both high and low degree, rich and poor. The perverse, the boastful, the corrupt, the brutish, he would have them see that their way is folly, that death awaits them and Sheol will consume; but God will redeem his soul and receive him into glory. He would have men realize that even death shall strip them of both wealth and honour, they will perish as the beasts do, but the mighty one will remain. The Jehovah who called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof, whose perfection of beauty doth shine, and whose speech is above the storm, and to him the heavens themselves will respond and the very earth tremble will gather His saints to Himself and show His covenant by His sacrifice, while the heavens declare His righteousness; and then, as if God Himself was at hand to speak, the Psalmist steps aside and gives audience to the voice Divine,

O Israel, * * I am Thy God, even Thy God.

I do not reprove them of these sacrifices nor the multiplication of burnt offerings;

I will not take a bullock out of thy house, nor a he goat from thy folds, since I have no need;

Every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills;

I know all the birds of the hills and that which moveth in the fields.

If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is Mine and the fullness.

I am no eater of bulls flesh, nor drinker of goats blood.

I am God; sacrifice to Me thanksgiving and pay to Me thy vows and call upon Me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me (Psa 50:7-15).

Then, after having shown his attitude toward the wicked, and the wickeds attitude toward Him, and after having warned these God-forgetters, of the day of judgment when none shall deliver, he concludes, He that offereth praise, glorifieth Me; and he that altereth his way, will I show the salvation of God (Psa 50:23)

I have sought to bring you this morning the three major thoughts to be found in these ten chapters. Beyond all question they are the Recognition of Ruin by Sin, the Conscious Need of a Deliverer, and the Joyful Discovery of God. I confess frankly, very frankly, that I have had other objectives than merely to interpret these Psalms. I believe that knowledge of Scripture always fruits in increased faith and further, in effective service. I am anxious that you should know God, that you should know Him as one who can redeem us from the ruin of sin, that you should know Him as one who can meet all the demands of the heart life, that you should know Him as one who proved His power and love to your predecessors, that you should know Him as one who is the source of strength against adversaries and for all conceivable service.

There are tasks ahead, great undertakings, as important and prophetic as enormous; and I want you to enter upon them, upon those that are immediately ahead of us for this week and for those that are planned for the two weeks following, believing God and trusting Him for all needed strength.

We are told that when Napoleon was leading his soldiers over the Alps, the cold and fatigue of the journey caused many of them to falter. Some were about to turn back. Napoleon ordered the band to play, and the spirits of some of the men revived, but not all. Then he told them to play music that would remind them of the home-land and more of them revived. Then at his word, the buglers sounded the bugle call. The men sprang to arms, and new life surged into the brains of every breathing body, for they knew not where the enemy might be.

Activity is the best and surest cure for faltering souls. My candid conviction is this, that the effort of this church will be glorious in proportion as we actively undertake big things and bring them to pass; and why not? when Jehovah is our God.

Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

INTRODUCTION

Superscription.To the Chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil. A song of loves.

To the chief musician. See notes on the title to Psalms 39. Upon Shoshannim is a musical direction to the leader of the Temple choir, and moat probably indicates the melody after or in the manner of (, al., A. V. upon) which the Psalms were to be sung. As Shoshannim literally signifies lilies, it has been suggested that the word denotes lily-shaped instruments of music, perhaps cymbals, and this view appears to be adopted by De Wette (Die Psalmen, p. 34). Hengstenberg gives to it an enigmatical interpretation, as indicating the subject or subjects treated, as lilies figuratively for bride in Psalms 45; the delightful consolations and deliverances experienced in Psalms 69, &c., which Dr. Davidson very truly characterises as a most improbable fancy. The 70 and Vulgate have in both psalms , and pro iis qui immutabuntur respectively, reading apparently for . Ben Zeb regards it as an instrument of psalmody, and Junius and Tremellius, after Kimchi, render it hexachorda, an instrument with six strings, referring it to the root shesh, six, and this is approved by Eichorn in his edition of Simonis.W. Aldis Wright, in Smiths Diet, of the Bible.

Fuerst in his Lexicon says on , the name of a musical choir, Psalms 45; Psalms 69; Psalms 80, identical with , Psalms 60, (which see). On the latter word he says, (Psalms 60, for which Psalms 80 has , and also alone) proper name of one of the twenty-four music choirs (1 Chronicles 25) left by David (, Neh. 12:31), Psalms 60, so called from a master (comp. the proper name 1Ch. 2:31). which musical guild may have been stationed in = (Jos. 15:36).

For the sons of Korah. See notes on the title to Pa. 42.

Maschil, a didactic poem.
A song of loves, says Barnes, would properly denote a song devoted to love, or in celebration of love; that is, in which love would be the main idea.

The author of the psalm, and the occasion on which it was written, are both unknown.
The reader who desires to acquaint himself with the various opinions as to whom the psalm refers or is applicable, we would refer to the Introductions to the psalm in the commentaries of Barnes, Hengstenberg, et al. For ourselves, we believe in its Messianic application. The forty-fifth psalm, says Canon Liddon, is a picture of the peaceful and glorious union of the King Messiah with His mystical bride, the Church of redeemed humanity. Messiah is introduced as a Divine King reigning among men. His form is of more than human beauty; His lips overflow with grace; God has blessed Him for ever, and has anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His fellows. But Messiah is also directly addressed as God; He is seated upon an everlasting throne. This psalm cannot be adapted without exegetical violence to the circumstances of Solomon, or of any other king of ancient Israel; and the New Testament interprets the picture of the Royal Epithalamium of the one true King Messiah.

THE PRAISE OF THE MESSIAH-KING

(Psa. 45:1-2.)

I. The reasons why He is praised.

1. Because of the beauty of His character. Thou art fairer than the children of men. The Hebrew word translated, Thou art fairer, is a very unusual expression. This word, , according to Fuerst, is the 2d person masculine of =to be very beautifully formed, with (more than) Pa. Psa. 45:3 (2 A. V.) The irregularity of this reduplicated form merely consists in this, that it stands for , the second Yod not being the first radical repeated, but arising out of the third (); and being put by the punctuators after the analogy of Kal. Hengstenberg gives the force of the word as, Thou art beautifulness, for, Thou art perfectly beautiful. The beauty here, since it is described in what follows, as the ground of the Divine blessing, cannot be simply outward beauty, but only the expression and image of spiritual perfection. The beauty of Christs character when studied as it is presented to us by the four evangelists is an exhaustless theme. We can only indicate certain points and leave them. Consider

(1) His righteousness as attested by unbelievers. When He demanded of His enemies, Which of you convinceth me of sin? they were speechless. Pilate said, I find no fault in this man. The Roman centurion said, Certainly this was a righteous man.

(2) His association with sinners without contracting the slightest impurity.

(3) His treatment of personal enemies. He prayed for those who crucified Him, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

(4) His everburning hatred of tin, and His quenchless love for sinners.

(5) His unreserved and hearty devotion to the Supreme Will.

(6) His Divine self-sacrifice. We can only mention these points out of many others. But, if the reader desires to see the singular and superhuman beauty of Christs character most thoughtfully and eloquently set forth, we refer him to the chapter on The Character of Jesus forbids His possible Classification with Men, in Nature and the Supernatural, by H. Bushnell, D.D. Read the chapter, and with deeper conviction and intenser fervour, you will exclaim, Thou art fairer than the children of men!

2. Because of the excellency of His speech. Grace is poured into thy lips. The grace which is here specially ascribed to the lips is manifestly but a reflection of the loveliness of the speech which streams from the lips. See this when he was a child talking with the doctors in the temple: All that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. And afterwards, when He taught in the synagogue, the people were astonished and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom? When certain officers had been sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to seize Him, they returned saying, Never man spake like this man. When He spake in the synagogue at Nazareth, all bare Him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. Recall His words to the penitent, to the doubting, to the anxious, to the bereaved, &c. Think of His words concerning the Father, &c. Truly, Grace is poured into Thy lips.

3. Because of His constant enjoyment of the Divine favour. Therefore, God hath blessed Thee for ever. Mysterious is the union between the Father and the Son. But we know it affords unspeakable delight to the Father. Mine elect in whom My soul delighteth. My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Here, then, are the highest reasons for praising the Messiah-King.

II. The manner in which He is praised.

1. Heartily. My heart is inditing a good matter. Margin: My heart boileth, or bubbleth up. Hengstenberg: My heart boils with good words. He speaks not the coolly calculated praise of the intellect, nor is he about to produce some beautiful work of poetic art merely, but to utter the irrepressible emotions of admiration and love. His heart is about to relieve itself in praise. Hearty praise is the only praise which God accepts.

2. Readily. My tongue is as the pen of a ready writer. The heart of the poet is so filled with his theme that he has no need to seek for words; but they flow in upon him of themselves and flow out again. In the case of the Psalmist, a full heart made a fluent tongue.

III. The excellence of this praise. A good matter. It is good

1. Because of the excellence of the person praised. It is fitting and right that goodness should be reverenced, that beauty should be admired, &c He is the chiefest among ten thousand, yea, He is altogether lovely.

2. Because of the reflex influence of the exercise upon the person offering praise. By sincerely praising God we become like Him in those features for which we praise Him. The exercise is transforming. As we dwell with devout admiration on His beauty we ourselves become beautiful. The praise of the supremely good is an important condition of the true development of our nature, and one of the chief elements of human joy. In heaven the praise is ceaseless.

THE MESSIAH AS A MAJESTIC CONQUEROR

(Psa. 45:3-5.)

The Messiah is here represented as a Hero going forth to battle. He whose character is so beautiful, whose words are so gracious, is also a man of war. The royal bridegroom, says Matthew Henry, is a man of war, and His nuptials do not excuse Him from the field of battle; nay, they bring Him to the field of battle, for He is to rescue His spouse by dint of sword out of her captivity, to conquer her, and to conquer for her, and then to marry her. It is important to bear in mind that the imperatives have prophetic import. The Psalmist calls upon the king to do that, which He shall surely perform.

I. The enterprise which He has undertaken. He is here represented as going forth to subdue His enemies in the world. Here are two points

1. Christ has enemies in the world. The carnal mind is enmity against God. The unrenewed man in his heart and by his deeds, if not in words, says, We will not have this man to reign over us.

2. Christ is engaged in the conquest of His enemies in the world. He conquers them by converting them into His friends. He destroys rebels by making them His loyal subjects. His great work is the conversion and salvation of souls.

II. The manner in which He goes forth to this enterprise. Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Hero, with Thy glory and Thy majesty. The sword of the Hero is the Word of God. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. The Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, &c. By the promises of that Word, and the grace contained in those promises, souls are made willing to submit to Jesus Christ and become His loyal subjects; by the threatenings of that Word, and the judgments executed according to them, those that stand out against Christ will in due time be brought down and ruined. (Comp. Rev. 19:15.) The Hero goes forth also in His glory and majesty. He has a threefold glory. His glory, as God, consists in a display of the infinite perfections and excellencies of His nature. This glory He possessed with the Father before the world was. His glory, as man, consists in the perfect holiness of His heart and life. His glory, as God and man united in one Person, the Mediator, consists in His perfect fitness to perform all those works which the office of Mediator requires of Him. This is the glory in which Christ appears, when He goes forth to subdue sinners to Himself; and this, therefore, is the glory which is meant in our text. He possesses everything which is necessary, either to satisfy the justice and honour of God, or to excite and justify the utmost love, admiration, and confidence of man. He wished Him also to appear in His majesty. The difference between majesty and glory consists in this: Glory is something which belongs to either the person or the character of a being; but majesty is more properly an attribute of office, especially of the regal office. This office Christ sustains. He is exalted to be a Prince as well as a Saviour; He is King of kings and Lord of lords; and it is principally in His character of a king, that He subdues His enemies, and dispenses pardon. The Psalmist, therefore, wished Him to appear in this character, arrayed in all His awful majesty, that while His glory excited admiration, and delight, and love, His majesty might produce reverential awe, and lead sinners to submission and obedience.Payson.

III. The Reasons for which He goes forth to this enterprise. Because of truth and meekness and righteousness. Truth as opposed to all lying or fraud; meekness as opposed to pride and arrogance; and righteousness as opposed to all injustice. The King rides forth to war in the cause of the truthful, the meek, and the righteous. He wages relentless war against falsehood, violence, and injustice. His kingdom is founded and extended neither by deceit, nor arrogance, nor mere irresistible force. His reign is the reign of truth, gentleness, and equity.

IV. The success which He achieves in this enterprise. The Messiah is represented as riding prosperously on in His career. He advances successfully, victoriously. Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies; whereby the people fall under Thee. With His right hand the Hero achieves deeds which strike the world with amazement and fear. On Psa. 45:5 Barnes says: Literally, Thine arrows are sharpthe people under Thee shall fallin the heart of the enemies of the King. The process of thought in the verse seems to be this: First, The arrows are seen as sharp or penetrating. Second, The people are seen falling as those arrows are shot forth. Third, It is seen that those who fall are the enemies of the King, and that the arrows have pierced the heart. The reference here is to the truth, and to the power of that truth in penetrating the hearts of men. The arrows pierce some hearts with conviction, and conversion follows. But the incorrigibly impenitent will be pierced with the sharp arrows of His wrath.

CONCLUSION.The ultimate success of the Messiahs enterprise is certain.

1. The nature of His government secures it. Truth is stronger than error; love than hatred; righteousness than injustice, &c.

2. The march of events shows it. Christs ideas, principles, &c., are conquering the world.

3. God guarantees it. I shall give Thee the heathen for thine inheritance, &c. He must reign until He hath put all enemies under His feet. Are we with Him or against Him? Sinners, will you bow to the sceptre of His grace, or resist Him until you are smitten down by his terrible right hand? Choose ye.

THE MESSIAHS REIGN AND JOY

(Psa. 45:6-9.)

We pass from the contemplation of the Messiah as a Hero to regard Him as a King. Psa. 45:6-7 are quoted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews in proof of the fact that the Christ is exalted by God above the angels. He certainly regards the words in the Psalm as applying originally to Christ. So that we have excellent authority for regarding the Psalm as Messianic.

I. The reign of the Messiah. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, &c. The Psalmist here announces

1. The righteousness of His reign. The sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre. A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom (Heb. 1:8). Hengstenberg: A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of Thy kingdom. The laws and administration of the Messiahs empire are just.

(1) His rule over man as an individual is right. All His requirements are in harmony with and tend to promote our wellbeing. In keeping His commandments there is great reward.

(2) His rule over man in his social relations is right. What could be more equitable or more wise than the great rule laid down by our Lord for the regulation of our conduct towards each other, All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets?

(3) His rule over man in his relations to God is right. He requires us to obey, reverence, and love God. Is it not reasonable and equitable that the most excellent and gracious Being should be loved; that the most holy and glorious Being should be reverenced; that our Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign should be obeyed? The law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. His reign is not only equitable, but benevolent. Moreover, the Psalmist represents the righteous administration of the Messiahs kingdom as proceeding from His own habitual righteousness and love thereunto. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity.

2. The perpetuity of His reign. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. The righteousness of His dominion and its perpetuity are closely related to each other. It is eternal because it is equitable. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. Earthly monarchs have to yield up crown and sceptre at the bidding of death; but the Messiah-King ever lives. Earthly dynasties pass away; but His empire is ever increasing, and shall for ever endure.

II. The joy of the Messiah. Therefore, O God, Thy God hath anointed Thee, &c.

1. His joy, which is here expressed by the anointing of the Father. Alford says: We must distinguish this anointing from the . of Act. 10:38, and the of Isa. 61:1 For it is a consequent upon the righteous course of the Son of God in His humanity, and therefore belongs to His triumph, in which He is exalted above His . Again, the oil of gladness seems rather to point to a festive and triumphant than to an inaugurative unction. We should therefore rather take the allusion to be, as in Psa. 23:5; Psa. 92:10, to the custom of anointing guests at feasts; so that as the King in the Psalm is anointed with the oil of rejoicing above His fellows, because of His having loved righteousness and hated iniquity, so Christ in the jubilant celebration of His finished course at His exaltation in heaven is anointed with the festive oil, Oil of rejoicing (oil indicative of joy, as it is of superabundance: cf. Isa. 61:3) beyond thy fellows (i.e., in the Psalm, other kings) We must, I think, take (Heb. 1:9) as representing other heavenly beings, partakers in the same glorious and sin less state with Himself, though not in the strict sense His fellows. Thus only can the figure of anointing at a triumphant festival be carried out consistentlythat triumph having taken place on the exaltation of the Redeemer to the Fathers right hand and throne when the whole of the heavenly company, His in glory and joy, being anointed with the oil of gladness, His share and dignity was so much greater than theirs.

2. His joy, in His bridethe Church Upon Thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. The Church is here and elsewhere in Scripture represented as the Bride of Christ. Concerning the Church, two things are here indicated by the Psalmist.

(1) Her honourable position, upon Thy right hand. The place on the right hand is the place of honour. In the affections of the Messiah the Church has the place which the bride has in the affections of her husband. Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, &c. (Eph. 5:25-27).

(2) Her glorious dress. The queen in gold of Ophir. The gold of Ophir was proverbial for its fineness. The dress of the Church consists of the graces of character exemplified by her members. These are marked by two prominent features. Purity. Christians are arrayed in fine linen clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousnesss of saints. Preciousness. We owe our redemption and all our graces to the precious blood of Christ. More precious than gold of Ophir are the virtues and graces of a Christ-like soul.

3. His joy in the handmaids of Himself and His bride. Whereby they have made Thee glad. Kings daughters are among Thy honourable women. The King was made glad by the distinguished persons who attended upon Him and His consort. The numbering of kings daughters among His honourable women, or maids of honour, intimates that the kings whose daughters they were, should be tributaries to Him, and dependents on Him, and would therefore think it a preferment to their daughters to attend Him. May we not discover here a prophecy that everything which is distinguished, exalted, and beautiful shall become a handmaid to the religion of Christ? Science shall bring her discoveries and lay them at the feet of Jesus, to be used for the promotion of His cause. Architecture shall put forth her noblest efforts in His service. And poetry and music, painting and sculpture, shall consecrate themselves to Him. To a great extent this is already true. One day it shall be completely and universally true.

4. The greatness and diffusiveness of His joy. All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces. Palaces whose chambers were adorned and probably inlaid with ivory seem to have been common amongst princes and wealthy men. Comp. 1Ki. 22:39; Son. 7:4; Amo. 3:15; Amo. 6:4. From such palaces, the maids of honour and the consort are represented as coming, to the great joy of the King. The garments smelling of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, seem to us to refer to the anointing, which was so generous that His garments were impregnated with the odours and diffused the choice perfumes around.

CONCLUSION.We have two most inspiring facts

1. The Messiah reigneth, reigneth in righteousness, and shall reign for ever.

2. The Messiah rejoiceth, in the Fathers delight in Him, in the Church which He loves, and in the distinguished handmaids who wait upon His cause. One day His joy will be complete. He shall be satisfied. Be it ours, however feebly, to the utmost of our powers to extend His reign and enhance His joy.

THE CHURCH AND HER LORD

(Psa. 45:10-17.)

In these verses we have

I. Exhortation to the Church. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear, &c. (Psa. 45:10-11). This is the language of the Psalmist addressed to the Church, and the Bride of the Messiah. She is exhorted

1. To devote herself unreservedly to Him. Forget thine own people and thy fathers house. The idea here is that which we find so often enforced in the New Testament, that they who become the followers of the Saviour must be willing to forsake all for Him, and to identify themselves with Him and His cause. The strongest earthly ties are to be made subservient to a higher and stronger tie, if we would become true followers of the Saviour.Barnes. He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Christ requires our supreme affection.

2. To reverence Him. He is thy Lord, and worship thou Him. Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. Let the wife see that she reverence her husband. Christ is the Head of the Church. The Church is subject unto Christ. The Church must pay Divine honours to her Lord; must submit to His authority, and worship Him as God.

II. Encouragement to the Church. The Church is encouraged by the Psalmist to expect, if she thus reverences and devotes herself to her Lord, that

1. The King shall delight in her. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty. The more we renounce all sinful and selfish inclinations, that we may please the Lord Christ, the more acceptable shall we be found in His sight. And not simply acceptable, but pleasureable. The Lord taketh pleasure in His people. By supreme devotion to Him we may gratify the heart of Christ,give Him joy.

2. Distinguished peoples shall honour her. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. In the time of the Psalmist, Tyre was probably the most wealthy and luxurious commercial town then existing; and it is referred to here as meaning that persons of highest rank, and of the greatest riches, and those who were surrounded most by affluence and luxury, would honour the Church when faithful to her Lord. Hengstenberg translates: So will the daughter Tyre implore thee with gifts, the rich among the people. He says: The object of the earnest entreaty is reception into the community of the people of God (comp. Isa. 44:5; Psa. 47:9). Only when the Church of God really occupies the position of the Church of God, can prayer be directed to her for reception into her society. The Church exercises a drawing power toward those that are without, in exact proportion to her own internal connection with the Lord. Her surrender to the Lord forms the ground of the heathens surrender to her. When the Church is thoroughly devoted to her Lord, the world will honour her by seeking union with her. A devoted Church would speedily result in a converted world.

III. The glory of the Church. The Kings daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is of wrought gold. The within is to be understood in a local sense. The bride was glorious within her fathers palace. The Church of Christ is glorious when fully consecrated to Him. The glory of holiness adorns her splendidly as a garment of fine gold. Christ has given her His own glory. The glory which Thou gavest me I have given them. The beauty of the Lord our God is upon her. The glory of the Church is in her faith, hope, love, patience, righteousness, holy zeal, &c. As these are expressed in her life, she honours God and is honoured by man.

IV. The marriage celebration of the Church. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework, &c. (Psa. 45:14-15). The figure is that of an Oriental marriage. These verses speak of the procession of the bride from the house of her father to that of her husband. The figure probably points to the reception of the redeemed Church into heaven to be for ever with the Lord. This reception is spoken of in Rev. 19:7-8. Concerning this celebration, the poet brings into view two features

1. Its splendour. The glory of the bride, her clothing of wrought gold, her raiment of needlework, and her bridesmaids are all indicative of this. Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

2. Its joyousness. With gladness and rejoicing, &c. Great will be the joy when the redeemed are received into the full glories of heaven. How great the joy of the bride! of the Bridegroom! of the angels! of the Eternal Father!

V. The assurances given to the Lord of the Church. Instead of Thy fathers shall be Thy children, &c. (Psa. 45:16-17). The Messiah-King is here assured of

1. A numerous offspring. The 16th verse rests upon the custom of wishing to the married pair a numerous and mighty offspring (comp. Gen. 24:60; Rth. 4:11-12). Christ shall bring many sons unto glory. Many shall come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. Lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, &c.

2. A distinguished offspring. Whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth. The image here is derived, undoubtedly, from the custom prevailing among kings of assigning portions of an empire as provinces to their sons (comp. 2Sa. 8:18; 2Ch. 11:23). All who become subjects of the Messiah are invested with sovereign authority. They are made kings and priests unto God and His Father.

3. Perpetual praise. I will make Thy name to be remembered in all generations; therefore shall the people praise Thee for ever and ever. God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, &c. The praise of the Messiah-King will be eternal, and ever-increasing in fervour and depth and fulness.

CONCLUSION.What is thy relation to this glorious Being? Trust Him, love Him, loyally serve Him, and great and endless will be thy blessedness.

RELIGIOUS WORSHIP

(Psa. 45:11.)

For He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him.
In the institution of worship we have the encouraging declaration that God may be sought, that God may be found.
Consider the nature, the reason, and the importance of religious worship.

I. Its nature.

1. Its internal principles. There must be reverence; not, indeed, terror, but sacred awe. And as we are sinful creatures, there must be that deep humiliation which implies self-displacence and abhorrence. The very thought of God, the recollection that we are in His immediate presence, will prostrate and humble us, if we worship Him aright. Another principle of worship for fallen man must be trust in atonement. Whatsoever things we ask in prayer must be in the name of Christ, believing in Him. There must be submission. For a rebel to worship is only mockery. Another principle is love. Gratitude for past mercies, supreme affection, delight in Divine goodness, &c.

2. Its external manifestations. And here we have Acts. As prayer,thanksgiving,commemoration, &c. Places. The closet,the family,the church,the great assembly.

II. The ground and reason of worship. For He is thy Lord.

1. This declares to us the Divine greatness; for the Lord of the Church is Lord of all; and, if so, the highest views are presented of His grandeur and glory. Sum up all the particulars of creature-glory; collect it into one mass; it is all from Him; and He who could impart so much, has yet more in Himself. If worship implies reverence and sacred awe, surely this is He to whom worship belongs.

2. As He is our Lord, He stands to us in the relation of an absolute dominion. We ourselves, our family, our country, our world, are all under His sway. Our life is given, supported, terminated by Him. If worship implies prayer, we see the reason for it in His boundless dominion, His absolute lordship.

3. He is our Lord legislatively. As He is holy and good, His will must refer to a holy and felicitous course of action. And in proportion to the wisdom, holiness, and goodness of this, must He be bound, by the perfection of His own character, to guard His law, the expression of His will, from violation. This He has done. The law is sanctioned by the penalty of eternal death. Now we have sinned against Him, and thus, do we stand in relation to His law and Himself, as guilty and condemned sinners. If, then, we have offended our sovereign Lord; and if worship implies penitence and confession, here is another reason why we should worship.

4. But to the Church may it be specially said, He is thy Lord. The true Church is a society arising from the fact of actual reconciliation to God by Christ Jesus. To this He stands in the special relation of a gracious Sovereign. And here we find another ground of the worship of the Church. There is praise to Him for His goodness,trust in His everlasting mercy,the thankful recognition of all His mighty and marvellous interpositions, &c.

III. The importance of worship.

1. Wherever there is true worship, there the great fundamental truths of religion are proclaimed before the world. The true God is proclaimed. Faith tells of the altar of the perfect Sacrifice, and the smoke of His atonement fills her courts. Her services proclaim Christ to be the true God, and eternal life, &c.

2. True Christian worship secures the constant publication of the Word of God. Does any one neglect that Word at home? It is here sounded in his ears. Or does he read without understanding it? It is here explained and enforced, &c.

3. In the public assemblies of the Church, there is the special presence of God. I have seen Thee, says Lord Bacon, in Thy works, and sought Thee in Thy providences, but I have found Thee in Thy temples. Wherever two or three meet together in the name of Christ He is present with them.

4. Public worship both presents to us the most perfect type of heaven on earth and furnishes an efficient preparation for it.

CONCLUSION.

1. Let us feel it our duty to uphold His worship.

2. Let us know and feel the evil of a careless, formal service. God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

3. Let us be ourselves increasingly spiritual in worship, preserving the spirit of devotion amidst all the engagements and trials of life; so shall we never be denied the blessed privilege of access to the throne of the heavenly grace; and in the manifested love of God, we shall enjoy a heaven upon earth.Richard Watson. Abridged.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Psalms 45

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE

A Royal Marriage.

ANALYSIS

Stanza I., vet. 1, The Psalmist bespeaks Attention to his Poem. Stanza II., Psa. 45:2, The Kings Surpassing. Beauty and Gracious Discourse bring down upon him an Abiding Divine Blessing. Stanza III., Psa. 45:3-7, The King is Suddenly Summoned to War; his Throne, Sceptre, Character and Anointing. Stanza IV., Psa. 45:8-9, Ready for the Marriage Ceremony. Stanza V., Psa. 45:10-12, Address to the Bride, Stanza VI., Psa. 45:13-15, The Queen and her Attendants brought into the Kings Palace. Stanza VII., Psa. 45:16-17, Final Words to the Queen and to the King.

(Lm.) An Instructive Psalma Song of Love.

1

Astir is my heart with a theme that is good,

Recite I my poem concerning a king:
My tongue be the pen of a scribe that is skilled!

2

Beautiful beautiful![479] thou art, beyond the sons of men!

[479] The same word as that used of the Queen in Psa. 45:11, but here reduplicated.

a gracious charm hath been set on thy lips;[480]

[480] Graciousness is shed over thy lipsDr, Over his lips there is poured, viz., from above, hen, charm or graciousness, inasmuch, as even without his having to speak, the very form of his lips and every one of their motions awaken love and trust; but it is self-evident that from such lips, full of charis (grace), there must also proceed logoi tees charitos (words of grace), Luk. 4:22, Ecc. 10:12Del.

Therefore hath God blessed thee to the ages,

3

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O hero!

in thy majesty and thy state:

4

Tread the bow[481] succeed ride on!

[481] So, following the Sep.

for the sake of truth and the humiliation of righteousness,[482]

[482] Or: righteousness with humilitynearly with Del. Or: the afflicting of righteousnessBr.

And thy right hand will teach thee fearful things.

5

Thine arrows are sharppeoples under thee fall:[483]

[483] The poet has the field of battle present to him as if he were an eye-witnessDel.

in the heart of the foes of the king.

6

Thy throne O God is to the ages and beyond,

A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom;

7

Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness:

Therefore hath God thy God[484] anointed thee

[484] Doubtless for an original Jehovah thy GodSo Del.

with the oil of gladness above thy partners.

8

Myrrh and aloescassiasare all thy garments,

out of the palaces of ivory tones of strings have delighted thee.

9

Kings daughters are among thy female servants,[485]

[485] So the majority of MSS. which Ginsburg had consultedG. Intro. 268.

stationed[486] is the queen at thy right hand in gold of Ophir.

[486] In Sep. parastao, as in Eph. 5:27. See Exposition.

10

Hearken O daughter and see, and bow down thine ear,

and forget thine own people and the house of thy father;

11

And the king will long for thy beauty,

for he is thy lord![487]

[487] Thus the Sep. See Exposition.

12

Homage to him will the daughters of Tyre with gifts render,

thine own face will the rich men of the people appease.

13

All glorious! daughter of a king![488]

[488] In this exclamatory form, this clause may be a fathers fond note of comparison; as if=any kings daughter.

pearls[489] in chequer work of gold her clothing!

[489] Peninim, pearls, by some critics preferred to penimah within, which just here seems premature and disturbing.

14

On tapestry of divers colours is she conducted to the king:[490]

[490] Perowne has offered strong reasons for this rendering.

virgins in her train her companions are brought to her,

15

with gladness and exulting are they conducted to her,

brought into the kings palace to her.[491]

[491] The foregoing three lines have been conformed to Dr. Briggs restored Heb. text. The assonance of their endings has a pleasing effect.

(To the Bride.)

16

Instead of thy1 fathers be thy[492] sons!

[492] These pronouns (which are pointed as masculine in M.T.) shd. be feminine (w. Syr.)Gn.

thou wilt make them rulers in all the earth,

(To the Bridegroom,)

17

I will memorialise thy name through all succeeding generations,

Therefore peoples will thank thee to the ages and beyond.

(Lm.) To the Chief Musician.

(CMm.) For the sons of korah along with maidens.[493]

[493] Cp. Intro., Chap. II., 3.

PARAPHRASE

Psalms 45

My heart is overflowing with a beautiful thought! I will write a lovely poem to the King for I am as full of words as the speediest writer pouring out his story.

2

You are the fairest of all;

Your words are filled with grace;
God Himself is blessing You forever!

3

Arm Yourself, O Mighty One,

So glorious, so majestic!

4

And in Your majesty

Go on to Victory,

Defending truth, humility, and justice.
Go forth to awe-inspiring deeds!

5

Your arrows are sharp

In Your enemies hearts;
They fall before You.

6

Your throne, O God, endures forever.

Justice is Your royal scepter.

7

You love what is good

And hate what is wrong.
Therefore God, Your God,
Has given You more gladness
Than anyone else.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

8

Your robes are perfumed with myrrh, aloes and cassia. In your inlaid palaces of ivory, lovely music is being played for your enjoyment.

9

Kings daughters are among your concubines.[494] Standing beside you is the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir.

[494] Literally, honorable women.

10, 11

I advise you, O daughter, not to fret about your parents in your homeland far away. Your royal husband delights in your beauty. Reverence him, for he is your lord.

12

The people of Tyre, the richest people of our day, will shower you with gifts and entreat your favors.

13

The bride,[495] a princess, waits within her chamber, robed in beautiful clothing woven with gold.

[495] Literally, The kings daughter.

14

Lovely[496] she is, led beside her maids of honor to the king!

[496] Literally, embroidered work.

15

What a joyful, glad procession as they enter in the palace gates!

16

Your sons will some day be kings like their father. They shall sit on thrones around the world!

17

I will cause your name to be honored in all generations; the nations of the earth will praise you forever.

EXPOSITION

Two things at the outset may be taken for granted: first, that the ultimate Hero of this psalm is the Messiah; and, second, that if we can find a Type of the Messiah in fair measure answering to the terms of the psalm, it will be a gain to allow that type to speak to us of the Antitypeas far as it may: this limitation being intended to remind us of the caution thrown out in dealing with Psalms 2, to the effect that we must not assume that the Spirit of Prophecy may not leave the type behind, and reach forth to greater things than any shadow can express. Adequately to fill up the terms of the psalm must be our governing aim: using the type as a help, and not becoming enslaved to it.

In the present instance the type and the writer are associated in a remarkable way. Dr. Thirtle has suggested (O.T.P., 49f, 318) that Hezekiah is the type; and instantly our deepest interest is excited. By all means Hezekiah, provided that the requirements of the psalm are thereby fairly met: much rather Hezekiah than Solomon, Joram, Jehu, or any of the rest whose names have been mentioned as probable; for, of these, we either know too little to feel drawn to them, or else what we do know renders them decidedly unacceptable for the honour of adumbrating the Messiah in a psalm of such pure and lofty idealism as this. Hezekiah, by all means: subject to necessary conditions. The one objection to his name, probably will turn out to be a commendation. We know that Hezekiah married a wife named Hephzibah, and Jewish tradition has it, that she was daughter to Isaiah the prophet. Hezekiahs trusty friend. Delightful, indeed, to think of the good King Hejekiah as marrying Isaiahs daughter. But then the psalm, it is thought, indicates that the Bride, in this marriage, is of Gentile descent. Nor can it be denied that to such a bride the advice would be peculiarly appropriate. Forget thine own people, and the house of thy father. Still, this indication alone can scarcely be said to be decisive; since people may mean, less widely, tribe, clan, or general circle of relatives; as to which it may be said that, not being of the royal family, the spirit of the advice would still be appropriate. Moreover, this measure of inferiority in the type may be regarded as sufficient to hint at a larger measure of inferiority in the Antitype: the non-royal element in the ancestry of Hezekiahs bride being regarded as enough to suggest the non-Israelitish strain in the Bride of the Messiah. Leaving these suggestions for the consideration of the thoughtful, it may be frankly admitted that the name of Hezekiah has an undeniable fascinationif for this reason only: The Jewish tradition that the Hephzibah who became Hezekiahs wife was Isaiahs daughter, naturally raises the question whether Isaiah himself was not the author of this psalm. Who so likely as he, to have been delighted with the restored monarchs beauty? Who so likely, to have admitted by implication, that the Queens beauty was less striking than the Kings? Who so likely and so fitting to have addressed the Bride in the fatherly terms with which the writer of the psalm is credited: Hearken, O daughter? And, finally, if some commentators have concluded that Isaiah wrote the psalms immediately succeeding this, why may he not have written this also, when for this task he presumably had such a mighty impulse and such supreme qualifications? Isaiahs genius as a poet was transcendent; but is not this magnificent epithalamium worthy of it? And, to go for a moment deeper than to poetic genius, from whose pen could so appropriately have come the surprising words of the psalm, Thy throne, O God, as from his who declared that the Messiahs name should be called El gibborGod hero? (Isa. 9:6; Isa. 10:21).

It is easy to admit that Hezekiah does not completely fill up the terms of the psalm: who, as type does? But this at least may be maintained: That, on the whole, Hezekiah goes further than Solomon, and much further than Jehoram, Jehu, or any of the rest, to fill the outline required. Suffice it, that there is nothing incongruous in the type, as such, so long as we think of the good king, Hezekiah.

That every possible type comes short of fully answering to the large terms of the psalms,that, no matter who may be fixed on as probable, it must finally be allowed that he falls behind the description in almost every particular,THIS is the contention herewith most earnestly made, and for the consistent maintenance of which the preliminary caution was submitted, against being bound down by types When interpreting the prophetic word. Allowance must ever be made for the possible bearing away of the prophet under the mighty afflatus of the Divine Spirit of wisdom and knowledge. In interpreting the Holy Scriptures, we have to reckon, not only upon their sight of things present, but also upon their foresight (Gal. 3:8) of things to come; and, therefore, if we are to expound them congenially, we must be prepared to see with their eyes. If it be said, that if God is at all to speak to man, then we must presuppose his condescension to the employment of human speech, with its limitations,it may be said in reply: Granted; and yet the impress of a new genius and a new spirit on the old forms may at any time appear; and though types may be accepted as a species of Divine-human alphabet, to which we must needs submit our minds, and which we have no right to suppose that the Spirit of Prophecy will discard or wholly transcend, yet may we venture to challenge any mans claim to confine to a single type the reachings forth of that Spirit towards the Antitype. For anything we know to the contrary, there may yet lie in the future an August Union in consummation of the tenderness and purity of Divine Love, which it may tax all the purest Royal Marriages in Israel only faintly to foreshadow. Still, we are glad of the types: without them we could not hope to spell out the revealed mind of God. In the present instance, for the forth-shadowing of royal magnificence, we might prefer Solomon; for proved skill as an archer, we might prefer Jehu; for the yet higher qualities of faith and suffering noblenessyea and possibly of deferred marital blessednesswe might greatly prefer Hezekiah: all we protest against is a crude and over-stringent typology. Let our Divine Father speak to us as he pleases.

