Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 45:3
Gird thy sword upon [thy] thigh, O [most] mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
3. Instead of praising the king’s strength and courage in the abstract, the Psalmist bids him use them in the cause of truth and right.
O most mighty ] O mighty hero.
with thy glory and thy majesty ] It is better to repeat the verb: (gird on) thy honour and thy majesty. Honour and majesty are Divine attributes, reflected in the person of the victorious King who is Jehovah’s representative. Cp. Psa 96:6; Psa 104:1; Psa 145:5; with Psa 21:5.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh – That is, Arm or prepare thyself for battle and conquest. The Messiah is introduced here as a conquering king; as about to go forward to subdue the nations to himself; as about to set up a permanent kingdom.
O most mighty – That is, Hero; Warrior; Conqueror.
With thy glory and thy majesty – With the glory and majesty appropriate to thee; or which properly belong to thee. This is at the same time the expression of a wish on the part of the author of the psalm, and a prophetic description. The psalmist desired that he would thus go forth to the conquest of the world; and saw that he would do it. Compare Psa 45:5-6. It is needless to remark that this is easily and naturally applicable to the Messiah – the Lord Jesus – as going forth for the subjugation of the world to the authority of God. Compare 1Co 15:25, 1Co 15:28. See also, in reference to the figure used here, Isa 49:2; Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16; Rev 19:15.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 45:3-5
Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most mighty.
Christ a mighty conqueror
I. The warrior. The fact that He is no less than a Divine being, although for a specific purpose He assumed our nature, distinctly intimates that He should be known as the mighty God; while the power that has been given to Him as the Mediator, and the wonders He has accomplished in magnifying the law, bringing in an everlasting righteousness, spoiling principalities and powers, and destroying him that had the power of death demonstrates that, with the greatest propriety, He may be styled the most Mighty One. War is the garb in which He often arrays Himself when He goes forth to scourge the guilty nations of the earth. In this respect He is styled the Captain of the Lords host; and described as a man of war, and then it is emphatically added the Lord is His name. He is Jehovah; Jehovah Zabaoth, The Lord of Hosts, to show that the armies of earth and the hosts of heaven are under His control. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords; the King of glory; the Lord strong and mighty; the Lord mighty in battle. In the contest to which He is called, He never can be mistaken, for the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Him; and it is just as impossible that He can ever be defeated, for He is the power of God, as well as the wisdom of God.
II. His enemies.
1. Those apostate spirits who are described as principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Having fallen from their first estate, their minds are filled with implacable hostility to the Redeemer.
2. Those who persecute the followers of Christ.
3. Those who uphold any system of religious faith opposed to the spirit and design of Christianity.
4. All who have not yet experienced the renewing influences of the Spirit of God, and who demonstrate by their conduct that they are of the world lying in iniquity.
5. All who despise the institutions of grace.
III. His armour. As His kingdom is spiritual in its nature, the weapons by which its interests are to be maintained are also spiritual. The sword which Messiah girds upon his thigh signifies the Holy Scriptures, elsewhere styled the sword of the Spirit. But the sword is not the only instrument with which the Saviour goes forth against His enemies. Like an ancient warrior He bears a bow and a quiver replenished with arrows, calculated to do terrible execution against the enemy. By these arrows, we understand the announcements of the Gospel.
IV. His expedition against his enemies,
V. His victory.
1. Behold the conquest of the powers of darkness upon Calvary, when, according to ancient prophecy, the Saviour bruised the head of Satan and weakened the whole energies of his kingdom (Col 2:14).
2. Then, again, how terribly did the Saviour act towards the Jewish nation. The cup of their iniquity at length became full, and then their capital, in which they had maltreated the Lord of Glory, was consigned to destruction; they were driven forth as homeless wanderers throughout the world.
3. Notice the victory which Christ has gained in establishing His kingdom upon earth.
VI. Conclusion.
1. See the dignity and glory of the Captain of salvation.
2. Consider the danger of opposing Christ.
3. Contemplate the gracious character of the conquests of Christ.
4. Rejoice in the perfection and glory to which the Church shall be brought through the omnipotence and grace of Christ. (Robert Cairns.)
The triumph of Christs mediatorial kingdom
I. Confidence in the power of Christ to vanquish the souls of men.
1. The first direct and decided foe over which He triumphed was the Jewish Church. That corrupt Church murdered the Son of God. But He was silent only a little more than forty-eight hours, and then rose to speak to men, and lives to speak through men, till all nations shall hear His voice, understand and believe.
2. The political power of Rome. The Jews condemned Jesus according to their law because He was a blasphemer; but as they had lost the power of capital punishment they appealed to Rome, saying, Help us to put this man to death. Pilate became a tool in their hands, and condemned the Just One, but He triumphed over both.
3. The ungodly world. The spirit, theories, institutions, habits and pursuits of unregenerated humanity are in deadly opposition to Christ. But He will conquer, He must reign.
II. Sympathy with the cause in which he was embarked. What is the cause?
1. Truth; less party zeal, and more zeal for truth.
2. Righteousness; an unjust man is not a soldier of Christ.
3. Meekness; fidelity. Soldiers of the Cross, the Redeemer must triumph.
III. A devout appeal to heaven. Gird thy sword.
1. A living faith in the present life of Christ. We are justified by His death, we are saved by His life.
2. A renunciation of all instruments, except those that are His. Carnal weapons have been foolishly and wickedly used in the cause of Christ–cannons, soldiers; and what an insult! what falsehood! (Caleb Morris.)
Messiahs victory predicted and desired
I. The appellation by which he addresses Christ. Most Mighty.
1. With respect to His Divine nature, Christ is the Mighty God; the Lord Jehovah, in whose arm dwells everlasting strength, Nor is it less applicable to Him considered as mediator. In this character He is Immanuel, God with us. He is mighty to conquer; for He has led captivity captive; He has conquered sin, and death, and hell–the three most formidable enemies that ever assailed the happiness of men, or the throne of God. Nor is He less mighty to save; for He has saved millions from the most awful fate, in the most desperate circumstances. He says of Himself, I am He that speaketh in righteousness, mighty to save.