But what, precisely, have we here, in the psalm now before us? Let us make sure of our facts, as far as we can.
First and foremost (Stanza I.) we have a poet deeply moved by his theme; and if he knows that his mind has ever travailed in birth with grand and godly conceptions almost too big for utterance, he is conscious that it is so now.
Next (Stanza II.) we have an observable inversion of the usual delicacy of male preference for female beauty: here it is the Kings surpassing beauty which throws its radiance over all the canvas; the queens beauty being only incidentally alluded to later on. Either the poet is a sycophant; or he has before him a King most wonderful. Nor is it beauty of form and feature alone which attracts his admiration. To beauty of appearance is added the worthy concomitant consisting in graciousness of discourse: charming the ear and delighting the mind at the same time that the eye rests upon the pleasing vision of his person. That is all: no more is said for the present. These two things, the poet feels, must please God as well as man. Therefore hath God blessed thee to the ages. The first and most natural sense of the word therefore is, that these qualities satisfy God and evoke his abiding benediction. Such a king he will delight to bless for so long a time that the poet cannot see beyond it. Short is this stanza, but it is complete; and the refrain marks that it is so.

A surprise now awaits us (Stanza III.) in the sudden summons of the beautiful and eloquent king to make ready for war. Had the poet merely clad his hero with armour, and bade him ride in his chariot for display and for impressive suggestion of what on occasion he might be trusted to achieve,we could have admired the poets art, and been ready to pass on to the next scene. But it is far otherwise. An occasion for war has arisen. The king has to vindicate his faithfulness to the implied obligations of his kingship. Righteousness has been humiliated within his domain, and for this cause he is summoned to interpose. An enemy has arisen on whom avengement must be inflicted, involving fearful punishment. No plan of campaign can be assigned the avenging monarch: his own skilled right hand will teach him what to do, first and last. No companion warriors are named, yet the kings arrows are sharp and their execution is so widespread that peoples fall under them; and the overthrow of the kings foes is so sudden that the description is broken, that the reader may behold it. As intimated, not only is the issue of the battle seemingly immediate; but the summons to wage this war is inferentially unexpected. So, at least, the poets art suggests; since, to permit of this royal campaign, the royal marriage is postponed. This may, in exegesis, mean little; but it may mean much, and the poets skill will be best vindicated should it appear to have been carefully designed. The foreseen issue of this war furnishes the poet with an occasion to speak the praises of the Warriors throne, sceptre, and character; and then to crown this view of the King with another logical refrain, longer and larger than the first. His throne is an abiding throne, says the poet; and he takes pains to negative the thought of its overthrow or removal or disuse, by adding a word to his time reference: to the ages and beyond shall that throne stand! It may be naturally inferred, that it is the Kings promptitude and prowess in making the war for the vindication of downtrodden righteousness, already noticed, which occasion the poets reflection on the stability of his throne. And the same may be said of the notice of his scepture. But this is now distinctly traced to the Kings character: He loveth righteousness and hateth lawlessnessthe which, indeed, is thrown into the form of direct address, and stated in the complete tense which is fitted to comprehend an abiding quality with its recent manifestation. Thereforebecause of this, the triumphant hero is anointed with the oil of gladness above his partners. It is a Divine anointing: Jehovah his God has bestowed it. It is a festive gift: causing joy to its recipient. This joy is superlative in degree: above thy partnerswhoever these may be, which is not yet declared. Placed where this anointing is: after the warbefore the marriage: it looks in both directions. The Hero is made supremely glad, inasmuch as he has been able to deal so decisive a blow to lawlessness: being so made glad, he is ready for his Bride.

The marriage approaches (Stanza IV.). Again the King most wonderful comes into view, not now clad in armour, but with flowing robes redolent of sweetest spices, as though woven of nothing else. In the near distance music is heard: reminding him of the happy occasion, in response to which his heart leaps for joy, Kings daughters are proud to serve as menials in his household. And now the Queen, his Bride, is stationed at his right hand, place of highest honour; clad in gold-decked raiment. The poet recites these facts in language addressed to the King: thy garmentsdelighted theethy servantsthy right hand. This prepares us for a marked change of address, which is thereby rendered impressive.

For hearken! the venerable poet (Stanza V.), who may be regarded as at once giving away the Bride and solemnising the nuptials, presumes to address the Queen. His address is familiar, for he calls the Bride daughter; but his words are few, and much to the pointif the Lady whom he accosts has either been brought from a foreign land or promoted from a lowly station: one caution, one inference, one sanction. One caution: let the Bride be supremely devoted to her husband, comparatively forgetting all else. One inference: thus will the king long, for thy beauty. One sanction: he is thy lordhe owns thee, thou art his, he will be within his rights. No more. That short line from the Septuagint is splendidly eloquent in its stern reticence. Nothing can be added without spoiling it. How the harpist would deal with so short a line, is a minor question: we recall several such short lines, left short for emphasis (Psa. 1:1; Psa. 1:4, Psa. 8:1; Psa. 8:9, Psa. 150:6); or the musician by a simple repeat could expand this line into a tetrameter, a measure which is characteristic of this psalm. Let the bowing down in homage be reverently (with the Septuagint) handed on for the daughters of Tyre, and so help to form a well-balanced line to match the respectful suit for the Queens favour pressed by the rich men of the honoured nation to whom the King is related.

After this address to the Queen, it is at least poetically correct to conceive of all eyes as now (Stanza VI.) directed to her, and to have her resplendent appearance made the subject of admiring exclamations. Ere the King finally disappears in his palace, and the Queen is conducted to him, and her companions follow in her train, appropriate good wishes are by the poet addressed to them both (Stanza VII.): first, as Dr. Ginsburg has pointed out, to the Queen; to whom is assigned the privilege, in the event of the fulfillment of the good wishes, of furnishing rulers for all the land, or as better suiting the wide outlook of the psalm, all the earth, a wish not more notable for its delicacy than for its boldness; and then, finally, the address passes over to the Kinggood wishes for whom take the form of a positive intention, as the avowed motive on the poets part. It might have passed as an obvious and natural compliment, to have merely said, that he, the poet, hoped to memorialise his heros name to all succeeding generations: but, when he gees on to foretell that the thanks of all coming time will, by virtue of this marriage-song, be tendered to his hero by peoples or nations, then we feel that the poet is either guilty of extravagance or is assuming the role of a prophet. Only by assuming that he is a prophet, and that the Messiah is his ultimate theme, can be acquit him of such suspicion. Shall we lower our estimate of holy men of God, or shall we elevate our conceptions of their message? This question brings us to the crux of the interpretation of this psalm.

The foregoing survey of the actual contents of the psalm will have served its purpose, if it should now be deemed needless to urge with any prolonged tenacity any question concerning the Types: it is time that all our interest should converge on the Antitype. No mere type can stay the psalm from collapsing on our hands. It is a good start, in quest of the Antitype, to find Jewish expositors frankly admitting that Messiah himself is THE hero of the psalm (The Targum paraphrasing Psa. 45:2 thus: Thy beauty, O King Messiah, exceeds that of the children of men; a spirit of prophecy is bestowed on thy lips)Kp.; but it is a sorry finish, to find any of them protesting, that no other Messiah than Hezekiah need be looked for by their nation (Rabbi Hillel saying, Israel shall have no more Messiah: for they have had him in the days of HezekiahTalmud, quoted by Thirtle, O.T.P., 277). In truth, the key to the psalm is in the Christian Expositors hands; and it is merely a question of degree, how far his use of the key can be pronounced satisfactory. All Christians are agreed in finding in Jesus of Nazareth the King most beautiful, most wonderful, of whom this psalm speaks. He is, indeed, most beautiful in their eyes: they admire and love him with a passionate devotion which has led myriads of them to die for his sake. So far the solution is perfect. But Christian Expositors have been driven against two rocks which have well-nigh shattered their exegesis. In the first place, they have wrongfully applied the war-picture, which delays the marriage, to the gracious deliveryby their Kings heralds to the nations of the wooing message of his love, which they rightly call their gospel. Had they restricted this feature of their exegesis to the apostolic prediction of their Messiahs personal onslaught on The Lawless One by direct interposition from heaven (2 Thessalonians 2), and resolutely thrown forward the alleged fulfillment of that prediction into the future when that Wicked One shall incontestably have appeared, this rock would have been avoided, and we should have been spared the humiliation of being chargeable with such a gross misapplication of terms as that which confounds the Messiahs sudden overthrow of his enemies on a fearfully vast scale, with the gently elective process by which he wins individual friends and disciples from among the nations. The second rock on which Christian exegesis has been well-nigh wrecked, is the double error of failing to regard the Church, considered as Messiahs Bride, in the light of an absolutely spiritual incorporation, to be rendered spotless before being presented beside her Lord; and concomitantly with that, failing to regard the Marriage of the Lamb as a future consummation, consisting of the blessed union with its Head, in immortal glory, of the Corporate Body, the completed Ecclesia. This rock also escaped, there is nothing to hinder the triumphant sailing of Christian Interpretation into the harbour of an invincible application of this psalm to its true prospective realisation. Kirkpatrick well says that Such poems as this . . . are ennobled and consecrated by being thus made the vehicle for lofty thoughts and the type of spiritual mysteries (Eph. 5:23 ff); but the way in which some expositors excuse themselves just where, as it might be supposed, the type ought to be regarded as profoundly significant, probably proves neither more nor less than the loss of the correct prophetic point of view from which to interpret a psalm like the present. Let all thoughts of the Messiahs Bride, as realisable in the Church, be resolutely held fast to the following most obvious and most necessary restrictionsthat by the Church, in such a connection, we mean the Church collective, and therefore no mere individual soul, the Church final, and therefore no temporary organization, and consequently the Church immortal, freed from all the desires of earth, from whose communion with her Lord is banished every thought of fellowship other than the heavenly and spiritual communion in the high interests of the kingdom of God, only let these restrictions be observed, and there need be no shrinking from the broad and bold expectation, that the consummating crisis which lies between this Dispensation and the next will be fruitful in blessedness to the nations of the earth, in providing them with rulers worthy and capable of sharing with the Messiah the honour and responsibility of reigning over all the earth in righteousness, and ruling it in justice (Isa. 32:1). Patience, dear suffering souls. Keep the word intactand wait!

Nothing now remains but to add: That the provision of an Elect Assemblyconsisting chiefly of Gentilesas the Bride of the Messiah, is indeed a Sacred Secret, unrevealed in the olden prophetic days (Eph. 3:3-7; Eph. 5:32; Col. 1:26-27); and, therefore; that had it been plainly disclosed in this psalmthe sagacity at least of the Apostle Paul, to whom we are indebted for our knowledge of it, would have been shown to be at fault. But such a thought cannot be entertained, inasmuch as a fair treatment of the psalm leaves it absolutely true that it contains nothing beyond a veiled allusion of the Queens gentilic descent, with no reference at all to her corporate character. We thank the authors of the Targum for suggesting, on Psa. 45:10, that Messiahs Bride was to be a congregation, and not an individual. But, as Christians, we cannot but be content to follow the guidance of our beloved Apostle Paul in his identification of the one pure Bride designed for the Messiah (Eph. 5:25 ff)for whom in an especial sense he gave up his life. And again we have to thank the ancient Greek Translators for providing our Apostle with a word (pareste), of which he has not failed to make good use in his triumphant note to the Ephesians (para-stese) which we have been very dull in not sooner discerning to mean this: that HE might presentwith himselfall gloriousthe ecclesia. With himself (heauto) ; for so, assuredly, should it be rendered, seeing that there it is, in the psalm, before our eyes: the King, with the Queen placed at his right hand. Dull, indeed, must we have been, if we have not before seen this, and have not found our exact Pauline parallel in Col. 3:4 :

As soon as the Christ shall be made manifestour Life!

Then ye also, together with him, shall be made manifest in glory. In view of these fruitful suggestions, we can afford to wait and see how near to mortal view the Queen will be brought, before we permit ourselves to be entangled in any small questions as to how far literal and how far figurative the language may be which describes the daughters of Tyre as bowing down in homage to our King, and the rich men of the people (of Israel) as seeking a smile on the fair face of his Queen. Enough has already been fulfilled in the King, in pursuance of this magnificent psalm, and enough has been suggested as already in preparation with regard to the Queen, to make us patiently expectant of the solving and harmonising effects of complete accomplishment. To be of any use beforehand, the general drift of prophecy should be plain; but it must be left to fulfillment to solve questions of detail. In deference to the severe beauty of holiness demanded in the Messiahs Ecclesia, we may well expect that the first exclamation, on occasion of her unveiling will beAll glorious! and that the discovery of the Divine Fatherhood of the Ecclesia will occasion a second acclaimDaughter of a King! After which it will be fitting that the Hallelujahs of heaven should burst upon the Worlds astonished ear, and that Earth should respond with a loud AMEN!

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1.

Please notice carefully the outline of this psalmwhatever understanding of this psalm we obtain, it will be based on the outlineit is progressive as well as cumulative: (1) The bridegroom. Psa. 45:1-2; (2) The battle. Psa. 45:3-5; (3) The throne. Psa. 45:6-9; (4) The bride. Psa. 45:10-14; (5) The beautiful home and rule. Psa. 45:15-17. Who is the bride and groom? Discuss.

2.

Our hearts should overflow with the beautiful thought here described. Apply this psalm to Christ, and His bride the Church. Since we are that bride, there is much to learn. Discuss.

3.

The king or groom is presented in verses one and twoHis battle and His throne are described in verses three through nine. Please apply these qualities to our Lord and make present day application.

4.

The bride of Christ or the Church could be described in verses ten through fourteen. Please make two or three comparisons for our learning and application.

5.

There are several hymns that discuss the beauty of this psalm. Name and discuss at least two of them.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(1) Inditing.A most unhappy rendering of a word, which, though only used here, must, from the meaning of its derivative (a pot, or cauldron), have something to do with a liquid, and means either to boil over or to bubble up. The LXX. and Vulg. have apparently thought of the bursting out of a fountain: eructavit. Symmachus has, been set in motion. The spring, or fountain, is a common emblem of inspired fancy:

Ancient founts of inspiration well through all my fancy yet.

TENNYSON: Locksley Hall.

A good matter.That is, a theme worthy a poets song. Luther: A fine song.

I speak of the things which I have made touching the king.This rendering follows the LXX., Vulg., and most of the older translations. Perhaps, however, we are to understand Aquila and Symmachus as rendering my poems; and undoubtedly the true rendering is, I am speaking: my poem is of a king (not the king, as in Authorised Version).

My tongue . . .So lofty a theme, so august a subject, inspires him with thoughts that flow freely. The ready or expeditious scribe (LXX. and Vulg., A scribe writing quickly) was, as we learn from Ezr. 7:6, a recognised form of praise for a distinguished member of that body, one of whose functions was to make copies of the Law.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

1. My heart is inditing Literally, is boiling over. I am full of my subject.

A good matter A pleasant word, or discourse, equal to “a song of loves,” in the title.

Which I have made touching the king Literally, I am speaking my words to the king; that is, the king is my theme, or, I dedicate my works to him.

Ready writer A rapid scribe, an expert. Psa 45:1 is a dedicatory introduction.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The Psalmist Indicates the Joy With Which He Writes ( Psa 45:1 )

Psa 45:1

‘My heart overflows with a goodly matter;

I speak the things which I have made touching the king.

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.’

It is clear from these words that the writer was almost overwhelmed at the occasion as he considered his subject matter, the king dressed in all his finery and his jewels, the magnificence of the decorated palace, the array of queens and princesses and the glory of his queenly bride.

He recognises that he has a goodly matter to write about, and his heart overflows at the thought. He is also conscious that he will be speaking about things which he has formulated which concern his sovereign, a thought which fills him with awe. And thus his tongue flows smoothly like the pen of a capable and willing writer.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Psalms 45

Introduction – Psalms 45 clearly has a similarity to the Song of Songs as it talks about love, a wedding and even uses similar phrases. It is called “a song of loves” and is believed to be a traditional Jewish wedding song.

Psa 45:1  (To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.) My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Psa 45:1 “To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.” Comments – “To the chief Musician” The RSV reads, “To the choir master.” The LXX reads “For the end.” YLT reads “To the Overseer.” The ISBE suggests that the phrase “to the chief musician” indicated that this particular psalm was an official collection of psalms for public worship in the custody of the choir master of the temple.” [59]

[59] John Richard Sampey, “Psalms,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., c1915, 1939), in The Sword Project, v. 1.5.11 [CD-ROM] (Temple, AZ: CrossWire Bible Society, 1990-2008).

Word Study on “Shoshannim” Strong says the Hebrew word “Shoshannim” ( ) (H7799) means, “a lily (from its whiteness),” and is derived from the primitive root ( ) (H7797), which literally means, “to be bright, cheerful.” The Enhanced Strong says it has 15 uses in the Old Testament, being translated in the KJV as “lily 13, Shoshannim 2.” It is obvious transliterated from the Hebrew in Psa 45:1 and is in the plural form. The other place where this word is transliterated in the KJV is Psa 69:1. These two uses where it is transliterated are done so because it seems to refer to a musical instrument or to a familiar tune that was entitled “Lilies.”

Psa 69:1, (To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.) “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul.”

“for the sons of Korah” Origen tells us the psalms that include the title “sons of Korah” in its opening verse (42 through 49, 84, 85, 87, 88) were written by the sons of Korah, who worked together in the unity of the Spirit to produce it. He justifies this statement by quoting Psa 44:1, which says, “O God, we have heard with our ears.”

“But if it be necessary also from the ancient Scriptures to bring forward the three who made a symphony on earth, so that the Word was in the midst of them making them one, attend to the superscription of the Psalms, as for example to that of the forty-first, which is as follows: ‘Unto the end, unto understanding, for the sons of Korah.’ For though there were three sons of Korah whose names we find in the Book of Exodus, Aser, which is, by interpretation, ‘instruction,’ and the second Elkana, which is translated, ‘possession of God,’ and the third Abiasaph, which in the Greek tongue might be rendered, ‘congregation of the father,’ yet the prophecies were not divided but were both spoken and written by one spirit, and one voice, and one soul, which wrought with true harmony, and the three speak as one, ‘As the heart panteth after the springs of the water, so panteth my soul alter thee, O God.’ But also they say in the plural in the forty-fourth Psalm, ‘O God, we have heard with our ears.’” ( Origen’s Commentary on Mat 14:1) [60]

[60] Origen, Origen’s Commentary on Matthew, trans. Allan Menzies, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 9, ed. Allan Menzies (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, c1896, 1906), 495.

Word Study on “Maschil” Gesenius says the Hebrew word “Maschil” ( ) (H4905) is a participle meaning, “a didactic poem.” Strong it means, “instructive,” thus “a didactic poem,” being derived from ( ) (H7919), which literally means, “to be circumspect, and hence intelligent.” The Enhanced Strong says it is found 13 times in the Old Testament being translated in the KJV all 13 times as “Maschil.” It is used as a title for thirteen of the 150 psalms (Psalms 32; Psalms 42, 44, 45, 52 through 55; 74; 78; 88; 89; 142).

Most modern translations do as the KJV and transliterate this Hebrew word as “maschil,” thus avoiding the possibility of a mistranslation. The LXX reads “for instruction.” YLT reads “An Instruction.” Although some of these psalms are didactic in nature, scholars do not feel that all fit this category. The ISBE says, “Briggs suggests ‘a meditation,’ Thirtle and others ‘a psalm of instruction,’ Kirkpatrick ‘a cunning psalm.’” [61]

[61] John Richard Sampey, “Psalms,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., c1915, 1939), in The Sword Project, v. 1.5.11 [CD-ROM] (Temple, AZ: CrossWire Bible Society, 1990-2008).

“A Song of loves” The NIV translates this phrase as “A Wedding song,” thus identifying its use, which is believed to be a literally title to a traditional Jewish wedding song. The LITV reads “A Song of the Beloved.”

Comments – The opening description of Psalms 45 indicates that these songs contained in the book of Psalms were organized in a very particular way by the Temple musicians for worship. We see an indication of the careful order of Temple worship when reading in Kings-Chronicles about the ministry of the Temple worship and service during the reigns of David and Solomon. They appointed divisions of priests, Levites, singers, musicians, porters and Nethinims each with their specific time of service. It was a highly organized structure of worship. This is why many of the psalms are group and identified in their opening verses.

Psa 45:1 “My heart is inditing a good matter” – Word Study on “heart” The Hebrew word ( ) (H3820) is a commonly used word for “heart” being found 593 times in the Old Testament. Thus, it has a wide variety of meanings, “inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.”

Word Study on “is inditing” Strong says the Hebrew word “is inditing” ( ) (H7370) is a primitive root is only used one time in the entire Old Testament, meaning, “to gush, indite.”

Word Study on “a matter” BDB says the Hebrew “matter” ( ) (H1697) literally means,, “speech, word, speaking, thing, saying, utterance, business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner.” The Enhanced Strong says this common Hebrew word is used 1493 times in the Old Testament; therefore, it covers a variety of meanings.

Psa 45:1 “I speak of the things which I have made touching the king” – Word Study on “of the things which I have made” Strong says the Hebrew word “of the things which I have made” ( ) (H4639) means, “an action, a transaction, an activity, a product, a property.” The Enhanced Strong says this common Hebrew word is used 235 times in the Old Testament.

Psa 45:1 “my tongue is the pen of a ready writer” – Comments – There are a number of instances in the Scriptures when a prophet of God attempts to describe the way he feels when the anointing falls upon him and a word from the Lord weighs upon him. For those who are given a prophecy of judgment and doom, they call this a “burden of the Lord” because it weighs heavy upon their hearts. Here in Psa 45:1 David is being overwhelmed with the revelation of the person and nature of the Messiah when He takes His bride. Therefore, this Word from the Lord is not so much a heavy burden as it is a glorious experience in the presence of God. He feels inspired to write down this divine revelation and put it into words and thus, we have in Psalms 45 the record of this experience.

How often, as I have spent time in the Holy Scriptures, that a door of revelation was opened and I was given insight into His Word. I immediately took a pen and began to write these things down lest I forget them. I learned to always keep a pen and paper beside me lest while driving in a car or at work or while meditating, I should lose that piece of insight into God’s Word. Ultimately, this revelation points to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. The writer of this Psalm knew that experience of such divine revelation and he also took a pen and recorded this beautiful psalm.

As a young Christian, when insight into God’s Word would come to me, I felt as if I wanted to “explode” from being filled with something that I could not contain. I often shared such insights with other fellow believers as a way of releasing this infilling. But as a more mature believer, I have learned to not only share such insights, but to grab a pen and record these truths. This method of writing has become my “relief valve” and allows me to capture and treasure those precious insights into God’s Word indefinitely. It has now become a lifestyle that I practice almost daily.

I have come to believe that there are several ways to enter into God’s presence, which is through prayer, through praise and worship and through meditating upon God’s Word. So, when such inspirations come while meditating upon His Word, I often feel as David felt in Psalms 45 when he attempts to describe the majesty and beauty of the Lord. I sometimes feel that when I am in His Word, I am also in His presence. This is not an experience that I have every time I read the Holy Bible just as it is not an experience we have every time we pray or worship the Lord. But such experiences come more frequently as we mature in Christ. The same can be said regarding prayer and worship as well. Through time and practice we learn how to come into His presence through these three avenues.

Psa 45:2  Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

Psa 45:2 Comments – The phrase “the children of men” is a poetic phrase found often in the Hebrew poetry. We see it used again in this psalm in Psa 45:12.

Psa 45:12, “And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.”

We see these type of phrases used for the first time in the book of Genesis.

Gen 6:2, “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”

Psa 45:6-7 Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament – Psa 45:6-7 is quoted in Heb 1:8-9.

Heb 1:8-9, “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

Psa 45:8  All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

Psa 45:8 “All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces” – Comments – Paul Crouch suggests that Psa 45:8 gives us a description of the sweet aroma that fills the atmosphere in Heaven. [62] There are numerous testimonies as to the aromas in Heaven. Mary Baxter describes her experience in heaven when she was standing before the throne of God. The Lord opened a book which was lying at the altar located in front of God’s throne. She writes, “Amazed, I saw what looked like smoke ascending from the book. Suddenly, the most beautiful perfume I ever smelled filled the whole area where I stood. The angel told me that this book contains the prayers of the saints and that God was sending his angels to earth to answer the prayers from the cries of their hearts. Everybody was praising and magnifying God.” [63] Jesse Duplantis says regarding his visit to Heaven, “There were flowers in heaven that I have never seen before in my life and fragrances I have never smelled.” [64] However, Psa 45:8 specifically refers to the aroma of “Christ’s” garments. Kenneth Copeland shared the testimony of how he has smelled the anointing and presence of Jesus on several occasions. He described it as the smell of roses. One day when this smell filled the pulpit area, the Lord spoke to him and said that the “Rose of Sharon” had just passed by. [65]

[62] Paul Crouch, Behind the Scenes, on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), 25 February 2009, television program.

[63] Mary K. Baxter, A Divine Revelation of Heaven (New Kensington, Pennsylvania: Whitaker House, 1998), 38.

[64] Jesse Duplantis, Heaven Close Encounters of the God Kind (Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House, 1996), 71.

[65] Kenneth Copeland, “Sermon,” (Southwest Believers Convention, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Fort Worth, Texas), 8 August 2008.

“whereby they have made thee glad” Comments – The sweet aroma of perfumes have the effect of making our hearts glad.

Psa 45:9  Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Psa 45:10  Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house;

Psa 45:10 “forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house” – Comments – When a bride was taken from another land, she did not have the opportunity to return and visit her family. She had to learn to forget her family for the sake of her husband. In fact, the only way to keep her peace of mind and mental health and not despair is to forget the natural longings for her family.

In a figurative sense, a Christian has to forsake the bonds of family tradition and serve the Lord. They are to lay aside the traditions of men. Jesus Himself forsook His family for the work of the ministry (Mat 10:37).

Mat 10:37, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

There were many traditions and superstitions that my wife left behind after a few years away from the Philippines. She commented on a number of occasions that she did not think the same as she used to think. She said that if she ever returned to live in the Philippines that she would be a different person.

Psa 45:11  So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.

Psa 45:12  And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

Psa 45:12 “the daughter of Tyre” Comments – This is a poetic phrase used throughout Hebrew poetry. It is used in Psa 45:2 of this psalm.

Psa 45:2, “Thou art fairer than the children of men : grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.”

We see these type of phrases used for the first time in the book of Genesis.

Gen 6:2, “That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.”

Psa 45:12 Comments – The ancient city of Tyre, centered on the Mediterranean coast, was perhaps the most important and richest merchant city of Old Testament times ( ISBE). [66]

[66] H. Porter, “Tyre,” in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. James Orr (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., c1915, 1939), in The Sword Project, v. 1.5.11 [CD-ROM] (Temple, AZ: CrossWire Bible Society, 1990-2008).

Psa 45:13  The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.

Psa 45:13 Comments The king’s daughter is glorious in her inner chamber (within): with robes interwoven with gold.

Psa 45:14  She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.

Psa 45:14 “She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework” Word Study on “raiment of needlework” HALOT says the Hebrew word means, “something colorfully woven.”

Comments Note the following English translations:

YLT, “In divers colours she is brought to the king, Virgins–after her–her companions, Are brought to thee.”

NKJV, “She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.”

Note that Joseph was also given a robe of many colours in Gen 37:3, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.”

Psa 45:15  With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace.

Psa 45:16  Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

Psa 45:16 Comments – When my wife left her home, family and friends in the Philippines for three and a half years, it was a very painful time of missing her loved ones. However, when we had our first child, much of that loneliness was forgotten for the joy of a child.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Anointed of God the Bridegroom of the Church.

To the chief musician, for use in public worship, upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, a didactic poem, a song of loves. One of the members of the Korahite family composed this wonderful song by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, upon Shoshannim, that is, on or of the lilies, namely, in a figurative sense, partly explained in the words, “a song of loves,” the plural referring to the bridal virgins and typifying the bride herself. The psalm is a song of the Bride, of the beloved of the great Bridegroom, the Messiah, and the plural is used because all the beloved of the King are united in the figure of the one who is His heart’s delight, His Church.

v. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter, the poet’s heart is astir with the good word, the wonderful message, which he wants to set forth, the consoling Gospel-news: I speak of the things which I have made touching the King, dedicating his poem to the great King, the Messiah; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer, of a quick scribe, the thoughts, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, flowing into his pen in an uninterrupted stream. The King to whom he addresses his hymn has so filled his mind as to guide his pen in the glowing account which he here indites, a psalm of Christ, the Messiah, in His wonderful, eager love for His Bride, the Church. The King is now directly addressed.

v. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men, possessing beauty surpassing that of any mere son of man; grace is poured into Thy lips, charm and lovableness show themselves in His speech, in the beauty of His mercy and truth; therefore God hath blessed Thee forever, by virtue of the intimate relation between God and this King, the Messiah, divine blessings flow down upon Him and through His Gospel upon the world, streams of salvation and mercy issue from His mouth in the beautiful message of redemption. Because of this glory and beauty, because of this mercy and truth, all nations of the earth are blessed in Him.

v. 3. Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Most Mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty. He is not only a fair and gracious King, but also a great Champion of His people, who went out to battle for the salvation of mankind, invincible in His glory and majesty, the attributes of the true and only God, Psa 96:6. With these same wonderful qualities He is now endowed as He sits at the right hand of God, Eph 1:21-22.

v. 4. And in Thy majesty ride prosperously, advancing as the victorious Hero, because of truth and meekness and righteousness, for it is a war in the interest of truth and of the sufferings of righteousness, undertaken because the righteous suffer great trouble and afflictions; and Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things; for as gentle and gracious as the King is toward those who bow under His merciful scepter, so majestic and terrible He is in dealing with His enemies.

v. 5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; whereby the people fall under Thee. The battle is briefly described. The King takes His whetted arrows and sends them forth into the ranks of the enemies, into their hearts, so that the people fall before Him, wounded to death, utterly vanquished. Thus the exalted Christ exerts His almighty power. No matter how often the truth is suppressed, no matter how severely the righteous suffer, they are assured of the assistance of their almighty Redeemer. Every victory won by Christ is a judgment and punishment upon the enemies, who will be finally disposed of on the last Great Day.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

THIS psalm is regarded by some as a simple epithalamium, or nuptial hymn, composed to honour a royal wedding, and sung as part of the wedding ceremony, at the marriage of some king of Israel or Judah. The marriage of Ahab with Jezebel, and that of Jehoram of Judah with Athaliah, have been specially suggested; also Solomon’s marriage with an Egyptian princess. But the imagery of the psalm is altogether too exalted, and its phrases too peculiar (Psa 45:2, Psa 45:6, Psa 45:11, Psa 45:16, Psa 45:17), to suit any mere earthly marriagenot to mention that a mere epithalamium would never have been admitted into the Psalter. Hence most critics are driven to allow, however unwillingly, that the psalm is in some sense Messianic. It is certain that such was the view of the Hebrew Church, of the Septuagint interpreters, dud of the early Christians generally. It is placed beyond a doubt, so far as believers in inspiration are concerned, by the reference to the psalm in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb 1:8, Heb 1:9). Still, however, there remains the questionIs it absolutely and wholly Messianic, or did the author take some human event as the basis of his description, and give it a Messianic colouring? On the whole, we incline to the former view, and regard the writer as consciously depicting, not an actual, but an ideal, scene, one which floats before his mind as a thing to be realized at some future time, when Messiah shall be wedded to his bride, the Church, and establish his dominion over all the world, and reign over all the nations of the earth gloriously.

The psalm consists of two main portionsan address to the bridegroom in eight verses (Psa 45:2-9), and an address to the bride in six (Psa 45:10-15); with an introduction and a conclusion, the latter comprised in two verses, the former in one verse only.

Title of the psalm. The psalm has an unusually long and complicated title. First, it is addressed, like so many others, to the precentor, or chief musician, the head of the tabernacle choir. Next, it is said to be “upon lilies,” which is not very easy to understand. Lilies were, no doubt, viewed as sacred flowers, and were largely used in the ornamentation of the temple (1Ki 7:19, 1Ki 7:22, 1Ki 7:26). They are also mentioned in the titles of three other psalms (Psa 60:1-12; Psa 69:1-36; Psa 80:1-19.), but with what intention is wholly uncertain. A questionable exegesis connects the “lilies” of the present title with the “king’s daughter” and the “virgins” of Psa 45:13, Psa 45:14; but there is no mention of “virgins” in the other psalms said to be “upon lilies.” Further, the psalm is assigmed “to the sons of Korah,” like Psa 42:1-11; Psa 44:1-26, and others, who may probably have been the writers. Fourthly, it is called “Maschil,” i.e. “an instruction.” Fifthly, it is said to be “a song of loves,” which seems to be a reference to the subject-matter.

Psa 45:1

My heart is inditing a good matter; literally, bubbleth with a good matteris so full of it that the matter will burst forth. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king; or, I utter that which I have composed concerning the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. It is noted that only “psalms of high and solemn import” have formal exordia of this kind, announcing the intention of the writer.

Psa 45:2

Thou art fairer than the children of men. It has been argued that a description of the Messiah would not lay stress on his personal beauty. But in the Song of Songs the personal beauty of the bridegroom, whom so many critics regard as the Messiah, is a main point (Son 5:10-16). A perfect man, such as Messiah was to be, must needs be beautiful, at any rate with a beauty of expression. In calling his bridegroom “fair beyond the sons of men,” the writer at once gives us to understand that he is not a mere man. Grace is poured into thy lips; rather, grace is poured out on thy lips (Hengstenberg, Cheyne, Kay). The gift of gracious expression and gracious speech has been poured upon him from on high (comp. Son 5:16, “His mouth is most sweet”). Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. The gifts bestowed upon him show the Divine favor and blessing, which, once granted, are not capriciously withdrawn.

Psa 45:3

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty; i.e. array thyself as a warrior, for thou wilt have enemies to conquer, and wilt need a sword against them (see Psa 45:4, Psa 45:5). With thy glory and thy majesty. There is no “with” in the original. Some think his sword is called Messiah’s “glory and majesty.” Others supply “put on,” as implied in the “gird” of the first clause, and translate, “Put on thy glory and thy majesty;” i.e. show thyself in all the majesty and glory that naturally belong to thee. This is quite in accordance with the context.

Psa 45:4

And in thy majesty ride prosperously; literally, and in thy majesty go forth, ride. The riding intended is probably riding in a chariot. Because of truth and meekness and righteousness; rather, because of truth and meek-tempered righteoushess (Kay); i.e. for the purpose of vindicating truth and righteousness in the case of those who outrage them. Righteousness, however, to be really righteousness, must be combined with meekness (comp. Zep 2:3). And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. It is the right hand wherewith the warrior strikes; and at each blow it opens to the striker terrible experiences, and thus may be said to “teach him terrible things.”

Psa 45:5

Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. The original is more graphic. It runs, “Thy arrows are sharpthe peoples fall under thee(they are) in the heart of the king’s enemies.” All the enemies of Messiah shall one day be chastised, and fall before him.

Psa 45:6

Thy throne, O God. So the LXX; the Epistle to the Hebrews (Heb 1:8), the Chaldee paraphrase, and, among critics, Rosenmuller, Hengstenberg, Kay, Professor Alexander, and Canon Cook. The renderings proposed by Gesenius, Ewald, and the anti-Messianic school generally are wholly untenable, as Hengstenberg has clearly shown. The psalmist’s intention is to address the King, whom he has already declared to be more than man (Psa 45:2), as “God.” Is for ever and ever. A dominion to which there will never be any end. This is never said, and could not be truly said, of any earthly kingdom. When perpetuity is promised to the throne of David (2Sa 7:13-16; Psa 89:4, Psa 89:36, Psa 89:37), it is to that throne as continued in the reign of David’s Son, Messiah. The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre; literally, a sceptre of rectitude (comp. Psa 67:4; Psa 96:10).

Psa 45:7

Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness, therefore, etc. God will only commit rule and authority over his Church to one who will rule justlyone who loves righteousness and hates iniquity. Messiah is alone perfect in righteousness, and therefore entitled to rule. Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Some moderns translate, “Therefore, O God, thy God hath anointed thee,” etc.; but the rendering of the Authorized Version is maintained by Dr. Kay, Professor Alexander, and our Revisers. The anointing intended is that outpouring of glory and blessedness on Messiah which followed upon his voluntary humiliation and suffering (comp. Php 2:9; Heb 2:9).

Psa 45:8

All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia; literally, myrrh and aloes [and] cassia are thy garments. The “and” before “cassia” appears in four manuscripts, and in all the ancient versions. The garments are so impregnated with spices as to seem made of them. Out of the ivory palaces. “Ivory palaces” are mentioned in 1Ki 22:39 and Amo 3:15. We must understand “palaces adorned with ivory.” Whereby they have made thee glad. So Hengstenberg, Kay, Professor Alexander, and others. But most moderns render, “Out of the ivory palaces stringed instruments have made thee glad.”

Psa 45:9

King’s daughters were (rather, are) among thy honourable women. The marriage scene now begins to open upon us. The bridegroom has been depicted in all his glorious majesty. The bride has now to be brought forward. She comes, accompanied by a train of attendants”honourable women,” or, noble ladies” (Kay), many of whom are “kings’ daughters”. It must not be expected that all the details of the scene shall have exact equivalents in the spiritual marriage which it represents. Upon thy right hand did stand (rather, stands) the queen in gold of Ophir; i.e. in a vesture richly embroidered with gold thread (comp. Exo 28:5-8). “Gold of Ophir” was known, not merely to David (1Ch 29:4), but even to Job (Job 28:16). The “right hand” of the king was the place of honour. We find it assigned by Solomon to the queen-mother, Bathsheba (1Ki 2:19).

Psa 45:10

Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear. The psalmist, having introduced the bride to our notice in Psa 45:9, proceeds to address her, and to describe the glories of her person and of her entourage. First of all, he bids her “hearken,” “consider,” and “incline her ear,” i.e. reflect deeply on the new relation in which she is about to be placed, the new sphere which she is entering, the new duties which she will have to discharge. She must give herself wholly to her Lord and Spouse; she must have no thought for any one but him. Forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house. She must break with all associations and bends and relationships that would separate between her and her King, forget the past in the present, cease to Judaize, and be wholly Christ’s.