2. The import of the petition is, in brief, that He would exert His might, or the power of His grace, for the conversion and salvation of sinners.
(1) That He would arm Himself with the necessary weapons. Gird on Thy sword. Christ has a sword of justice, to cut off incorrigible offenders; and a sword of grace, to subdue His chosen people, and make them willing in the day of His power.
(2) The psalmist petitions Christ to go arrayed in His glory and majesty; that glory and majesty with which he then saw Him to be clothed. But in what do the glory and majesty of Christ consist? I answer, glory is the display or manifestation of excellency. His glory, as God, consists in a display of the infinite perfections and excellencies of His nature. 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. He possesses everything necessary to satisfy the justice and secure the honour of God. He also possesses everything necessary to excite, encourage, and justify the highest love, admiration, and confidence of sinful men; for in Him all fulness dwell, even all the fulness of the Godhead. There is in him a fulness of truth to enlighten sinners and lead them to believe in Him. He has also a fulness of grace to pardon, sanctify and save them. Now, the display or manifestation of this infinite fulness of grace and truth constitutes the glory in which the psalmist wished Christ to appear. He wished Him also to appear in His majesty. The difference between majesty and glory consists in this: glory is something which belongs either to 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.
(3) Next, the psalmist prays, that being thus armed with His powerful sword, and arrayed in His glory and majesty, Christ would ride forth through the world, conquering and to conquer.
II. The reasons why the psalmist wished the Saviour to go forth prosperously and the cause in which he wished him to engage. DO this because of truth, and meekness and righteousness.
1. He might, perhaps, intend the truth, meekness and righteousness of Christ Himself; for all these qualities belong to Him in the highest degrees.
2. By meekness, truth and righteousness the psalmist might mean these qualities in the abstract; and if this be His meaning, we must understand Him as specifying the cause in which he wished Immanuel to engage.
III. To enforce his petition the psalmist predicts the certain success which would attend Messiah if he thus rode forth to battle. Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things; that is, Thou shalt know experimentally what terrible things Thy power can perform.
1. The destruction with which He shall overwhelm His incorrigible enemies.
2. There are also many terrible things which attend, or rather precede, the conquest of those whom He makes willing to be His people in the day of His power. He sends His spirit to convince them of sin, of righteousness and judgment; sets His terrors in dreadful array round about them, and often brings them to the very verge of despair before they submit, and cry for mercy. That these are terrible things, indeed, to the awakened sinner, none who have suffered thus need be told; and such are the terrible things which the right hand or power of Christ performs when He rides forth to battle as the Captain of salvation. (E. Payson, D. D.)
The spiritual war
I. The offensive weapons. These have as their symbols the sword and arrows.
1. The sword, a heavy, massive weapon for close engagement, and inflicting terrible wounds.
2. The arrow, a light missile used to annoy the enemy at a distance. It comes whizzing through the air unseen, causes but a small wound, and is scarcely felt till its sharp point reaches the heart.
3. Now, both are emblems of one and the same thing–the Word of God. For the Word has this twofold power of wounding, sometimes as the sword, sometimes as the arrow. The first, the Word of terror, is the sword girt upon Messiahs thigh; the second, the Word of persuasion, is the arrow shot from His bow. And thus, by the joint action of these two weapons, peoples, that is, whole kingdoms and nations in a mass, shall fall under Thee, shall submit themselves to Christ.
II. The defensive armour is to be noted (Psa 45:8), the refulgent, dazzling armour. This tells of whatever is admirable and amiable in the external form and appearance of the Christian religion.
1. The character of Jesus Himself.
2. The light of good works shining in the lives of His disciples.
3. Whatever is decent and seemly in the government, the discipline and the rites of the Church,
III. The wonders which his own right hand was to show him are to be explained. Not terrible things, as the Authorized Version has it, for there is no notion of terror in the Word as here used; but of things extraordinary in their kind–grand, amazing, awful. In some of the oldest English Bibles we have here the better chosen word, wonderful. Now, the wonders which Messiahs own right hand showed Him were the overthrow of Paganism and the Roman empire, and that by such seemingly inadequate means. It was, indeed, a wonderful thing, wrought by Christs single arm, when his religion prevailed over the whole system of idolatry, supported as it was by the authority of sovereigns, by the learning of philosophers, and most of all, by the inveterate prejudices of the vulgar, attached to their false gods by the gratification which their very worship afforded to the sensual passions, and by the natural partiality of mankind in favour of any system, however absurd and corrupt, sanctioned by a long antiquity. It was a wonderful thing when the devils kingdom, with much of its invisible power, lost at once the whole of its external pomp and splendour. It was a wonderful thing when the minds of all men took a sudden turn; kings became the nursing fathers of the Church, statesmen courted her alliance, philosophy embraced her faith, and even the sword was justly drawn in her defence. These were the wonderful things effected by Christs right hand. And in the later ages there will be terrible things also achieved by Him, when Antichrist and his armies shall be overthrown. Then in Psa 45:6; Psa 7:1-17 we have–
IV. The king seated on the throne of his mediatorial kingdom, ruling in perfect justice. The sceptre was an emblem of the perfect integrity of the monarch in the exercise of his power. Well, therefore, is it said, Psa 45:6, A straight sceptre is the sceptre of Thy royalty. Earthly kings can never be perfectly just, for they are all liable to error and deception. But in the kingdom of Messiah there shall be no imperfection in His rule, and therefore He is anointed by God with the oil of gladness above all others. This declaration is, with the greatest propriety, applied to Christ in the Epistle to the Hebrews and made an argument of His Divinity. Thus ends this section of this psalm. (Bishop Horsley.)
The Captain of salvation, with His sword girt on His thigh, defending the Church from the rage of her enemies
I. Whence it is our Lord Jesus is designed most mighty.
1. He is so from the omnipotent power of His Divine nature, which is the principal of His mighty operations in the union of His person (Isa 9:6.)