Psa 45:11

So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty. Devotion to her Lord will win her his tender regard, and make her other charms and graces please and delight him. For he is thy Lord; i.e. thy Lord and Master, entitled to thy utmost love and obedience, nay, to thy “worship “therefore, Worship thou him. Worship, in a certain sense, is due from every wife to every husband; but the Church’s worship of Christ is worship in the absolutely highest sense (Rev 5:6-14).

Psa 45:12

And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift. Heathen nations shall be attracted to Christ and his Church, shall bring their offerings, and make submission, and humbly sue for favour. Tyro is taken as a type of heathen states and cities generally (comp. Isa 49:18-23; Isa 56:6-8; Isa 60:3-14). Even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. (On the wealth of Tyre, see Isa 23:2-8; Eze 26:12, Eze 26:16; Eze 27:3-33; Eze 28:13, etc.)

Psa 45:13

The King’s daughter is all glorious within. The “King’s daughter “of this passage can be no other than the bride herselfthe” queen” of Psa 45:9. As among her attendants some were “kings’ daughters” (Psa 45:9), so she could be no less. She is “glorious,” not only without, in her robe of” gold of Ophir,” but also and especially withinin the inner chamber of the heartwhere she is indeed “glorious,” through the sanctifying presence of God’s Holy Spirit (Eph 5:26, Eph 5:27). Her clothing is of wrought gold (comp. Psa 45:9, and the comment ad loc.).

Psa 45:14

She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework; i.e. in garments richly embroidered. Such were known to the Hebrews from the time of the Exodus (Exo 28:4, Exo 28:39), and were worn by princeases in David’s day (2Sa 13:18). Brides were commonly “led” into the presence of the bridegroom. The virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee (comp. Psa 45:9). A virgin train follows the bride as she is led to the palace of the bridegroom, for a royal bride necessarily had her attendants. These symbolize the Gentile converts that should attach themselves to the original Church, and follow that Church into Christ’s presence.

Psa 45:15

With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought. A bridal train could not but be a festive one. Joy and gladness naturally characterize the procession of the nations out of darkness into God’s marvellous light. They shall enter into the king’s palace; i.e. be received into the heavenly dwelling-place.

Psa 45:16

Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children. In conclusion, the psalmist once more addresses the bridegroom. “Instead of thy fathers” according to the fleshthe princes of the royal house of David” thou shalt have children” sons still more conspicuousapostles, martyrs, confessorsa glorious and goodly company. Whom thou mayest make princes; i.e. rulers and governors of the Churchin all the earth.

Psa 45:17

I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations. I, the psalmist, with my “pen of a ready writer,” will so sing thy praise that thy name shall always he had in remembrance; and thereforebecause of my wordsshall the peoplesi.e. all the nations of the earthpraise thee for ever and ever. There is here, mixed with the praise of Messiah, a certain amount of self-glorification; but perhaps the “son of Korah,” who had composed so noble a poem, may be excused for somewhat “vaunting himself.”

HOMILETICS

Psa 45:2

Altogether lovely.

“Thou art fairer than the children of men.” Immense learning and ingenuity have been expended in the attempt to find some historic occasion for this psalmsome Jewish original of these royal portraits, the king and the bride. Solomon has naturally been thought of, as a type, Calvin thinks, of Christ; but the description does not suit him. Even Jehoram and Athaliah, Ahab and Jezebel, have had their advocates. The great Jewish commentators take the psalm as a prophecy of Messiah. Psa 45:6, Psa 45:7, quite inapplicable to Solomon, are in Heb 1:8, Heb 1:9 applied to Christ. We need not, therefore, bewilder ourselves in a fruitless quest, but may at once see our Saviour in these joyful and adoring words.

I. PROPHECY IS HERE CLOTHED IN POETRY, AND DECKED WITH ALLEGORY. The question, therefore, arisesHow far may this description be understood of our Savior‘s personal presence, when he lived as Man among men? The four Gospels contain no single descriptive trait. Some ancient Jewish writers strangely held that Messiah would be a leper, because Isaiah speaks of him as “smitten” (Isa 53:4). Some Christians have seemed to find pleasure in supposing our Lord signally devoid of manly beauty. Calvin more reasonably explains Isa 53:2 of the absence of worldly pomp and regal state. Bacon, noting that few great men have been eminent for personal beautythough there are some remarkable exceptionssays, “That is the best part of beauty which no picture can express; no, nor the first view of life.” This kind of beautythe soul speaking through the countenanceis what we cannot suppose absent in our Lord Jesus. We may gather from the Gospels that he had a more than princely nobleness, and a surpassing charm of graciousness. When men came into his presence they were impelled to fall at his feet. Yet little children ran at his call to nestle in his arms. Busy men, when he said, “Follow me,” left all and obeyed. The wretched and perishing recognized in him their Deliverer. Jesus alone among men grew from infancy to the prime of manhood with mind and body untainted with sin. It is not said “fairest of men,” but “fairer than the children of men;” he is not merely pre-eminent, but alone. “The temple of his body was a fit habitation for “the fulness of the Godhead.” Bred to active toil in the pure mountain air, he had a frame capable of immense exertion. He could be heard by thousands in the open air. After a day of toil, not only speaking for hours, but by his intense sympathy taking on himself the burdens of suffering and sorrow he lifted from others, he would climb some mountain with the free step of a mountaineer, and spend the night in prayer. Even in his last inconceivably awful sufferings, we see no evidence of bodily weakness. After the agony of Gethsemane, the sleepless night of insult and torture, the terrible Roman scourge, and six hours on the cross, our Saviour’s last words were uttered “with a loud voice,” and he expired not from exhaustion, but from a broken heart. Add to all this that in his heart dwelt love, such as no other ever held; and that behind the veil of his human nature was the majesty of indwelling Deity. Who can suppose that the countenance of Jesus was a mask to hide that grace and glory, not a mirror to reflect it?

II. THE BEAUTY OF WHICH ALL OUTWARD GRACE, MAJESTY, LOVELINESS, IS BUT THE SHADOW, BELONGS IN TRANSCENDENT MEASURE TO THE LORD JESUS. The lost “image of God,” defaced lineaments of which only remain in our ordinary human nature, reappears in him in full perfection (Joh 14:9). We read in him all that most concerns us to know concerning Godhis character and bearing towards ourselves. The amazing claim made by the Bible (unheard of elsewhere) that man was made in God’s likeness, seems contradicted by the whole current of our world’s history. But who can deny that no lower style fits the life and personal character of Jesus? (Some of the strongest testimonies are from professed unbelievers.) In the most admirable characters great excellence is commonly balanced by corresponding defects. But what excellence or virtue can you find in him, either falling short of the highest vigour or strong at the expense of some other? What is his chief feature? Love? But not at the cost of the severest truth, the strictest justice. Holiness? Yet he was the Friend of sinners. Benevolence? But you can no more imagine him weakly indulgent, or imposed upon, than deaf to any real cry of need. Would you see the glory of the sunbeam? You must not gaze on the sun itself, but on the flowers, leaves, meadows forests, hills, clouds, ocean, which his light clothes with their endless variety of colour and beauty. So the beauty of our Saviour’s character is to be read in the hearts he drew to him, the lives he changed and hallowed, the characters he moulded, the homes he blessed, the love he inspired; in the track of life he has lefthe onlyin our dark world. But you need the open eye (Isa 53:2; Joh 1:14; Joh 9:39). An unbeliever may admire his portrait in the Gospels, as he would a character in fiction. But to those who seek and trust him, Jesus reveals himself (Joh 14:21-23; 1Pe 1:8; 1Pe 2:7).

HOMILIES BY C. CLEMANCE

Psa 45:1-17

The glories of the eternal King.

This psalm is one of those which set forth in glowing terms the glory and majesty of the King of kings, the Anointed One, who should come into the world. “It is a psalm of the theocratic kingdom, the marriage song of the King.” It is a song of the highest order, which, according to its title, was for the chief musician; set to “Shoshannim,” a word which, we are told in the margin (Revised Version), means “lilies.” This, however, does not throw much light on the matter. Furst is more helpful when he tells us that Shoshannim is a proper name, and denotes one of the twenty-four music-choirs left by David, so called from a master named Shushan. The introduction to the psalm, which is found in its first verse, is much more striking than would appear from the translation in either the Authorized Version or the Revised Version. It may be rendered,” My heart is boiling over with a goodly theme: I speak: my work is for a King: may my tongue be as the pen of a ready writer!” Here we have a striking illustration of the words of the Apostle Peter, “Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost;” this fervour of spirit, urging on the worker as by a power beyond himself to write of “the King,” is one of the ways in which the sacred writers were “moved.” And there is no reason for refusing to acknowledge the far-reachingness of this psalm, as setting forth beforehand, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the grandeur of our victorious Lord To no one, indeed, but Jesus, can we apply the epithets which are herein used. That a King “higher than the kings of the earth” is foretold in Scripture is certain (see 2Sa 7:12-16; 2Sa 23:2-5; Psa 2:1-12; Psa 72:1-20; Psa 79:1-13; Psa 110:1-7.). So that it is no wonder to find that such is the case in this psalm, The main difficulty in the psalmin fact, the only serious one to believing criticsis the fact that the entire passage Psa 45:10-15 is based on a custom which in the psalmist’s time was not only familiar to Orientals, but was even honourable in their eyes, though it would not be deemed so in ours. It would be a coveted honour among maidens to be among the well-beloved ones of an honourable king; for though the queen-consort was the principal wife, yet she was by no means the only one on whom the king bestowed his affection. Even David had six wives. He was not thought the worse of for this. The Law of God did not sanction it, but society did. Hence, though this psalm shoots far ahead to a beauty, a glory, and a majesty beyond the sons of men, yet the ground-plan of its symbolism is found in the usages of Oriental courts at their best. If it was then deemed a high honour for maidens to be among the beloved of a king, how much greater would be the honour of those who should be brought in the far-off times to place their whole selves, body, soul, and spirit, at the absolute disposal of him who would be “King of kings, and Lord of lords”! We may gather up under four heads the main features of this sublime prophetic forecast. In doing so, however, it behoves us to take the Christian expositor’s standpoint, and to carry forward the dim and suggestive words here given us, to the fuller and clearer setting of New Testament unfoldings.

I. HERE IS A KING FORESEEN, UNIQUE IN HONOUR AND RENOWN. That the sacred writers were familiar with the thought of a King who should come into the world, surpassing all others, we have seen above; this is shown in the passages to which reference has already been made. But even if such passages were fewer and less clear than they are, the amazing combination of expressions in the psalm before us is such, that to none other than the Son of God can they possibly be applied with any semblance of reason. But as we think of him, every term fails in place. Let us take each expression in order. There are no fewer than twelve of them.

1. There is beauty. (Psa 45:2.) A beauty beyond that of the sons of men. This points to one who is above the race. And verily the beauty of the Lord Jesus is one of his unnumbered charms. He is the “chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely.”

2. Grace is poured into his lips (Psa 45:2). How true was this of Jesus (Luk 4:22; Joh 1:14)! Grace was also ever pouring out from his lips.

3. The fullest blessings descend continually upon him (Psa 45:2; cf. Joh 3:34).

4. There are the glory and majesty of royal state (Psa 45:3). For “with” read “even” (‘Variorum Bible’). The sword to be girded on his thigh as for war (see Delitzsch) is his glory and his majestic state. With these he will go forth, conquering and to conquer.

5. His cause is that of truth, meekness, and righteousness. (Psa 45:4.) No other king ever combined these in perfection, nor even at all. “Meekness“ is about the very last thought associated with earthly kings (but see Mat 11:29).

6. His progress would be marked by terror as well as by meekness (Psa 45:4; Psa 65:5; Rom 11:22; 2Co 5:11; Rev 1:7).

7. His arrows would be sharp in the hearts of his enemies (Psa 45:5), and the peoples (plural, Revised Version)would fall beneath him. He should have universal sway, and not over Israel only.

8. He should be God, and yet be anointed by God. (Psa 45:6, Psa 45:7.) How enigmatical before fulfilment! How fully realized in our Immanuel, in him who is at once God and man, David’s Son, yet David’s Lord!

9. His throne should be eternal. (Psa 45:6.) “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (cf. Heb 1:8, Heb 1:9).

10. His sceptre should be a sceptre of righteousness. (Psa 45:6, Psa 45:7.) This is preeminently true; so much so that even those who acknowledge him as Lord, and who have yet been destitute of righteousness, will be rejected (Mat 7:22, Mat 7:23).

11. He would receive a higher anointing than that of others (Psa 45:7; Act 4:27; Act 10:38; Luk 4:18). 12. Associated with his coming would be fragrance, music, and joy (Psa 45:8, Revised Version). Surely the gladness and song that gather round this King surpass all other gladness and all other songs that earth has ever known. No widow’s wail, no orphan’s sigh, attend on the conquests of this King. He conquers but to save. And the joy! oh, how great! Joy among the saved (1Pe 1:8). Joy among the saints (1Jn 1:4). Joy among the angels (Luk 20:10). Joy in the heart of the Father and the Son (Luk 15:32). Joy for ever and ever (Isa 35:10). What a magnificent forecast, hundreds of years beforehand! Who dares to deny the supernatural with such a fact before him?

II. HERE IS THE KING‘S BRIDE. (Psa 45:9.) What can the psalmist mean by the bride of such a King, but the Church of his love (see Eph 5:23-32)? The following features, if worked out, would greatly exceed the space ,at our command.

1. She forsakes her Father’s house, to be joined to this King, and leaves all her old associates behind her (Psa 45:10).

2. She is wedded to him (Psa 45:11, “He is thy Lord”).

3. She is devoted to him (Psa 45:11).

4. She is decorated with finest gold (Psa 45:9), and is at the place of honour by his side.

5. Her attendants should come from the nations, with their offerings of devotion (Psa 45:12).

III. HERE IS THE KING‘S OFFSPRING. (Psa 45:16.) The sacrifice which the bride had made for the sake of the King shall be more than recompensed by her having children, who should gather round her, and who should become “princes in the earth” (1Pe 2:9; Rev 1:6; Rev 5:10; Rev 20:6).

IV. HERE IS FORETOLD THE KING‘S UNIVERSAL AND ENDLESS PRAISE. (Psa 45:17.) Though the verse seems to be addressed immediately to the bride, evidently the carrying forward of the name to generation after generation is an honour chiefly of the King, and results from the bridal union. And the praise which shall accrue will be from the peoples (Revised Version), from all the nations; and this praise will be for ever and ever (Psa 72:17). “Christ’s espousing unto himself a Church, and gathering more and more from age to age by his Word and Spirit unto it, his converting of souls, and bringing them into the fellowship of his family, and giving unto them princely minds and affections wherever they live, are large matters of growing and everlasting glory” (Dickson). Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.”C.

HOMILIES BY W. FORSYTH

Psa 45:1-6

The Kingship of Christ.

The unerring instinct of the Church has interpreted this psalm of the Messiah. Each Jewish king, in a sense, foreshadowed the true King. Of Solomon it might be said, in a special manner, that he was a type of the true King; but take him “in all his glory,” and he was only a type dim and imperfect. “A greater than Solomon is here.” Mark

I. THE PERFECTNESS OF HIS CHARACTER. Christ’s excellence is moral. All that was “fair” in others was but the broken fragments of the mirror. In him we see the perfection of beauty. Others might be “fair” in some things, and not in others, but in him all that is true and beautiful and good shines forth in harmony and fulness. “He is altogether lovely.” And the excellence of Christ is not only human, but Divine. The glory of God shines in him He is the perfect King because he is the perfect Man; and he is the perfect Man, because “in him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” His perfections, therefore, not only command the homage of all hearts, but they are unchanging and unchangeable as the glory of God.

II. THE SPLENDOUR OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS. In the ancient monuments of Egypt and Assyria we see kings represented as going forth to conquer, and their enemies falling before their arrows. Such is the picture here. But the picture is relieved from all terrors and gloom. The King who conquers here conquers because he is also a Prophet, and because his cause is the cause of right and truth. His sword is “the Word of God.” His arrows are the arrows of righteousness. His victory is the victory of love. “Grace” is in his lips. “Truth and meekness” mark his progress. “The people fall under” himfall to rise again in dignity and strength.

III. THE BLESSEDNESS OF HIS REIGN. (Verses 6-9.)

1. The righteousness of his administration.

2. The happiness of his subjects.

3. The perpetuity of his kingdom.

The kingdoms of this world have no permanence. They contain within themselves the elements of decay. Kings and kingdoms pass away.

“Sceptre and crown must tumble down,
And in the grave be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade.”

But it is otherwise with the kingdom of Christ. It is “for ever and ever.”W.F.

Psa 45:16

Fathers and children.

We may consider three things.

I. THE CHANGES OF LIFE. The fathers come first, then the children. There is a constant succession. We see the same on the earth. The sun and moon and stars are the same that have been from the beginning, but the scarred face of the earth indicates change. The year has its seasons. Fields white unto harvest to-day will be bare to-morrow. The leaves fade, and others come in their places. So it is in life. Go where you will, the cry is, “Your fathers, where are they?” (Zec 1:5). This throws great responsibility upon the living. They stand between the past and the future. From the fathers they have received much, and of them the children require much. They are the “heirs of all the ages,” and they are bound to hand down, pure and entire, to those who come after, the glorious inheritance they have possessed.

II. THE COMPENSATIONS OF LIFE. When the fathers are taken, we are ready to regard it as a calamity. If one fails who stood high in Church or state, we cry in our grief like David when Abner was slain, “Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?” (2Sa 3:38). But God’s hand is in these things. There is compensation. If the fathers go, it is that the children may take their places. The line is never broken. The order which God has fixed continues. If Moses dies, Joshua takes his place. If Elijah is carried into heaven, his mantle falls upon Elisha. If Stephen is martyred in the midst of his labours, God has a chosen vessel in preparation, to take up his work, and carry it out in nobler ways than he could have done. So it is still. Though there be breaks and interruptions and intervals when things were dark, yet the law holds good. Let us take heed. The future is the outcome of the present. We are sowing in the hearts of our children the harvests that are to be. Let us do our duty towards those who are to come in our place, and leave results to God. “0 Church of God,” said Augustine, “think not thyself abandoned, because thou seest not Peter, nor seest Paul. Seest not thou through whom thou wast born; out of thine own offspring has a body of ‘fathers’ been raised up to thee.”

III. THE DISTINCTIONS OF LIFE.

1. Their source is Divine. We say the sovereign is the source of honour. So it is in the higher things. True honour is from God only, and he gives it to those alone whom he has “made” to be worthy (Joh 1:12).

2. Their character is princely. When God makes princes, he makes princes in reality. He gives not only place, but power; and not only power, but the highest honours (Gen 32:28; 2Ti 1:7; Rev 1:5). What Gideon’s brethren were in appearance they are in reality (Jdg 8:18).

3. Their influence is world-wide. Wherever they are known, they are honoured. What was true of the twelve is true in a measure of all Christ’s servants (Mat 19:28). As Samuel Rutherford said with his last breath, “Glory dwelleth in Immanuel’s land.”W.F.

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Psalms 45.

The majesty and grace of Christ’s kingdom. The duty of the church, and the benefits thereof.

To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil.
A Song of Loves.

Title. al Shoshannim. Upon Shoshannim] Houbigant and others render it, upon the lilies; which seems to be the true meaning of the original word. Parkhurst observes, that Christ, the divine light, and true believers, who are the sons of light, and who are accordingly described as clothed in white, are emblematically represented by lilies: see Son 2:1; Son 2:16; Son 4:5; Son 6:1-2. Hence may be explained the title of the present, the 69th, and the 80th Psalms, which Acquila constantly renders “To the giver of victory, concerning the lilies:” i.e. the emblematical lilies just mentioned. The version of the LXX, of al shoshannim, is, “Concerning those who are to be changed or transformed;” i.e. from corruption to incorruption, from dishonour to glory, from natural to spiritual. The title of the 60th Psalm is in the singular; al shushan, “concerning the lily; i.e. the divine light, who is a banner to them that fear God, and is his right hand, by whom the beloved are delivered.” See Parkhurst’s Lexicon on the word shesh, and the remarks on the title of Psalms 22. It is further called a song of loves, which being in Hebrew shiir iedidoth, may allude both to Jedidiah, the name given to Solomon by Nathan, 2Sa 12:25 and likewise to the custom observed in the Jewish marriages, wherein the bride was encircled by young virgins, who sung a peculiar song or Psalm in honour of her espousals. Hence some render it, A song of the beloved maids;a song of the bride-maids; and it has been thought that the Psalm was sung on the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoh’s daughters; though unquestionably, like the Book of Canticles, it has a much higher reference. Most interpreters, says Bishop Patrick, conclude that it was composed upon the occasion, at least, of Solomon’s marriage with Pharaoh’s daughter; who, it is most likely, was a proselyte to the Jewish religion. Some few indeed will not allow so much as this, or that there is any respect to Solomon at all in this Psalm, but only to Christ; and the truth is, many of the expressions in it are so magnificent, that they can but in a very poor and low sense be applied to Solomon and his bride; and some of them scarcely at all. It being so apparent, no Christian can deny it, that the mind of the prophet, while he was writing some part of this Psalm, was carried quite beyond king Solomon, to the great King, the LORD CHRIST: or, at least, he was guided to use words so high, that they proved too big for Solomon; and we must say, as our Saviour did in another case, BEHOLD! A GREATER THAN SOLOMON IS HERE! This the best of the Jewish interpreters acknowledge, particularly Kimchi, Aben-ezra, and Solomon Jarchi.

Psa 45:1. My heart is inditing a good matter The word rachash, rendered inditing, signifies boiling or bubbling up; and is here used metaphorically for deeply meditating with fervour and vehemency, in allusion either to water boiled over a fire, or else springing forth from a fountain. The King, means either primarily Solomon, or more properly the Messiah. My tongue is the pen, &c. as if he had said, “I will recite what I have composed with so much fluency, as shall equal the style of the most skilful and diligent writer.” Green transposes the clauses in this verse; making the words, I speak of the things, &c. the last clause; because, says he, the address follows in the very next words. He renders it, I will address my work unto the king.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Psalms 45

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A song of loves

1My heart is inditing a good matter:

I speak of the things which I have made touching the King:
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

2Thou art fairer than the children of men:

Grace is poured into thy lips:
Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

3Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty,

With thy glory and thy majesty.

4And in thy majesty ride prosperously,

Because of truth and meekness and righteousness:

And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

5Thine arrows are sharp

In the heart of the Kings enemies;

Whereby the people fall under thee.

6Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever:

The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

7Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:

Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee
With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

8All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,

Out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

9Kings daughters were among thy honorable women:

Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

10Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear;

Forget also thine own people, and thy fathers house;

11So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty:

For he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.

12And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift;

Even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour.

13The Kings daughter is all glorious within:

Her clothing is of wrought gold.

14She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework:

The virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.

15With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought:

They shall enter into the Kings palace.

16Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children,

Whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

17I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations:

Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Contents and Composition. In regard to the Title, see Introduction 12, 13; 8, 3; 2. After a preface Psa 45:2-3 in which are expressed both the elevated feelings of the poet, and the dedication to the king, of his song, so remarkable for its contents and structure, he begins, in a direct address to him, the praises of the king, his beauty, his grace, and the permanent blessing of God resulting therefrom. He then (Psa 45:4-6) calls upon Him to arise in his royal majesty and might, which in the struggle for truth and righteousness, must ever be victorious. This promise of victory, in which the call to contest is implied, is in (Psa 45:7-8), connected with the theocratic position of the king, and in consequence of this, there is vouchsafed to him a divine blessing, a greater fulness of joy than falls to the lot of other rulers. The description of his royal possessions and joys, naturally comes in here (Psa 45:9-10), and prominent among these is the Bride standing on his right hand. This consort of the king (Psa 45:11-13), is exhorted, in a paternal manner, to forget her home, to devote herself to the king as her Spouse and Lord, and to think of the advantages, she will thereby secure. In the midst of the description that immediately follows, of the queen as attended by her maidens and introduced to the king, there is a direct address to the king himself, and the promise is given that he shall have worthy descendants and everlasting glory (Psalm 45:17, 18). As in the preface, so in the song itself, the king in his glory and happiness is the special object of praise. But his relation to his consort introduced to him as his Bride is not here treated as simply one of the many happy circumstances of his life, as if the Psalm was only an ode to the king (De Wette); or as if it were merely a eulogy of the royal glory of Solomon (Hofmann). The references to a marriage come out, indeed, very prominently, yet it would limit it too much to regard it as merely a bridal song (Most comment, from Calvin to Hupfeld); yet the occasion of the ode must have been the nuptials of a king (Heng., Hitzig). Neither the marriage of the Syrian King Alexander to the daughter of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, in Ptolemais, recorded 1Ma 10:57, nor that of a Persian monarch (Rosen., De Wette) can be the one alluded to on account of the theocratic references in the Psalm. For the same reason we should notas often happens in historical expositiontreat that Messianic idea of it which prevailed both in the Synagogue and in the Christian church, merely as an allegorical paraphrase made by a later age, whereby a song originally belonging to profane literature, obtained a place in the sacred canon, and was used in congregational worship. Such an allegorical paraphrase is necessary only when this Messianic conception is a direct one, (Chald., Kim., Geier, and most older Commentators, more recently Heng., and Bohl),a paraphrase which regards this Psalm as having reference to the spiritual nuptials of the Messiah with the Jewish people, and such Gentile nations as were united with them. But this view of it is self-contradictory, and is consistent neither with the text nor with history (Kurtz). It, however, makes little difference whether we regard this poetico-prophetic description of the Messianic condition of things under the figure of nuptial relations, as an independent conception, or seek for its historic ground in the marriage of some Israelitish monarch. In either case, the main point is this, that the Bride is a Gentile princess. But how could she, in the Old Testament, represent Gods people Israel? And, how could her maiden companions who are brought with her before the king, symbolize those Gentile nations that are united with Israel and converted to the heavenly King, even if we understand this introduction to the king as meaning his marriage with all these virgins? Or perhaps these metaphors may be a prediction that the fulness of the Gentiles shall enter the kingdom of God. If so, there would be no allusion to the full conversion of Israel, since according to Rom 11:27, this is to follow the conversion of the Gentiles. We must, therefore, regard the covenant people among the queens who are already in the kings palace, when she who is to be the first consort makes her entrance. Who then is meant by this Bride? And how can we reconcile what is here said of her, with other prophetic and historic accounts of Israels relation to Jehovah, and to the Gentile nations? The New Testament images of the marriage of the Kings son, and of the Lamb cast no light upon this point; for this last named marriage is the conclusion of the entire historical development of the union thus symbolized, and which reaches into eternity. But the text refers us to a history which was still in progress. We may add that a free use of the other parables and symbols bearing upon this subject is equally inadmissible. Such a use of them would be allowable if we occupied the standpoint of the completed relation of the New Testament on this head, because it refers not only to Jehovahs marriage with His covenant people, but to Christs relation to His Church which is composed of Gentiles and Jews. In the Old Testament, however, the future union of Jehovah with the Gentiles, and the union of Messiah with them and with Israel, is never set forth under the figure of a marriage contract. And the New Testament when it employs this figure, never uses the expressions of this Psalm. The Psalm is quoted in the New Testament as a Messianic one,a view of it which the Sept. and Chald. show had long obtained,but it is quoted Hebrews 1 not in connection with any marriage of Messiah, but to exhibit His theocratic position and purposes. Now all this is overlooked by those who consider this marriage of the King as a type of Christs union with His Church (Calvin, Clericus, Ven. Stier, and in part Del.). Most of these expositors pass from the typical to the directly Messianic view, by assuming, that Messiah is spoken of sub figura Salomonis. But we maintain that this Psalm speaks of an actual historical event, because it makes that event the occasion of its praising the king, and because it purposely uses expressions which show that he is not only a member of the royal house of David, but that he is also to carry out a definite Messianic prediction, and to be the instrument of its historic fulfilment. In this view of it we can understand how this person would, in the history of Redemption, hold the place of a type for the later Church,a type having a prophetico-messianic sense, which is really in the original text, and which a proper translation would bring out (see the Exposition.)Hence we cannot suppose that the marriage of Ahab and Jezebel of Sidon (Hitzig), nor that of Joram the son of Jehosaphat and Athalijah (Del.) was the historical origin of this Psalm. The best view is that which connects it with the marriage of Solomon, not to an unknown Tyrian princess (Hupfeld), but to the daughter of the king of Egypt, 1Ki 3:1; 1Ki 9:24 (Calvin, Grotius, and most others). Since the historical references in the Psalm itself are by no means decisive, as the exegesis will show, the internal grounds appear to be all the more weighty. These, however, do not oblige us to regard David as the author of the Psalm (Bhl), who is supposed to have given it to the Korahites for use in public worship. There is no ground for referring it to the early days of Jeroboam II. (Ewald).

Psa 45:1. My heart is inditing.The Heb. word () occurs only here, and signifies to boil up or over. It denotes either the ebullition of the full heart in a way analogous to the motion of boiling water (Symm., Calvin, J. H. Mich., and many others, on account of the noun, Exo 2:7; Exo 7:9), or the outflow of speech like that of a stream from a fountain, (Sept., Syr., Jerome). The translation to instead of of seems to point to the latter sense. In the Hebrew we have the accusative, which in the latter case must be taken as the productive accusative, while in the former, in the way usual with redundant verbs, Psalms 119, 121. The good word, (or good matter) is so not simply in form, i. e., a fine speech, nor is it exactly a Messianic word, Isa 52:7; Jer 33:14; Zec 1:13, but one most excellent, both in structure and contents, conveying the idea of one who is congratulating another, Jer 29:10.All the older translators take the first and second verses as one sentence, but the authors of the Heb. accents divide them into two. The participle is placed first, because the emphasis is on the speaking; but the person speaking is also emphasized, because of the sublime consciousness that his poem is intended for a king. If we take as a plural, denoting heart and tongue, works (Hengstenberg) are not to be included, as if the Psalmist had vowed to devote all that he did to the service of the king; nor are the later poems of David so designated,those which the aged king connects with Solomon, and the Messiah as represented by him, (Bhl); but they are rather to be viewed as poetical productions of the speaker (Del.), with no special reference in the thoughts or the verses (De Wette). Still, as the song in question is the Psalm before us, it seems to be proper to adopt the singular form of the word as in Job 35:10; Num 20:19, whether we translate it my doing, 1Sa 19:4 (Hitzig), or my poem (Hupfeld), like the of Symm. We prefer the more general term work, thus also preserving the substantive form of the word. The translation to a king is in sense and structure more exactly according to the text than the equally possible one of to the king. In the latter case the word with the article may be treated like a proper name. The version, I speak (or sing) my song to the king (Hupf.), follows the older translations. But there is no reason for connecting these words with the previous line, my heart boils over, I am speaking a good word (Bttcher). As the tongue utters that of which the heart is full, and as the heart is here represented as being in a state of great excitement, as it were, boiling over, the meaning of Psa 45:2 rather is, the unobstructed gliding along of a pen in the hand of a ready writer (Sept., Cal., Geier, Heng., Hup., Del.), than the beautiful display of the skilful writer (Hitzig and others), although the sense of expert, skilful, is not only sustained by the cognate dialects, but by Ezr 7:6, and perhaps by Isa 16:5; Pro 22:29. [Alexander: Although particular expressions in this verse may be obscure, its general import is entirely unambiguous, as an animated declaration of the writers purpose, and a preface to his praise of the Messiah.J. F.]

Psa 45:2. Thou art fairer,etc.The passive form of the Hebrew word is unusual, and is variously explained. It is certainly intended to present a pictorial climax of the idea of that beauty with which the king is so pre-eminently endowed. Elsewhere prominence is given to the physical beauty of individuals, e. g., Saul, David, Absalom (1Sa 9:2; 1Sa 10:23; 1Sa 16:12; 2Sa 14:25), and grace playing around the lips is quite as significant as the expression of the eye. But can such traits in themselves (comp. Pro 30:31) be the ground of a Divine blessing, or, as in this place, the ground of a blessing of eternal duration? Expositors deny that they can be. But how can they help themselves? Some (Calvin, Stier and others) take therefore in the sense of because, thus making these features the consequence of the blessing; but the usus loquendi will not admit of this. Others (Heng., Kurz) say that the fairness is a symbol and reflection of spiritual perfection, a manifestation of mental and moral beauty. But the text neither speaks of this last, nor of that absolute moral conduct, which is necessary to make this expression of inward beauty the ground of a blessing. For even if we take Psa 45:3 in the sense of gracious speech (see Isa 50:4; Luk 4:22), we must not overlook the fact that the text presents this graciousness as a Divine gift, perhaps as an unction, and that the idea of absoluteness or independence is still wanting, even if we render it because thy lips overflow with gracious, loving words (Bhl), therefore, etc. As little does it satisfy us to be told that one gift draws after it the otherthat we must not press the nexus causalis (Hupfeld)or assume that therefore indicates the foundation, not of the blessing itself, but of the consciousness of it (Del.).I therefore emphasize beauty, as meaning not only that it is given by God, but also that it is of a superhuman kind. Such an endowment betokens a grand and peculiar destiny,it intimates that God not only will bless such a king (De Wette), but that he has already blessed him in this way, viz., that on account of this endowment He has appointed him to be the mediator who is to convey and give effect to that blessing of Abraham and David which is eternal in its duration and strength, and which makes those blessed, who with him and like him are blessing others. Thus the difficulty is removedthe connection of the passage with Psa 45:7 and its Messianic meaning become the clearer. [Perowne:Therefore, i. e., beholding this beauty and this grace, do I conclude that God hath blessed thee forever.Alexander: The first word in Hebrew is a reduplicated form, expressing the idea with intensity and emphasis. Grace, in Hebrew as in English, denotes both a cause and an effect; in this case, grace or beauty of expression, produced by Divine grace or favor, and tending reciprocally to increase it. On any hypothesis, except the Messianic one, this verse is unintelligible.J. F.]

Psa 45:3-4. Gird thy sword.This verse can be used to show that there is here no reference to Solomon, only by forgetting that both Gideon and David (Jdg 6:12; 1Sa 16:18) were styled Gibbor (Mighty One), before they had accomplished any warlike deeds; or by supposing that in this passage the king is simply called upon to prepare for a war, in which victory is promised him (De Wette); or by denying that there is here, in a poetic form, a description of the kings readiness for war, and the certainty of his victorious career (Cal., Rosen., Hup.). This description is not simply a suitable close to that of the beauty of the royal bridegroom, in an ode to him (Hup., Hitzig), and which in no way depends upon the question whether he has already manifested or ever shall manifest these martial qualities, but it strikingly brings before us the circumstances which surround the king, who has received from God a theocratic position and task, which he is to maintain and execute in the world. He must be equipped for conflict, and certain of victory. The terms majesty and glory are only weakened by the translation ornament and adornment (De Wette), as if they were epithets of the sword. They are rather descriptive of that radiant splendor of majesty, that Doxa, which (calling for praise and revealing His glory) beams around the heavenly (Psa 96:6; Psa 104:1; Psa 111:3; Job 11:10) and the theocratic king (Psa 21:6; Psa 8:6). These words, therefore, are not in apposition to the sword, as the symbol of majesty (Heng., Hupfeld), but they indicate with what the king should gird himself, beside the sword. A similar image is used in Psa 30:12; Psa 132:9; Eph 6:14; 1Pe 1:13.The word that follows , which is the echo of what precedes, and is linked to it like the notes in a musical scale (Maurer, Bhl), cannot possibly be taken as simply strengthening it, as if the sense wasyes, thy ornament is really thy ornament (De Wette); nor can it be grammatically rendered in thy ornament, as most expositors do. Or, if we regard it as a nominative absolute (Hengsten.), or as the accusative to define more plainly the succeeding verb (Del.), the otherwise rapid movement of the Psalm would be checked and crippled (Hitzig). It is therefore, on critical grounds, suspicious. But as the word is found in all the older versions, its absence from Codd. 39, 73, Kennicott, proves nothing, and it is a mere assumption to say that it has been interpolated into the text by the repetition of the previous word (Olsh., Hup., Btt., Del.). By a change of the Hebrew points, Hitzig makes the word , which he renders steps forth. This is ingenious, but the Septuagint and Vulgate while following this reading, have translated the word bend, i. e., the bow. We should find here following the verb an accusative of the object, if the sense was to take aim (Ewald). Other later commentators maintain that the fundamental idea is break through, which, when applied to plants, has the sense of prosperare, and being by ancient expositors erroneously applied to men, occasioned the inadmissible translation, be happy.Riding refers to the use of the war-chariot, or of the battle-horse. The older critics (Kim., Calvin, Ven.) connect the following words closely with upon the word of truth. Others (Chald., Geier, Rosen.) understand al-debar as in Psa 79:9; 2Sa 18:5, as indicating the object, of the combat, i. e., for the sake of the truth. Others (Luther, Mendelsohn, Hengstenberg) explain it, needlessly, as a metonomy for the representative of truth, i. e., the truthful and the meek, or the oppressed and the righteous. The same may be said of the explanation, in matters, or in favor of truth and oppressed righteousness (Bhl), or oppression (Del.); also, for the sake of faithfulness (which maintained peace), and pious innocence (Hitzig). It is, perhaps, more in accordance with the context and the use of language to interpret the passage as indicating the reason of the victorious riding forth of the theocratic king, which, however, is not his moral qualifications of fidelity, justice and meekness (Hupf., Camp.), on account of which he merits the victory, but Gods truth, meekness, and righteousness, by which this theocratic servant and Messianic representative is sent into the world-historic struggle, and is led to final triumph. The compound noun (an intermediate form between the construct and the absolute state) must not be resolved into two distinct ideas, placed side by side (De Wette), the original position of which may have been the reverse of what it now is (Olsh.),a reading which is found in some codices. It is that righteousness whose germ is gentleness (Heng.), or, more precisely, condescension, as in Psa 18:36, where Gods gentleness is spoken of; compare also Isa 11:4; Psa 72:4; Jer 2:3. The hand, the ordinary instrument of action, is here represented as a teacher, because by the performance of terrible deeds it reveals a power hitherto concealed, of which its possessor had not been conscious. [Alexander: The two words (honormajesty) are constantly employed to denote the Divine majesty (Psa 96:6; Psa 104:1; Psa 111:3), as distinguished from that of mortals (Job 40:10), or as bestowed upon them by special Divine favor. The first of the two is separately used to signify specifically royal dignity (1Ch 29:25; Dan 11:21).Perowne: Thy glory and thy majesty, a second accusative not in apposition with thy sword, but dependent on the verb gird on in the first clause.Ride on prosperously, lit., make thy way, ride on, the first verb being used adverbially, to add force to the other (Ges. 142, Oba 1:1).Alexander: Thy right hand as the seat of martial strength and aggressive action. Shall girdle or point the way, the proper meaning of the Hebrew verb, which, like other verbs expressing or implying motion, may be followed directly by a noun, where our idiom would require an intervening preposition.The insensible transition from the imperative to the future shows that the former was really prophetic, and that the prayer of this and the preceding verse is only a disguised prediction of Messiahs triumph, as one going forth conquering and to conquer.J. F.]