2. He is mighty from the authority and power that was communicated and given unto Him by the Father, as Mediator, for the accomplishing of His whole work. Christ had strength and power as the mighty God; and He hath authority too, as all power is communicated to Him by God the Father (Mat 28:18). And concerning the power given Him by the Father, the apostle tells us (Eph 2:22-23).
3. He may justly be designed most mighty from what He has done, not only in giving being and existence to all things, as God equal with the Father; but also considered as Mediator.
II. In what respects the word of Christ may be compared to a sword.
1. For defence of His people.
(1) Our Lord Jesus defends His subjects from their persecutors by His Word and Spirit. Whatever persecutors may be permitted to do with the bodies of any of Gods saints, their souls, against which the shot of their enemies is chiefly aimed, are still in safeguard.
(2) By His Word and Spirit He defends His people from the deceit and cunning craftiness of those who lie in wait to deceive them.
(3) Our Lord Jesus defends His people from all their inward enemies by His Word and Spirit.
(4) It is by means of the Word our Lord Jesus supports, comforts and bears up His people under all the tribulations in their house of pilgrimage.
2. For the downbringing of His and their enemies (Isa 11:4; Rev 3:16).
III. Some things implied in his girding on his sword.
1. His appointing ordinances in the Church.
2. His calling, fitting and qualifying a Gospel ministry to bear His name before sinners. Faithful ministers are the gift of Christ to the Church (Eph 4:10-12).
3. His accompanying the dispensation of all His ordinances with the power and efficacy of His Spirit.
IV. Why the sword of Christ, which is his word, is called his glory and majesty.
1. Because of the purity and holiness that shines forth in every part of it (Psa 19:8-9; Rom 7:12).
2. Because the scope and tendency of it is to declare His glory and majesty (Joh 5:39; 1Jn 5:20).
3. Because He therein manifests His glory unto us.
4. Because of the glorious and majestic effects it has upon the hearts and consciences of men.
V. Improvement.
1. Inferences.
(1) We may see and he informed when it is that our Lord Jesus has gone through with the arduous work of mens redemption and salvation to the glory of God and eternal consolation of all the spiritual Israel (Rom 9:5).
(2) We may see what a safe and happy people they are who have fled unto Christ by faith for refuge.
(3) We may see the egregious folly of all who endeavour to stand in the way of the advancement of the kingdom and interests of Christ.
(4) We may see with what reverence and attention men should both read the Word of God and hear it read and preached unto them (Heb 12:25).
(5) We may see matter of reproof to those who do not only slight and neglect the Word of Christ, but profane and abuse it.
2. Of trial and examination. What experience have you got of the powerful effects of the Word of Christ upon your hearts?
3. Of exhortation.
(1) We exhort you, who are the true subjects of the mighty Captain of our salvation, who have been subdued to the obedience of faith by the powerful efficacy of His Word and Spirit, to be faithful to Him; endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.
(2) We exhort all who are yet at war with this mighty One to take a believing view of the glory of His person, the greatness of His love, the riches of His grace and suitableness of His offices to the condition of your souls; and drop the weapons of your rebellion at His feet. (T. Bennet.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty] This clause should be translated, O hero, gird thy sword upon thy thigh! This, I think, cannot be spoken of Solomon. He was not a warlike prince: he never did any feats of arms. It has been said he would have been a warrior, if he had had enemies; it might have been so: but the words more properly apply to Christ, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords; whose sword with two edges, proceeding from his mouth, cuts all his adversaries to pieces.
With thy glory and thy majesty.] Be as war-like as thou art glorious and majestic. Solomon’s court was splendid, and his person was majestic. These words may be well said of him. But the majesty and glory of Christ are above all: he is higher than all the kings of the earth; and has a name above every name; and at it every knee shall bend, and every tongue confess.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh; either,
1. As an ensign of royal majesty. But that is usually and much better expressed in Scripture by putting a crown upon his head. Or rather,
2. As an instrument for war and battle, to smite his enemies, as it is declared, Psa 45:4,5. And the sword is here put synecdochically for all his arms, as it is in many other places, as appears from Psa 45:5, where we read also of his arrows. And this sword of the Messias is nothing else but the word of God coming out of his mouth; which is fitly compared to a sword, as may appear from Isa 49:2; Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12; Rev 1:16, which is elsewhere called the rod of his mouth, Isa 11:4, and the rod of his power, Psa 110:2.
With thy glory and thy majesty; or, which is thy glory and thy majesty; or, magnificence or beauty; for these words are joined with the sword, by way of apposition; which sword or word is the great instrument of maintaining and propagating thy honour, and glory, and kingdom.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3, 4. The king is addressed asready to go forth to battle.
sword(Compare Rev 1:16;Rev 19:15).
mighty(Compare Isa9:6).