Psa 45:6-7. Thy throne.Thy God-throne. This construction, which the slat. construct., through the suffix, separates from its genitive, is supported by Lev 6:3; Lev 26:42; 2Sa 22:23; Hab 3:8; Jer 33:20; Eze 16:27; Psa 35:19. And that the idea as thus expressed is in accordance with grammatical rule, is proved by 1Ch 29:23, where the throne of the Davidic dynasty is plainly called the throne of the Lord (Jehovah). And it is based upon the theory that the king of Israel is designed to be the visible representative of the invisible Ruler to the covenant people (Hupf., Kurz). Jehovah sits upon His throne forever. His throne is from generation to generation, Lam 5:19. We cannot simply transfer this predicate to the personal dominion (Heng.) of the theocratic king, and so give the passage an immediate Messianic reference. But it might properly be transferred to his throne, after the prophecy in 2Sa 7:13 had been promulged; compare Psa 89:5. (Hupfeld erroneously adds Psa 21:5; Psa 72:5). If it be objected on grammatical grounds that lam-va-d is nowhere else used as a predicate, we may still render the clause thy throne is a throne of God forever and ever (Aben Ezra, Hitzig, Ewald). This is better than the rendering thy throne is Elohim (Doederlein). It is also hazardous to supply a possibly lost verb, and make Elohim the subject of the sentenceElohim has founded thy throne (Olshausen). The old view of Elohim as a vocative (Stier, Heng., Del., Bhl) rests upon strong grammatical grounds, and warrants the direct Messianic exposition. But in the Korahitic Psalms, as also in the Chald., Targ., Elohim stands for Jehovah. This might induce us to regard the address as made to God Himself. But whether Elohim Elohicha is taken as Elohim in a vocative sense, or as corresponding to the usual Jehovah, the following verse proves that the address is to the king, and other statements show that not the Messianic but the theocratic king is meant. He, however, cannot be addressed as ElohimJehovah. Such an address would involve a sense very different from that in which Elohim is applied to kings as the representatives of God on earth (Psa 82:1; Psa 82:6); compare Joh 10:35, especially in their judicial character (Exo 21:6; Exo 22:7; Psa 138:1). Hence Heb 1:8, where the Greek text has the vocative, may properly be quoted in proof of the divinity of the person addressed. Nor is there in this any difficulty in regard to the Messiah. According to Isa 9:5, He shall be called El Gibbor (the Mighty One)a name often applied in the Old Testament to Jehovah; and in Jer 23:6 he is styled Jehovah Zidkenu (the Lord our righteousness). This designation, the dogmatic importance of which is unjustly denied by Hupfeld, is historically vindicated by the fact that, in connection with it, mention is always made of a descendant of David,so that finally Davids house shall be as Elohim, as Maleach Jehovahthe angel of Jehovah, or the angel Jehovah (Zec 12:8). The contents of this Psalm, however, show that Messiah is not directly addressed. Nor has the anointing mentioned in this place any relation to his name. The question here is not about the consecration of the king, as he enters upon the functions of his government, nor of his being replenished with the Holy Spirit, of which the anointing with oil was the symbol; but this last is here used as the symbol of joy, Isa 61:3; Psa 23:5; Psa 104:15. It does not precede his righteous administration as its source, but follows it, as its final, abundant, and Divine reward. Isa 61:8; Psa 5:5. It is uncertain whether the phrase thy fellows, as in 2Ch 1:12, is to be understood of other kings (as most expositors take it), or of the friends and companions of the bridegroom (Stier, Hupfeld).[Perowne: Thy throne, O God! This rendering seems, at first sight, to be at variance with the first and historical application of the Psalm. I conclude, therefore, that in the use of such language the Psalmist was carried beyond himself, and that he was led to employ it by a two old conviction in his mindthe conviction that God was the King of Israel, combined with the conviction that the Messiah, the true King, who was to be in reality what others were but in figure, was the son of David.Alexander: To avoid the obvious ascription of divinity contained in the first clause, two very forced constructions have been proposed: 1. Thy throne (is the throne of) God forever and ePsalm Psa 45:2. Thy God throne (or Divine throne) is forever. But even admitting, what is very doubtful, that a few examples of this syntax occur elsewhere, the sense thus obtained is unsatisfactory and obscure,and this is still more true of that afforded by the only obvious or natural construction besides the one first given, thy throne is God forever and ever.Barnes:Thou lovest righteousness. The word God is rendered in the margin O God, thy God hath anointed thee. According to this construction, the thought would be carried on which is suggested in Psa 45:6, of a direct address to the Messiah as God. This construction is not necessary, but it is the most obvious one.J. F.]

Psa 45:8-11. All thy garments smell of myrrh.In the third word the vav is omitted as is often done in the enumeration of things of the same kind. (Deu 29:22). The nuptial garments are as thoroughly perfumed by these spices, as if they had been made of them. (Heng., Hup., Hitz.). Their costliness is increased by their having been brought from distant lands. Myrrh, a balm:Cassia, a bark similar to cinnamon, from Southern Arabia; Aloes, for the purpose of fumigation, from India. The mention of ivory palaces might remind us of these countries, if we could refer the doubtful word Minn to the Mynaeans in South Arabia, who according to Diod Siculus 3:47, had houses ornamented with ivory, or to the Armenians who were early celebrated for their commerce, Jer 51:27. (Chald.); but we must then translate the following verseout of Armenias ivory palaces, kings daughters make thee glad. (J. D. Mich., Knapp, Muntinghe); or (according to more Ancient critics, Rosenmller) art made glad with presents. In this case we must suppose a Persian king to be alluded to, (De Wette) because, according to Herodotus 3:93, to such kings, the Armenians were tributary. We might naturally think that these costly articles were obtained through the agency of traders, and we need not change the translation palaces into that of chests (Bhl) since Hkal is generally taken in the sense of a capacious vessel (Sept., Kimchi, Vatablus, and others), just as Bottim is in Exo 25:27; Exo 36:29; Isa 3:20. But all this is far fetched. We are prepared to find here something notable in regard to the marriage of the king, and not a mere enumeration of his costly possessions. The latter idea would be possible only if the version were in ivory palaces. We might then consider Minn as only a shortened form of Minnim i.e., strings, or stringed instruments Psa 150:4. For though examples of such a defective plural are wanting, nearly all commentators since Sebastian Schmidt consider such a plural form as possible, and as in fact here used. But as the rendering out of cannot be avoided, it is also generally conceded that the allusion is not to the beauties of the royal palace into which the bride is led (Hup.), but to the palace of her father out of which a procession issues to greet the royal bridegroom (Maccab. 9:37; Pro 2:17, with the music usual on such occasions. In this view, it is useless to inquire whether Solomon had only a throne adorned with ivory (1Ki 10:18); or also a tower of this sort (Son 7:5); or even a palace, since it is plain from Amo 3:15, that there were several such houses in the kingdom of Israel, as well as the ivory beds mentioned Amo 6:4 (Hup.). It is equally needless to ask whether, because such a palace is not mentioned as having been the residence of Solomon, while Ahab is said to have had one (1Ki 22:29), the reference is to this latter king (Hitzig), or to his daughter (Delitzsch). The plural does not indicate the various residences of the many brides here called queens, afterwards companions, and who are the types of the Gentiles (Heng.). It is simply intended to set forth in poetic form, the splendor of the palace into which the king, (who already has in his harem kings daughters, perhaps the daughters of neighbors (Kurtz) who though neither vanquished nor tributary princes (De Wette), were inferior to him,) now brings the principal consort, who takes the place of honor at his right hand (1Ki 2:19) resplendent with gold of Ophir, the most precious kind of gold known in Jerusalem in Davids time. (1Ch 29:4). Hence we do not favor the interpretation that once prevailed, based on the older versions, which regarded Minn as a preposition with the Yod paragogic, in the sense of out of them, or to give emphasis to it, out of it thou art made glad. (Heng). The rendering more than ivory palaces, yea more than they, art thou made glad by them (Hofmann) gives an undue importance to the palaces as well as the garments. The same is true of the translation a number of them i.e. more than one make thee glad. (Bott.).The title of the principal consort Shegal is used in Neh 2:6, of a Persian, and in Dan 5:2 of a Chaldean queen. But this is no certain proof that the Psalm belongs to a later period, for in Jer. 12:18; 29:24; 2Ch 15:16, we find the usual and more comprehensive word Gebirah, mistress (applied also to the kings mother) still in use, 1Ki 11:19; 1Ki 15:13. Nor can we admit the foreign origin of the word, for in its sense of concubine it is found in 1 Kings 5:30, and as a verb in Deu 28:30. The opinion of Bohl that the kings daughters belonged to her retinue, and were clothed with ornaments presented by the king, founded upon the translation Kings daughters go about in thy ornaments, (Sept., Luth., many Ancient critics, Hofmann) is not confirmed by the text. The retinue of virgins (Psa 45:14) holds a different position from that of the kings daughters (Psa 5:11). These already form part of the kings treasures. (Btt., Hup.). They belong to his dear ones, i.e. his appreciated women, (the Rabbins, Calvin, and others, Del.), or his little favorites and treasures (Hitzig). We might also call them his magnificent ones. only that we must understand it in the sense of those who are magnificently arrayed.

[Perowne:Kings daughters. As polygamy had only the permission, not the sanction of God, it may seem strange that this should be mentioned as a feature in the splendor of the monarch. But polygamy was practiced by the best of kings; and the Psalmist is describing the magnificence of an Oriental court such as it actually existed before his eyes, not drawing a picture of what ought to be in a perfect state of things.Alexander:Daughters of kings (are) among thy precious ones; stationed is the queen at thy right hand, in gold of Ophir. Precious, dear, not in the sense of beloved, which the Hebrew word never has, but in that of costly, valuable, which it always has. Stationed, not simply stands but placed there, as the post of honor.Ophir, one of the places to which Solomons ships traded with the Phenicians (1Ki 9:28; 1Ki 10:11; 2Ch 8:18; 2Ch 9:10). Its situation is disputed, and is of no exegetical importance.J. F.].

Psa 45:12. And the daughter of Tyre.Most interpreters with the older versions explain this to mean the inhabitants of Tyre. In Isa 23:12, Tyre is personified as a daughter (the daughter of Zidon). Here the plural form of the verb which follows, brings out the idea of numbers, who are described as the richest among the people, while some suppose that they are the poor among the people mentioned in Isa 29:19. There is no mention of homage or tribute paid by the Tyrians to Israel, as there is no historic ground for supposing that such homage was ever rendered by them. It is simply declared that as a recompense for the Brides devotion to the king of Israel, he promised, that to gain her favor, the richest men, the neighboring Tyrians should bring her presents. A few critics (Jerome, Hitzig, Hupfeld) notwithstanding the and take the words in a vocative senseO daughter of Tyre! But this would make the bride the daughter of a Tyrian king, to whom the rich men of the Israelitish nation should do homage by bringing presents to her. It is possible but by no means certain that this might become the basis for the historical interpretation. But even the common exposition involves so many grammatical difficulties, and such too is the structure of the verse, that a defect in the text is quite probable. (Camp.).

[Barnes:The daughter of Tyre. In the time of the Psalmist it was probably the most wealthy and luxurious commercial town then existing: and it is referred to here as meaning that persons of highest rank, and of the greatest riches, and those surrounded most by affluence and luxury, would come to honor the king. Even the daughter of the magnificent prince of Tyre would deem it an honor to be present with a gift becoming her exalted station. Even the rich, etc. The sense here is, the richest of the nations shall make court to thee with gifts.J. F.].

Psa 45:13-15. Within (Psa 45:14,) i. e. the interior of the palace,not that of her consort, seated upon the throne (Gesen.), but the palace of her father from whence, after the conclusion of the marriage and the exhortations and promises made to her, the festive procession goes to the residence of her spouse. The explanation of the term as denoting the internal disposition of the bride (Luth., J. H. Mich., Stier), with a reference to 1Pe 3:3, has led to many typical and edifying applications. Certainly this sense suggests a more striking contrast with the splendor of her garments, than the supposed allusion to her personal beauty (Grot.). Hitzig translates 5:15, upon cushions of many colors.The virgin companions who enter the palace at the same time with the newly married couple, with festive songs and dances are not brides maids, but belonged to the household of the young queen, and according to oriental custom, were upon her marriage transferred to the possession of the king. Of royal virgins, who are to be married to the king (J. H. Mich., Rosen, Heng.) there is no mention in the text. The benediction of their descendants, who should not only occupy the palace of their fathers, but resemble them in virtue, (Hupf.) may be rendered princes in the whole land. There is perhaps a reference to the fact that Solomon divided his kingdom into twelve governments. 1Ki 4:7. David, before him had made his sons princely governors (1Ki 22:26; Zep 1:8), (Sarm): and at a latter period, probably for a like reason Rehoboam placed his sons in charge of fortified cities (11:23). The larger view and application of these words as a prediction of the future spread of the Theocracy over all the earth is warranted by the promise that the name of this king shall be kept in the living remembrance of the Church through all generations, by her songs, and that through them, all people would come to know and forever praise him. (Psa 72:17). This is not hyperbolical flattery (De Wette) but a promise due to the Theocratic king.

[Perowne:Gladness. Lit., Joys, the plural denoting fulness and manifoldness.

Psa 45:16 and those immediately preceding are, to my mind, evidence sufficient that this Psalm cannot as a whole, be regarded as prophetical of the Messiah. It seems far wiser to me to acknowledge at once the mixed character of such Psalms as this. It does speak, no doubt, of One who is higher than the kings of the earth, but it does so under earthly images.The sacred poet sees the earthly king and the human marriage before his eyes, but whilst he strikes his harp to celebrate these a vision of a higher glory streams in upon him. Thus the earthly and the heavenly mingle. Alexander:I will make thy name to be remembered. The Psalmist speaks as one in a long series of inspired heralds, and in behalf of all. The form of the festival implies fixed determination and involves a pledge.J. F.].

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. He who has a good message to deliver may well feel his heart swell with loving sympathy and grateful joy because God has chosen, called, and prepared him for such an errand. The depth of the sentiment will be proportioned to the dignity of the person to whom he is sent, and the importance of the message he has to deliver. But whoever may be the one addressed, if the message is important, its form of expression is not a matter of indifference;the good word should have a good place.
2. If a man has superior endowments, he should consider them as a gift of God, and receive them as an ornament from the hand of God, bestowed upon him not that he may boast of them, or glorify himself, but that he may direct his life to the attainment of those ends for which God has chosen him, fitted him specially, and sent him into the world. The richer and more varied these gifts, and the higher the position in which God has placed him, the greater is his responsibility, and his obligation to regard himself as the servant of the Most High, and to use these advantages and blessings as the means of fitting himself to seek, that Gods will may be done on earth as it is in heaven, and that the kingdom of God through His abiding blessing, may overcome all the enemies it encounters in this world.
3. When princes adorn their persons with ornaments suited to their high rank, especially on festive occasions, they should do so not for the sake of vain glory, but, on the one hand, to command respect and admiration for the majesty of their office, and on the other, to lead the thoughts of men up to the eternal throne of God, from whom all blessings come, both to princes and their people. Of this throne, princely dignity and rank are an earthly image. By the effectual power and grace of God, all kingdoms are founded, princely dynasties become durable, and governments are stable. And the kingdom of God has been brought into this world, is kept in it, and extended over it, for the purpose of bringing high and low into its service.
4. Marriage as a divine ordinance is fraught with honor and joy, and even with a cross is blessed. As it introduces new relations, so it involves various new tasks and duties; and to these it is proper that the Christian pastor should call attention, in the way of exhortation and comfort, especially as it has been chosen to be a symbol and type of the mysterious union of God and His people, of Christ and the Church. But in dealing with it in this aspect we should not go beyond the example of the Scriptures.

5. Mutual conjugal devotion, involves, no doubt, many pains and sacrifices, but the love and obedience which are its essence, according to Gods promise, secure great blessings. Among these blessings are, the influence upon contemporaries, the preservation of the race by means of well trained children, and the leaving behind us a good name which may excite others to emulate us. But we must not forget that as the glory of the King in the kingdom of God infinitely surpasses all human glory, so no human name can be put upon a par with His. The Church is called upon to make a proper acknowledgment of His divine nature, dignity, and honor, to preserve the remembrance of His name through all generations, and by proclaiming it to the Gentiles to excite them to join in the same praises. Ps. 102:14; 135:31.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Out of the heart the mouth speaketh. See to it therefore what thy heart receives, and by what it is moved.Remember from whom thou hast obtained thy beauty, for what purpose thy rank has been given thee, and for what end thy power is employed.The highest point that any man can reach, is to become the recipient, the bearer and the producer of the divine blessing.Gods love in the heart, Gods praises on the lips procure more than one happy hour.If you would get a permanent blessing, you must follow the directions of Gods word, and seek His kingdom.Pious and just kings deem it an honor to be called the servants of that God who has clothed them with majesty. Hail to the king who acknowledges that God is the giver of his crown, the strength of his throne, and the type of his government.The ornament, calling, and aim of pious married people.The honor, order and blessing of the matrimonial state.Whoever in love, makes sacrifices, which he is bound in obedience to his calling to make, may hope for an abundant reward, according to the divine promise. More precious than gold is a happy marriage, and a family of well trained children. There are many names, renowned, blessed, and justly honored by the children of men; but there is only One name by which we can be saved. Its praises shall be sung in the church from generation to generation, and the knowledge of it shall extend unto the heathen, in order that it may be praised for ever and ever.Ascending the throne by a king is, so to speak, solemnizing his marriage with his people.The certainty of the glorious results accomplished by a king after Gods own heart, in his struggles for truth and righteousness.He who proclaims the name of the Lord, prepares the way for his being praised by all the people.

Luther: Honored by thy bridegroom, thon art really honored before all the world.This song can be truly comprehended only by faith; for it is Gods word, which unless taken hold of through faith, can be understood by no human being.Mark this, whatever Christ has, He communicates to those who believe in Him.The Lord Himself has adorned and endowed all who are betrothed to Him, and has given them that by which they are acceptable to Him.Everything should be done in the service and for the honor of this King.There may be a great difference among His people as regards gifts, but they are of one mind respecting the highest article of faith, viz., that they can be saved only through faith in Christ, and by no other way, or means.

Starke: Let heart and tongue have nothing to do with evil things, but rather with that word which God has revealed from heaven, and which is able to build up our souls unto salvation.Personal beauty is a gift of God not to be despised, but the beauty of the soul, which consists of piety and other Christian virtues, is a far higher treasure.To His own people, Christ is both a gracious Ruler and a mighty Defender against their enemies.Wealth without fellowship with Christ is more injurious than useful to men.The best adoration of Jesus consists in this, that we recognize Him as our only Lord and ourselves as His peculiar property,that we love and serve supremely none but Him.How can the Church perish, since Christs name and praise shall never be forgotten?Oh! that the gladness of the marriage feast were always sanctified by the remembrance of the joyful home-bringing of the spouse to her Bridegroom in heaven. Osiander: Happy are the princes and rulers who surpass their subjects in wisdom and virtue, as well as in other gifts.Selnekker: If we speak of this King, of His name and His office, we shall at once experience joy and pleasure in heart, soul, and body.Franke: Christ will come to the terror of the wicked, to the joy and gladness of the pious who believe in Him.Renschel: Christ is our Bridegroom, His beauty is our ornament, His gracious lips our comfort, His arrows our protection, His sceptre our guide, His oil of joy our unctionFrisch: Believing soul! be thou stimulated by this heavenly bridal song to deny the love of the world, and to love with a pure affection the bridegroom of thy soul.Burk: See in how many points the bride may be compared to the bridegroom.Rieger: A bridal song of the Holy Spirit for the marriage feast which the king makes for His Son.Oetinger: The King of Gods kingdom deserves that men should proclaim His praise.Tholuck: Truth and goodness joined to righteousness are the prize for which the Messiah struggles.Vaihinger: Out of every contest with His enemies this king comes forth a complete conqueror, and in every new war His throne is proved to be immovably firm.Diedrich: A song of praise to the greatest of kings, whose word has the greatest loveliness, and whose power is omnipotent. The mystery of divine love towards humanity.Taube: The beautiful Song of Solomon 1. Of the king; a, Of His beauty. b, Of His heroic power and victory. c, Of His anointment.2. Of the kings bride, a, Of the wedding garments in which she appears. b, Of the marriage sermon pronounced by the Holy Spirit. c, Of the treasures the bride receives. Earthly matrimony is not the prototype, but the image and copy of that higher relation.F. W. Krummacher; The advent prayer of the Church of Christ. We consider1. The Address, Thou hero. 2. The six petitions. 3. The Amen.

[Henry: I will speak of the things which I have made. 1. With all possible clearness, as one that did himself understand, and was affected with the things he spake of. Note, what God has wrought in our souls, as well as what He has wrought for them we must declare to others. 2. With all possible cheerfulness, freedom, and fluency. My tongue is as the pen of a ready writer. The tongue of the most subtle disputant, and the most eloquent orator is but the pen with which God writes what He pleases.They that have an admiration and affection for Christ, love to go to Him and tell Him so.The glorious cause in which He is engaged, because of the truth, etc., which were, in a manner sunk and lost among men, and which Christ came to retrieve and rescue. 1. The Gospel itself is truth, meekness and righteousness; it commands by the power of truth and righteousness, for Christianity has these, incontestably, on its side, and yet it is to be promoted by meekness and gentleness, 1Co 4:12; 1Co 13:2. Christ appears in it in His truth, meekness and righteousness, and these are His glory and majesty, and because of these He shall prosper. Men are brought to believe on Him because He is true, to learn of Him because He is meek, Mat 11:29; the gentleness of Christ is of mighty force. 2Co 10:1. Men are brought to submit to Him because He is righteous and rules with equity. 3. The Gospel so far as it prevails with men, sets up in their hearts, truth, meekness and righteousness, rectifies their mistakes by the light of truth, controls their passions by the power of meekness, and governs their hearts and lives by the laws of righteousness.All true children are born from above: they are the believers of the King of kings; these attend the throne of the Lord Jesus daily with their prayers and praises, which is really their honor, and He is pleased to reckon it His.The conversation of Christians in which they appear in the world, must be enriched with good works, not gay and gaudy ones, like paint and flourish, but substantially good, like gold; and it must be accurate and exact, like wrought gold, which is worked with a great deal of care and caution.They that help to support the honor of Christ on earth, shall in heaven see His glory, and share in it, and be forever praising Him.

Scott: In the Redeemer, the enlightened soul perceives unutterable goodness and beauty, which eclipses all the dim excellency that it was wont to admire in the children of men. The gracious words which He speaks to sinners, are replete with Divine harmony, and excite ineffable comfort in the broken heart.In proportion as we are conformed to His holy image, we may expect the gladdening influence of the Comforter, which is communicated from His fulness, and while His name is to us as ointment poured forth, the fragrancy of heavenly affections will recommend our conversation to the spiritually-minded, and make us meet for His palace above.The true believers privileges, as well as the most estimable parts of his character are internal, and undiscerned by an ungodly world; yet the holiness of his conversation proves the inward adorning of his soul, and that he is arrayed with the robe of righteousness and salvation.J. F.]

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

CONTENTS

Here is another Psalm of gospel grace and truth, in which the Redeemer of his Church is celebrated in a Most illustrious strain of prophecy, as the Husband and Conqueror of his Church. And the Church as also beautifully set forth, as married to her Lord, and adorned with his grace end comeliness.

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, a Song of loves.

The title of this Psalm is the first thing which demands our attention. Some have thought that the word Shoshannim means an instrument, and as such is addressed to the chief Musician of the temple service. But others, and with much greater probability of being right, as it is a Song of loves, and professedly treating of the love of Christ to his Church, make the word Shoshannim to mean, Roses or Lilies; thereby corresponding to what Christ himself hath said, I am the Rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the Valley, Son 2:1 . And as it is well known that flowers were made use of at nuptial ceremonies among the Jews and this Song of loves is an epithalamium, it should seem that nothing can be more probable.

Psa 45:1

The person writing this Psalm, thus introduceth himself. He professeth to be under divine teaching. Like Elihu, his heart is so full, in inditing this glorious subject, concerning the King, the Messiah, that he is ready to burst. Job 32:19 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

The Pattern of Human Gladness

Psa 45:7

We are not accustomed to think of Christ as the pattern of human gladness, but He was so.

I. The earthly life of Christ, even in its sorrows, was a life of unparalleled joy. What were the leading characteristics of the life of our Lord in their bearing in this connexion?

( a ) The consciousness of constant Divine communion. Communion with God is gladness.

( b ) Obedience to the will of God is joy. The habit of recognizing the Divine will in all things has a power to make us glad.

( c ) Purity is joy. Freedom from an accusing conscience, freedom from unbridled desires is happiness.

( d ) Love is joy. The oblivion of self, the act of self-sacrifice is joy.

II. The heavenly life is a life of joy, perfected by sorrows past. The gladness of the heavenly manhood of the Lord lies in the continuous extension of the benefits of His death, and in all the glory and triumph which His human soul there possesses.

III. The joy of the Lord on earth and in heaven is granted through His sorrow to sorrowing men. For earth we may receive communion with God, forgiveness, and holiness; for heaven the share in His triumph. Our earthly life can never be pure and uninterrupted gladness, but its gladness may be most real and deep.

A. Maclaren.

References. XLV. 7. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxii. No. 1273. XLV. 8. Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 46. XLV. 9. J. M. Neale, Sermons on Passages of the Psalms, p. 129. XLV. 11. J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons (9th Series), p. 55. XLV. 13. J. M. Neale, Sermons on Passages of the Psalms, p. 140. XLV. 13-15. J. A. Aston, Early Witness to Gospel Truth, pp. 76, 94.

Fathers and Children

Psa 45:16

I. The message contains a very obvious, but sometimes overlooked fact, viz. that within the compass of a few brief years our places as parents, as citizens, as business men, will be occupied by others. For us the struggle and discipline and activity will be over; we shall have played our part for good or ill on the stage of human action. There will be a new County Council, a new Parliament, a new England; new merchants, manufacturers, tradesmen, labourers; new missionaries, pastors, teachers, church officers; a new set of men and women for God to rule and Christ to save. Those of us who are now over thirty and live fifty years longer will see all this.

II. And the part of that fact which is supremely important to us is, that the men and women of the future are with us. They are not going to swoop down upon us from some other clime, and drive us out when we are feeble and old. We have them now under our influence in our homes and schools; we are handling and shaping today the material for the future.

III. This, however, is only on the surface, and the next important lesson conveyed by the text is its assurance of an unbroken line of godly men and women. The workers of yesterday are gone; they grew weary, and God gathered them into His rest. The workers of today will follow them, but there will be workers to-morrow a new strong race, vigorous in piety, clear in faith, eager in philanthropy, wise in method, spiritual in temper and aim. God lives, and He is still making men in His own image and likeness, and still calling them with an effectual calling to Himself.

IV. The coming generations of Christian people will be more than equal to the present or past generation. God will not only have a people of His own in the days to come, but a people more truly His own, nobler, purer, more like Himself than any preceding generation has ever been.

It is recorded in classic story that once when the Spartans were defeated, and the king demanded fifty of their children as hostages, they replied, ‘We would rather give you one hundred of our most distinguished men.’ It was an answer that indicated their unbounded faith in the future generation. They had been defeated, but they looked to their children to conquer. They had done their best, but they believed their children would do better. They had such profound faith in the future that it seemed to them that fifty children were of more value than a hundred fathers. It seems perhaps a strange preference, but do you not think it is true to the universal instincts of men? are we not always looking to, and building upon, the coming generation?

C. Brown, Light and Life, p. 121.

References. XLV. 16. J. Edmond, Christian World Pulpit, vol. ii. p. 161. XLV. 17. J. M. Neale, Sermons on Passages of the Psalms, p. 149. XLV. 19. G. H. Morrison, The Scottish Review, vol. i. p. 338. XLV. International Critical Commentary, vol. i. p. 383.

Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson

Psa 45

[Note. This is a psalm for a special occasion, that occasion being none other than the nuptials of an anointed king. The king is described as beautiful and gracious and blessed for evermore, and as a conqueror whose objects are not dominion and glory, but truth, humility, and righteousness; he is even described as a divine person, worthy of the name of God; he is seated on an everlasting throne, anointed with the oil of gladness, and received with the strains of harps in ivory palaces. The bride is a king’s daughter, one of a foreign race, beautiful and glorious; her attendants are pure virgins, her children are to be princes in all the earth. As to the particular king referred to, some have suggested Ahab, others Jehoram; but the suggestion scarcely needs refutation. The only satisfactory interpretation of all the terms of the psalm is to be found in its Messianic character. The daughter of the king is the Church, the attendants of the bride represent foreign nations brought into willing submission to the Messiah. The psalm is inscribed “To the chief musician upon Shoshannim,” the meaning of which word is lilies. This may be the name of the tune to which the psalm was recited; or the word may be metaphorical, equivalent to lily-like maidens or bridesmaids; and the meaning may be, a psalm to be recited to a melody adapted to a bridal solemnity. It has been pointed out that a certain sacredness attached to the lily; for example, there was lily-work on the capitals of the pillars, Jachin and Boaz, and on the brim of the molten sea ( 1Ki 7:19 , 1Ki 7:22 , 1Ki 7:26 ).]

The King’s Daughter

“The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold” ( Psa 45:13 ).

The Psalmist says, “My heart is inditing a good matter.” We should think that he was dictating something to a writer. That is not the meaning of the word. Literally, My heart is bubbling all over with a song of loves. Not a song of love even, but genuine Hebrew, a song of loves. Different languages have established their own rights: there is an independence as well as a unity of human language. What would be bad syntax in one language is excellent grammar in another. The Hebrew will pluralise in its own way, and make grammar. My heart is springing up, my heart is like a well, a spring, a fountain, rising, shooting high into the blue sky, and I must tell you what I think and feel about the king’s daughter. It is an advantage to listen to a man when he is in his best mood. This man has no fault to find with the mood in which he is about to sing; he feels at his very best. We know what it is to be dejected and in fear and in weakness, and to be unable to find words to express our uppermost thought; and we also know what it is to have great liberty of speech, as if we knew all words, and could make more, and could talk on with rising eloquence, until we had spoken out all that we felt of love and hope and life.

Let us take it that the man is talking about the Church and kingdom of Christ. The Psalmists did not always know the subjects of their own song. There is an unconsciousness that touches the sublimest genius. It is sometimes when we do not know what we are doing that we are doing most. Men think we are insane, because they are in cold blood, and we are filled with the very fire and life of Heaven. The prophets did not know what they were prophesying; their words were as strange to themselves as to those who listened to them; they wondered what manner of Man and time was signified, as the Holy Spirit wrought within them the mystery of the evangelical forecast; they wondered what was meant by the sufferings of Christ and by the glory that should follow. Probably the poet did not know that he was in reality talking about an ideal daughter, the Church, redeemed, washed with the precious blood of Christ, made without spot or wrinkle or any such thing what the apostle calls a “glorious church,” gleaming, burning, effulging at every point; a mystery to herself; not conscious of her own beauty, yet often wondering that the world should stop in fascination to express wonder and to render homage.

Here are two aspects of the king’s daughter the internal and the external; within all glorious, without covered with wrought gold, a magnificent congruity, a spiritual miracle of consistency. “Glorious,” not commonplace; separated from every other institution or mode of life by a dazzling, gleaming brightness above the shining of the sun. The Church is not a club, meeting at regular times, bound by certain agreed stipulations, living a decent, ordinary, enjoyable life: the Church is a miracle, or she is nothing; the Church is glorious, or she has no right to exist. Not that the Church has already upon the earth realised all her highest possible glory, but she is living in that direction; so that no sun-ray shall be lost upon her, she shall catch all the descending beams and hold them as an increase of her own brightness. Because the Church has lost its distinctiveness it has lost its power. The Master of the Church continually walks up and down, saying, “What do ye more than others?” because it is in the “more than others” that our Christianity begins. We have not begun to be Christians whilst we are simply as good as other people, whilst we are only baptised pagans, whilst we are living upon the husks of moral maxims. We may be regarded as amiable and useful and kindly and neighbourly, but that is not Christianity, that has no relation to Christianity, that is often foisted upon society as a simulation of Christianity. Christianity is in its uniqueness, in its doing things that nobody else ever thought of doing, in its insanity, its holy, beneficent madness. Some men are not Christians, they are only professors of Christianity.

“All glorious,” not one shadow, not one indication of love of darkness. There is no adulteration in this glory; wherever a beam of light is present, or wherever a beam of light can issue forth, that beam of light is visible. “All glorious” in doctrine, in conduct, in speech, in thought, in the innermost recesses of the heart “all glorious within.” There the glory cannot be seen by outward observers, an internal, spiritual glory. How neglectful some persons are of out-of-the-way places, of matters which do not come under public criticism! How anxious to be right externally, and how indolent about spiritual cleanliness and beauty, not to say glory! What a love of applause! what a spirit of ostentation! what a decoration for the passing moment! The peculiarity of the king’s daughter was that she was good all through and through; glorious where she could least be seen, glorious in her spirit, in her motive, in the whole conception of life; just as glorious as if there were not one human eye to look upon her brightness. We are so prone to do much that other people may look upon; we wonder what they will think of us. Many expenses are incurred to please critics who mayhap may never bestow a thought upon us. It is our public attitude, our social relation, our neighbourly environment, that we think about Under certain limitations such solicitude is right; but it is worse than a mistake, if it be put in substitution for spiritual, internal, invisible beauty and brightness. Probably the poet only meant that the innermost chamber of the bride was a beautiful room; his thought may not have risen above that comparatively mean conception: but the higher thought, translated into the idealism of the Church, is that the Church of the living Christ is without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, a glorious Church glorious within.

Why? Because of a conscious realisation of the divine presence. Have we made our preparation for the Chief of Guests? Has the housewife made no arrangement to receive her visitor with becoming care and distinction? Will any place do for one whose head is illuminated with divine light, whose heart is filled with the love of Calvary, whose presence is an indication of an ineffable and immortal kingliness? The king’s daughter will receive the King in a prepared chamber; she will say, This habitation must be made worthy of him; he himself is glorious, and such glory as I can supply must be furnished against the time of his coming. So, who would receive God into an unprepared heart? We must make the heart-house as worthy as we can of the King’s coming. This we can do we can pray God the Holy Ghost to make us what we ought to be, to take possession of our heart, to cleanse it, purify it, elevate its every impulse, and consecrate it as the guest-chamber in which God himself shall abide with us. Consciousness of the divine presence implies conscious communion with God; taking ourselves up to our highest estate; sharing the very thought and passion of divine love, a marvellous transfiguration of our lower selves into our ideality. Mystery of mysteries is this, that the mortal can talk with the Eternal; that the creature can commune with the Creator; that a life so low that presently it will be cut down and burned like grass in the oven can go right up to eternal Kingliness and say, Let us commune together, concerning the mystery of being and the mystery of destiny, the mystery of conduct and the mystery of service: O Eternal King, let me, poor, poor me, talk with thee a long time! Out of this must come a growing solicitude to be transformed into the divine likeness. When we can see God we can be satisfied with no other beauty; all other beauty then sinks into its right relation, and becomes but a dim type or emblem of the ineffable loveliness; having seen God, we can bear the sight of nothing lower, except that which is of kindred quality, and that which we can help to the level to which the Holy Spirit has exalted our own souls. Given the conscious divine presence, conscious communion with God, conscious desire to be transformed into his likeness, and you have given, if not noontide, yet heavenly dawn; such consciousness shall grow like the advancing sun, until it has reached the zenith of its power and splendour.

What is the king’s daughter without? Look at her clothing, that will answer the inquiry, “Her clothing is of wrought gold.” The internal glory is proved by the external beauty. There is a clothing which we are called upon to admire, the clothing of the king’s daughter is of wrought gold: no dress can be too beautiful, if it express a beautiful character. You cannot be too lovely in your costume (assuming that you. can afford it) if the costume proclaim the man. Say frankly, is there any irony so palpable and detestable as that represented by an expensively dressed fool? There is an incongruity which amounts to wickedness. Some persons are nothing but clothes. A man has no right to make himself a palpable self-contradiction, he is a whited sepulchre. No bad man has a right to wear a good coat, he is a liar. No bad man has a right to put a flower in his button-hole, he spoils the flower, he dishonours the summer, he is a living, and ought to be an instructive, paradox. If you see a flower in the garment of a bad man you should cry, “Stop thief!” Do not imagine that flowers have no feeling, that nature would just as soon decorate a fool as a philosopher. Nature is God’s; nature bears a divine stamp and seal; nature is but an emblem, and if the emblem be upon the wrong person what mischief may ensue! Who can calculate the effect of a paradox so palpable and so mischievous?

In the case of the king’s daughter we have a beautiful congruity. Because she is all glorious within, she has a right to a covering of wrought gold. It would be wrought gold, even if the goldsmith had never touched it. She might be in poverty, yet her poverty would be as an image of wrought gold. We are not to be too literal in our construction of these sentences, there is a transfiguring process of soul upon cloth, if you will have it so; there is a possibility that a carpenter’s raiment may become white and glistering. The internal light illumines the external robe. The wise soul has a wise face. The foolish observer may not see it, because he judges by false or transient canons; but there never yet was a wise man that had not a wise countenance, a great man that had not somehow a great face. There never was a good man that did not vindicate his goodness externally, in some way, in some measure; not always instantaneously, but people have said concerning a good man, “The longer you know him the more you love him; he may not be very taking at first, but, oh, what he is to rest upon! He is slow of speech, but having given his word he has given his soul.” So if the king’s daughter had been from a worldly point of view poor, yet there is a grace of poverty when it is associated with internal pureness, and large wisdom, and burning aspiration after God and God’s eternity. Here is a man who has been a long time in prayer, he comes down the hill as morning might come down the quickly illuminated mountain; speak to the man, and he wists not that his face doth shine. It is not a painted splendour, it is not a decoration brought from some remote market of the world; it is a shining that comes from within, because the man has been enjoying that consciousness of the divine presence, and that consciousness of divine communion, of which we have just spoken. This is the beauty of heaven; this is not formal beauty; this is the light that springeth from within, which will be as beauteous in the morning as it is at night, in the winter as in the summer: how trying soever the circumstances through which the man may pass, he will throw a sacred radiance upon his whole condition, and make a space for himself by the power of wisdom.

The costliest environment is balanced by the character, and brought into harmony by the soul. Sometimes we are conscious of incongruity as between the man and his own estate. We wonder whether this estate has been come by honestly; it is bigger than the owner, it overwhelms him, it is his one subject; he is always surveying his own land and making a new map of his own estate. We say, Who is this man? and how came he to have all these tens of thousands of acres, and all these various palaces? one in the mountains, one at the seaside, one in the metropolis, one far away which he calls his hunting-place, with a garden miles long of heather that is ashamed of its owner. This is palpable and shocking incongruity. Sometimes we have seen a man surrounded by estates, and have felt that the man was greater than the property; we have said, What a soul this man has! Listen to his thoughts, hear his conversation; presently he will rise into prayer, or utter himself in sacred song, or speak lovingly and redeemingly about the poor and those who have no helper; and then the environment falls away into its right perspective, and we say, Would God this man owned the whole world! for then the poor would be made to rejoice, and the sad of heart would know what a friend they had. If there is any disparity it should be on the spiritual side, so that we shall say concerning a man, however much he has, he ought to have more; he is a faithful steward, a generous administrator: appoint him the guardian of society. In the costume as described by the poet we have no contradiction, no irony, no sense of incongruity; we have a massive, simple, beautiful, beneficent consistency. Think of a man who has plenty of clothes and no ideas, a well dressed body and a naked soul! Pity him. Think of a man who has a large wardrobe, and no library, no course of reading, no education at home! Another wardrobe! he says; never Another book! That is the man to describe as poor. Think of a man who has a glutton’s appetite and a miser’s soul!

What is the miracle that Jesus Christ wants to work? It is the miracle of congruity, the miracle of harmony, the miracle of music; it is to make us internally right that he may make us externally beautiful and noble. He will not begin at the external point; he does not care about our manners, he cares about our souls: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew within me a right spirit!” Then the hand shall be clean, and the physical form itself shall bear evidence that even we carry the stamp of the divine substance.

Prayer

Lord, increase our faith. Faith is the gift of God; Lord, give unto us such faith as overcomes the world. We would live the faith-life, that uppermost, divinest life, that trusts all to God, that has no selfish will, that gains its life by losing it Gladly would we enter into the mystery of this process. Whoso would gain his life shall lose it, and whoso would lose his life for Christ’s sake shall find it. We would get by giving, we would grow by serving, we would become refined by the loss which is created by suffering. Thou hast made us in thine own image, but we have covered up thy personality with immeasurable deceit. Lord, cause us to sustain a great loss, to shed all that we have done: ourselves, until thine own presence shines forth within us, and we become as those who have been transformed. Show us that man can hold nothing in his hands. Canst thou deliver us from this great fallacy, that we can really heap up unto ourselves anything and assure it? Lord, if thou canst work this miracle of faith in us, we would say, Let this be the accepted time, and the day of salvation; we would be rid of all this care, anxiety, and foolish solicitude, and would fall into God’s hands, assured that all things work together for good in reply to human love. Thou didst never disappoint the earnest heart; the soul that burned for thee was always gratified by a revelation of thy presence: Lord, increase our faith. We would be rid of these senses which deceive us and mock us every day, and make fools of us seven times a week; and we would live in the soul, in the spirit, in the upper nature, dwelling and walking and living with God. This desire is created in us by the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the very gift of the Cross of Christ. Once we had no such desire, the world was enough, and time sufficient, and what our own hands could do was more than enough; but now we see how little all things are, how great is the future, how immeasurable is heaven, how transcendent and precious is love. Thou art taking us through the valleys of life: we are weary of the long walk; give us strength that we may finish the mile or two yet remaining, without impious reproach or fault-finding with God. But the way is long, and the lights are uncertain, the misery is positive, and the occasional enjoyment is never enough. Yet the valleys are of thy making, time is thy road into eternity; we would accept thy dispensations, and murmur not. If thou canst find any joy for us in this place of graves, and in this air loud with lamentation, good Lord, neglect us not in the time of our best desires. Show us that we know nothing, yet show us that the veil which keeps us from perfect knowledge is very thin and may in one moment be dissolved, and we may be face to face with God. In this high expectancy keep our souls, then we shall have no time for folly, no taste for wickedness, and no relish for the things that do not minister to the soul’s life. The Lord expel all evil by the incoming of all good; and because of the presence of burning and purifying love may all things unholy be banished or consumed. Thou hast given us a long schooling, in the cradle, in helpless infancy, in the school where everything was difficult, in the house where will clashed with will, and the heart was often stung with disappointment; thou hast also trained us in the marketplace, where man is endeavouring to outwit his fellow day by day, and boasting himself when he has accomplished his nefarious purpose. All this is hard upon us, the devil is always against the soul, and those that would help the spirit are often in such cloudy distances that we cannot realise their ministry. Yet it is all well; the prophets said so, and the apostles; our fathers and mothers taught us so when we knew little or nothing of life; now this thing is wrought into our very thought, so that we constantly say, It will be well in the latter end, though the beginning was cloudy and the beginning was small. Lord, help every man to do his day’s work well, to carry his load as if the Lord himself had just put the burden upon the weakening back; and give every one courage to say, Judge not yet, nor to-morrow, but on the third day behold the revelation of God. We thank thee for all that helps us, for everything that gives us even momentary delight; for the household hearth, the warm hospitable fire: we bless thee for any inch of garden we have, enough to hold one flower, which is the beginning and the pledge of paradise. For all musical voices, and tender ministries, and friendships that heal us when our hearts are sore, for all the thousand elements that point towards reconstruction and immortality, we bless thee as for so many angels Pity us for our lost estate; thou who hast made the day hast also made the night; thou knowest the tragedy of darkness, thou knowest the powers of evil, there is no fire in perdition that thou hast not known, and there is no temptation in the air rending it and tearing it with cruel force which thou hast not measured, and which thy Son our Saviour has not undergone. Help us to escape the little, the narrow, the mean, and the foolish, and to live in the infinite and the eternal. We pray at the Cross, because there it is good to pray, there is the angel of purity, there is the angel of pardon, there is the angel that keeps the gate of heaven. Amen.

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

XVI

THE MESSIANIC PSALMS AND OTHERS

We commence this chapter by giving a classified list of the Messianic Psalms, as follows:

The Royal Psalms are:

Psa 110 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 72 ; Psa 45 ; Psa 89 ;

The Passion Psalms are:

Psa 22 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 69 ;

The Psalms of the Ideal Man are Psa 8 ; Psa 16 ; Psa 40 ;

The Missionary Psalms are:

Psa 47 ; Psa 65 ; Psa 68 ; Psa 96 ; Psa 100 ; Psa 117 .

The predictions before David of the coming Messiah are, (1) the seed of the woman; (2) the seed of Abraham; (3) the seed of Judah; (4) the seed of David.

The prophecies of history concerning the Messiah are, (1) a prophet like unto Moses; (2) a priest after the order of Melchizedek; (3) a sacrifice which embraces all the sacrificial offerings of the Old Testament; (4) direct references to him as King, as in 2Sa 7:8 ff.

The messianic offices as taught in the psalms are four, viz: (1) The Messiah is presented as Prophet, or Teacher (Psa 40:8 ); (2) as Sacrifice, or an Offering for sin (Psa 40:6 ff.; Heb 10:5 ff.) ; (3) he is presented as Priest (Psa 110:4 ); (4) he is presented as King (Psa 45 ).

The psalms most clearly presenting the Messiah in his various phases and functions are as follows: (1) as the ideal man, or Second Adam (8); (2) as Prophet (Psa 40 ); (3) as Sacrifice (Psa 22 ) ; (4) as King (Psa 45 ) ; (5) as Priest (Psa 110 ) ; (6) in his universal reign (Psa 72 ).

It will be noted that other psalms teach these facts also, but these most clearly set forth the offices as they relate to the Messiah.

The Messiah as a sacrifice is presented in general in Psa 40:6 . His sufferings as such are given in a specific and general way in Psa 22 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 69 . The events of his sufferings in particular are described, beginning with the betrayal of Judas, as follows:

1. Judas betrayed him (Mat 26:14 ) in fulfilment of Psa 41:9 .

2. At the Supper (Mat 26:24 ) Christ said, “The Son of man goeth as it is written of him,” referring to Psa 22 .

3. They sang after the Supper in fulfilment of Psa 22:22 .

4. Piercing his hands and feet, Psa 22:16 .

5. They cast lots for his vesture in fulfilment of Psa 22:18 .

6. Just before the ninth hour the chief priests reviled him (Mat 27:43 ) in fulfilment of Psa 22:8 .

7. At the ninth hour (Mat 27:46 ) he quoted Psa 22:1 .

8. Near his death (Joh 19:28 ) he said, in fulfilment of Psa 69:21 , “I thirst.”

9. At that time they gave him vinegar (Mat 27:48 ) in fulfilment of Psa 69:21 .

10. When he was found dead they did not break his bones (Joh 19:36 ) in fulfilment of Psa 34:20 .

11. He is represented as dead, buried, and raised in Psa 16:10 .

12. His suffering as a substitute is described in Psa 69:9 .

13. The result of his crucifixion to them who crucified him is given in Psa 69:22-23 . Compare Rom 11:9-10 .

The Penitential Psalms are Psa 6 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 130 ; Psa 143 . The occasion of Psa 6 was the grief and penitence of David over Absalom; of Psa 32 was the blessedness of forgiveness after his sin with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah; Psa 38 , David’s reference to his sin with Bathsheba; Psa 51 , David’s penitence and prayer for forgiveness for this sin; Psa 102 , the penitence of the children of Israel on the eve of their return from captivity; Psalm 130, a general penitential psalm; Psa 143 , David’s penitence and prayer when pursued by Absalom.

The Pilgrim Psalms are Psalms 120-134. This section of the psalter is called the “Little Psalter.” These Psalms were collected in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, in troublous times. The author of the central psalm of this collection is Solomon, and he wrote it when he built his Temple. The Davidic Psalms in this collection are Psa 120 ; Psa 122 ; Psa 124 ; Psa 131 ; Psa 132 ; Psa 133 . The others were written during the building of the second Temple. They are called in the Septuagint “Songs of the Steps.”

There are four theories as to the meaning of the titles, “Songs of the Steps,” “Songs of Degrees,” or “Songs of Ascents,” viz:

1. The first theory is that the “Songs of the Steps” means the songs of the fifteen steps from the court of the women to the court of Israel, there being a song for each step.

2. The second theory is that advanced by Luther, which says that they were songs of a higher choir, elevated above, or in an elevated voice.

3. The third theory is that the thought in these psalms advances by degrees.

4. The fourth theory is that they are Pilgrim Psalms, or the songs that they sang while going up to the great feasts.

Certain scriptures give the true idea of these titles, viz: Exo 23:14-17 ; Exo 34:23-24 ; 1Sa 1:3 ; 1Ki 12:27-28 : Psa 122:1-4 ; and the proof of their singing as they went is found in Psa_42:4; 100; and Isa 30:29 . They went, singing these psalms, to the Feasts of the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Psa 121 was sung when just in sight of Jerusalem and Psa 122 was sung at the gate. Psa 128 is the description of a good man’s home and a parallel to this psalm in modern literature is Burns’s “Cotter’s Saturday Night.” The pious home makes the nation great.

Psa 133 is a psalm of fellowship. It is one of the finest expressions of the blessings that issue when God’s people dwell together in unity. The reference here is to the anointing of Aaron as high priest and the fragrance of the anointing oil which was used in these anointings. The dew of Hermon represents the blessing of God upon his people when they dwell together in such unity.

Now let us look at the Alphabetical Psalms. An alphabetical psalm is one in which the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are used alphabetically to commence each division. In Psalms 111-112, each clause so begins; in Psa 25 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 145 ; each verse so begins; in Psa 37 each stanza of two verses so begins; in 119 each stanza of eight verses so begins, and each of the eight lines begins with the same letter. In Psa 25 ; 34 37 the order is not so strict; in Psa 9 and Psa 10 there are some traces of this alphabetical order.

David originated these alphabetical psalms and the most complete specimen is Psa 119 , which is an expansion of the latter part of Psa 19 .

A certain group of psalms is called the Hallelujah Psalms. They are so called because the word “Hallelujah” is used at the beginning, or at the ending, and sometimes at both the beginning and the ending. The Hallelujah Psalms are Psalm 111-113; 115-117; 146-150. Psa 117 is a doxology; and Psalms 146-150 were used as anthems. Psa 148 calls on all creation to praise God. Francis of Assisi wrote a hymn based on this psalm in which he called the sun his honorable brother and the cricket his sister. Psa 150 calls for all varieties of instruments. Psalms 113-118 are called the Egyptian Hallel. They were used at the Passover (Psalm 113-114), before the Supper and Psalm 115-118 were sung after the Supper. According to this, Jesus and his disciples sang Psalms 115-118 at the last Passover Supper. These psalms were sung also at the Feasts of Pentecost, Tabernacles, Dedication, and New Moon.

The name of God is delayed long in Psa 114 . Addison said, “That the surprise might be complete.” Then there are some special characteristics of Psa 115 , viz: (1) It was written against idols. Cf. Isa 44:9-20 ; (2) It is antiphonal, the congregation singing Psa 115:1-8 , the choir Psa 115:9-12 , the priests Psa 115:13-15 and the congregation again Psa 115:16-18 . The theme of Psa 116 is love, based on gratitude for a great deliverance, expressed in service. It is appropriate to read at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and Psa 116:15 is especially appropriate for funeral services.

On some special historical occasions certain psalms were sung. Psa 46 was sung by the army of Gustavus Adolphus before the decisive battle of Leipzig, on September 17, 1631.Psa 68 was sung by Cromwell’s army on the occasion of the battle of Dunbar in Scotland.

Certain passages in the Psalms show that the psalm writers approved the offering of Mosaic animal sacrifices. For instance, Psa 118:27 ; Psa 141:2 seem to teach very clearly that they approved the Mosaic sacrifice. But other passages show that these inspired writers estimated spiritual sacrifices as more important and foresaw the abolition of the animal sacrifices. Such passages are Psa 50:7-15 ; Psa 4:5 ; Psa 27:6 ; Psa 40:6 ; Psa 51:16-17 . These scriptures show conclusively that the writers estimated spiritual sacrifices as more important than the Mosaic sacrifices.

QUESTIONS

1. What are the Royal Psalms?

2. What are the Passion Psalms?

3. What are the Psalms of the Ideal Man?

4. What are the Missionary Psalms?

5. What are the predictions before David of the coming Messiah?

6. What are the prophecies of history concerning the Messiah?

7. Give a regular order of thought concerning the messianic offices as taught in the psalms.

8. Which psalms most clearly present the Messiah as (1) the ideal man, or Second Adam, (2) which as Prophet, or Teacher, (3) which as the Sacrifice, (4) which as King, (5) which as Priest, (6) which his universal reign?

9. Concerning the suffering Messiah, or the Messiah as a sacrifice, state the words or facts, verified in the New Testament as fulfilment of prophecy in the psalms. Let the order of the citations follow the order of facts in Christ’s life.

10. Name the Penitential Psalms and show their occasion.

11. What are the Pilgrim Psalms?

12. What is this section of the Psalter called?

13. When and under what conditions were these psalms collected?

14. Who is the author of the central psalm of this collection?

15. What Davidic Psalms are in this collection?

16. When were the others written?

17. What are they called in the Septuagint?

18. What four theories as to the meaning of the titles, “Songs of the Steps,” “Songs of Degrees,” or “Songs of Ascents”?

19. What scriptures give the true idea of these titles?

20. Give proof of their singing as they went.

21. To what feasts did they go singing these Psalms?

22. What was the special use made of Psa 121 and Psa 122 ?

23. Which of these psalms is the description of a good man’s home and what parallel in modern literature?

24. Expound Psa 133 .

25. What is an alphabetical psalm, and what are the several kinds?

26. Who originated these Alphabetical Psalms?

27. What are the most complete specimen?

28. Of what is it an expansion?

29. Why is a certain group of psalms called the Hallelujah Psalms?

30. What are the Hallelujah Psalms?

31. Which of the Hallelujah Psalms was a doxology?

32. Which of these were used as anthems?

33. Which psalm calls on all creation to praise God?

34. Who wrote a hymn based on Psa 148 in which he called the sun his honorable brother and the cricket his sister?

35. Which of these psalms calls for all varieties of instruments?

36. What is the Egyptian Hallel?

37. What is their special use and how were they sung?

38. Then what hymns did Jesus and his disciples sing?

39. At what other feasts was this sung?

40. Why was the name of God delayed so long in Psa 114 ?

41. What are the characteristics of Psa 115 ?

42. What is the theme and special use of Psa 116 ?

43. State some special historical occasions on which certain psalms were sung. Give the psalm for each occasion.

44. Cite passages in the psalms showing that the psalm writers approved the offering of Mosaic animal sacrifices.

45. Cite other passages showing that these inspired writers estimated spiritual sacrifices as more important than the Mosaic sacrifices.

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

PSALMS

XI

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS

According to my usual custom, when taking up the study of a book of the Bible I give at the beginning a list of books as helps to the study of that book. The following books I heartily commend on the Psalms:

1. Sampey’s Syllabus for Old Testament Study . This is especially good on the grouping and outlining of some selected psalms. There are also some valuable suggestions on other features of the book.

2. Kirkpatrick’g commentary, in “Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges,” is an excellent aid in the study of the Psalter.

3. Perowne’s Book of Psalms is a good, scholarly treatise on the Psalms. A special feature of this commentary is the author’s “New Translation” and his notes are very helpful.

4. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David. This is just what the title implies. It is a voluminous, devotional interpretation of the Psalms and helpful to those who have the time for such extensive study of the Psalter.

5. Hengstenburg on the Psalms. This is a fine, scholarly work by one of the greatest of the conservative German scholars.

6. Maclaren on the Psalms, in “The Expositor’s Bible,” is the work of the world’s safest, sanest, and best of all works that have ever been written on the Psalms.

7. Thirtle on the Titles of the Psalms. This is the best on the subject and well worth a careful study.

At this point some definitions are in order. The Hebrew word for psalm means praise. The word in English comes from psalmos , a song of lyrical character, or a song to be sung and accompanied with a lyre. The Psalter is a collection of sacred and inspired songs, composed at different times and by different authors.

The range of time in composition was more than 1,000 years, or from the time of Moses to the time of Ezra. The collection in its present form was arranged probably by Ezra in the fifth century, B.C.

The Jewish classification of Old Testament books was The Law, the Prophets, and the Holy Writings. The Psalms was given the first place in the last group.

They had several names, or titles, of the Psalms. In Hebrew they are called “The Book of Prayers,” or “The Book of Praises.” The Hebrew word thus used means praises. The title of the first two books is found in Psa 72:20 : “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” The title of the whole collection of Psalms in the Septuagint is Biblos Psalman which means the “Book of Psalms.” The title in the Alexandrian Codex is Psalterion which is the name of a stringed instrument, and means “The Psalter.”

The derivation of our English words, “psalms,” “psalter,” and “psaltery,” respectively, is as follows:

1. “Psalms” comes from the Greek word, psalmoi, which is also from psallein , which means to play upon a stringed instrument. Therefore the Psalms are songs played upon stringed instruments, and the word here is used to apply to the whole collection.

2. “Psalter” is of the same origin and means the Book of Psalms and refers also to the whole collection.

3. “Psaltery” is from the word psalterion, which means “a harp,” an instrument, supposed to be in the shape of a triangle or like the delta of the Greek alphabet. See Psa 33:2 ; Psa 71:22 ; Psa 81:2 ; Psa 144:9 .

In our collection there are 150 psalms. In the Septuagint there is one extra. It is regarded as being outside the sacred collection and not inspired. The subject of this extra psalm is “David’s victory over Goliath.” The following is a copy of it: I was small among my brethren, And youngest in my father’s house, I used to feed my father’s sheep. My hands made a harp, My fingers fashioned a Psaltery. And who will declare unto my Lord? He is Lord, he it is who heareth. He it was who sent his angel And took me from my father’s sheep, And anointed me with the oil of his anointing. My brethren were goodly and tall, But the Lord took no pleasure in them. I went forth to meet the Philistine. And he cursed me by his idols But I drew the sword from beside him; I beheaded him and removed reproach from the children of Israel.

It will be noted that this psalm does not have the earmarks of an inspired production. There is not found in it the modesty so characteristic of David, but there is here an evident spirit of boasting and self-praise which is foreign to the Spirit of inspiration.

There is a difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint. Omitting the extra one in the Septuagint, there is no difference as to the total number. Both have 150 and the same subject matter, but they are not divided alike.

The following scheme shows the division according to our version and also the Septuagint: Psalms 1-8 in the Hebrew equal 1-8 in the Septuagint; 9-10 in the Hebrew combine into 9 in the Septuagint; 11-113 in the Hebrew equal 10-112 in the Septuagint; 114-115 in the Hebrew combine into 113 in the Septuagint; 116 in the Hebrew divides into 114-115 in the Septuagint; 117-146 in the Hebrew equal 116-145 in the Septuagint; 147 in the Hebrew divides into 146-147 in the Septuagint; 148-150 in the Hebrew equal 148-150 in the Septuagint.

The arrangement in the Vulgate is the same as the Septuagint. Also some of the older English versions have this arangement. Another difficulty in numbering perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another, viz: In the Hebrew often the title is verse I, and sometimes the title embraces verses 1-2.

The book divisions of the Psalter are five books, as follows:

Book I, Psalms 1-41 (41 chapters)

Book II, Psalms 42-72 (31 chapters)

Book III, Psalms 73-89 (17 chapters)

Book IV, Psalms 90-106 (17 chapters)

Book V, Psalms 107-150 (44 chapters)

They are marked by an introduction and a doxology. Psalm I forms an introduction to the whole book; Psa 150 is the doxology for the whole book. The introduction and doxology of each book are the first and last psalms of each division, respectively.

There were smaller collections before the final one, as follows:

Books I and II were by David; Book III, by Hezekiah, and Books IV and V, by Ezra.

Certain principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection:

1. David is honored with first place, Book I and II, including Psalms 1-72.

2. They are grouped according to the use of the name of God:

(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovah psalms;

(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohim-psalms;

(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovah psalms.

3. Book IV is introduced by the psalm of Moses, which is the first psalm written.

4. Some are arranged as companion psalms, for instance, sometimes two, sometimes three, and sometimes more. Examples: Psa 2 and 3; 22, 23, and 24; 113-118.

5. They were arranged for liturgical purposes, which furnished the psalms for special occasions, such as feasts, etc. We may be sure this arrangement was not accidental. An intelligent study of each case is convincing that it was determined upon rational grounds.

All the psalms have titles but thirty-three, as follows:

In Book I, Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 33 , (4 are without titles).

In Book II, Psa 43 ; Psa 71 , (2 are without titles).

In Book IV, Psa 91 ; Psa 93 ; Psa 94 ; Psa 95 ; Psa 96 ; Psa 97 ; Psa 104 ; Psa 105 ; Psa 106 , (9 are without titles).

In Book V, Psa 107 ; III; 112; 113; 114; 115; 116; 117; 118; 119; 135; 136; 137; 146; 147; 148; 149; 150, (18 are without titles).

The Talmud calls these psalms that have no title, “Orphan Psalms.” The later Jews supply these titles by taking the nearest preceding author. The lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; and 10 may be accounted for as follows: Psa 1 is a general introduction to the whole collection and Psa 2 was, perhaps, a part of Psa 1 . Psalms 9-10 were formerly combined into one, therefore Psa 10 has the same title as Psa 9 .

QUESTIONS

1. What books are commended on the Psalms?

2. What is a psalm?

3. What is the Psalter?

4. What is the range of time in composition?

5. When and by whom was the collection in its present form arranged?

6. What the Jewish classification of Old Testament books, and what the position of the Psalter in this classification?

7. What is the Hebrew title of the Psalms?

8. Find the title of the first two books from the books themselves.

9. What is the title of the whole collection of psalms in the Septuagint?

10. What is the title in the Alexandrian Codex?

11. What is the derivation of our English word, “Psalms”, “Psalter”, and “Psaltery,” respectively?

12. How many psalms in our collection?

13. How many psalms in the Septuagint?

14. What about the extra one in the Septuagint?

15. What is the subject of this extra psalm?

16. How does it compare with the Canonical Psalms?

17. What is the difference in the numbering of the psalms in our version which follows the Hebrew, and the numbering in the Septuagint?

18. What is the arrangement in the Vulgate?

19. What other difficulty in numbering which perplexes an inexperienced student in turning from one version to another?

20. What are the book divisions of the Psalter and how are these divisions marked?

21. Were there smaller collections before the final one? If so, what were they?

22. What principles determined the arrangement of the several psalms in the present collection?

23. In what conclusion may we rest concerning this arrangement?

24. How many of the psalms have no titles?

25. What does the Talmud call these psalms that have no titles?

26. How do later Jews supply these titles?

27. How do you account for the lack of titles in Psa 1 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 10 ?

XII

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF PSALMS (CONTINUED)

The following is a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms:

1. The author: “A Psalm of David” (Psa 37 ).

2. The occasion: “When he fled from Absalom, his son” (Psa 3 ).

3. The nature, or character, of the poem:

(1) Maschil, meaning “instruction,” a didactic poem (Psa 42 ).

(2) Michtam, meaning “gold,” “A Golden Psalm”; this means excellence or mystery (Psa 16 ; 56-60).

4. The occasion of its use: “A Psalm of David for the dedication of the house” (Psa 30 ).

5. Its purpose: “A Psalm of David to bring remembrance” (Psa 38 ; Psa 70 ).

6. Direction for its use: “A Psalm of David for the chief musician” (Psa 4 ).

7. The kind of musical instrument:

(1) Neginoth, meaning to strike a chord, as on stringed instruments (Psa 4 ; Psa 61 ).

(2) Nehiloth, meaning to perforate, as a pipe or flute (Psa 5 ).

(3) Shoshannim, Lilies, which refers probably to cymbals (Psa 45 ; Psa 69 ).

8. A special choir:

(1) Sheminith, the “eighth,” or octave below, as a male choir (Psa 6 ; Psa 12 ).

(2) Alamoth, female choir (Psa 46 ).

(3) Muth-labben, music with virgin voice, to be sung by a choir of boys in the treble (Psa 9 ).

9. The keynote, or tune:

(1) Aijeleth-sharar, “Hind of the morning,” a song to the melody of which this is sung (Psa 22 ).

(2) Al-tashheth, “Destroy thou not,” the beginning of a song the tune of which is sung (Psa 57 ; Psa 58 ; Psa 59 ; Psa 75 ).

(3) Gittith, set to the tune of Gath, perhaps a tune which David brought from Gath (Psa 8 ; Psa 81 ; Psa 84 ).

(4) Jonath-elim-rehokim, “The dove of the distant terebinths,” the commencement of an ode to the air of which this song was to be sung (Psa 56 ).

(5) Leannoth, the name of a tune (Psa 88 ).

(6) Mahalath, an instrument (Psa 53 ); Leonnoth-Mahaloth, to chant to a tune called Mahaloth.

(7) Shiggaion, a song or a hymn.

(8) Shushan-Eduth, “Lily of testimony,” a tune (Psa 60 ). Note some examples: (1) “America,” “Shiloh,” “Auld Lang Syne.” These are the names of songs such as we are familiar with; (2) “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” and “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” are examples of sacred hymns.

10. The liturgical use, those noted for the feasts, e.g., the Hallels and Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 146-150).

11. The destination, as “Song of Ascents” (Psalms 120-134)

12. The direction for the music, such as Selah, which means “Singers, pause”; Higgaion-Selah, to strike a symphony with selah, which means an instrumental interlude (Psa 9:16 ).

The longest and fullest title to any of the psalms is the title to Psa 60 . The items of information from this title are as follows: (1) the author; (2) the chief musician; (3) the historical occasion; (4) the use, or design; (5) the style of poetry; (6) the instrument or style of music.

The parts of these superscriptions which most concern us now are those indicating author, occasion, and date. As to the historic value or trustworthiness of these titles most modern scholars deny that they are a part of the Hebrew text, but the oldest Hebrew text of which we know anything had all of them. This is the text from which the Septuagint was translated. It is much more probable that the author affixed them than later writers. There is no internal evidence in any of the psalms that disproves the correctness of them, but much to confirm. The critics disagree among themselves altogether as to these titles. Hence their testimony cannot consistently be received. Nor can it ever be received until they have at least agreed upon a common ground of opposition.

David is the author of more than half the entire collection, the arrangement of which is as follows:

1. Seventy-three are ascribed to him in the superscriptions.

2. Some of these are but continuations of the preceding ones of a pair, trio, or larger group.

3. Some of the Korahite Psalms are manifestly Davidic.

4. Some not ascribed to him in the titles are attributed to him expressly by New Testament writers.

5. It is not possible to account for some parts of the Psalter without David. The history of his early life as found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1and 2 Chronicles, not only shows his remarkable genius for patriotic and sacred songs and music, but also shows his cultivation of that gift in the schools of the prophets. Some of these psalms of the history appear in the Psalter itself. It is plain to all who read these that they are founded on experience, and the experience of no other Hebrew fits the case. These experiences are found in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles.

As to the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition, I have this to say:

1. This theory has no historical support whatever, and therefore is not to be accepted at all.

2. It has no support in tradition, which weakens the contention of the critics greatly.

3. It has no support from finding any one with the necessary experience for their basis.

4. They can give no reasonable account as to how the titles ever got there.

5. It is psychologically impossible for anyone to have written these 150 psalms in the Maccabean times.

6. Their position is expressly contrary to the testimony of Christ and the apostles. Some of the psalms which they ascribe to the Maccabean Age are attributed to David by Christ himself, who said that David wrote them in the Spirit.

The obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result if it be Just, is a positive denial of the inspiration of both Testaments.

Other authors are named in the titles, as follows: (1) Asaph, to whom twelve psalms have been assigned: (2) Mosee, Psa 90 ; (3) Solomon, Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ; (4) Heman, Psa 80 ; (5) Ethem, Psa 89 ; (6) A number of the psalms are ascribed to the sons of Korah.

Not all the psalms ascribed to Asaph were composed by one person. History indicates that Asaph’s family presided over the song service for several generations. Some of them were composed by his descendants by the game name. The five general outlines of the whole collection are as follows:

I. By books

1. Psalms 1-41 (41)

2. Psalms 42-72 (31)

3. Psalms 73-89 (17)

4. Psalms 90-106 (17)

5. Psalms 107-150 (44)

II. According to date and authorship

1. The psalm of Moses (Psa 90 )

2. Psalms of David:

(1) The shepherd boy (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 ).

(2) David when persecuted by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ).

(3) David the King (Psa 101 ; Psa 18 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 2 ; Psa 110 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 20 ; Psa 21 ; Psa 60 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 41 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 3:4 ; Psa 64 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 ).

3. The Asaph Psalms (Psa 50 ; Psa 73 ; Psa 83 ).

4. The Korahite Psalms (Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 84 ).

5. The psalms of Solomon (Psa 72 ; Psa 127 ).

6. The psalms of the era of Hezekiah and Isaiah (Psa 46 ; Psa 47 ; Psa 48 )

7. The psalms of the Exile (Psa 74 ; Psa 79 ; Psa 137 ; Psa 102 )

8. The psalms of the Restoration (Psa 85 ; Psa 126 ; Psa 118 ; 146-150)

III. By groups

1. The Jehovistic and Elohistic Psalms:

(1) Psalms 1-41 are Jehovistic;

(2) Psalms 42-83 are Elohistic Psalms;

(3) Psalms 84-150 are Jehovistic.

2. The Penitential Psalms (Psa 6 ; Psa 32 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 51 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 130 ; Psa 143 )

3. The Pilgrim Psalms (Psalms 120-134)

4. The Alphabetical Psalms (Psa 9 ; Psa 10 ; Psa 25 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 37 ; 111:112; Psa 119 ; Psa 145 )

5. The Hallelujah Psalms (Psalms 11-113; 115-117; 146-150; to which may be added Psa 135 ) Psalms 113-118 are called “the Egyptian Hallel”

IV. Doctrines of the Psalms

1. The throne of grace and how to approach it by sacrifice, prayer, and praise.

2. The covenant, the basis of worship.

3. The paradoxical assertions of both innocence & guilt.

4. The pardon of sin and justification.

5. The Messiah.

6. The future life, pro and con.

7. The imprecations.

8. Other doctrines.

V. The New Testament use of the Psalms

1. Direct references and quotations in the New Testament.

2. The allusions to the psalms in the New Testament. Certain experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart, such as: (1) his peaceful early life; (2) his persecution by Saul; (3) his being crowned king of the people; (4) the bringing up of the ark; (5) his first great sin; (6) Absalom’s rebellion; (7) his second great sin; (8) the great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 ; (9) the feelings of his old age.

We may classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time, thus:

1. His peaceful early life (Psa 8 ; Psa 19 ; Psa 29 ; Psa 23 )

2. His persecution by Saul (Psa 59 ; Psa 56 ; Psa 34 ; Psa 7 ; Psa 52 ; Psa 120 ; Psa 140 ; Psa 54 ; Psa 57 ; Psa 142 ; Psa 17 ; Psa 18 )

3. Making David King (Psa 27 ; Psa 133 ; Psa 101 )

4. Bringing up the ark (Psa 68 ; Psa 24 ; Psa 132 ; Psa 15 ; Psa 78 ; Psa 96 )

5. His first great sin (Psa 51 ; Psa 32 )

6. Absalom’s rebellion (Psa 41 ; Psa 6 ; Psa 55 ; Psa 109 ; Psa 38 ; Psa 39 ; Psa 3 ; Psa 4 ; Psa 63 ; Psa 42 ; Psa 43 ; Psa 5 ; Psa 62 ; Psa 61 ; Psa 27 )

7. His second great sin (Psa 69 ; Psa 71 ; Psa 102 ; Psa 103 )

8. The great promise made to him in 2Sa 7 (Psa 2 )

9. Feelings of old age (Psa 37 )

The great doctrines of the psalms may be noted as follows: (1) the being and attributes of God; (3) sin, both original and individual; (3) both covenants; (4) the doctrine of justification; (5) concerning the Messiah.

There is a striking analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms. The Pentateuch contains five books of law; the Psalms contain five books of heart responses to the law.

It is interesting to note the historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms. These were controversies about singing uninspired songs, in the Middle Ages. The church would not allow anything to be used but psalms.

The history in Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah is very valuable toward a proper interpretation of the psalms. These books furnish the historical setting for a great many of the psalms which is very indispensable to their proper interpretation.

Professor James Robertson, in the Poetry and Religion of the Psalms constructs a broad and strong argument in favor of the Davidic Psalms, as follows:

1. The age of David furnished promising soil for the growth of poetry.

2. David’s qualifications for composing the psalms make it highly probable that David is the author of the psalms ascribed to him.

3. The arguments against the possibility of ascribing to David any of the hymns in the Hebrew Psalter rests upon assumptions that are thoroughly antibiblical.

The New Testament makes large use of the psalms and we learn much as to their importance in teaching. There are seventy direct quotations in the New Testament from this book, from which we learn that the Scriptures were used extensively in accord with 2Ti 3:16-17 . There are also eleven references to the psalms in the New Testament from which we learn that the New Testament writers were thoroughly imbued with the spirit and teaching of the psalms. Then there are eight allusions ‘to this book in the New Testament from which we gather that the Psalms was one of the divisions of the Old Testament and that they were used in the early church.

QUESTIONS

1. Give a list of the items of information gathered from the titles of the psalms.

2. What is the longest title to any of the psalms and what the items of this title?

3. What parts of these superscriptions most concern us now?

4. What is the historic value, or trustworthiness of these titles?

5. State the argument showing David’s relation to the psalms.

6. What have you to say of the attempt of the destructive critics to rob David of his glory in relation to the Psalter by assigning the Maccabean era as the date of composition?

7. What the obvious aim of this criticism and the necessary result, if it be just?

8. What other authors are named in the titles?

9. Were all the psalms ascribed to Asaph composed by one person?

10. Give the five general outlines of the whole collection, as follows: I. The outline by books II. The outline according to date and authorship III. The outline by groups IV. The outline of doctrines V. The outline by New Testament quotations or allusions.

11. What experiences of David’s life made very deep impressions on his heart?

12. Classify the Davidic Psalms according to these experiences following the order of time.

13. What the great doctrines of the psalms?

14. What analogy between the Pentateuch and the Psalms?

15. What historic controversies concerning the singing of psalms?

16. Of what value is the history in Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, and in Ezra and Nehemiah toward a proper interpretation of the psalms?