glory and . . .majestygenerally used as divine attributes (Psa 96:6;Psa 104:1; Psa 111:3),or as specially conferred on mortals (Ps21:5), perhaps these typically.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Gird thy sword upon [thy] thigh, O [most] mighty,…. As Christ is, the mighty God, even the Almighty, and which appears by his works of creation and providence; by the redemption of his people; by his care and government of them; by succouring them under all their temptations and afflictions; by strengthening them for every service, duty, and suffering; by pleading their cause, and supplying their wants; by preserving them to his kingdom and glory; by raising them from the dead at the last day, and by introducing them into the possession of the heavenly inheritance. This mighty One is called upon to “gird [on his] sword”: by which is meant either the sword of the Spirit, the word of God; which is sharp in convincing of sin, reproving for it, and threatening on account of it, as well as in refuting error and heresy; and a twoedged one, consisting of law and Gospel, and which Christ made use of to great purpose, against Satan in the wilderness, and against the Scribes and Pharisees; and which he will make further use of in the latter day, against the man of sin, and his followers: or else the power of Christ, which, as the Leader and Commander of his people, and the Captain of their salvation, is called upon to exert, by preparing to engage with, and by destroying his and their enemies; and which he did put forth when the year of the redeemed was come, which was the day of vengeance in his heart; when he combated with and destroyed Satan, and spoiled his principalities and powers; when he abolished death itself, and took away sin the sting of it, and the law, the strength of sin; overcame the world, and delivered his people from it, and out of the hand of every enemy. It is added,
with thy glory and thy majesty; which may be connected either with the phrase “and most mighty”, and so be expressive of the glory and majesty of Christ, as the mighty God; or with his sword, as an emblem of his authority and majesty as a King, and may denote the glory of his Gospel and of his power; or may point at the end of his girding his sword upon his thigh, which was to show forth the glory of his majesty, or to obtain honour and glory: though the word “gird” may be supplied and repeated, and so make a distinct proposition, “gird with thy glory and thy majesty”; which was done when he was raised from the dead, and had glory given him; was crowned with it, and had the glory put upon him he had with his Father before the world was.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(Heb.: 44:4-6) In the ever blessed one the greatest strength and vigour are combined with the highest beauty. He is a hero. The praise of his heroic strength takes the form of a summons to exert it and aid the good in obtaining the victory over evil. Brightness and majesty, as the objects to , alternating with the sword, are not in apposition to this which is their instrument and symbol (Hengstenberg), but permutatives, inasmuch as is zeugmatically referable to both objects: the king is (1) to gird himself with his sword, and (2) to surround himself with his kingly, God-like doxa. is the brilliancy of the divine glory (Psa 96:6), of which the glory of the Davidic kingship is a reflection (Psa 21:6); mentioned side by side with the sword, it is, as it were, the panoply that surrounds the king as bright armour. In Psa 45:5 , written accidentally a second time, is probably to be struck out, as Olshausen and Hupfeld are of opinion. Hitzig points it , “and step forth;” but this is not Hebrew. As the text runs, wa – hadarcha (with Legarme preceded by Illuj, vid., Accentsystem xiii. 8 c, 9) looks as though it were repeated out of Psa 45:4 in the echo-like and interlinked style that we frequently find in the songs of degrees, e.g., Psa 121:1-2; and in fact repeated as an accusative of more exact definition (in the same bold manner as in Psa 17:13-14) to , which, like Arab. slh , starting from the primary notion of cleaving, breaking through, pressing forward, comes to have the notion of carrying anything through prosperously, of being successful, pervadere et bene procedere (cf. the corresponding development of signification in Arab. flh , ‘flh ), and, according to Ges. 142, rem. 1, gives to the adverbial notion of that which is effectual (victorious) or effective and successful. We cannot determine whether is here intended to say vehi curru or vehi equo ; but certainly not upon a mule or an ass (1Ki 1:33; Zec 9:9), which are the beasts ridden in a time of peace. The king going forth to battle either rides in a war-chariot (like Ahab and Jehoshaphat, 1 Kings 22), or upon a war-horse, as in Rev 19:11 the Logos of God is borne upon a white horse. That which he is to accomplish as he rides forth in majesty is introduced by (for the sake of, on account of), which is used just as in Psa 79:9, 2Sa 18:5. The combination – is very similar to , Mic 1:11 (nakedness – ignominy = ignominious nakedness), if = is to be taken as the name of a virtue. The two words are then the names of virtues, like (truth = veracity, which loves and practises that which is true and which is hostile to lying, falseness, and dissimulation); and whereas would signify meek righteousness, and , righteousness meekness, this conjunction standing in the middle between an addition and an asyndeton denotes meekness and righteousness as twin-sisters and reciprocally pervasive. The virtues named, however, stand for those who exemplify them and who are in need of help, on whose behalf the king is called upon to enter the strife: the righteous, if they are at the same time ( ) , are doubly worthy and in need of his help. Nevertheless another explanation of presents itself, and one that is all the more probable as occurring just in this Psalm which has such a North-Palestinian colouring. The observation, that North-Palestinian writers do not always point the construct state with ath , in favour of which Hitzig, on Psa 68:29, wrongly appeals to Hos 10:6; Job 39:13, but rightly to Jdg 7:8; Jdg 8:32 (cf. Deu 33:4, Deu 33:27), is perfectly correct. Accordingly may possibly be equivalent to , but not in the signification business, affair = , parallel with , but in the signification afflictio (after the form , Eze 28:17); so that it may be rendered: in order to put a stop to the oppression of righteousness or the suffering of innocence. The jussive , like in Psa 45:12, begins the apodosis of a hypothetical protasis that is virtually there (Ew. 347, b): so shall thy right hand teach thee, i.e., lead thee forth and cause thee to see terrible things, i.e., awe-inspiring deeds.
But in Psa 45:6 both summons and desire pass over into the expression of a sure and hopeful prospect and a vision, in which that which is to be is present to the mind: thine arrows are sharpened, and therefore deadly to those whom they hit; peoples shall fall ( )
(Note: It is not ; for the pause falls upon , and the Athnach of stands merely in the place of Zekaph (Num 6:12). The Athnach after Olewejored does not produce any pausal effect; vid., Psa 50:23; Psa 68:9, Psa 68:14; Psa 69:4; Psa 129:1, and cf. supra, p. 56, note 2.)