17. Give Professor James Robertson’s argument in favor of the Davidic authorship of the psalms.

18. What can you say of the New Testament use of the psalms and what do we learn as to their importance in teaching?

19. What can you say of the New Testament references to the psalms, and from the New Testament references what the impression on the New Testament writers?

20. What can you say of the allusions to the psalms in the New Testament?

XVII

THE MESSIAH IN THE PSALMS

A fine text for this chapter is as follows: “All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Psalms concerning me,” Luk 24:44 . I know of no better way to close my brief treatise on the Psalms than to discuss the subject of the Messiah as revealed in this book.

Attention has been called to the threefold division of the Old Testament cited by our Lord, namely, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Luk 24:44 ), in all of which were the prophecies relating to himself that “must be fulfilled.” It has been shown just what Old Testament books belong to each of these several divisions. The division called the Psalms included many books, styled Holy Writings, and because the Psalms proper was the first book of the division it gave the name to the whole division.

The object of this discussion is to sketch the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah, or rather, to show how nearly a complete picture of our Lord is foredrawn in this one book. Let us understand however with Paul, that all prophecy is but in part (1Co 13:9 ), and that when we fill in on one canvas all the prophecies concerning the Messiah of all the Old Testament divisions, we are far from having a perfect portrait of our Lord. The present purpose is limited to three things:

1. What the book of the Psalms teaches concerning the Messiah.

2. That the New Testament shall authoritatively specify and expound this teaching.

3. That the many messianic predictions scattered over the book and the specifications thereof over the New Testament may be grouped into an orderly analysis, so that by the adjustment of the scattered parts we may have before us a picture of our Lord as foreseen by the psalmists.

In allowing the New Testament to authoritatively specify and expound the predictive features of the book, I am not unmindful of what the so-called “higher critics” urge against the New Testament quotations from the Old Testament and the use made of them. In this discussion, however, these objections are not considered, for sufficient reasons. There is not space for it. Even at the risk of being misjudged I must just now summarily pass all these objections, dismissing them with a single statement upon which the reader may place his own estimate of value. That statement is that in the days of my own infidelity, before this old method of criticism had its new name, I was quite familiar with the most and certainly the strongest of the objections now classified as higher criticism, and have since patiently re-examined them in their widely conflicting restatements under their modern name, and find my faith in the New Testament method of dealing with the Old Testament in no way shattered, but in every way confirmed. God is his own interpreter. The Old Testament as we now have it was in the hands of our Lord. I understand his apostle to declare, substantially, that “every one of these sacred scriptures is God-inspired and is profitable for teaching us what is right to believe and to do, for convincing us what is wrong in faith or practice, for rectifying the wrong when done, that we may be ready at every point, furnished completely, to do every good work, at the right time, in the right manner, and from the proper motive” (2Ti 3:16-17 ).

This New Testament declares that David was a prophet (Act 2:30 ), that he spake by the Holy Spirit (Act 1:16 ), that when the book speaks the Holy Spirit speaks (Heb 3:7 ), and that all its predictive utterances, as sacred Scripture, “must be fulfilled” (Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:16 ). It is not claimed that David wrote all the psalms, but that all are inspired, and that as he was the chief author, the book goes by his name.

It would be a fine thing to make out two lists, as follows:

1. All of the 150 psalms in order from which the New Testament quotes with messianic application.

2. The New Testament quotations, book by book, i.e., Matthew so many, and then the other books in their order.

We would find in neither of these any order as to time, that is, Psa 1 which forecasts an incident in the coming Messiah’s life does not forecast the first incident of his life. And even the New Testament citations are not in exact order as to time and incident of his life. To get the messianic picture before us, therefore, we must put the scattered parts together in their due relation and order, and so construct our own analysis. That is the prime object of this discussion. It is not claimed that the analysis now presented is perfect. It is too much the result of hasty, offhand work by an exceedingly busy man. It will serve, however, as a temporary working model, which any one may subsequently improve. We come at once to the psalmist’s outline of the Messiah.

1. The necessity for a Saviour. This foreseen necessity is a background of the psalmists’ portrait of the Messiah. The necessity consists in (1) man’s sinfulness; (2) his sin; (3) his inability of wisdom and power to recover himself; (4) the insufficiency of legal, typical sacrifices in securing atonement.

The predicate of Paul’s great argument on justification by faith is the universal depravity and guilt of man. He is everywhere corrupt in nature; everywhere an actual transgressor; everywhere under condemnation. But the scriptural proofs of this depravity and sin the apostle draws mainly from the book of the Psalms. In one paragraph of the letter to the Romans (Rom 3:4-18 ), he cites and groups six passages from six divisions of the Psalms (Psa 5:9 ; Psa 10:7 ; Psa 14:1-3 ; Psa 36:1 ; Psa 51:4-6 ; Psa 140:3 ). These passages abundantly prove man’s sinfulness, or natural depravity, and his universal practice of sin.

The predicate also of the same apostle’s great argument for revelation and salvation by a Redeemer is man’s inability of wisdom and power to re-establish communion with God. In one of his letters to the Corinthians he thus commences his argument: “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? -For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preach-ing to save them that believe.” He closes this discussion with the broad proposition: “The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God,” and proves it by a citation from Psa 94:11 : “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.”

In like manner our Lord himself pours scorn on human wisdom and strength by twice citing Psa 8 : “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Mat 11:25-26 ). “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Mat 21:15-16 ).

But the necessity for a Saviour as foreseen by the psalmist did not stop at man’s depravity, sin, and helplessness. The Jews were trusting in the sacrifices of their law offered on the smoking altar. The inherent weakness of these offerings, their lack of intrinsic merit, their ultimate abolition, their complete fulfilment and supercession by a glorious antitype were foreseen and foreshown in this wonderful prophetic book: I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; And thy burnt offerings are continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, Nor he-goat out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, And the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all of the birds of the mountains; And the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? Psa 50:8-13 .

Yet again it speaks in that more striking passage cited in the letter to the Hebrews: “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers, once purged should have no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins year by year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not, But a body didst thou prepare for me; In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst no pleasure: Then said I, Lo, I am come (In the roll of the book it is written of me) To do thy will, O God. Saying above, Sacrifice and offering and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldst not, neither hadst pleasure therein, (the which are offered according to the law), then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second” (Heb 10:1-9 ).

This keen foresight of the temporary character and intrinsic worthlessness of animal sacrifices anticipated similar utterances by the later prophets (Isa 1:10-17 ; Jer 6:20 ; Jer 7:21-23 ; Hos 6:6 ; Amo 5:21 ; Mic 6:6-8 ). Indeed, I may as well state in passing that when the apostle declares, “It is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins,” he lays down a broad principle, just as applicable to baptism and the Lord’s Supper. With reverence I state the principle: Not even God himself by mere appointment can vest in any ordinance, itself lacking intrinsic merit, the power to take away sin. There can be, therefore, in the nature of the case, no sacramental salvation. This would destroy the justice of God in order to exalt his mercy. Clearly the psalmist foresaw that “truth and mercy must meet together” before “righteousness and peace could kiss each other” (Psa 85:10 ). Thus we find as the dark background of the psalmists’ luminous portrait of the Messiah, the necessity for a Saviour.

2. The nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah. In no other prophetic book are the nature, fullness, and blessedness of salvation so clearly seen and so vividly portrayed. Besides others not now enumerated, certainly the psalmists clearly forecast four great elements of salvation:

(1) An atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit offered once for all (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:4-10 ).

(2) Regeneration itself consisting of cleansing, renewal, and justification. We hear his impassioned statement of the necessity of regeneration: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts,” followed by his earnest prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me,” and his equally fervent petition: “Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psa 51 ). And we hear him again as Paul describes the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin Psa 32:1 ; Rom 4:6-8 .

(3) Introduction into the heavenly rest (Psa 95:7-11 ; Heb 3:7-19 ; Heb 4:1-11 ). Here is the antitypical Joshua leading spiritual Israel across the Jordan of death into the heavenly Canaan, the eternal rest that remaineth for the people of God. Here we find creation’s original sabbath eclipsed by redemption’s greater sabbath when the Redeemer “entered his rest, ceasing from his own works as God did from his.”

(4) The recovery of all the universal dominion lost by the first Adam and the securement of all possible dominion which the first Adam never attained (Psa 8:5-6 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 ; 1Co 15:24-28 ).

What vast extent then and what blessedness in the salvation foreseen by the psalmists, and to be wrought by the Messiah. Atoning sacrifice of intrinsic merit; regeneration by the Holy Spirit; heavenly rest as an eternal inheritance; and universal dominion shared with Christ!

3. The wondrous person of the Messiah in his dual nature, divine and human.

(1) His divinity,

(a) as God: “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever” (Psa 45:6 and Heb 1:8 ) ;

(b) as creator of the heavens and earth, immutable and eternal: Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end Psa 102:25-27 quoted with slight changes in Heb 1:10-12 .

(c) As owner of the earth: The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein, Psa 24:1 quoted in 1Co 10:26 .

(d) As the Son of God: “Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee” Psa 2:7 ; Heb 1:5 .

(e) As David’s Lord: The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool, Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:41-46 .

(f) As the object of angelic worship: “And let all the angels of God worship him” Psa 97:7 ; Heb 1:6 .

(g) As the Bread of life: And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven Psa 78:24 ; interpreted in Joh 6:31-58 . These are but samples which ascribe deity to the Messiah of the psalmists.

(2) His humanity, (a) As the Son of man, or Son of Adam: Psa 8:4-6 , cited in 1Co 15:24-28 ; Eph 1:20-22 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Compare Luke’s genealogy, Luk 3:23-38 . This is the ideal man, or Second Adam, who regains Paradise Lost, who recovers race dominion, in whose image all his spiritual lineage is begotten. 1Co 15:45-49 . (b) As the Son of David: Psa 18:50 ; Psa 89:4 ; Psa 89:29 ; Psa 89:36 ; Psa 132:11 , cited in Luk 1:32 ; Act 13:22-23 ; Rom 1:3 ; 2Ti 2:8 . Perhaps a better statement of the psalmists’ vision of the wonderful person of the Messiah would be: He saw the uncreated Son, the second person of the trinity, in counsel and compact with the Father, arranging in eternity for the salvation of men: Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 . Then he saw this Holy One stoop to be the Son of man: Psa 8:4-6 ; Heb 2:7-9 . Then he was the son of David, and then he saw him rise again to be the Son of God: Psa 2:7 ; Rom 1:3-4 .

4. His offices.

(1) As the one atoning sacrifice (Psa 40:6-8 ; Heb 10:5-7 ).

(2) As the great Prophet, or Preacher (Psa 40:9-10 ; Psa 22:22 ; Heb 2:12 ). Even the method of his teaching by parable was foreseen (Psa 78:2 ; Mat 13:35 ). Equally also the grace, wisdom, and power of his teaching. When the psalmist declares that “Grace is poured into thy lips” (Psa 45:2 ), we need not be startled when we read that all the doctors in the Temple who heard him when only a boy “were astonished at his understanding and answers” (Luk 2:47 ); nor that his home people at Nazareth “all bear him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth” (Luk 4:22 ); nor that those of his own country were astonished, and said, “Whence hath this man this wisdom?” (Mat 13:54 ); nor that the Jews in the Temple marveled, saying, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (Joh 7:15 ) ; nor that the stern officers of the law found their justification in failure to arrest him in the declaration, “Never man spake like this man” (Joh 7:46 ).

(3) As the king (Psa 2:6 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 45:1-17 ; Psa 110:1 ; Mat 22:42-46 ; Act 2:33-36 ; 1Co 15:25 ; Eph 1:20 ; Heb 1:13 ).

(4) As the priest (Psa 110:4 ; Heb 5:5-10 ; Heb 7:1-21 ; Heb 10:12-14 ).

(5) As the final judge. The very sentence of expulsion pronounced upon the finally impenitent by the great judge (Mat 25:41 ) is borrowed from the psalmist’s prophetic words (Psa 6:8 ).

5. Incidents of life. The psalmists not only foresaw the necessity for a Saviour; the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation; the wonderful human-divine person of the Saviour; the offices to be filled by him in the work of salvation, but also many thrilling details of his work in life, death, resurrection, and exaltation. It is not assumed to cite all these details, but some of the most important are enumerated in order, thus:

(1) The visit, adoration, and gifts of the Magi recorded in Mat 2 are but partial fulfilment of Psa 72:9-10 .

(2) The scripture employed by Satan in the temptation of our Lord (Luk 4:10-11 ) was cited from Psa 91:11-12 and its pertinency not denied.

(3) In accounting for his intense earnestness and the apparently extreme measures adopted by our Lord in his first purification of the Temple (Joh 2:17 ), he cites the messianic zeal predicted in Psa 69:9 .

(4) Alienation from his own family was one of the saddest trials of our Lord’s earthly life. They are slow to understand his mission and to enter into sympathy with him. His self-abnegation and exhaustive toil were regarded by them as evidences of mental aberration, and it seems at one time they were ready to resort to forcible restraint of his freedom) virtually what in our time would be called arrest under a writ of lunacy. While at the last his half-brothers became distinguished preachers of his gospel, for a long while they do not believe on him. And the evidence forces us to the conclusion that his own mother shared with her other sons, in kind though not in degree, the misunderstanding of the supremacy of his mission over family relations. The New Testament record speaks for itself:

Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them. How is it that ye sought me? Knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them Luk 2:48-51 (R.V.).

And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. Joh 2:3-5 (R.V.).

And there come his mother and his brethren; and standing without; they sent unto him, calling him. And a multitude was sitting about him; and they say unto him. Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren? And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren) For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother Mar 3:31-35 (R.V.).

Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world. For even his brethren did not believe on him. Jesus therefore saith unto them, My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil. Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; because my time is not fulfilled. Joh 7:2-9 (R.V.).

These citations from the Revised Version tell their own story. But all that sad story is foreshown in the prophetic psalms. For example: I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children. Psa 69:8 .

(5) The triumphal entry into Jerusalem was welcomed by a joyous people shouting a benediction from Psa 118:26 : “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mat 21:9 ); and the Lord’s lamentation over Jerusalem predicts continued desolation and banishment from his sight until the Jews are ready to repeat that benediction (Mat 23:39 ).

(6) The children’s hosanna in the Temple after its second purgation is declared by our Lord to be a fulfilment of that perfect praise forecast in Psa 8:2 .

(7) The final rejection of our Lord by his own people was also clear in the psalmist’s vision (Psa 118:22 ; Mat 21:42-44 ).

(8) Gethsemane’s baptism of suffering, with its strong crying and tears and prayers was as clear to the psalmist’s prophetic vision as to the evangelist and apostle after it became history (Psa 69:1-4 ; Psa 69:13-20 ; and Mat 26:36-44 ; Heb 5:7 ).

(9) In life-size also before the psalmist was the betrayer of Christ and his doom (Psa 41:9 ; Psa 69:25 ; Psa 109:6-8 ; Joh 13:18 ; Act 1:20 ).

(10) The rage of the people, Jew and Gentile, and the conspiracy of Pilate and Herod are clearly outlined (Psa 2:1-3 ; Act 4:25-27 ).

(11) All the farce of his trial the false accusation, his own marvelous silence; and the inhuman maltreatment to which he was subjected, is foreshown in the prophecy as dramatically as in the history (Mat 26:57-68 ; Mat 27:26-31 ; Psa 27:12 ; Psa 35:15-16 ; Psa 38:3 ; Psa 69:19 ).

The circumstances of his death, many and clear, are distinctly foreseen. He died in the prime of life (Psa 89:45 ; Psa 102:23-24 ). He died by crucifixion (Psa 22:14-17 ; Luk 23 ; 33; Joh 19:23-37 ; Joh 20:27 ). But yet not a bone of his body was broken (Psa 34:20 ; Joh 19:36 ).

The persecution, hatred without a cause, the mockery and insults, are all vividly and dramatically foretold (Psa 22:6-13 ; Psa 35:7 ; Psa 35:12 ; Psa 35:15 ; Psa 35:21 ; Psa 109:25 ).

The parting of his garments and the gambling for his vesture (Psa 22:18 ; Mat 27:35 ).

His intense thirst and the gall and vinegar offered for his drink (Psa 69:21 ; Mat 27:34 ).

In the psalms, too, we hear his prayers for his enemies so remarkably fulfilled in fact (Psa 109:4 ; Luk 23:34 ).

His spiritual death was also before the eye of the psalmist, and the very words which expressed it the psalmist heard. Separation from the Father is spiritual death. The sinner’s substitute must die the sinner’s death, death physical, i.e., separation of soul from body; death spiritual, i.e., separation of the soul from God. The latter is the real death and must precede the former. This death the substitute died when he cried out: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.” (Psa 22:1 ; Mat 27:46 ).

Emerging from the darkness of that death, which was the hour of the prince of darkness, the psalmist heard him commend his spirit to the Father (Psa_31:35; Luk 23:46 ) showing that while he died the spiritual death, his soul was not permanently abandoned unto hell (Psa 16:8-10 ; Act 2:25 ) so that while he “tasted death” for every man it was not permanent death (Heb 2:9 ).

With equal clearness the psalmist foresaw his resurrection, his triumph over death and hell, his glorious ascension into heaven, and his exaltation at the right hand of God as King of kings and Lord of lords, as a high Driest forever, as invested with universal sovereignty (Psa 16:8-11 ; Psa 24:7-10 ; Psa 68:18 ; Psa 2:6 ; Psa 111:1-4 ; Psa 8:4-6 ; Act 2:25-36 ; Eph 1:19-23 ; Eph 4:8-10 ).

We see, therefore, brethren, when the scattered parts are put together and adjusted, how nearly complete a portrait of our Lord is put upon the prophetic canvas by this inspired limner, the sweet singer of Israel.

QUESTIONS

1. What is a good text for this chapter?

2. What is the threefold division of the Old Testament as cited by our Lord?

3. What is the last division called and why?

4. What is the object of the discussion in this chapter?

5. To what three things is the purpose limited?

6. What especially qualifies the author to meet the objections of the higher critics to allowing the New Testament usage of the Old Testament to determine its meaning and application?

7. What is the author’s conviction relative to the Scriptures?

8. What is the New Testament testimony on the question of inspiration?

9. What is the author’s suggested plan of approach to the study of the Messiah in the Psalms?

10. What the background of the Psalmist’s portrait of the Messiah and of what does it consist?

11. Give the substance of Paul’s discussion of man’s sinfulness.

12. What is the teaching of Jesus on this point?

13. What is the teaching relative to sacrifices?

14. What the nature, extent, and blessedness of the salvation to be wrought by the coming Messiah and what the four great elements of it as forecast by the psalmist?

15. What is the teaching of the psalms relative to the wondrous person of the Messiah? Discuss.

16. What are the offices of the Messiah according to psalms? Discuss each.

17. Cite the more important events of the Messiah’s life according to the vision of the psalmist.

18. What the circumstances of the Messiah’s death and resurrection as foreseen by the psalmist?

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

XV

PSALM AFTER DAVID PRIOR TO THE BABYLONIAN EXILE

The superscriptions ascribed to Asaph twelve palms (Psa 50 ; 73-83) Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun presided over the Levitical singers in the time of David. Their sons also directed the various bands of musicians (1Ch 25 ). It seems that the family of Asaph for many generations continued to preside over the service of song (Cf. Ezr 3:10 ).

The theme of Psa 50 is “Obedience is better than sacrifice,” or the language of Samuel to Saul when he had committed the awful sin in respect to the Amalekites. This teaching is paralleled in many Old Testament scriptures, for instance, Psa 51:16-17 . For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

The problem of Psa 73 is the problem of why the wicked prosper (Psa 73:1-14 ), and its solution is found in the attitude of God toward the wicked (Psa 73:15-28 ). [For a fine exposition of the other psalms of this section see Kirkpatrick or Maclaren on the Psalms.]

The psalms attributed to the sons of Korah are Psa 42 ; Psa 44 ; Psa 45 ; Psa 47 ; Psa 48 ; Psa 49 ; Psa 84 ; Psa 85 ; Psa 87 . The evidence that Psalms 42-43 were one poem is internal. There are three stanzas, each closing with a refrain. The similarity of structure and thought indicates that they were formerly one psalm. A parallel to these two psalms we find in the escape of Christian from the Castle of Giant Despair in Pilgrim’s Progress .

Only two psalms were ascribed to Solomon, viz: Psa 72 and 127. However, the author believes that there is good reason to attribute Psa 72 to David. If he wrote it, then only one was written by Solomon.

The theme of Psa 72 is the reign of the righteous king, and the outline according to DeWitt, which shows the kingdom as desired and foretold, is as follows: (1) righteous (Psa 72:1-4 ) ; (2) perpetual (Psa 72:5-7 ); (3) universal (Psa 72:8-11 ); (4) benign (Psa 72:12-14 ); (5) prosperous (Psa 72:15-17 ).

Psa 127 was written when Solomon built the Temple. It is the central psalm of the psalms of the Ascents, which refer to the Temple. It seems fitting that this psalm should occupy the central position in the group, because of the occasion which inspired it and its relation to the other psalms of the group. A brief interpretation of it is as follows: The house here means household. It is a brief lyric, setting forth the lessons of faith and trust. This together with Psa 128 is justly called “A Song of Home.” Once in speaking to Baylor Female College I used this psalm, illustrating the function of a school as a parent sending forth her children into the world as mighty arrows. Again I used this psalm in one of my addresses in our own Seminary in which I made the household to refer to the Seminary sending forth the preachers as her children.

The psalms assigned to the era of Hezekiah and Isaiah are Psa 46 ; Psa 47 ; Psa 48 . The historical setting is found in the history of the reign of Hezekiel. Their application to Judah at this time is found in the historical connection, in which we have God’s great deliverances from the foreign powers, especially the deliverance from Sennacherib. We find in poetry a description of the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem in the Lamentations of Jeremiah and in Psa 74 ; Psa 79 .

The radical critics ascribe Psa 74 ; Psa 79 to the Maccabean period, and their argument is based upon the use of the word “synagogues,” in Psa 74:8 . The answer to their contention is found in the marginal rendering which gives “places of assembly” instead of “synagogues.” The word “synagogue” is a Greek word translated from the Hebrew, which has several meanings, and in this place means the “place of assembly” where God met his people.

The silence of the exile period is shown in Psa 137 , in which they respond that they cannot sing a song of Zion in a strange land. Their brightening of hope is seen in Psa 102 . In this we have the brightening of their hope on the eve of their return. In Psa 85:10 we have a great text:

Mercy and truth are met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

The truth here is God’s law demanding justice; mercy is God’s grace meeting justice. This was gloriously fulfilled in Christ on the cross. He met the demands of the law and offers mercy and grace to all who accept them on the terms of repentance and faith.

Three characteristics of Psa 119 are, first, it is an alphabetical psalm; second, it is the longest chapter in the Bible, and third, it is an expansion of the latter part of Psa 19 . Psalms 146-150 were used for worship in the second temple. The expressions of innocence in the psalms do not refer to original sin, but to a course of conduct in contrast with wicked lives. The psalmists do not claim absolute, but relative sinlessness.

The imprecations in the psalms are real prayers, and are directed against real men who were enemies of David and the Jewish nation, but they are not expressions of personal resentment. They are vigorous expressions of righteous indignation against incorrigible enemies of God and his people and are to be interpreted in the light of progressive revelation. The New Testament contains many exultant expressions of the overthrow of the wicked. (Cf. 1Co 16:22 ; 2Ti 4:14 ; Gal 5:12 ; Rev 16:5-6 ; Rev 18:20 .) These imprecations do not teach that we, even in the worst circumstances, should bear personal malice, nor take vengeance on the enemies of righteousness, but that we should live so close to God that we may acquiesce in the destruction of the wicked and leave the matter of vengeance in the hands of a just God, to whom vengeance belongs (Rom 12:19-21 ).

The clearest teachings on the future life as found in the psalms, both pro and con, are found in these passages, as follows: Psa 16:10-11 ; Psa 17:15 ; Psa 23:6 ; Psa 49:15 ; Psa 73:23-26 . The passages that are construed to the contrary are found in Psa 6:5 ; Psa 30:9 ; Psa 39:13 ; Psa 88:10-12 ; Psa 115:17 . The student will compare these passages and note carefully their teachings. The first group speaks of the triumph over Sheol (the resurrection) ; about awaking in the likeness of God; about dwelling in the house of the Lord forever; about redemption from the power of Sheol; and God’s guiding counsel and final reception into glory, all of which is very clear and unmistakable teaching as to the future life.

The second group speaks of DO remembrance in death; about no profit to the one when he goes down to the pit; of going hence and being no more; about the dead not being able to praise God and about the grave as being the land of forgetfulness ; and about the dead not praising Jehovah, all of which are spoken from the standpoint of the grave and temporal death.

There is positively no contradiction nor discrepancy in the teaching of these scriptures. One group takes the spirit of man as the viewpoint and teaches the continuity of life, the immortality of the soul; the other group takes the physical being of man as the viewpoint and teaches the dissolution of the body and its absolute unconsciousness in the grave.

QUESTIONS

1. How many and what psalms were ascribed to Asaph?

2. Who presided over the Levitical singers in the time of David?

3. What is the theme of Psa 50 , and where do we find the same teaching in the Old Testament?

4. What is the problem of Psa 73 , and what its solution?

5. What psalms are attributed to the sons of Korah?

6. What is the evidence that Psalms 42-43 were one poem and what the characteristic of these two taken together?

7. What parallel to these two psalms do we find in modern literature?

8. What psalms were ascribed to Solomon?

9. What is the theme of Psa 72 ?

10. What is the outline according to DeWitt, which shows the kingdom as desired and foretold?

11. When was Psa 127 written and what the application as a part of the Pilgrim group?

12. Give a brief interpretation of it and the uses made of it by the author on two different occasions.

13. What psalms are assigned to the era of Hezekiah and Isaiah, and what their historical setting?

14. What is their application to Judah at this time?

15. Where may we find in poetry a description of the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem?

16. To what period do radical critics ascribe Psalms 74-79; what is their argument, and what is your answer?

17. Which psalm shows the silence of the exile period and why?

18. Which one shows their brightening of hope?

19. Explain Psa 85:10 .

20. Give three characteristics of Psa 119 .

21. What use was made of Psalms 146-150?

22. Explain the expression of innocence in the psalms in harmony with their teaching of sin.

23. Explain the imprecations in the psalms and show their harmony with New Testament teachings.

24. Cite the clearest teachings on the future life as found in the psalms, both pro and con.

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

Psa 45:1 To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer.

Upon Shoshannim ] The name of an instrument with six strings, saith Kimchi. Or, concerning the lilies, Son 2:1-2 , that is, the Messiah and his people, saith Kabuenaki. The city Shushan had its name from lilies there plentifully growing; as Rhodes from roses, Florence from flowers, &c.

Maschil ] It is not said, as elsewhere, of David; and yet some will have him to have been the penman, others Solomon, epitomizing his Book of Canticles; with which indeed it is of the self-same argument, viz.

A Song of loves ] An epithalamium or nuptial verse, made at the marriage of Solomon and the Shulamite. As for Pharaoh’s daughter, various good divines are of the opinion, that neither here nor in the Canticles any respect is had or allusion made to that match of Solomon with her, so expressly condemned by the Holy Ghost, 1Ki 11:1-3 , ut per absurdum mihi videatur, illud matrimonium existimare fuisse tantae rei typum, saith learned Beza. Ainsworth rendereth it, A song of the well beloved virgins, friends of the bridegroom and bride, Psa 45:9 ; Psa 45:14 , to set forth Christ in his glory, and his Church in her beauty. So, when Jerome had freed the Locrians from the tyranny of Anaxilos and Cleophron, the virgins sang his praise, as is to be read in Pindarus’s Odes; which Politian preferred before David’s psalms, auso nefario, like an atheist as he was.

Ver. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter ] Heb. frieth, sicut quae in sartagine friguntur, as things are fried in a frying pan, Lev 7:9 . The prophet, being to sing of such a sublime subject, would not utter anything but what he had duly digested, thoroughly thought upon, and was deeply affected with, Exordium ut vocant floridum. What a high pitch flieth St Paul whenever he speaketh concerning Christ? See Eph 1:6 ; Eph 2:4 ; Eph 2:7 ; Eph 3:19 . The like is reported of Origen: Nusquam non ardet, saith Erasmus; sed nusquam est ardentior quam ubi Christi sermones actusque tractet; that he was ever earnest; but most of all when he discoursed of Christ (Praefat. ad Origen. Opera). Of Johannes Mollias, a Bononian, it is said, that whensoever he spake of Jesus Christ his eyes dropped; for he was fraught with a mighty fervency of God’s Holy Spirit; and, like the Baptist, he was first a burning (boiling or bubbling), and then a shining light. Ardor mentis est lux doctrinae. Zeal of mind is the light of doctrine.

I speak of the things which I have made touching the king ] Or, I will speak in my works, that is, in this psalm, concerning the king, viz. Solomon, and him that is greater than Solomon in all his glory, Christ, the King of the Church. Works he calleth this poem, not for the greatness, but for the exquisiteness thereof; it being breve et longum planeque aureum; utpote in quo universa pane salutis nostrae mysteria continentur, as containing almost all the mysteries of man’s salvation.

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer ] i.e. I will roundly and readily relate what I have so well ruminated; and dexterously deliver my most mature meditations concerning the mystical marriage of Christ and his Church. This is a good precedent for preachers. Demosthenes would have such a one branded for a pernicious man to the commonwealth who durst propose anything publicly which he had not beforehand seriously pondered. And Aristides, being pressed to speak to something propounded extempore, answered, Propound today, and I will answer tomorrow; for we are not of those that spit or spun up things, &c.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

It is “To the chief musician upon Shoshannim* [or lilies], for the sons of Korah: instruction, a song of loves.” It is of course in the Messiah that the kingdom of God is anticipated. His personal grace is celebrated; His divine nature and glory, at the very time that He is anointed by God as man above His companions; for such He has and will have. But it is His triumph and rule and association with the godly Jews, no longer cast out of all but honoured beyond all that had been in the palmiest days of Israel; and Jerusalem is no longer trodden down by Gentiles, no more desolate and sitting on the ground, but the city of righteousness, the faithful city, the queen at Messiah’s right hand in fine gold of Ophir. The virgins her companions are presumably the cities of Judah; and the peoples to give thanks for ever are the nations of that future day in relationship with the Jews. It is in no way the Bride, the Lamb’s wife in heavenly glory. (Rev. 19 -22).

*The music to which the psalm was set, it appears.

Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 45:1-2

1My heart overflows with a good theme;

I address my verses to the King;

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

2You are fairer than the sons of men;

Grace is poured upon Your lips;

Therefore God has blessed You forever.

Psa 45:1 The author describes himself to his readers (only here in the Psalter) in this verse.

1. his heart (i.e., he himself) overflows (BDB 935, KB 1222, Qal perfect; LXX has erupts) with a good theme (i.e., praise for the King of God’s people)

2. he writes to praise the King on his marriage

3. his tongue is the pen of a ready writer (i.e., [1] he was eager to praise the King or [2] he was a court poet or scribe, cf. Ezr 7:6)

Psa 45:2 He describes the King in poetic imagery.

1. he is fairer (i.e., more handsome, cf. NRSV, TEV, NJB; this word [BDB 421, KB 421] is rarely used of men; it is in a rare form Pealal perfect) than other men (lit. the sons of men)

2. his speech is eloquent (TEV) and gracious (cf. Pro 22:11; Ecc 10:12); I think Psa 45:4 c is parallel

3. therefore, God has blessed You forever two thoughts about this

a. be cognizant of ANE hyperbolic, royal language

b. be careful of cause and effect logic (i.e., YHWH blessed him because he acted appropriately). There is a tension in Scripture between God’s sovereignty and human free will (see SPECIAL TOPIC: Election/Predestination and the Need for a Theological Balance ). Obedience is important but call is crucial. He was not King because he deserved it but by family line.

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

Title. For the sons of Korah = By, &c. The third of nine so ascribed. See Title, Psalm 42, and App-63.

Maschil = giving instruction. The fourth of thirteen so named. See Title, Psalm 32, and App-65.

A Song. Hebrew shir, as in Psalm 18. See App-65.loves. Probably plural of majesty = significant love. If in connection with the marriage of Hezekiah (2Ki 21:1 and Isa 62:4), its place here is accounted for between Psalms 44-48. Significant, because of its fulfilmentin Messiah (Rev 19:7. Compare Isa 54:5-8). Hephzi-bah (Isa 62:4) was the wife of Hezekiah.

inditing = bubbling up: i.e. running over, or overflowing with.

matter = theme.

is. Supply Ellipsis: “tongue [is like] the pen”.

ready: i.e. with readiness of mind in respect of the subject treated of.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Psa 45:1-17

The forty-fifth psalm is one of those beautiful psalms that refers to Christ, a Messianic psalm. The glorious king. But in this same psalm is seen the church, the bride of Jesus Christ. And so we have in Psa 45:1-17 the beautiful mystery of Christ and the church. The King and His bride.

My heart is indicting a good matter: I speak of things which I have made touching the King: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer ( Psa 45:1 ).

Describing the king,

Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee awesome things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre ( Psa 45:2-6 ).

Now in the book of Hebrews it acknowledges that this was written concerning Jesus Christ. And as the author of the book of Hebrews is seeking to show the superiority of Jesus Christ over the angels, he quotes this particular psalm, showing that God called Him God. For this psalm is inspired by God, and God in inspiring the psalm saying of Jesus Christ, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever.” So in the New Testament there are those that would challenge the deity of Jesus Christ, saying that it isn’t really a biblical doctrine. In spite of the fact that in the first chapter of John we read, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the same was in the beginning with God, and all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.”

In spite of the fact that Thomas, when Jesus said to him after the resurrection, “Thomas, you want to put your finger in My hand? Go ahead. You want to thrust your hand into My side? Go ahead. See if it isn’t Me.” And Thomas cried, “My Lord, and my God” ( Joh 20:28 ). In spite of the fact that Paul the Apostle called Him God, declaring that we look forward to the great appearing of our glorious God and Savior Jesus Christ. It is pointed out in the book of Hebrews that even God Himself called Him God. For the Lord said to Him, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. The sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre.” So, John, Paul, Thomas, all were willing to acknowledge Him as God, and even the Father willing to acknowledge Him as God is good enough for me. I don’t need the Jehovah Witnesses to come along and say that He is not God. There is ample biblical proof.

So inasmuch as this is quoted concerning Christ in the New Testament, we know we are on good ground as seeing the King as Christ.

Thou lovest righteousness, you hate wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings’ daughters were among thy honorable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir ( Psa 45:7-9 ).

The queen, of course, the church.

Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him ( Psa 45:10-11 ).

How beautiful. Speaking now of this intimate, beautiful relationship between Christ and His church. “Hearken, O daughter, consider, incline thine ear. Forget the world, thy father’s house. For the King greatly desires thee, thy beauty. For He is thy Lord, worship Him.”

And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor. The King’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: and they shall enter into the King’s palace. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever ( Psa 45:12-17 ).

Much, much that is there to just go ahead and come back to this one and read it and meditate upon it. And just to see the beautiful picture of the bride of Christ. The glorious day when we are brought to Him. Unfolded for us in the book of Revelation, chapter 19. Invited. Now the other groups that will be there, outside of the church, the virgins, bringing their companions that follow, there’s a lot there. “

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

The lily psalm a psalm of loves. Oh! that our hearts might be full of love tonight, and, while we read, may our hearts be singing to the praise of the Well Beloved.

Psa 45:1. My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Sometimes the heart could speak if it could move the tongue; but it is a blessed time with us when, first of all, the heart is fully warmed with love, and then the fire within burns the strings that tie the tongue, and the tongue begins to move right joyously in expressing the hearts love. May it be so with us tonight who have to preach. May it be so with all our brethren who have, in public, either to preach or to pray.

Psa 45:2. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

No sooner does he begin to write about Christ than he sees him. A warm heart soon kindles the imagination. The eye of faith is soon opened when once the heart is right. We feel the presence of Christ. We begin to speak of him and to him. Thou art fairer than the children of men. Oh! I would tonight that Christ would but lift the corner of his vail and show you but one of his eyes. Your hearts would be ravished with his infinite beauty. Thou art fairer than the children of men. Would God he would but speak half a word into our weary ear, and we should say, Grace is poured into thy lips. Oh! for some sense and sight of him! Do not our hearts hunger after this tonight?

Psa 45:3-4. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

The heart never glows with love to Christ unless, in consequence, there is a longing that his kingdom may be extended. It is an instinct of a loving heart, that it desires the honour of its object. We long for Christ to rule and reign, simply because we love him. Oh! that he would lay his right hand to his work in these slow times. How little is being done, comparatively! Oh! for an hour of the right arm of Jesus. If he would but come himself to the battle, and the shout of a king were heard in our camps, what victories would be won. Cry unto him, O you that love him. He will come to your call.

Psa 45:5. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the kings enemies, whereby the people fall under thee.

Christ has not only power near at hand, with his right hand, but far off he darts the arrows of his bow and heathens are made to feel that the gospel is mighty. Would God it were so now. Cry for it.

Psa 45:6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.

And this we know to be spoken concerning Jesus Christ for this was quoted by the apostle, Thy throne, O God. Let those who will, deny his Deity. It shall be the joy of our heart to worship him, and, in express terms, to address him who is our brother as very God of very God. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. The scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.

Psa 45:7. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Fellow with us and yet equal with God. Man anointed, the Christ, yet still the reigning God. Glory be to his name.

Psa 45:8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

Not only is Christ precious, but everything that touches him. There is not a garment that hangs upon his shoulder but becomes sweet by contact with him. All thy garments smell of myrrh. There is myrrh about the priestly robe that falls down to his feet, and about the golden girdle of his faithfulness that is girt about his waist. There are myrrh, and aloes, and cassia about his crown, though it be of thorns. About every garment that he puts on there is a sweet perfume.