under thee, i.e., so that thou passest over them as they lie upon the ground; in the heart of the enemies of the king, viz., they (i.e., the arrows) will stick. The harsh ellipse is explained by the fact of the poet having the scene of battle before his mind as though he were an eye-witness of it. The words “in the heart of the king’s enemies” are an exclamation accompanied by a pointing with the finger. Thither, he means to say, those sharp arrows fly and smite. Crusius’ explanation is similar, but it goes further than is required: apostrophe per prosopopaeiam directa ad sagittas quasi jubens, quo tendere debeant . We are here reminded of Psa 110:2, where a similar occurs in a prophetico-messianic connection. Moreover, even according to its reference to contemporary history the whole of this strophe sounds Messianic. The poet desires that the king whom he celebrates may rule and triumph after the manner of the Messiah; that he may succour truth and that which is truly good, and overcome the enmity of the world, or, as Psa 2:1-12 expresses it, that the God-anointed King of Zion may shatter everything that rises up in opposition with an iron sceptre. This anointed One, however, is not only the Son of David, but also of God. He is called absolutely , . Isaiah calls Him, even in the cradle, , Isa 9:5, cf. Isa 10:21. We shall not, therefore, find it to be altogether intolerable, if the poet now addresses him as , although the picture thus far sketched is thoroughly human in all its ideality.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh. Here Solomon is praised as well for his warlike valor, which strikes terror into ]his enemies, as for his virtues which give him authority among his subjects, and secure him their reverence. On the one hand, no king will be able to preserve and defend his subjects, unless he is formidable to his enemies; and, on the other hand, it will be to little purpose to make war boldly upon foreign realms, if the internal state of his own kingdom is not established and regulated in uprightness and justice. Accordingly, the inspired writer says, that the sword with which he will be girded will be, in the first place, a token of warlike prowess to repel and rout his enemies; and, secondly, of authority also, that he might not be held in contempt among his own subjects. He adds, at the same time, that the glory which he will obtain will not be a merely transient thing, like the pomp and vain-glory of kings, which soon decay, but will be of lasting duration, and will greatly increase.
He then comes to speak of the virtues which flourish most in a time of peace, and which, by an appropriate similitude, he shows to be the true means of adding strength and prosperity to a kingdom. At first sight, indeed, it seems to be a strange and inelegant mode of expression, to speak of riding upon truth, meekness, and righteousness, (verse 4;) but, as I have said, he very suitably compares these virtues to chariots, in which the king is conspicuously borne aloft with great majesty. These virtues he opposes not only to the vain pomp and parade in which earthly kings proudly boast; but also to the vices and corruptions by which they endeavor most commonly to acquire authority and renown. Solomon himself
“
Mercy and truth preserve the king; and his throne is upholden by mercy.”— Pro 20:28
But, on the contrary, when worldly kings desire to enlarge their dominions, and to increase their power, ambition, pride, fierceness, cruelty, exactions, rapine, and violence, are the horses and chariots which they employ to accomplish their ends; and, therefore, it is not to be wondered at if God should very often cast them down, when thus elated with pride and vain-glory, from their tottering and decayed thrones. For kings, then, to cultivate faithfulness and justice, and to temper their government with mercy and kindness, is the true and solid foundation of kingdoms. The latter clause of the verse intimates, that every thing which Solomon undertakes shall prosper, provided he combine with warlike courage the qualities of justice and mercy. Kings who are carried headlong with a blind and violent impulse, may for a time spread terror and consternation around them; but they soon fall by the force of their own efforts. Due moderation, therefore, and uniform self-restraint, are the best means for making the hands of the valiant to be feared and dreaded.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) Gird thy sword . . . O most mighty.Or, perhaps, Gird on thy sword in hero guise; or, Gird on thy heros sword. The object of the poets praise is as heroic in war as he is beautiful in person.
With thy glory and thy majesty.This adverbial use of the accusatives may be right, but it seems better to take them in apposition with sword. His weapon was the monarchs glory and pride. Some commentators see here a reference to the custom of girding on the sword said to be still observed at the elevation to the throne of a Persian or Ottoman prince. But the next verse shows that we have rather an ideal picture of the royal bridegrooms prowess in war.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Gird thy sword He proceeds to describe the king as a conqueror. This has been supposed to be inapplicable to Solomon, whose reign was peaceful. 1Ki 4:25. But after the death of David, Syria-Zobah and Edom, two powerful nations, which David had subdued with difficulty, revolted. 1Ki 11:14-25. Moreover, the sword belonged to the rank of the king as an emblem of power, courage, and victory.
O most mighty O mighty one. “Most” is not in the text. The title applies to one mighty in deeds, especially in war.
Thy glory and thy majesty Kingly attributes, generally ascribed to God, as Psa 21:5
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 45:3. Gird thy sword, &c. This is meant of Christ’s coming victoriously to set up his spiritual kingdom in our hearts, and to rule and reign in them by the power of his grace; in allusion to earthly potentates, who are invested with the ensigns of majesty, and girded with their proper armour when they go forth to battle. But the sword with which Christ was armed, was the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Bishop Hare renders the verse, Gird thee with thy sword on thy thigh, O powerful One: thy glory and thy renown are for ever.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 575
THE REIGN OF CHRIST DESIRED
Psa 45:3-5. 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.
THIS psalm is called a song of loves: and it is supposed to have been written on occasion of Solomons marriage with Pharaohs daughter. But, beyond all doubt, a greater than Solomon is here. Solomon was altogether a man of peace: but the King here spoken of was a man of war; and all the address which is here made to him has reference to him under that character. It may seem strange that this view of him should be introduced on the occasion of a nuptial solemnity; but it must be remembered, that as the Jews were wont, by Gods special permission, to connect themselves in marriage with females whom they had taken captive in war, allowing them a month to forget their former relatives, so the Messiah first takes captive those with whom he afterwards unites himself in the nuptial bonds. This is particularly marked in the address to the spouse herself: 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 [Note: ver. 10, 11.]. Hence, even whilst contemplating the Lord Jesus under the idea of an husband, we see why we should be anxious to behold his conquests extended over the face of the whole earth. That we may attain the spirit which David breathed, let us consider,
I.
The frame of his mind
In reading the Holy Scriptures, we should not be content with noticing the mere sense of any particular passage, (though that is doubtless in the first place, and with the greatest diligence, to be examined;) but we should mark the peculiar spirit of it, the spirit which the passage itself breathes, the spirit of the person who wrote it, or which it has a tendency to produce in those who read it. Now, when David penned this psalm,
His mind was full of zeal for Christ
[He had been contemplating the glory and excellency of Christ: My heart, says he, is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the King. And so full was his heart of this glorious subject, that his tongue was as the pen of a ready writer, which yet was scarcely capable of keeping pace with the ardour of his mind, or of giving utterance to the vast conceptions with which his soul laboured. He beheld the Lord Jesus Christ as possessing in himself an excellency far beyond that of any created being: Thou art fairer than the children of men. He saw that, both in the subject and manner of his ministrations, there was a grace which nothing could equal, and which God would honour with the most wonderful success: Grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. And anxious to behold the full accomplishment of all that the Messiah had undertaken, he further calls upon him to take to him his great power, and to subdue the whole world unto himself: Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, and let the people of every nation under heaven fall under thee. In all this you will perceive, that, instead of speaking of Christ, as he had intended to do, he is constrained, by the ardour of his own mind, to address himself directly to Christ; and, instead of making his thoughts a subject of communication with man, he is led by them into the exercise of immediate communion with his God. Now,]
Such should be the frame of our minds also
[We should be in the constant habit of meditating upon Christ; and of so musing upon his glorious excellencies, that a fire should be kindled in our bosoms, and we should speak of him with our tongues. And what other subject is there under heaven to be compared with this? Reflect a moment, who the Saviour is! He is the mighty God. Consider what he has done! He has assumed our nature, and become a man, in order that, by substituting himself in our place and stead, he might deliver us out of the hands of our great enemy, and bring us into an everlasting union with himself, as our Friend and our Beloved. Consider how rich and free and full are all his invitations and promises: and what blessings will attend the progress of his arms, wheresoever men shall be subdued unto him. Should we not long to see his glory advance, and his kingdom established in the world? Should it not be grievous to us to behold so great a part of the world both ignorant of him, and in rebellion against him? Should we not be urgent with him in prayer, to make bare his arm, and to subdue the world unto himself? Surely these are the meditations that become us; and our hearts should be so full of them, that, wherever we go, and whatever we do, He should be present to our minds; and his praise should be, as it were, the constant effusion of our souls.]
But in my text we are more particularly led to notice,
II.
The object of his desire
He desires that Christs kingdom may be established in the world. But, that I may open this to you the more fully, I wish you to mark,
1.
Wherein that kingdom consists
[It is in the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness that the Saviour advances to the combat. The whole world is lying in darkness; and he comes to dispel error from their minds. The whole world is full of all manner of abominations: pride stalks through the earth, defying even God himself: Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice? and every species of wickedness is indulged, without either remorse or fear. But the Lord Jesus Christ comes to humble man in the dust before God; and to transform the children of the wicked one into the very image of their God, in righteousness and true holiness. Who must not wish for such a kingdom to be established throughout the whole world? Who must not make it his very first petition from day to day, Thy kingdom come? Truly, wherever that kingdom is, which consists in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, there is heaven itself begun in the souls of men.]
2.
By what means it is to be erected
[The sword of the Messiah is the word of God, which, proceeding from his mouth [Note: Rev 1:16; Rev 19:15.], subdues the universe before him. That sword is quick and powerful, and pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart [Note: Heb 4:12.]. Nothing can eventually stand before it: weak as it may appear, it is mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ [Note: 2Co 10:4-5.]. Look at the primitive ages of the Church: what was it that brought down all the power and policy both of men and devils? It was not human wisdom, or worldly power: it was the simple exhibition of the cross of Christ, and the preaching of Christ crucified. This word came to the hearts of men in demonstration of the Spirit and of power; and, to every soul that received it, it was made the power of God to his everlasting salvation.]
3.
The certainty of its establishment
[Very sharp were the arrows which were thus sent forth from the Messiahs bow. Truly he was a polished shaft in the quiver of Jehovah [Note: Isa 49:2.], and nothing could stand before it [Note: Isa 59:16-18.]. True, indeed, God has not yet seen fit to accomplish all the purposes of his grace: but the time is quickly coming, when Satan, that great adversary of God and man, shall be bound, and all the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of our God and his Christ. Terrible things will God work, either in a way of mercy or of judgment. He has sworn, that unto his Messiah every knee shall bow [Note: Isa 45:23.]. And every soul that bows not to the sceptre of his grace shall be broken in pieces, as a potters vessel [Note: Psa 2:8-9.].]
Methinks you will now be disposed to ask
1.
How shall I know whether this kingdom be yet begun within me?
[Consider only wherein this kingdom consists; and you will be at no loss to ascertain the state of your souls before God. Has the truth of the Gospel been so revealed in your hearts, as to bring you out of darkness into marvellous light? Have you been so humbled by it, as to put your hand on your mouth, and your mouth in the dust, with a deep consciousness of your vileness, and of your desert of God a wrath and indignation? And, lastly, are you so under the constraining influence of the love of Christ, that you die daily unto sin, and live altogether, not unto yourselves, but unto Him who died for you, and rose again? These are questions which, if put to your consciences with fidelity, and answered with truth, will shew you at once whose you are, and whom you serve. Truly, by such marks we may infallibly distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil [Note: 1Jn 3:9-10.]: and I entreat you to examine yourselves by them with all imaginable care; because, if you still continue to cast off the Saviours yoke, the time will quickly come when he will say, Bring hither those that were mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, and slay them before me [Note: Luk 19:27.].]
2.
How shall I get it established in my soul?
[You have seen the frame of Davids mind. You have seen how he contemplated the Saviours love, till his soul was ravished with it, and he burst forth into the devout raptures which we have been contemplating. And this is the way in which the Saviour will acquire an ascendant over our souls. The Apostle tells us: We, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord [Note: 2Co 3:18.]. I am far from saying that we ought not to search out our own evil ways, and to mourn over them before God; for it is by such repentance that the preparatory work is usually wrought within us: but I say, that nothing but the love of Christ will ever perfect that work, or bring us into the full liberty of the children of God. It is from a view of Gods truth that our meekness will be matured, and our righteousness be perfected: and when we are enabled to live altogether by faith in Christ, and in dependence on his promises, then shall we be enabled to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God [Note: 2Co 7:1.].]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
The prophet having represented the Messiah in the glories and beauties of his person, proceeds to show him as a Warrior and Conqueror. Before Christ, as the Bridegroom, can possess his bride, the Church, he must rescue her from the captivity of Satan and from the dominion of sin. She is, by nature and by practice, in the bonds of sin and Satan; yea, she is averse to be brought out of either. The Lord Jesus must therefore conquer Satan, rescue her out of his hands, and even rescue her out of her own love of sin, by making her willing in the day o f his power. Reader, do you know these truths? And are you brought to a saving acquaintance with them in your own experience? Behold, then, the Lord Jesus Christ thus going forth to the holy war, girded with his sword, upon his thigh, as the mighty God of Jacob! The sword of our almighty Conqueror is his Word, the Scriptures of Salvation, and which, the apostle tells the Church, is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. And hence the beloved apostle John, when he saw Christ, describes him as having a sharp two-edged sword coming out of his mouth; Rev 1:16 ; Heb 4:12 ; Eph 6:17 . How this blessed word of God hath wrought in the minds and consciences of sinners, like sharp arrows, the conversion of the world the doctrine of the cross can best testify: nay, it is exemplified in every sinner whom God the Holy Ghost hath regenerated, and brought over from the bitter enmity of the heart against God, existing in all men by nature, to the love of God in Christ, which is by grace. The world hath in all ages produced, and is still daily producing, instances, to the glory and majesty of Christ, and to the praise of the Father’s grace, who maketh poor sinners accepted in the beloved.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 45:3 Gird thy sword upon [thy] thigh, O [most] mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
Ver. 3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty (O Heros).] This is one of Christ’s titles, Isa 9:6 , the giant, or the mighty strong God, the valiant champion of his Church. And his sword is the word of his mouth, Rev 1:16 Heb 4:12 Isa 49:2 . All the wars in the conquest of Canaan were types of the spiritual wars under the gospel, whereby the nations were subdued to the obedience of the faith, 2Co 10:4 Eph 6:11 . Christ hath his sword then, a two-edged sword; and he is here called upon to gird it to his thigh (after the manner of those easterns, as we do our skins, hangers, wood-knives), that is, to take unto him his authority, and to exercise it for the conversion of his people and confusion of his enemies. Additur ei gladius quem non ostentet velut , sed quem etiam destringat: A sword he hath, not for show, but for service; whence it is added, “with tby glory and thy majesty.”
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 45:3-5
3Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One,
In Your splendor and Your majesty!
4And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
Let Your right hand teach You awesome things.
5Your arrows are sharp;
The peoples fall under You;
Your arrows are in the heart of the King’s enemies.
Psa 45:3-5 This strophe is poetic imagery about the King’s military victories. Notice he represents YHWH as he fights for the cause of (LXX)
1. truth (BDB 54)
2. meekness (unusual vowel pointing, BDB 776, cf. Pro 15:33; Pro 18:12; Pro 22:4; Zep 2:3)
Notice the three imperatives and two jussives which reflect military imagery.
1. gird Your sword on Your thigh BDB 291, KB 291, Qal imperative, Psa 45:3, cf. Deu 1:41; Jdg 3:16; Jdg 18:11; 1Sa 17:39; 1Sa 25:13
2-3. ride on victoriously, Psa 45:4
a. be successful! BDB 852, KB 1026, Qal imperative
b. ride BDB 938, KB 1230, Qal imperative
4. let Your right hand teach, Psa 45:4 BDB 434, KB 436, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
5. let the peoples fall under You, Psa 45:5 BDB 656, KB 709, Qal imperfect used in a jussive sense
Psa 45:3 Splendor (BDB 217 I) and majesty (BDB 214) are often associated with God (i.e., Psa 104:1). Notice how NASB capitalizes the pronouns in Psa 45:2-9. But they are also used of the Israeli King (i.e., Psa 21:5).
NASB, NKJV,
NRSVO Mighty One
TEVMighty King
NJBWarrior
JPSOAO hero
REBwarrior king
LXXO powerful one
This adjective (BDB 150) basically means strong, or mighty. It was used of
1. human warriors Gen 10:9; Psa 78:65; Psa 120:4; Psa 127:4; Ecc 9:11; Son 3:7
2. Messiah Isa 9:5 (David as type Psa 89:20)
3. YHWH as faithful covenant warrior (i.e., holy war) Neh 9:32; Psa 24:8; Isa 10:21; Jer 32:18
In this context it refers to the Davidic King as victorious warrior, empowered by YHWH.
Psa 45:4-5 The pronouns are difficult to identify.
1. some refer to God
2. some to the King
This same confusion is in Psa 45:6-7. The problem is that the author is describing the King as a representative of YHWH Himself. It is obvious how early Christian authors (i.e., Heb 1:8-9) saw this as a Messianic Psalm. For them the Messiah had come and the OT pointed to Him (i.e., Jesus).
Psa 45:4
NASB, NKJVawesome things
NRSVdread deeds
TEVgreat victories
JPSOA, REBawesome deeds
LXXmarvelously
This participle (BDB 431, KB 432, Niphal participle) means awe-inspiring deeds.
1. God Himself Deu 1:19; Deu 7:21; Deu 10:20-21
2. His deeds 2Sa 7:23; Psa 145:6 (splitting the Red Sea, Psa 106:22)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
most mighty = mighty One. Hebrew gibbor. With thy glory. Supply Ellipsis (App-6), by repeating “[Gird thee] with Thy glory”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 45:3-5
Psa 45:3-5
“Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one,
Thy glory and thy majesty.
And in thy majesty ride on prosperously,
Because of truth and meekness and righteousness:
And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
Thine arrows are sharp:
The peoples shall fall under thee;
They are in the heart of the king’s enemies.”
These verses depict the coming of the Son of God at the end of the age, who will at that time judge the world in righteousness, and receive unto himself his glorious Bride the Church. According to the New Testament, The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the Final Judgment, the Assignment of both the Righteous and the Wicked to their eternal Destinies – all these things are to be simultaneous events at the time of the Second Advent.
“The sword … thy glory and thy majesty” (Psa 45:3). According to Rawlinson, the sword of the Lord here is actually called the “glory and majesty” of Him. A similar vision of the Christ coming upon the world for judgment is found in Revelation 19.
“Terrible things” (Psa 45:4). This harmonizes with the Biblical view that the coming of Christ in judgment will be a time of “mourning” for “all the tribes of the earth” (Rev 1:7).
“The peoples shall fall under thee” (Psa 45:5). The vast majority of mankind living at the time of the Second Advent will be destroyed, according to God’s Word (See Mat 7:13-14; Rev 6:14 ff, etc.); and we believe the tremendous scope of this passage equates it with conditions in the Final Judgment. Note the plural of “peoples” making it a reference to vast populations.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 45:3. Much of the fighting was done with the sword. To gird it on the thigh meant to make ready for action, and the verse was worded in view of the assurance David had of success in his conflicts.
Psa 45:4. It is well to observe that truth and righteousness formed the basis of his expected success. Happy is the man whose triumphs are always a result of that kind of motive. When the right hand is said to do things it means the things being done by the hand of the person are right. Thus the activities of such a person would result in practical teaching for others. This teaching would consist of the terrible things that were to be feared or respected.
Psa 45:5. The success of the conflicts with the enemy is the subject of this verse.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Gird: Isa 49:2, Isa 63:1-6, Heb 4:12, Rev 1:16, Rev 19:15, Rev 19:21
O most: Isa 9:6, Isa 9:7, Act 10:36, Rom 14:9
glory: Psa 21:5, Psa 96:6, Psa 104:1, Psa 145:5, Psa 145:12, Heb 1:3, Heb 8:1, Jud 1:25
Reciprocal: Gen 14:14 – armed Exo 15:3 – a man Deu 33:29 – the sword Jdg 3:16 – upon 2Sa 3:1 – between 1Ch 29:11 – majesty Est 1:4 – excellent Job 40:10 – majesty Psa 18:35 – right Psa 24:8 – The Lord strong Psa 98:1 – his right Son 3:8 – all Isa 27:1 – with his Jer 50:25 – opened Mic 5:4 – in the majesty Zec 1:8 – behold Zec 6:13 – bear Zec 9:13 – made Zec 9:14 – his Zec 10:5 – as Joh 18:36 – My kingdom is 1Co 15:25 – General Rev 6:2 – and he that Rev 19:11 – and in
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
MESSIAHS CONQUESTS
Full of grace are Thy lips, because God hath blessed Thee for ever. Gird Thee with Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Thou most Mighty: according to Thy worship and renown.
Psa 45:3-4 (Prayer Book Version)
The three offices of Christ.
Our Lord is here spoken of in two distinct charactersas 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 Christs 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 fullness have all we received.
Illustrations
(1) Christological analysis
I.The Royal (Psa 45:1; Psa 45:5) Bridegroom (Psa 45:9-16).
II.His Divinity (Psa 45:6-7).
(a)His Divinity (Psa 45:6-7).
(b)The gift of unction to His Humanity (Psa 45:7).
(c)His Humanity and its characteristics.
(1)Spiritual beauty (Psa 45:2).
(2)Power of word (Psa 45:2).
(3)Power of deed (Psa 45:3-5).
(4)Graces and virtues (Psa 45:4; Psa 45:7).
(2) The margin of Psa 45:1 tells us that the Psalmists work was for a king. This ode was probably composed for the marriage-day of Solomon, but it has a far wider import. There is only One that can be described as fairer than the children of men, whose lips drop with grace, and who rides in majesty. The quotation of Psa 45:6-7 in Hebrews 1. proves beyond controversy the Messianic reference. It is the Son of God Who is the centre picture in this tableau. His garments smell of sweet spices; his arrows are sharp in the heart of his foes. Oh that He would ascend His triumphal car, and ride forth in truth, meekness, and righteousness!
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Psa 45:3-4. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty Having described the beauty and eloquence of the king, the prophet now proceeds to set forth his power, and to arm him as a warrior for the battle. The sword of the Messiah, which is here put, by a synecdoche, for all his arms, is his Word, which, in the language of St. Paul, is said to be quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and is represented by St. John as a sharp two-edged sword coming out of his mouth, Heb 4:12; Rev 1:19. With this he smites his enemies, and with this he subdues the nations, and enlarges and establishes his kingdom, both in the earth and in the hearts of his people. With thy glory and thy majesty Or, which is thy glory and thy majesty; that is, which sword or word is the great instrument of maintaining and spreading thy honour, glory, and kingdom. Or, as Bishop Patrick paraphrases the clause, Appear like thyself in such splendour and majesty, as may serve for an emblem of that most illustrious power and sovereign authority, wherein the omnipotent Lord of all the world shall show himself among men. And in thy majesty Being thus magnificently girt and armed; ride prosperously March on speedily and successfully against thine enemies; because of truth, &c. Hebrew, , gnal debar emeth, upon the word of truth, that is, the gospel; which is called the word of truth, Eph 1:13, and may no less truly be called the word of meekness, because it is not delivered with terror, as the law was at Sinai, but meekly and sweetly; and the word of righteousness, because it brings in everlasting righteousness, and strongly excites all men to the practice of righteousness and holiness. And so the gospel is compared to a horse or chariot, upon which Christ is said to ride, when the gospel is preached, and carried about from place to place. And this may be here added, to show the great difference between the kingdoms of the world, which are managed and governed with outward pomp and glory, and the kingdom of Christ, which is a spiritual kingdom, not of this world, and like the spouse, mentioned Psa 45:13 : all glorious within, as consisting in spiritual graces and virtues, truth, meekness, and righteousness. And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things Thou shalt do great and glorious exploits, which shall be terrible to thine enemies, as the next verse explains it, and this not by great forces, and the assistance of others, but by thine own single power, Isa 63:3. But the phrase, thy right hand shall teach thee, is not to be taken properly, for so he taught his hand, not his hand him; but the meaning is, that his hand should show him, discover, and work before him. The LXX. render it, , thy right hand shall guide, or direct thee wonderfully.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The writer called on his king to champion the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness. He encouraged him to pursue the enemies of justice and defeat them. He was confident that, with the weapons of righteousness, the king would gain many victories.