Psa 45:9. Kings daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

Blessed queen of Christ, his church. Let us never think little of her. There are some that are always crying up the church, the church, the church; but that is not the true church that tries to take the place of Christ. It is anti-Christ. The true church has her place, however, and that is at her husbands own right hand, where she sitteth in the best of the best, in gold, and that the gold of Ophir, for he spares nothing for her beauty and her glory.

Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Psa 45:1

THE PROPHETIC PROCLAMATION FOR CHRIST AND HIS BRIDE

THE NEW JERUSALEM IS THE WIFE OF THE LAMB (Rev 21:9)

THE HOLY CHURCH IS THE NEW JERUSALEM (Rev 19:9)

This psalm is called, “A Royal Wedding Song, “The Celebration of the Marriage of a King, “A Nuptial Song of a King, “An Ode for a Royal Marriage, “The Epithalamium of Jesus Christ and the Christian Church, “A Wedding Benediction, etc.

There are two radically different views among modern scholars regarding the nature of this psalm. The critical community agree that, “We deal here with an actual king, not with an ideal future Messiah; who this king was we cannot say.

On the other hand, “There is a tradition of long standing, both in the synagogue and in the church of Christ that this psalm deals with King Messiah and his bride the Church. Of course, that is the correct view; and it has been accepted by both Jewish and Christian scholars for more than a thousand years.

There is still another interpretation that represents a very naive and feeble attempt to harmonize the two views already stated. This method of viewing the psalm applies it to some literal king of Israel, but allows that some of the language might later have been applied to Christ. Such an interpretation is indefensible, illogical and impossible of acceptance. Why? There never was in the history of Israel or of any other nation a King to whom the language of this psalm may be intelligently applied.

Concerning this third `interpretation,’ Spurgeon had this to say: “Some see Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter here – they are short-sighted; others see both Solomon and Christ here – they are cross-eyed. We might also ask, `What about those who find Ahab and Jezebel here’? to which we must say – they are blind!

Even the critics admit the Jewish interpretation of this psalm as absolutely Messianic; and Addis gave that Jewish interpretation as the reason why the psalm is in the Canon. Furthermore, we cannot believe that Israel, who was the divinely appointed custodian of the Old Testament, would ever have admitted to the sacred canon of the holy scriptures a psalm that merely celebrated an earthly marriage.

We are not in the least disturbed by the critical assaults upon this psalm. We should have expected it. There is not a prophecy in the Old Testament which they have not attacked; and despite the fact that some commentators have been deceived by such attacks, the simple truth is that “there is no intelligent alternative” to the traditional view which is capable of commending itself to any honest investigator. As Leupold put it, “There are too many fatal weaknesses that mark every other approach.

Many of the authors whose works we have read regarding this psalm are loaded with long pages trying to determine “which king” of Israel was marrying “what princess” in this psalm. All of this type of writing is worthless, because, “Many of the statements here are wholly inapplicable to any human sovereign. “The language used here is of such a transcendental character that it could only be strictly true of the Messiah, the ideal King; and we find it quoted with a Messianic meaning in Heb 1:8-9.

The organization of the psalm is:

(1) the introduction (Psa 45:1);

(2) address to the King (Psa 45:2-9);

(3) address to the Bride (Psa 45:10-14), and

(4) the conclusion (Psa 45:16-17).

INTRODUCTION

Psa 45:1

“My heart overfloweth with a goodly matter;

I speak the things which I have made touching the king:

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.”

“My tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Psa 45:1). According to Mowinckel, as quoted by Leupold, “This is a claim of inspiration on the part of the psalmist. It is clear enough indeed that the psalmist here attributes his words, not to himself, but to another.

E.M. Zerr:

Psa 45:1. Inditing is from RACHASH and Strong defines it, “a primitive root; to gush.” Dr. Hull renders it, “bubbling over.” The thought is that David was so full of the great subject that his heart was overflowing. He was eager to recite the things or sentences he had made (formed) concerning the king. He was so enthused over the subject that he felt as if he could speak with as much ease as an able scribe could write it, which is why he compared his tongue to the pen of such a writer.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Whether this psalm has, or had, a local application or is wholly idealistic cannot be certainly determined. It matters very little, for it is one of the songs which inevitably is Messianic in its deepest and fullest meaning. After an introduction which speaks of the fullness of his heart, the singer addresses the king, telling of the glory of the king’s person, the perfection of his rule, and the beauty of his bride (verses Psa 45:1-9). He then turns to the bride, and in view of her high calling, counsels her to forget her own people and surrender herself wholly to her husband (verses Psa 45:10-12). If the King in mind was Solomon and the bride the daughter of Pharaoh, the suggestiveness of the song becomes the more remarkable.

The singer then describes the queen gloriously arrayed for her marriage (verses Psa 45:13-15) and ends in words of promised blessing to the king. If the inclusive truth of this psalm be larger than we are able to grasp, there is a personal application full of value and full of beauty. It is, as we see, the glory of the Lord that we become ready to renounce all our own people and possessions that we may be wholly to His praise, and so the instruments through whom the royal race is propagated and the glory of the King made known among the generations and the peoples.

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

the Kings Wedding Song

Psa 45:1-17

Though this psalm was probably composed to celebrate Solomons marriage with Pharaohs daughter, we must remember that it is distinctly applied to our Lord in Heb 1:8. See also Eph 5:23; Rev 19:7. What wonder that the psalmists heart overflowed! It was bubbling up with good matter! His work was for a King! See Psa 45:1, R.V., margin.

The Warrior, Psa 45:2-5. The Word of God rides forth to war, followed by the armies of heaven. See Rev 19:13. His glory is the Cross; His majesty is in His meekness; His prosperity, in His loyalty to truth. His arrows are tipped with love, and those who fall beneath them die that they may live. The King, Psa 45:6-8. The oil of gladness is the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which we also may share. See 1Jn 2:20; 1Jn 2:27. The Bridegroom, Psa 45:9-17. Clad in glistening raiment, the Church stands by her Lord, who claims her love and loyalty. But these are not inconsistent claims! By nature she was without beauty or dower; but she has won both in Him. See to it that you are not missing at that wedding-feast! Mat 7:22-23.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

Psa 45:2

I. The Messiah is “fairer than the children of men” as the Son of God. Children of men are born in time; the Messiah was in the beginning with God. They have only a creature nature; He has the nature of God. He is absolutely one with God, and in every respect equal with God.

II. Christ is “fairer than the children of men” as the Son of man. They are born with a sinful taint, but He was born without sin. They go astray as soon as they are born; He was a holy and harmless Child. The children of men fail chiefly in love, but the love of our Saviour surpasseth knowledge.

III. Christ is “fairer than the children of men” in three things which He shared with men-work, suffering, and temptation. (1) Work. (a) He knew His work. He knew what it was. Some people spend their whole lives in finding out their work; hence they never do any work which is worth doing. (b) Christ made His work His meat and drink. He did not call work a curse. He did not account it a hardship. (c) Christ finished His work. (2) In suffering, too, Christ endured completely all that He was appointed to suffer. He also bore it patiently, and His patience had her perfect work. (3) Look at temptation. Christ was undefiled by temptation. Thoughts of wrong-doing were cast into His mind like firebrands thrown into some dwelling formed of combustible material, but those thoughts never tainted Christ.

IV. Christ is “fairer than the children of men” in His official characters of Prophet and Priest.

V. Christ is “fairer than the children of men” in four things in which good men notably fail: (1) in the harmony and variety of His excellencies; (2) in the unbroken consistency of His actions; (3) in the perfection of His manifold works; (4) Christ’s influence was in all respects superior. Hence the variety of metaphors used to represent Him.

S. Martin, Westminster Chapel Pulpit, 4th series, No. 12.

References: Psa 45:2.-G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 80; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. iv., p. 71; Spurgeon, Morning by Morning, p. 173. Psa 45:3.-Expositor, 3rd series, vol. v., p. 312; C. Wordsworth, Sermons at Harrow School, p. 188; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 377.

Psa 45:3-4

The three offices of Christ.

Our Lord is here spoken of in two distinct characters-as a Teacher: “Full of grace are Thy lips;” and as a Conqueror: “Gird Thee with Thy sword upon Thy thigh,” or, in other words, as a Prophet and as a King. His third special office is that of a Priest, in that He offered Himself up to God the Father as a propitiation for our sins.

I. These three offices seem to contain in them and to represent the three principal conditions of mankind: endurance, active life, and thought. Christ undertook them all, suffering that we might know how to suffer, labouring that we might know how to labour, and teaching that we might know how to teach.

II. In these offices Christ also represents to us the Holy Trinity, for in His own proper character He is a Priest; and as to His kingdom, He has it from the Father; and as to His prophetical office, He exercises it by the Spirit. The Father is the King, the Son the Priest, and the Holy Ghost the Prophet.

III. Christ left behind Him a ministerial order, who are His representatives and instruments; and they, though earthen vessels, show forth according to their measure these three characters: the prophetical, the priestly, and the regal. Nay, all His followers in some sense bear all three offices, as Scripture is not slow to declare. Knowledge, power, endurance, are the three privileges of the Christian Church. (1) Each state, each rank in the world, has its particular excellence; but that excellence is solitary. The kingly office has this great defect, that it is all power and no subjection, all doing and no suffering. Christ was not a King without being a Sufferer too, and so in like manner His followers after Him. (2) The soldier comes more nearly than the king to the pattern of Christ. Yet there are great drawbacks here also. (a) There is the carnal weapon. (b) The soldier is but an instrument directed by another. Christ and His ministers are bloodless conquerors. (3) The great philosophers of the world, whose words are so good and so effective, are themselves too often nothing more than words. Who shall warrant for their doing as well as speaking? They are shadows of Christ’s prophetical office, but where is the sacerdotal or the regal? Where shall we find in them the nobleness of the king and the self-denial of the priest? Such is the world, but Christ came to make a new world. He came to combine what was dissipated, to recast what was shattered, in Himself. He began all excellence, and of His fulness have all we received.

J. H. Newman, Sermons on Subjects of the Day, p. 52.

References: Psa 45:6.-Expositor, 3rd series, vol. v., p. 312. Psa 45:6, Psa 45:7.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. vi., p. 341. Psa 45:7.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxii., No. 1273; Ibid., Morning by Morning, p. 150. Psa 45:7, Psa 45:8.-Ibid., Sermons, vol. ix., No. 498. Psa 45:8.-Ibid., Evening by Evening, p. 46. Psa 45:9.-J. M. Neale, Sermons on Passages of the Psalms, p. 129. Psa 45:10, Psa 45:11.-G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 136.

Psa 45:11

The forty-fifth Psalm is the coronation oath of Christ to His Church. And here are three thoughts strung together to do honour to the occasion-Christ’s delight in His Church’s beauty, Christ’s claim to His Church’s service, and Christ the centre of His Church’s worship.

I. The service of worship is giving honour to God. And this is a higher and more heavenly thing than the worship which we make for our own sake, to satisfy our own desires, and to supply our own necessities. Both in public and in private, the highest part of prayer and the far end of all that we ask for ourselves or others is the confession and acknowledgment which that prayer contains of the majesty and the love of Almighty God.

II. Notice more accurately how we are to make worship service. It is only as any worship of our own mingles with the intercession of Jesus and is perfumed with His sweet name and merit that it goes up pleasantly to God. It is the Christ which is in everything that makes it service. (1) Therefore the first requisite to make worship service is the presence and the recognition of the presence of the great High-priest. (2) Remember that if worship is service, you are the servants who are to do the service. You are God’s priests-it is God’s own word-you are God’s priests to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God in Jesus Christ. (3) Service implies all that makes a good servant’s work-order, accuracy, painstaking, reverence, a lowly feeling, a distinct aim to please and honour Him whose we are and whom we serve. To a man rightly taught the whole world is a temple, his heart is the fane, and all life is the service of worship.

J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 9th series, p. 55.

References: Psa 45:13.-Expositor, 3rd series, vol. v., p. 313; J. M. Neale, Sermons on Passages of the Psalms, p. 140. Psa 45:15.-J. Sherman, Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. v., p. 1.

Psa 45:16

I. Christ’s princes are princes born. The reason is that their birth is a new one, and any child may have it. Into the world in which Christ’s princes are born no one can bring them but God.

II. They are princes by getting a royal education. Christ provides both a good textbook and a good Teacher. The textbook is the Bible; the Teacher is the Holy Spirit.

III. They are princes by training in royal work. The first subject that any Christian prince gets to rule is his own spirit. If you want to know whether you are a prince, ask if you can take care of yourself. Can you rule your own spirit? Apart from the general idea of ruling, there are three kinds of work that princes made by Christ get to do. The first is prayer; the second is patience; the third is peacemaking.

IV. All persons royally born may be said to have a crown in prospect. All princes do not come actually to be crowned with earthly crowns; but this is one of the best things about Christ’s princes: they will all be crowned and all wear their crowns in heaven. The crown may be known by the inscription on it, “Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

J. Edmond, Christian World Pulpit, vol. ii., p. 161.

References: Psa 45:16.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. vii., No. 424, and vol. xxi., No. 1260. Psa 45:17.-Homiletic Magazine, vol. vii., p. 342; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 384; J. M. Neale, Sermons on Passages of the Psalms, p. 149. Psalm 45-J. G. Murphy, The Book of Daniel, p. 46. Psa 46:4.-Homiletic Magazine, vol. vii., p. 214; J. H. Evans, Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. xv., p. 189.

Fuente: The Sermon Bible

Psalm 45

The Answer: The King Messiah and His Glory

1. The King in His majesty and power (Psa 45:1-5)

2. His throne and His glory (Psa 45:6-8)

3. With the King, sharing His glory and kingdom (Psa 45:9-17)

This beautiful Psalm, a perfect gem, gives the answer to the prayer of distress, Arise for our help, with which the preceding Psalm closed. It is also a Maschil Psalm and a traditional view claims Solomon as the author. And how the critics have laboured, without success, to explain away its Messianic meaning! The Jews have borne witness to this fact. The Chaldean Targum paraphrases verse 2 by saying, Thy beauty, O King Messiah, is greater than that of the sons of men. And the eminent Jewish expositor Aben-Ezra says, This Psalm treats of David, or rather of his son the Messiah. But the first chapter in the Hebrew Epistle establishes forever that the Lord Jesus Christ is here prophetically revealed. It has the inscription upon Shoshannim (lilies). Here the theory that the inscriptions belong to preceding Psalms breaks down, for He is the Lily of the Valley, revealed now as the King, the Beloved One.

What sublime descriptions of the Person of our Lord! Here is His perfect Humanity, fairer than the children of men, with grace poured into His lips. His kingly glory, His manifestation in glory, executing the vengeance of God upon His enemies and delivering His waiting people. Here is His deity, for the King is God, Thy Throne, O God, is forever; His cross, He loved righteousness and hated iniquity, and the oil of gladness which is upon Him in resurrection glory, and His fellows share His glory. He receives the kingdom. With Him is the queen at His right hand in gold of Ophir, the Lambs wife, to share His rule and reign with Him. The Kings daughter is Israel, now all glorious within, born again, with garments of wrought gold, the symbol of glory. Her companions are nations now brought to the King. From henceforth the Name, which is above every other name, will be remembered and His people will praise Him forever and ever.

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

Shoshannim

Shoshannim, “lilies,” and so, the spring; the Shoshannim Psalms were probably connected with the Passover season, and hence reminders of redemption out of bondage, and of the origins of Israel.

king

This great psalm of the King, with Psalms 46-47, obviously looks forward to the advent in glory. The reference in Heb 1:8; Heb 1:9 is not so much to the anointing as an event Mat 3:16; Mat 3:17 as to the permanent state of the King. Cf. Isa 11:1; Isa 11:2.

The divisions are:

(1) The supreme beauty of the King (Psa 45:1; Psa 45:2);

(2) the coming of the King in glory Psa 45:3-5; Rev 19:11-21.

(3) the deity of the King and character of His reign Psa 45:6; Psa 45:7; Heb 1:8; Heb 1:9; Isa 11:1-5.

(4) as associated with Him in earthly rule, the queen is presented, Psa 45:9-13 and in that relation the King is not called Elohim (See Scofield “Gen 1:1”) as in Psa 45:6, but Adonai, the husband name of Deity See Scofield “Gen 15:2”.

(5) the virgin companions of the queen, who would seem to be the Jewish remnant. (See Scofield “Rom 11:5”). Rev 14:1-4 are next seen Psa 45:14; Psa 45:15 and

(6) the Psalm closes with a reference to the earthly fame of the King.

See Psalms 68, next in order of the Messianic Psalms.

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

Shoshannim: Psa 69:1, Psa 80:1, *titles

Maschil: or, of instruction

A song: Son 1:1, Son 1:2-7, Isa 5:1, Eph 5:32

is inditing: Heb. boileth, or, bubbleth up, Job 32:18-20, Pro 16:23, Mat 12:35

a good: Psa 49:3, Job 33:3, Job 34:4, Pro 8:6-9

touching: Psa 2:6, Psa 24:7-10, Psa 110:1, Psa 110:2, Son 1:12, Isa 32:1, Isa 32:2, Mat 25:34, Mat 27:37

tongue: 2Sa 23:2, 2Pe 1:21

Reciprocal: Num 26:11 – General 1Ch 6:37 – Korah Ezr 7:6 – a ready Psa 8:5 – hast Psa 42:1 – the sons Psa 145:1 – my God Pro 15:2 – tongue Pro 15:26 – but Zec 9:9 – behold Mat 21:5 – thy King 2Co 9:1 – touching 1Ti 1:17 – the King

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The glory of the Messiah; united to His people.

To the chief musician, upon Shoshannim, Maskil of the sons of Korah: a song of the Beloved.

{Verse 2 ‘fairer far’ A reduplicative form, which makes it emphatic.}

Suddenly the Lord will appear. As Zechariah shows (Zec 14:1-21) when Jerusalem is compassed by her enemies, and just falling, nay, has fallen into their hands, -the city taken, the houses rifled, and half of the city gone forth into captivity, while “the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city,” -then “shall Jehovah go forth, and fight with those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.” This might be, and has been, taken as a providential visit; but what follows shows conclusively, and in agreement with many other prophecies, (Dan 7:13-14, etc.) that it is -though indeed Jehovah -the Son of Man who comes: for “His feet shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives . . . . and Jehovah my God shall come, and all the holy ones with Thee.”

“Saints” it is in our common version; but we must not press this as necessarily implying men. “The holy ones” may be angels, and more naturally: for it is not till the New Testament that we have it revealed that “when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we appear with Him in glory” (Col 3:4). But a personal coming, with at least angels, is clearly announced; and then it is that “Jehovah shall be King over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Jehovah, and His name one.”

The psalm before us gives us no date nor details of the coming of the Lord; and the veil over its teaching is thick enough to have blinded the critics who with so much pains seek to put themselves back into the Old Testament darkness in order to get the true light thereupon. Here we may choose, if we will follow them, between Solomon, Ahab, Joram, the Syrian Alexander, a Persian monarch, or wander, if we please, further still. With all this we gain no help to spiritual conception, if even we are not led to patch and mutilate after the manner of Cheyne, in order to get rid of any possibility of holding what is in disrepute as the “traditional” one. May not, after all, this traditional one be just the effect of the glory of Christ shining out of Scripture all down the centuries? and thus tradition be but a poor name for the continual witness of eyes that have seen it?

The psalm is another Maskil, or psalm of instruction, -pointed out to us thus as having special wisdom for the time to which all these psalms refer. If it be the appearing of Messiah which is the people’s deliverance from all their sorrows; we must see how necessarily this must have its place in such a series.

The psalm is also (along with the sixty-ninth and eightieth) entitled; “al-shoshannim;” or; “upon lilies;” which has been given various conjectural references to instruments or current songs; so purely conjectural and so entirely without spiritual meaning; that we can lose nothing by ignoring them altogether. But the home of the lily, if we may so say; is in the Song of songs; where we shall find it undoubtedly with such spiritual significance emphasized; and in various details, as found in the valleys; growing among thorns; the roes (or gazelles) pasturing among them; as to which Dr. Thompson says, -“Our flower delights most in the valleys, but it is also found on the mountains. It grows among thorns; and I have sadly lacerated my hands in extricating it from them. Nothing can be in higher contrast than the luxuriant velvety softness of this lily, and. the crabbed; tangled hedge of thorns about it. Gazelles still delight to feed among them; and you can scarcely ride through the woods north of Tabor; where these lilies abound; without frightening them from their flowery pasture.”

The lily is the ideal thus of purity, beauty; and attractive grace, which may be found (though not necessarily) in lowliest circumstances, and indeed encompassed with the signs of the curse, though foreign to its own nature. Such an emblem may well suit the Lord Himself in His character as Man; and His people too; as by grace partaking with Him in it. In the psalm before us both these are seen together, and to both it may well refer.

Corresponding to this; we have as the designation of the whole psalm; “a song of loves;” or “of the beloved” -“beloved one,” in the Septuagint; persons (Olshausen); objects (Delitzsch). The variation is not; after all, a very great one, whether it express the affection of the heart, or the object of the affection; and whether this be simply Christ, or Christ and His people together. The true heart has always found the meaning here; and whether in the Synagogue of old; or the Church of the later dispensation; it has been recognized as a prophecy of the Christ of God.

1. Heart and tongue are in unison in the speaker here. His theme possesses and carries him away. He has to declare his delight in it; how full he is of the “good matter” he pours forth. Even while he speaks he turns from those he is addressing, to the glorious Presence which shines upon him; to pour out his praise directly to Him.

“Thou art fairer far;” he says, “than the sons of men” -Son of man, but transcending them all; and with this personal excellence joins itself a divine quality of speech, -“grace is poured into Thy lips.” In this he discerns the ground, not of temporary blessing, as when. God brought forth man at the beginning and blessed them, (Gen 1:28;) but of eternal. For here is a perfection. which shall not pass away, and One qualified perfectly to communicate between God and man. There is but One such Man: there has never been another -a true “Second Man,” in every respect. Therefore there is but this One to whom such language can. refer. Although he does not bring out the full meaning of the passage; we must agree with Alexander, that “on any hypothesis except the Messianic one; this verse is unintelligible.”*

{* The perplexity of commentators in rendering this text is strange enough; not indeed when they would apply it to a Persian monarch, or even an Israelitish king, but even when they discern its Messianic reference. The reason is that dull literality which by its dullness even ceases to be literal. “Fairness” or “beauty” -the same word -is ascribed to “wisdom” by the prophet, (Eze 28:7,) and so need not be “physical” merely; and it is naive enough, after so interpreting it, to enlarge then on the difficulty, which is of one’s own making, how can mere physical beauty be the ground of eternal blessing; and then to affirm the passage itself in proof!

Then “grace poured into the lips” is surely not the same as “grace playing round the lips,” and the former expression is not unnatural as expressive of speech that has divine unction. A King of Israel, who finds eternal blessing on this account, -pre-eminent above all the sons of men, can only be the “King Messiah” of whom the Targum understands it here.}

2. Thus the subject of the psalm is defined. But the King thus glorious and owned of God is not on that account welcomed in peace to His throne by the world’s homage. No: He has to conquer His kingdom, as had David. The next three verses therefore speak of the putting down. of His enemies. He is invited to gird His sword upon His thigh with glory and majesty; and to ride forth, as He. is seen in the Apocalyptic vision. Truth and the cause of meek (or suffering) righteousness demand the judgment which He comes to execute. Grace has been shown and been rejected: only judgment therefore remains; and “when Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isa 26:9; Isa 10:1-34). The “grace poured into His lips” is exchanged therefore for a sword. It is tire answer to the cry of the previous psalm; and in fact the battle is soon over when once the day of long-suffering has reached its limit. The peoples fall under Him: but this is only the prelude to a very different and contrasted scene.

3. The third section flashes out the full glory of the King. The apostle’s comment and. quotation, in the epistle to the Hebrews (1: 7-9); expressly contrast it with what is angelic merely: “Of the angels it* saith: “He maketh His angels spirits; and His ministers a flame of fire; but of the Son: Thy throne; O God; is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.”**

{*”It” seems preferable to “he”: it is simply Scripture to which he appears to refer. And even if God be referred to as the Speaker, this can only be as the true Author of Scripture, as the passage from the psalm before us is clearly no direct divine address.

**The meaning, one would suppose to be thus settled for the Christian. Alas, today there are so many Christians who are not Christian, that no apostolic authority can settle it for them; and wherever Christ is in question, whether in the Old Testament or the New, there Satan is now permitted to show his skill in exegesis. As it needs to be known of what high dignitaries in the Church are capable, let us once more quote the Oxford professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture, Cheyne. He translates [and supplements] as follows:

“As for thy throne, [firm is its foundation,]

God [hath established it] for ever and ever:

a sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

And he accepts it as probable that the psalm refers to Ahab! “though of course, no editor of temple-songs would have admitted such a poem into his collection had he supposed that it referred to Ahab, or indeed to any king of (northern) Israel. But if he mistook the psalm for a hymn to some typically Messianic king of Judah, or why not say at once, to the Messiah of the future, he might well have admitted it, especially if he read verse 13 a in its present most probably corrupt form, misinterpreted by him.

“For my, own part, I have no doubt that the psalm was preserved in the Psalter on the theory of its original Messianic reference -a theory which few will maintain now.”

Coming to the verse before us, he tells us, “If we accept the text” -which he prefers not to do, -“Elohim may here be a title of the king,” without the need of admitting that it implies a divine person. This because “the title Elohim is applied to the judicial authority (Exo 21:6, Exo 22:8), to Moses (Exo 7:1), and to the apparition of Samuel (1Sa 28:13), and that a prophet, looking into the future, declares the Davidic family to be ‘as Elohim, as the (or, an) angel of Jehovah’ (Zec 12:8).” Still, he refuses this: “The one conclusive objection to this view is that in the very next verse Elohim is used with distinct and sole reference to Jehovah (unless indeed, with St. Jerome and Bishop Pearson, we take Elohim there too as a vocative) -a use which corresponds to the pervading tendency of the Korahite psalms. It would be unnatural to interpret the word differently here.”

Dismissing this idea, there remains but to read “Thy throne is God,” meaning “thy throne is God’s throne”; and this again meaning “as permanent as God’s throne.” But this also he rightly rejects as impossible, and then is brought face to face with the apostle’s rendering in Hebrew, (which however he never notices as that) and then his unbelief comes plainly out:

“The sum of the matter is that the only natural rendering of the received text is that of the versions, ‘Thy throne, O God,’ and the only natural interpretation that of the Targum, ‘Thy throne, O Jehovah’. But is such an abrupt transition to Jehovah conceivable?” The end is that, the application to Christ being inconceivable (to him) also, he must interpolate! Such is the spirit of much of the higher criticism of the day!}

Yes, the kingdom of God is indeed come; never to pass away. Human hands they are that take the empire; but that is a mystery and marvel of the Divine ways. “To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His Name shall be called Wonderful; Counsellor; the Mighty God; the Father of eternity; the Prince of peace” (Isa 9:6). How blessed the announcement! how clearly has it been made! and that trumpet of jubilee is soon to sound which shall call the saints of every time to enter upon their inheritance. When He inherits, they too shall begin to inherit who are Heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ. God “hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” (Joh 5:27); and here also they share (through His grace) with Him; in ways suited (of course) to creature-capacities. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me upon My throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on His throne” (Rev 3:21).

Here is careful discrimination, with abounding grace. Upon the Father’s throne none could surely sit; except Himself. And let us observe that, while here; as soon as His kingdom is announced, we hear -strange as it may seem -of “fellows”; yet the same necessary discrimination is observed. Man Himself, and exalted as Man by God, it is added, “God, even Thy God; hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.”

Striking it is how in this Jewish psalm of Christ, and with millennial glory now in view; we should find just in this place; more than a hint thrown out of what is outside of Jewish blessing altogether. No doubt it is something which, apart from the New Testament, we should not be able to realize; and even with it; we may take it loosely as referring to men at large who as saints are brought into relationship with Him who sanctifies them. But the word “fellows,” or “associates,” seems to go further than this, and especially if we consider the place in which we find them spoken of here. The “queen” of this psalm, and her companions, are certainly earthly, and not heavenly saints. Here are those who seem to occupy another place; and are spoken of by a title most suited for those whose home is with Christ above; filling thus; too, what for us would be otherwise an unfilled gap; even in this scene of glory. All this would naturally suggest such a view as we are taking.

This glorious King reigns then by divine right on the highest of thrones; and yet is a Man; and as such subject, even upon the throne which here He takes. What a guarantee of stability; and of the perfection of that Will that governs all! Freedom and obedience are only different sides of the perfect blessedness found in such a kingdom for the soul that has truly entered it.

Once more we are reminded of the personal excellences of the King. His “garments” are, of course, as always; that practical righteousness which He has loved and manifested in His human life. They are so perfumed with precious spices that they seem to consist of the very spices themselves. The myrrh and cassia (though the word used for this last is a different one) are principal ingredients in the holy anointing oil (Exo 30:1-38), and therefore certainly typify graces of the Spirit which are found in Him. The aloes are reckoned among the “chief spices” (Son 4:14). The myrrh is a gum which distills spontaneously from the plant; though it may be procured also by incision. Cassia seems to be a kind of cinnamon; and a bark aloes also a fragrant wood. But it is hazardous to say more about them until; two latter have been more definitely determined. Perhaps these different characters of the spices may at least present to us more distinctly the whole manhood of our Lord as alike fragrant with spiritual perfection.

Difficulty also attends the rendering of the last part of the verse; as may be seen by the various translations. That which commends itself etymologically, and is most accepted perhaps today; furnishes also a meaning in sweet accord with what is here the theme. We may be able to say little about the “ivory palaces”; although Solomon’s ivory throne may give us perhaps the thought of regnant righteousness; -may appear like a symbol of the “great white throne” itself -needing but little transfer of application from a throne to a palace, -the abode of rulers. From such homes of purity; the sound of “stringed instruments” may well gladden the King;s heart. They show man;s power over inanimate nature, to fashion it to harmony of praise. Man’s hand it is that draws the music out. Set over nature; he has largely yet made discord of it. Nov the glorious King hears other strains. Here is what is now the result of His own work: He finds in it the fruit of the travail of His soul; -reconciliation carried fully out. And this the “stringed instruments” -controlled by man;s hand entirely -best expresses.

4. The fourth section, as that, defines for us (not without need; if we think of many interpreters) that the relations in which the King is now to be seen are earthly relations. The figure of marriage is, as we know, used to image to us the union of Christ with His Church in glory; it is also used similarly to convey to us the relation of Jehovah to Israel, both in time past and in that to come, -suspended for the present through national unfaithfulness (Isa 50:1; Hos 2:2). The relation in the first case is heavenly -to be enjoyed there; in the latter, earthly. The earthly may be also a figure of the heavenly; but the two are thus entirely distinct; and must be kept distinct in our minds; or we fall into confusion. Just so, there are two Jerusalems; put in contrast by the apostle in Galatians (Gal 4:25-26), but the earthly in her glorious days to come being again an evident type of the heavenly one (comp. Eze 47:1-12 Eze 48:30-35 with Rev 21:1-27; Rev 22:1-21).

The Psalms are in their whole horizon earthly (Psa 115:16); and; while there may be hints, as we have already seen, of a higher sphere of blessing; the common Old Testament character attaches to the book throughout. The “queen;” -the bride of the King -as all connections show; is therefore the earthly and not the heavenly bride. The “king’s daughters” show us; in a not unusual figure, the representatives of the nations attendant upon One who is Lord of the whole earth. Israel alone has the place of bride; and to import the polygamy of ancient times into this scene of future blessedness not only occasions moral disquietude but is contrary to Scripture statements as to Israel’s distinctive place. The “daughter of Tyre” in the twelfth verse is in fact but one of these “kings’ daughters;” and indicates their place.

The queen* stands at the right hand of the King, adorned with gold of Ophir: divine glory displayed in “fruitfulness”** from a naturally barren soil. How glorious will God manifest Himself at last in such fruit brought forth from the obdurate heart of man! How will it be “said of Jacob and of Israel” -comparing one with the other -“What hath God wrought!”

{* Shegal is a queen by marriage, a queen consort, not in her own right (Wordsworth).

** Ophir is probably from parah, to be fruitful.}

Now she is called, in view of the grace that has been shown her; to be a Manassite; forgetful of her kindred and her father’s house. There must be no turning back to what has been left behind -to a condition wholly incompatible with her relationship to the glorious Person who desires her for Himself. He is indeed the Lord, and claims the entire affection and worship of the soul. It is in yielding Him this that all the sweetness of such a love as His is proved and enjoyed; and if we make Him all; we shall find how more than enough He is for all that heart can seek in Him. This is the knowledge of the new man, that “Christ is all”; all other competing objects having to disappear and give place to Him (Col 3:10-11).

A simple truth, therefore, this should be to the Christian; and scarcely needing much enforcement. Yet it does need. How few of those who have turned to Him, yea, and found answer from Him; in the deepest need of their souls; have yet frankly taken Him for all other needs! How many have to find cistern after cistern of their own cracked in the hewing; before they apply themselves in full earnest to their own free fountain of living water! How little is it understood that Christ and nothing else will more than satisfy; when Christ and a great deal else to supplement Him will only bring one down to near starvation! Yet should it be difficult to see that a Christ honored and trusted as all-competent will justify that trust, when a Christ dishonored by other makeweights will seem to justify nothing but the distrust?

So it will be found as often as we try it; verification will surely be found by experience on either side. And that is why so often a man’s happiest time comes when circumstances should make him most miserable; when, other dependences having broken down; the Voice is heard which says; “Whosoever is athirst, let him come unto ME and drink!” But what a sorrow and what a shame, not to have heard that Voice before, -not to have known that HE was worthy of ALL trust, as surely as He was worthy of any!

Oh for an utter dependence upon Christ for all things! a dependence which shall realize itself as independence of all else beside Himself! How blessed to know that here is a fullness within reach of any man, and of which nothing can deprive the man who seeks it! For it we must be Manassites; with our faces towards heaven; Christ our goal and prize; to win Christ and be found in Him. This is the path of progress and of victory -of enjoyed competency all the way.

Israel shall find what He is for her also in the day which this psalm anticipates; -shall find Who this Joseph is who unknown has fed them in famine. And when the glory of the Lord shall thus have risen upon them; “the Gentiles shall come to their light; and kings to the brightness of its rising.” This we find therefore now: “The daughter of Tyre is present with an offering: the rich among the people intreat thy favor.” Tyre; the queen city of commerce; whose merchants are princes; and who knows well the value of all earthly things that can be bought; is now attracted by what no riches can purchase. She is here; not with a price; but with an offering. The rich intreat for what is greater riches. This is evidently a typical example of how the “Desire of all nations” will be found in Christ; Tyre; as the great trafficker; being the suited power to illustrate this. The facts here have all of them spiritual significance.

5. So now man is seen with God as never yet: the earth has caught the rays of the Sun of righteousness; the night is over and gone; the golden day is come. But this supposes, on the part of those brought near; the necessary requirements met of the divine nature. The number of this section which speaks of man with God, is that therefore which speaks also of responsibility and exercise, and of a way by which God’s destined end is reached.

Accordingly we now return to look at the bride after another manner. She is now not only a king’s bride; she is also a “king’s daughter.” Her birth is royal also: her husband need not be in this respect ashamed of her: as it is said in Hebrews (Heb 2:11); “For both He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one” -from one; of one paternity, -“for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” They are born of God; -as to the new nature; born again; He was Son of God from the Virgin’s womb, without taint of sin at all. Enough of difference here, one would think; to make Him ashamed to call them brethren; yet He is not ashamed. So the bride here has; as looked at from one side, kindred she must forget, and yet on the other side, as a king’s daughter, is “all glorious within.” The spiritual significance illumines the whole; and alone makes it worthy.

This guides as to the disputed meaning of “within.” Is this within the palace, or within the litter that is conveying her, when she is “brought unto the king”? or is it “inwardly”: is she all-glorious not merely externally; but within herself? Certainly the latter is the most consistent with the context. Is it not really most consistent with the use of the word itself; without any indication of the litter or house or palace? Whose palace? Not the king;s: for her being brought to him follows this. Her father’s; say Delitzsch and Moll, or her own chamber, before she is brought forth. If so; it is mere scenery; too much imported into the word to gain so little.* Spiritually there is no gain at all: “the king’s daughter” leads us naturally to think of what she is herself spiritually; to which the clothing with its interweavings of gold; as glory put upon what is already in itself glorious; is most perfectly suited. This clothing may be identical with the “embroidery” in which she is brought to the king; or is it possible that the reference here may be, as in Psa 139:15 it certainly is, to the body “curiously wrought” or “embroidered” (the same word) in its variegated structure of muscles and vessels and nerves; an organic web which may well picture the more wondrous interlacing of faculties and powers in the spiritual part? How will the perfect being at last show the painstaking care of God in a marvelous piece of handiwork -a creature that shall glorify Him in its mere existence for ever and ever!

{* Cheyne, as common with him, escapes by a correction. He follows Krochmal in turning penimah, “within,” into peninim, and reading -“of pearls in ouches of gold is her clothing.”}

The virgins that follow her; her companions; I have again a difficulty in interpreting according to the polygamous relationships of ancient times. Israel’s exaltation to a special place of blessing and nearness to her heavenly King seems rather to discountenance than favor such application; while the joy that is awakened among the nations of the earth may well account for the queen’s “companions.” Nor do I forget; in the moral difficulty suggested; that the wives of David and others are plainly typical of Messianic or divine relationships; the evil being in no wise sanctioned by this overruling of them for good. All that is different, as it seems to me, from what is implied in current interpretations here, and that just because, were they necessarily to be received, they

would seem, in a psalm such as the present, to imply some real sanction of polygamy itself, and not a mere toleration of it. Difficulties there are as to this in other connections; and here is not the place to attempt explanation: they must be looked at as we come to them. In this place the interpretation in this way seems more than disputable.

The fruit of Messiah’s union with Israel is found in rulers established in all the earth. And the psalm ends with the mention of the blessed King to be in their mouth throughout all generations; and; through this; eternal praise from the subject peoples.

Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary

Psa 45:1. My heart is enditing a good matter I am about to utter, not rash, vain, or foolish, much less false words, but such as proceed from my very heart, and most cordial affections; and are the result of my most deliberate and serious thoughts: things not only pleasant and delightful, and fit for the nuptial solemnity here intended, but excellent, as the word , tob, often signifies: or holy and spiritual, as it is most commonly used: things heavenly and divine, and full of majesty, as is manifest from the matter of the Psalm. Surely this magnificent preface is too sublime and spiritual for such a carnal and earthly subject as Solomons marriage with Pharaohs daughter. The word , rachash, here rendered is enditing, properly means boiling, or bubbling up, and is here used metaphorically, for meditating deeply, with fervour and vehemency, in allusion either to water boiled over a fire, or else springing forth from a fountain. I will speak of the things I have made Hebrew, , magnasi, my work, or composition; touching the king The King Messiah and his government. The Hebrew, , lemelech, is literally, to the king, and the clause is translated by the Seventy, , I rehearse my works to the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer That is, as some interpret it, I will recite what I have composed with so much fluency, as shall equal the style of the most skilful and diligent writer. Or, rather, he means, I am but the pen or instrument in uttering this song. It has another and higher original, namely, the Spirit of God, by whose hand this pen is guided.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Meir Arama says, that with the consent of all [the rabbins] this psalm speaks of the Messiah. The Targum also, as far as the eighth verse, expounds it of the Messiah. Their interpretation appears to be correct,

(1) From the sublime effusions of Davids soul.

(2) The King is higher than the kings of the earth.

(3) In all his wars he is terrible and victorious.

(4) His title, the Elohim, St. Paul, Heb 1:8, will not allow to be inscribed to a mortal man.

(5) The description of the Queen is too exalted for Pharaohs daughter, and agrees better with St. Pauls description of the church. Eph 5:27.

Though Solomon had no war, yet some orthodox fathers think that David glances also on Solomons marriage.

Shoshannim, in the title, signifies an instrument of six strings. Maschil signifies of instruction. A song of loves: the original word is Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord. So Nathan appointed Solomon to be called, 2Sa 12:25; a name which made him highly figurative of Christ, the beloved of the Father. Now, though these high encomiums are passed on Solomon, and these exalted requests made for his person and empire; and though language equally strong is used for David; yet we have proof in abundance, that the inspired writers in the old testament referred all their sorrows, and all their joys, to the Messiah as the ultimate object of their hope.

Psa 45:1. My heart is inditing, pouring forth a torrent of divine truths, maxims the most illustrious, and prophecies the most luminous.

Psa 45:2. Thou art fairer than the children of men, in point of regal splendour, virtue, and wisdom. Targum, Thou art fairer, oh King Messiah.

Psa 45:3. Gird on thy sword. Solomon had indeed a sword, but he engaged not in wars; nor had he occasion, except to quell revolts by some of his officers in old age. But Christ has a sword with two edges.

Psa 45:5. Thine arrows are sharp. As Solomon had no war, this prophecy refers to Christ, who fights against Jews and Romans, and all the enemies of the church, with the sharp sword that goes out of his mouth.

Psa 45:6. Thy throne, oh God, is for ever and ever. The word Elohim, in the plural, is here applied to the king whose praise the psalmist celebrates. But this cannot be Solomon, for the word in the plural form is never applied to any creature individually, whether angel or man. It is several times metaphorically applied to judges, rulers, or princes, in their collective capacity, as Psa 82:6; but never individually. Manoah said of the angel, Jdg 13:22, We shall surely die, because we have seen ELOHIM. But the angel there is the same as in Gen 22:11, JEHOVAH, the Angel of the covenant. St. Paul adduces this passage expressly to prove the divinity of Christ, Heb 1:8-9; and it does not admit of any other interpretation.

Psa 45:7. The oil of gladness above thy fellows. God gave not the Spirit to the Messiah by measure; he had a name of glory and exaltation above every name. He is heir of all things, and Mediator between God and man.

Psa 45:8. Ivory palaces. The walls of palaces were sometimes cased with polished ivory.

Psa 45:9. Kings daughters were among thy honourable women. The rabbins, and most of the christian fathers, expound the remaining verses of the marriage of Solomon with Pharaohs daughter; and our Poole admits that this idea does not diminish the glory of the Messiah. It is usual with the prophets, by things which are near, to speak of Christ, and of the glory of his kingdom.

Psa 45:10. Forget also thine own people. A man must forsake father and mother, and cleave to his wife. The gentiles also must forget their kindred and their gods, to be joined to Christ, and incorporated with the Israel of God.

Psa 45:11. Worship thou him. As a woman is required to reverence her husband, so the church, yea all the angels of God, must adore the Saviour. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way.

Psa 45:12. The daughter of Tyre. So also we read of the daughter of Zion, the daughter of Jerusalem, and the daughter of Babel. It means the virgins of those cities, and denotes the conversion of that nation to Christ. Both Greece and Carthage, to which they fled, embraced the christian faith.

Psa 45:13. The kings daughter is all glorious within. In royal marriages there is a great deal of exterior splendour, in dress, jewels, crowns, equipage; but in the church, the glory of holiness is withinthe adornings of godliness, and the loveliness of the christian temper.We may here add, a versification by the late C. Wesley, never, with the exception of five verses, before printed. Its merits are incomparable.

My heart is full of Christ, and longs His rising glories to declare; Of him I make my loftiest songs, I cannot from his praise forbear; My ready tongue makes haste to sing The beauties of my heavenly King.

Fairer than all the earth-born race, Perfect in comeliness thou art, Replenished are thy lips with grace, And full of love thy tender heart; God ever blessed, we bow the knee, And own all fulness dwells in thee.

Gird on thy thigh the Spirits sword, And take to thee thy power divine; Stir up thy strength, Almighty Lord, All power and majesty are thine; Assert thy worship and renown, Oh all-redeeming God come down.

Come, and maintain thy righteous cause, And let thy glorious toil succeed; Dispread the victory of thy cross, Ride on and prosper in thy deed; Through earth triumphantly ride on, And reign in all our hearts alone.

Terrible things thine own right hand, Shall teach thy greatness to perform; Who in th avengeful day can stand Unshaken by thine angers storm; While riding on the whirlwinds wings, They meet the thundering King of kings.

Sharp are the arrows of thy love, And pierce the most obdurate heart; Their point thine enemies shall prove, And strangely filled with pleasing smart, Fall down before thy cross subdued, And feel thine arrows dipt in blood.

Lover thou art of purity, And hatest every spot of sin; Nothing profane can dwell with thee, Nothing unholy or unclean, And therefore doth thy Father own, His glorious likeness in his Son.

Therefore he hath his Spirit shed, Spirit of joy, and power, and grace, Immeasurably on thy head, Firstborn of all the chosen race; From thee the sacred unction springs, That makes thy followers priests and kings.

Sweet is the odour of thy name, Through all the means a fragrance comes; Thy garments hide a sinners shame, Thy garments shed divine perfumes; That through the ivory palace flow, The church in which thou reignst below.

Thy heavenly charms the virgins move, And bow them to thy pleasing sway; They triumph in thy princely love, Thy will with all their hearts obey; Revere thine honourable word, The glorious handmaids of the Lord.

High above all at thy right hand, Adorned with each diviner grace, Thy favourite queen exults to stand, Thy church her heavenly charms displays; Clothed with the sun, for glories meet, She sees the moon beneath her feet.

Daughter of heaven though born on earth, Incline thy willing heart and ear, Forget thy first ignoble birth, Thy people and thy kinsfolks here; So shall the king delight to see His beauties copied, and by thee. He only is thy God and Lord, Worship divine to him be given, By all the host of heaven adored, By every creature under heaven: And all the gentile world shall know, And freely to his service flow.

The rich shall lay their riches down, And poor become for Jesus sake: Kings at his feet shall cast their crown, And humbly for his mercy make; (Mercy profuse on all bestowed)

And languish to be great in God.

Are not his servants kings, and rule They not oer hell, and earth, and sin? His daughter is divinely full Of Christ, and glorious all within; All glorious inwardly she reigns, And not one spot of sin remains.

Clothed with humility and love, With every darling virtue bright, With faith which God vouchsafes t approve, Precious in her great Fathers sight; The royal maid with joy shall come, Triumphant to her heavenly home.

Brought by his sweet attracting grace, She first shall in his sight appear; In holiness behold his face, Made perfect with her followers here: Spotless and pure, a virgin train, They all shall in his palace reign.

In lieu of seers and patriarchs old, Of whom she once did make her boast, The virgin-mother shall behold Her numerous sons, a princely host; Installed oer all the earth abroad, Anointed kings and priests to God.

Thee, Jesus, King of kings, and Lord Of lords, I glory to proclaim; From age to age thy praise record, That all the world may learn thy name: And all shall soon thy grace adore, When time and sin shall be no more.

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

XLV. A Royal Marriage Song.This Ps. owes its place in the Canon to that allegorical interpretation which has been accepted by the Synagogue and the Church, the Messiah being the bridegroom and Israel the bride. The friends of the bride are the convert nations who bring tributary gifts. But any such theory is untenable, (a) The friends of the bride in Psa 45:14 are clearly distinguished from the nations in Psa 45:12. (b) The bride is urged to forget her people and her fathers house, whereas Israel is exhorted by the prophets to remember her Maker and her origin, (c) The king is said to desire the beauty of the bride, while on the contrary the prophetic religion teaches that Israel must first be united to God and the Messiah: then and then only does she become beautiful.

We have accordingly to deal with an actual king, not with an ideal Messiah yet in the future. The king was an Israelite, for it is assumed (Psa 45:7) that Yahweh is his God. Who this king was we cannot say. One living scholar would place the Ps. in Solomons timeabout 1000 B.C., another would carry it down to Maccabean days. Intermediate dates are suggested. But all this is mere guesswork. The language supplies no sure test.

Psa 45:1. Introduction.the things which I have made: i.e. my poems (cf. our word poem, originally a thing that is made and then a metrical composition).

Psa 45:2-7. Praise of the king as a hero in war and also as an equitable, attractive, and kindly ruler.

Psa 45:3 f. The text is corrupt. Read, In thy glory and thy majesty ride prosperously on behalf of truth and meekness and (LXX) righteousness. Fearful is thy right hand in glory and in majesty.

Psa 45:6. The rendering a divine throne (cf. mg.) is perhaps possible. For thy throne, O God, the original text must have had thy throne, O Yahweh, God being due to the editor of the Elohistic Psalter. But Yahweh was itself a mistake of the scribe for will be (yiheyeh being changed into Yahweh). Read, therefore, Thy throne will exist for ever and ever.

Psa 45:8-17. The kings marriage with a foreign princess.

Psa 45:8. For ivory palaces see Amo 3:15* and 1Ki 22:39. The walls were panelled with ivory.

Psa 45:11. Read with LXX, For the king desireth thy beauty.Worship is a legitimate rendering if taken in its Old English sense. It does not imply adoration.

Psa 45:12. The daughter of Tyre is a personification of the city and its inhabitants like daughter of Zion, daughter of Babel, etc.

Psa 45:13. Within [the palace] makes no sense. An ingenious emendation, all glorious with corals, restores the parallelism with very little change in the MT.

Psa 45:17. Read, They (i.e. the princes) shall cause thy name to be remembered in all generations.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

PSALM 45

A song of the Beloved, in which Christ is presented in answer to the appeal of the godly in Psalm 44. He is seen in His moral perfection; as the One mighty in battle; and finally as the King reigning in righteousness, with restored Israel under the figure of a queen.

(v. 1) The heart of the singer is welling forth with a good matter (JND). It is more than full, it is overflowing, for the theme of his song is the King in His beauty. His words are no mere recital of what others have said: he speaks of the glories that he himself has discerned in the King. His tongue is the pen of a ready writer. An empty heart will mean a silent tongue. An overflowing heart will lead to a ready tongue; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

(v. 2) The psalmist, addressing the Beloved, and voicing the feelings of the earthly bride, can say, Thou art fairer than the children of men. The King surpasses all others in beauty and moral excellence. Moreover His moral perfection filled His lips with grace. Grace is poured into thy lips. The grace of His words is the outcome of the love of His heart. Therefore, says the psalmist – because of His intrinsic worth – God hath blessed thee for ever. Others are blessed through His work and worth; He, alone amongst men, is blessed because of His own intrinsic excellence.

(vv. 3-5) However excellent the King, yea, because of His moral perfection, He has been opposed by the enmity of men, who will not submit to His claims as the King. His throne, therefore, can only be reached through the judgment of His enemies. Thus the godly man appeals to the King to gird on His sword for the day of battle. Not only is the King morally perfect, but He is all powerful – a mighty One.

With the girding on of the sword, the day of His humiliation is passed; the time to put on His glory and majesty has come. When He comes forth in His majesty, as the One mighty in battle, He will ride prosperously, for He will do battle with the forces of evil on behalf of truth, and meekness, and righteousness. He will maintain the truth, avenge the oppressed, and establish righteousness. In this world’s wars, earthly kings pay little heed to truth; the meek are crushed, and too often might prevails over right. A prosperous kingdom and a permanent throne cannot be reached by such means. Here, however, is One that wars, not simply to acquire territory or renown, but to establish the right, and bless the meek of the earth. With such motives and aims the King, in the day of battle, will ride through all the ranks of the enemy, and overcome every obstacle. The peoples will fall under Him, and the King’s enemies will be smitten to rise no more.

(vv. 6-7) Thus will He reach a throne that will be established for ever and ever, of which the sceptre will be wielded in righteousness. Moreover in that day the King will be recognized as a Divine Person, and addressed as God. The King is none less than the Son of God. Nevertheless, He has taken a place amongst man, and as Man, He loved righteousness and hated wickedness; and of Him it can be said, God, Thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy companions. Righteousness must be the basis of a kingdom that endures for ever, and joy and gladness will flow from righteousness. While others will share the kingdom glories, Christ, as King, will ever be pre-eminent.

Thus the King has been passed before us in His moral perfection (v. 2); as the One mighty in battle, overcoming every enemy (vv. 3-5); and finally as reigning in righteousness, in the glory of His Person, exalted above His companions in kingly dignity (vv. 6-7).

(v. 8) We are now permitted to behold the King in yet another glory, as the Bridegroom in the day of His espousals. For even as the recognition of Christ in heaven, as the omnipotent King, is followed by the marriage of the Lamb (Rev 19:6-8): so the coming forth of Christ to reign on earth as the King of kings will be followed by the restoration of Israel as the earthly bride.

Once He had worn the garments of humiliation; then He had gone forth to war clothed in a vesture dipped in blood; now the days of His humiliation are passed, His victories are complete, and He comes forth in garments that speak of a character redolent with every grace. Not only does gladness flow from His throne (v. 7); but He, Himself, is made glad by the joy of His people. At last He dwells amidst the praises of Israel (Psa 22:3).

(v. 9) The nations, presented under the figure of King’s daughters, will do homage to the King; though the place of honour will be reserved for restored Israel, brought before us under the figure of the queen standing at the right hand of the King (cp. Isa 54:5; Jer 3:1; Hos 2:19-20).

(vv. 10-12) The psalmist, using the figure of a bride, calls upon restored Israel to consider the new relationship upon which the nation is entering, and to forget the sorrowful past with all its failure and unfaithfulness to Jehovah. In those days the leaders of the nation had boasted in their fathers while rejecting Christ. Restored Israel is called to recognize that, in connection with their own people, they had forfeited every claim to blessing. They are now to learn that if they inherit blessing it is entirely owing to Christ, and in connection with Him – the One who had been rejected by their fathers. They are called to dissociate themselves from the guilty nation in order to be entirely for Christ. Thus only will the Lord delight in Israel, and Israel worship the Lord.

Thus devoted to the Lord they will exercise an attractive power over the nations, as set forth by the daughter of Tyre and the rich among the peoples. Such will come with their gifts, entreating the favour of the nation that is in favour with the King. In like spirit Isaiah can say, The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet (Isa 60:14).

(vv. 13-15) The restored nation of Israel has its distinct place of honour in submission and devotedness to the King. The nations have come with their gift, thus submitting to Israel. Now restored Israel, and the converted of the nations, under the figure of the bride and her companions, having been made suited to the King, are presented to Christ with gladness and joy, to have a place of intimacy and nearness – They shall enter into the king’s palace.

(vv. 16-17) In the closing verses of the psalm, we hear the voice of Jehovah speaking through the psalmist. Jehovah predicts that restored Israel, instead of looking back to their fathers, through whom all blessing was forfeited, will rejoice in her children who will rule as princes in the earth. Above all, Christ will be exalted and praised for ever and ever. Other names will be forgotten, but the name of Christ will be remembered throughout all generations, and He, Himself, the Object of praise among all people for ever and ever.

Fuente: Smith’s Writings on 24 Books of the Bible

45:1 [To the chief Musician upon {a} Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of {b} loves.] My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer.

(a) This was a certain tune of an instrument.

(b) Of that perfect love that ought to be between the husband and the wife.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Psalms 45

This royal psalm glorified a king as he prepared for his wedding. The writer related the counsel that the bride had received as she anticipated the wedding. He then predicted that people would honor the king forever because of the descendants born to him. The psalmist also appears to have spoken prophetically of Christ (cf. Eph 5:32-33; Heb 1:8-9). [Note: Kidner, p. 170.]

"Psalms 45 is another example of a royal psalm which reflects the historical situation of ancient Israel, but which ultimately applies to Christ in that He is the one through whom the primary aspects of its idealistic portrayal of the Davidic ruler are fully realized." [Note: Chisholm, "A Theology . . .," p. 270.]

"Shoshannim" in the title means "lilies." This may have been a hymn tune. The meaning of "Maskil" is still unclear. "A song of love" (lit., NASB) probably means "a wedding song" (NIV).

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

1. Praise for the bridegroom 45:1-9

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

The psalmist claimed to be full of joy and inspiration as he composed this song. He said what he did out of a full heart.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

Psa 45:1-17

THIS is an epithalamion or ode on a kings marriage. The usual bewildering variety of conjectures as to his identity meets us in commentaries. The older opinion points to Solomons marriage to an Egyptian princess, to which it is objected that he was not a warrior king, as the monarch of the psalm is. Hitzig regards “daughter of Tyre,” in Psa 45:12 as a vocative, and therefore looks for a king who married a Tyrian woman. He is obliged to go to the northern kingdom to find one, and pitches on Ahab because Jezebel was the daughter of “a king of the Zidonians,” and Ahab had an “ivory house”. {1Ki 22:39} It is hard to believe that that wedded pair of evil memory are the originals of the lovely portraits in the psalm, or that a psalmist would recognise the kingdom of Israel as divinely established and to be eternally upheld. Besides, the construction of Psa 45:12 on which this theory pivots, is doubtful, and the daughter of Tyre there mentioned is more probably one of the bringers of gifts to the bride. The attributes of the king and the promises for his descendants cannot be extended, without incongruity, beyond the Davidic line. Hence Delitzsch has selected Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat principally because his wife, Athaliah, was of Tyrian descent, being Jezebels daughter, and partly because his father had been a trader, which accounts for the allusions to gold of Ophir and ivory. These are slender grounds of identification, to say nothing of the miserable contrast which Jehorams reign-a dreary record of apostasy and defeat, culminating in a tragic death and a dishonoured grave {2Ch 21:1-20} -would present to the psalm. Some commentators have thought of the marriage of a Persian king, mainly because the peculiar word for consort in Psa 45:9 is employed for Persian queens, {Neh 2:6} and also because the Tyrians were tributary to Persia, and because the sons of the king are to be “called princes in all lands,” which reminds us of Persian satraps. Ewald finally fixed on Jeroboam II of Israel. Cheyne (“Orig. of Psalt.”) finds the king of the psalm in Ptolemy Philadelphus, the inspirer, as was believed, of the LXX translation, whom Josephus and Philo extol. Its author puts this identification only as “tentative.” Notwithstanding his anticipatory protest against making Philadelphus moral character an objection, he feels that it is an objection; for he urges that its darker shades had not yet disclosed themselves, and confesses that “a haze of illusion encompassed our poet,” who “overrated this Ptolemy, from taking too external a view of the Messianic promise, and being flattered by a Hellenic kings partiality for his people” (u.s., 172). Philadelphus afterwards married his sister. His hands were red with blood. Was a Jewish psalmist likely to take “up the singing robes of a court poet” (u.s.) in honour of a Ptolemy, or to transfer the promises to the Davidic line to, and to speak of God as the God of, a foreign king? Or how, if he did, came his song to find and keep a place in the Psalter? All these conjectures show the hopelessness of identifying the person intended addressed in the psalm. It is said that a knowledge of the historical allusions in the Psalter is indispensable to enjoying it. They would often be helpful if they could be settled, but that is no reason for elevating conjecture to the place of knowledge.

One reason for the failure of attempts at identification is that the language is a world too wide for the best and greatest of Jewish kings. Much in the psalm applies to a historical occasion, the marriage of some monarch; but there is much that as obviously goes beyond it. Either, then, the psalm is hyperbole, outstripping even poetical licence, or there appear in it characteristics of the ideal monarch whom the psalmist knew to be promised to Israel. Every king of Judah by descent and office was a living prophecy. The singer sees the Messiah shining, as it were, through the shadowy form of the earthly king, whose limitations and defects, no less than his excellences and glories, pointed onwards to a greater than Solomon. in whom the “sure mercies” promised to David should be facts at last.

The psalm has two main divisions, prefaced by a prelude (Psa 45:1), and followed by prediction of happy issue of the marriage and enduring and wide dominion. The two main parts are respectively addressed to the royal bridegroom (Psa 45:2-9) and to the bride (Psa 45:10-15).

The singer lays claim to at least poetic inspiration. His heart is seething or boiling over with goodly words, or perhaps with the joyful matter which occasions his song-namely, the royal nuptials. He dedicates his “work” (like the original meaning of “poem”-a thing made) to “a king,” the absence of the definite article suggesting that the office is more prominent than the person. He sings to a king; therefore his strains must be lofty. So full is his heart that the swift words pour out as the stylus of a rapid writer races over the parchment. The previous musing has been long, the fire has burned slowly; but at last all is molten, and rushes out, fluent because fervent.

The picture of the king begins with two features on which the old-world ideal of a monarch laid stress-personal beauty and gracious speech. This monarch is fairer than the sons of men. The note of superhuman excellence is struck at the outset; and though the surface reference is only to physical beauty, that is conceived of as the indication of a fair nature which moulds the fair form.

“For of the soul the body form doth take;

For soul is form, and doth the body make.”

The highest truth of this opening word is realised only in Him of whom it was also said, in apparent contradiction, but real harmony with it. “His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.” The craving for “whatsoever things are lovely,” like all other desires, has for its object Jesus Christ. Another kingly excellence is sweet courtesy of speech. Possibly, indeed, the “grace poured on the lips” may mean the gracious smile which moulds their curves, but more likely it refers to the kindly speech that so well becomes a mouth that can command. The sweetest examples of such words are poor beside “the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth.” The psalmists ideal is that of a gentle king. Where else than in the King whose sceptre was a reed, not an iron rod, has it been fulfilled?

“Nor know we anything more fair

Than is the smile upon Thy face.”

From such characteristics the psalmist draws an inference-“therefore God hath blessed thee forever”; for that “therefore” does not introduce the result of the preceding excellences, but the cause of them. The psalmist knows that God has blessed the king because he sees these beauties. They are the visible signs and tokens of the Divine benediction. In its reference to Christ, the thought expressed is that His superhuman beauty is to all men the proof of a unique operation of God. Abiding divinity is witnessed by perfect humanity.

The scene changes with startling suddenness to the fury of battle. In a burst of lyric enthusiasm, forgetting for a moment nuptials and wedding marches, the singer calls on the king to array himself for war and to rush on the foe. Very striking is this combination of gentleness and warrior strength-a union which has been often realised in heroic figures, which is needful for the highest type of either, and which is fulfilled in the Lamb of God, who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The king is to gird on his sword, and to array himself, as in glittering armour, in his splendour and majesty, and, thus arrayed, to mount his chariot, or, less probably, to bestride his warhorse, and hurl himself on the yielding ranks of the enemy. “Press forward, drive (or ride) on,” crushing obstacles and forcing a path. But Israels king could be no vulgar conqueror, impelled by lust of dominion or “glory.” His sword is to be girt on for the help or “on behalf of truth, meekness, and righteousness.” These abstracts may be used for concretes-namely, the possessors of the qualities named. But the limitation is not necessary. The monarchs warfare is for the spread of these. The Hebrew binds the two latter closely together by an anomalous construction, which may be represented by connecting the two words with a hyphen. They are regarded as a double star. Then follows a verse of hurry: “Thy right hand shall teach thee awe-striking deeds.” He has no allies. The canvas has no room for soldiers. The picture is like the Assyrian sculptures, in which the king stands erect and alone in his chariot, a giant in comparison with the tiny figures beneath him. Like Rameses in Pentaurs great battle song, “he pierced the line of the foe; he was all alone, no other with him.” Then follow three abrupt clauses, reflecting in their fragmentary character the stress of battle: “Thine arrows are sharp-The peoples fall under thee-In the heart of the enemies of the king.” The bright arrow is on the string; it whizzes; the plain is strewed with prostrate forms, the kings shaft in the heart of each. It is no mere fanciful spiritualising which sees in this picture an adumbration of the merciful warfare of Christ all through the ages. We get to the kernel of the history of Israel when we regard it as the preparation for Christ. We understand the raison detre of its monarchy when we see in these poor shadows the types of the King of men, who was to be all that they should have been and were not. The world wide conflict for truth and meekness and righteousness is His conflict, and the help which is done on earth He doeth it all Himself. The psalm waits for its completion still, and will wait until the day when the marriage supper of the Lamb is preceded by the last battle and crowning victory of Him who “in righteousness doth judge and make war.”

All the older versions take “God,” in Psa 45:6 a, – as a vocative, while most moderns seek another construction or text. “The sum of the matter is that the only natural rendering of the received text is that of the Versions. Thy throne, O God” (Cheyne, in loc.). Three renderings have been proposed, all of which are harsh. “Thy throne is the throne of God,” etc., is Ewalds suggestion, revived from a Jewish expositor, and adopted widely by many recent commentators, and in the margin of the R.V. It is clumsy, and leaves it doubtful whether the stress of the assertion lies on the Divine appointment or on the eternal duration of the throne. “Thy Gods throne is,” etc., is very questionable grammatically, and extremely harsh. The only other suggested rendering, “Thy throne is God,” etc., may fairly be pronounced impossible. If the vocative construction is retained, are we shut up to Cheynes further opinion, that “the only natural interpretation [is] that of the Targum, Thy throne, O Jehovah”? If so, we shall be obliged to admit textual corruption; for a reference to the eternal duration of Jehovahs dominion is quite out of place here, where the parallelism of the next clause demands some characteristic of the kings throne corresponding to that of his sceptre, there stated. But in Exo 21:6; Exo 22:8, and Psa 82:6 the name God (Elohim) is applied to rulers and judges, on the ground, as our Lord puts it, in Joh 10:35, that “unto them the word of God came”-i.e., that they were theocratic officers. The designation, therefore, of the king as Elohim is not contrary to the Hebrew line of thought. It does not predicate divinity, but Divine preparation for and appointment to office. The recurrence of Elohim (God) in its full Divine signification in the next verse is felt by many to be an insuperable objection to recognising the lower sense here. But the emphatic “thy God,” which is appended to the name in Psa 45:7, seems expressly intended to distinguish between the uses of the word in the two verses. August, then, as the title is, it proves nothing as to the divinity of the person addressed. We recognise the prophetic character of the psalm, and strongly believe that it points onwards to Christ the King. But we cannot take the ascription of the title “O God” as having reference to His Divine nature. Such a thought lay far beyond the prophetic horizon. The Old Testament usage, which is appealed to in order to justify the translation of the word “God” as a vocative, must govern its meaning. The careful distinction drawn by the expressions of Psa 45:7, between the lower and higher senses of the name, forbid the attempt to find here a premature and anomalous statement of deep truth, for which the ages were not ripe. While we, who know the full truth, may permissibly apply the psalmists words as its expression, we must not forget that in so doing we are going beyond their real meaning. The controversies waged over the construction of this verse have sometimes been embittered by the supposition that it was a buttress for the truth of Christs Divine nature. But that is a mistake. The psalm goes no further than to declare that the king is divinely endowed and appointed. It does outline a character fairer than the sons of men, which requires indwelling Deity for its realisation in humanity. But it does not speak the decisive word, which alone could solve the mystery of its requirement, by proclaiming the fact of incarnation.

The perpetuity of the kings throne is guaranteed, not only by his theocratic appointment by God, but by the righteousness of his rule. His sceptre is not a rod of iron, but “a sceptre of uprightness.” He is righteous in character as well as in official acts. He “loves righteousness,” and therefore cannot but “hate iniquity.” His broad shield shelters all who love and seek after righteousness, and he wars against evil wherever it shows itself. Therefore his throne stands firm, and is the worlds hope. A singer who had grasped the truth that power divorced from justice could not endure was far in advance of his time. The nations have not yet learned his lesson. The vast robber kingdoms which seemed to give the lie to his faith have confirmed it by their evanescence.

The kings love of righteousness leads to his being “anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.” This anointing is not that of a coronation, but that of a feast. His “fellows” may either be other kings or his attendant companions at his marriage. The psalmist looks as deep into individual life as he has just done into politics, and ascribes to righteousness lofty powers in that region too. The heart which loves it will be joyful, whatever befalls. Conformity to the highest ideal known to a man, or, at all events, hearty love thereof, leading to efforts after it, is the surest foundation for lasting and deep joy. Since Christ is the fulfilment of the psalmists picture, and perfectly realised the perfection of manhood, the psalmsts words here are most fully applicable to Him.

True, He was “a man of sorrows,” but beneath His sorrow had abiding and central joy, which He bequeathed to us, with the assurance that to possess it would make our joy full. His pure manhood was ever in touch with God, and lived in conscious righteousness, and therefore there was ever light within, though there was darkness around. He, the saddest, was likewise the gladdest of men, and “anointed with the oil of joy above His fellows.”

In Psa 45:8 the psalm reaches its main theme-the marriage of the king. The previous verses have painted his grace of person, his heroic deeds in battle, and his righteous rule. Now he stands ready to pass into the palace to meet his bride. His festival robes are so redolent of perfumes that they seem to be composed of nothing but woven fragrance. There are difficulties in the rendering of Psa 45:8 a, but that adopted above is generally accepted as the most probable. The clause then describes the burst of jubilant music which welcomed and rejoiced the king as he approached the “palaces of ivory,” where his bride waited his coming.

Psa 45:9 carries the king into his harem. The inferior wives are of royal blood, but nearest him and superior to these is the queen-consort glittering with golden ornaments. This feature of the psalmists description can only have reference to the actual historical occasion of the psalm, and warns against overlooking that in seeking a prophetic reference to the Christ in every particular.

The second half of the psalm is an address to the bride and a description of her beauty and state. The singer assumes a fatherly tone, speaking to her as “daughter.” She is a foreigner by birth, and is called upon to give up all her former associations, with whole-hearted consecration to her new duties. It is difficult to imagine Jezebel or Athaliah as the recipient of these counsels, nor does it seem to the present writer to add anything to the enjoyment of the psalm that the person to whom they were addressed should be identified. The exhortation to give up all for loves sake goes to the heart of the sacred relation of husband and wife, and witnesses to the lofty ideal of that relation which prevailed in Israel, even though polygamy was not forbidden. The sweet necessity of wedded love subordinates all other love, as a deeper well, when sunk, draws the surface waters and shallower springs into itself.

“The rich, golden shaft

Hath killed the flock of all affections else

That live in her.”

The king sung of in the psalm was a type of Christ. Every true marriage is in the same fashion a type of the union of the soul with Jesus, the lover of all, the bridegroom of humanity. So it is not arbitrary spiritualising, but recognition of the nobleness of the lower love and of its essential similarity with the highest, when the counsel to this bride is regarded as shadowing the duties of the soul wedded to Christ. If a heart is really influenced by love to Him, that love will make self-surrender blessed. A child gladly drops toys when it stretches out its little hand for better gifts. If we are joined to Jesus, we shall not be unwilling to “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge” of Him. Have the terms of wedded life changed since this psalm was written? Have the terms of Christian living altered since it was said, “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple”? The law still remains, “Daughter, forget thine own people and Thy fathers house.” The exhortation is followed by a promise: “So shall the king desire thy beauty.” The application of these words to the relations of Christ and His people carries with it a striking thought that He is affected by the completeness of our self-surrender and dependence. He pours love on the unworthy, but that is a different thing from the love with which He responds to such abandonment of self and other loves. Holy, noble living will bring a smile into His face and draw Him nearer to us.

But whilst there is all this sweet commerce of love and giving, the bride is reminded that the king is her lord, and is to be reverenced as welt as loved. There is here, no doubt, the influence of an archaic mode of regarding marriage and the wifes position. But it still is true that no woman finds all that her heart needs in her husband, unless she can bring her reverence where she has brought her love; and that love will not long remain if reverence departs. Nor is the warning less needed in, the higher region of the wedlock of the soul with the Saviour. Some types of emotional religion have more to say about love than about obedience. They are full of half-wholesome apostrophes to a “dear Lord,” and are apt to forget the last word in the emphasis which they put on the first. The beggar maid married to a king was full of reverence as well as love; and the souls whom Jesus stoops to love and wash and wed are never to forget to blend adoration with approach and obedience with love.

A picture of the reflected honour and influence of the bride follows in Psa 45:12. When she stands by the kings side, those around recognise her dignity, and seek to secure her favour. Hupfeld, Hitzig, and others take “daughter of Tyre” to be a vocative, addressed to the bride, who is, according to their view, a Tyrian princess. But there is a strong grammatical objection to that construction in the copula (“and”) prefixed to “daughter,” which is never so prefixed to a vocative unless preceded by another vocative. Delitzsch, Baethgen, Perowne, and Cheyne agree in recognising the force of that consideration, and the three former regard the phrase not as a vocative, but as a nominative. It is a personification of the Tyrians according to a familiar idiom. The clause is elliptical, and has to be supplemented by supposing that the same verb, which appears in the next clause in the plural, is to be supplied in thought, just as that clause requires the supplement of “with a gift” from this one. There appears to be some flaw in the text, as the clauses are unsymmetrical, and possibly the punctuators have marked a hiatus by the sign (Pasek) after the word “daughter of Tyre.” To “seek thy favour” is literally to “smooth thy face”-a graphic representation. In the highest region, which we regard the psalm as adumbrating, the words have fulfilment. The bride standing by her bridegroom, and showing her love and devotion by self-abandonment and reverence, will be glorious in the eyes of those around. They who manifestly live in loving communion with their Lord will be recognised for what they are, and, though sometimes hated therefor, will also be honoured. When the Church has cast all but Christ out of its heart, it will conquer the world. “The sons of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee.”

In Psa 45:13-15 the brides apparel and nuptial procession are described. She is “all glorious within,”-by which is not meant, as ordinarily supposed, that she possesses a tuner beauty of soul, but that the poet conceives of her as standing in the inner chamber, where she has been arrayed in her splendour. Krochmal, followed by Graetz and Cheyne, changes the text so as to read corals, or, as Cheyne renders, pearls (Heb. pninim), for within (pninah), and thus preserves unity of subject in the verse by removing the local designation. But the existing reading is intelligible. In Psa 45:14 the marriage procession is described. The words rendered “embroidered robes” are by some taken to mean “tapestry of divers colours” (Perowne), or richly woven carpets spread for the bride to walk on, and by others (Hitzig, Riehm) gay-coloured cushions, to which she is led in order to sit beside the bridegroom. But the word means apparel elsewhere, and either of the other meanings introduces an irrelevant detail of another kind into the picture. The analogy of other Scripture metaphors leads at once to interpreting the brides attire as symbolic of the purity of character belonging to the Church. The Apocalypse dresses “the Lambs wife” in “fine linen, clean and white.” The psalm arrays her in garments gleaming with gold, which symbolise splendour and glory, and in embroidered robes, which suggest the patient use of the slow needle, and the variegated harmony of colour attained at last. There is no marriage between Christ and the soul, unless it is robed in the beauty of righteousness and manifold graces of character. In ether places we read that the bride “made herself ready,” and also that “to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,” in which sayings are set forth the double sources of such a garment of the soul. It is a gift from above. It is “put on” by continual effort, based on faith. The picture of the homecoming of the bride follows. She is attended by her maidens, and with them she passes into the palace amid joys and exultation. The psalm stops at the threshold. It is not for the singer to draw back the curtains and let in the day. “The door was shut.” The presence of virgin companions waiting on the bride no more interferes with the application of the psalm to Christ and His Church than the similar representation brings confusion into our Lords parable of the Ten Virgins. Parables and symbols are elastic, and often duplicate their representations of the same thing; and such is the case here.

The closing verses are addressed, not to the bride, but to the king, and can only in a very modified way and partially be supposed to pass beyond the Jewish monarch and refer to the true King. Hopes that he might be blessed with fortunate issue of the marriage were quite in place in an epithalamion, and the delicacy of the light touch with which this closing note is struck is noteworthy, especially in contrast with the tone of many famous secular songs of similar import. But much straining is needed to extract a spiritual sense from the words. Perowne truly says that it is “wiser to acknowledge at once the mixed character” of the psalm, and he quotes a sagacious saying of Calvins to the effect that it is not necessary that every detail should be carefully fitted to Christ. The psalm had a historical basis; and it has also a prophetic meaning, because the king of Israel was himself a type, and Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of the ideal never realised by its successive occupants. Both views of its nature must be kept in view in its interpretation; and it need cause no surprise if, at some points, the rind of prose fact is, so to speak, thicker than at others, or if certain features absolutely refuse to lend themselves to the spiritual interpretation.

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary