Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 06 Dec 2020
The main key for interpreting Psalm 45 is to answer the question: “Who is the king and queen described in this psalm?”
Traditional Jewish commentators who were influential to the Enlightenment era wrote that the king is the brain (Malbim) or the intellectual elite (Rashi), which the body or the unenlightened masses should follow. That’s what happens when you take God out of the picture and elevate human reason.
John Calvin, on the other hand, maintained that the King was Solomon, and his bride was the Egyptian princess that he married. The call for the woman to forget her people figures prominently in this, but even Calvin admitted there were a lot of things in the scriptures which wouldn’t support his theory.
Gerald Wilson, in the NIV Application Commentary, wrote that this psalm was written at a time when the Jews “confused” the worship of God with the worship of their king, then was revised during the exile by Jewish scribes who inserted the word “God” into it at points in order to change the meaning from describing an actual royal wedding to instead pointing to the hope of a future descendant of David fulfilling the messianic prophecies.
It’s hard for me to understand how scholars who know so much of the Bible could misunderstand it so badly.
Perhaps there is some correlation to a historic royal wedding. Delitzsch, in his classic commentary noted intriguing links to the wedding of Athaliah to King Joram of Judah, for
Joram was in the Davidic line of Christ,
and had multiple kingly forefathers (cf. v.16),
and Athaliah’s father had an ivory palace (v.8),
and her mother was from Tyre (which would explain why Tyre is the only other nation mentioned in this Psalm).
Nevertheless, it’s abundantly clear to me as I read this Psalm and look at the way the words and phrases of it connect to the rest of Scripture that this is speaking of the relationship between Christ the Lord and His people, the church. Even the ancient Aramaic commentaries of the Jews say that this king is the Messiah. I hope to prove this to you as we step through the words of this psalm.
There is a lot of information packed into the foreword of this Psalm that I don’t have time to get into...
For the concertmaster/chief Musician/choir director/director of music (לַמְנַצֵּחַ) - this is not a private devotional song, it is one to be used in the gathering of the church, led by the church’s worship leaders, probably with instrumental accompaniment. The king is also in the audience, as the main one being addressed.
on “the Lillies” (עַל שֹׁשַׁנִּים) - Lillies were particularly beautiful flowers in Israel; images of lillies were carved, at God’s command, onto the pillars of the tabernacle to make it pretty (1 Ki. 7), the Prophet Hosea compared a beautiful person to a lilly (14:6), and the Song of Solomon associates lillies with beauty and love. I suspect that that the Persian capitol city where Nehemiah and Esther and Daniel lived as exiles was named Susa also in honor of the lovely flower. At any rate, Three different Psalm-writers, David, Asaph, and the Sons of Korah) used this label of “lillies” to describe a psalm they wrote (Ps. 60, 69, & 80), so I suspect it has to do with a certain musical key or scale, or perhaps a certain musical instrument1 that bore some resemblance to a lilly.
A Maskil/thought-provoking/insighful one (מַשְׂכִּיל) This is the third and final one...
by the sons of Korah (לִבְנֵי קֹרַח), who, as I’ve suggested before may have been priests who lived around the time of the exile.
a song of nupitals/loves (שִׁיר יְדִידֹת) – employs the plural of the Hebrew word often translated “beloved,” and it is used in terms of the closeness and commitedness of a marriage relationship, so some versions call it a “wedding song”
The first verb (רָחַשׁ) is used nowhere else in the Bible, so nobody is for sure what it means and translations tend to focus on the action of speaking (uttered/inditing) or upon movement itself (overflows/stirred), although the general idea comes through no matter what, that this Psalm is about a “good thing” that’s been on the writer’s “heart.”
Verse 2 begins a description of the King:
You, are the best-looking guy there is – the most fair, the most excellent!
Are we really going to assert that absolutely of a mere man?
There are only five men in the Bible described as “fair” or particularly good-looking: Joseph (Gen. 39:6), David (1 Sam. 16:12, 17:42), Absalom (2 Sam. 14:25), Moses (Heb. 11:23), and the Beloved in the Song of Solomon2.
Deut. 21:10-13 "When you go out to war against your enemies, and the LORD your God delivers them into your hand, and you take them captive, and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and desire her and would take her for your wife, then you shall bring her home to your house, and she shall shave her head and trim her nails. She shall put off the clothes of her captivity, remain in your house, and mourn her father and her mother a full month; after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife." (NKJ)
He also has “grace poured upon [his] lips.”
The only other place in the Bible that mentions “grace” being “poured out” is Zachariah 12:10, "And I will pour3 on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced…
In Isaiah 61:1 the Messiah says, "The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me, because Yahweh has anointed me to evangelize...” (NAW), and Jesus affirmed in Luke 4:18 that Isaiah’s prophecy was referring to Himself.
Also in Revelation 3:1, Jesus claims to “have the seven Spirits of God” (cf. Isaiah 11:2 And the Spirit of Yahweh1 will settle down upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom2 and understanding3, the Spirit of counsel4 and might5, the Spirit of knowledge6 and of respect for7 Yahweh.” NAW)
Peter also testified in Acts 10:38 “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power...” (NKJV)
Could it be that this King with such gracious speech is no less than the Word of God Himself?
Then there’s the “therefore” at the end of v.2:
Was it God’s blessing that resulted in this man’s handsomness and grace of speech (as Calvin and the NIV rendered it), or is this king’s surpassing handsomeness and grace of speech what earned God’s blessing (as the KJV and NASB rendered it)? The Hebrew grammar favors the latter, and if so, we are not talking about a normal man, because none of us is good enough to earn God’s blessing.
The same “therefore” shows up in verse 8: “You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy beyond Your associates.” Here all the English versions translate it “therefore,” as though it was this man’s love of righteousness and hatred of wickedness that induced God to anoint him. I agree, and that means we’re talking about the uniquely sinless Messiah who was anointed with God’s Spirit!
The same “therefore” shows up again in the last verse of this psalm, where eternal praise from the peoples is considered this king’s due. Do you see the pattern of deserved glory?
In those days, when a man strapped on his sword, it meant he was about to go kill somebody (Ex. 32:27); v.3 describes putting a weapon in position for use. That certainly does not describe Solomon, who was not a warrior. Who is it talking about?
Some of the same descriptive words are also used of the king in David’s earlier psalm of royalty: Psalm 21:1 “Yahweh, it is in Your strength that [the] king will be happy, and in Your salvation how very much will he rejoice! His heart's desire You gave to him, and the expressed-desire of his lips You in no way withheld. Because You welcome him with good blessings, You position on his head a crown of fine gold…. His glory is great through Your salvation. Splendor and majesty you will level over him. Because You position him for blessings forever, You will make him glad...” (NAW)
The fact that this king is getting the “glory” and “honor” - which everywhere outside of the royal Psalms is only given to God - is a signal that we’re seeing a description of God Himself in a kingly role.
Psalm 96:1 "...Sing to the LORD, all the earth... Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised... Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty4 are in His sanctuary." (NKJV)
cf. Ps. 104:1, 111:1, & 145:5 which also ascribe “honor and majesty” to Yahweh.
The double command to the king to “ride prosperously/victoriously” reminds me of the parades we did when my son was running in the county commissioner election. He would ride in his brother’s Chevy Blazer down Poyntz Avenue with red, white and blue “Ben Wilson for County Commission” signs taped to all four wheels spinning around and around, blaring Billy Dean’s remake of the song, “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” while the rest of the family walked behind, throwing candy and smiling, and when he won the election, I was mighty proud to say, “Yeah! That’s my son!” But the parade in Psalm 45 is about something bigger.
The main person in the Bible who “rides out” like this is God5:
Ps. 18:10 "He rode upon a cherub and flew and swooped upon wings of wind." (NAW)
Psalm 68:4 "Sing to God... who rides on the clouds" (NKJV)
Psalm 68:33 "To Him who rides on the heaven of heavens" (NKJV)
Isaiah 19:1 "...Look, Yahweh is riding on a swift cloud..." (NAW)
Matthew 24:30 "...all the families of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of the heavens with power and much glory" (NAW)
Notice also that this King’s strategy is like no other king:
He doesn’t rule by corruption, propaganda, manipulation, and force,
rather, all His actions are based on righteousness, humility and truth. That’s the kind of leadership I’m looking for!
Psalm 18:32 "This God really equips me with resource[s] and gives integrity to my way, making my feet even like the deer. And he causes me to stand upon my high places, training my hands for the battle. And my arms will bend a bow of bronze. You also give me the shield of Your salvation. With Your right hand You sustain me, and Your lowliness makes me great." (NAW)
Later on in v.6 we’ll see that straightforward justice/uprightness, characterizes His rule (symbolized by a “scepter”). No corruption here; only integrity! That’s a king worth following!
The word for “awesome/terrible things” at the end of v. 4 is used most frequently in the Old Testament to refer to the 10 plagues that fell upon Egypt6, which was an act of God.
And remember who is on the right hand of God now? That’s Jesus!
Col. 2:15 "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." (NIV)
Eph. 4:8 "...he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." (NIV) How about that for a parade! That’s my Lord!
Verse 5 is translated several different ways, mostly because there are incomplete phrases in Hebrew before and after the central clause about “people falling under you.”
Maybe it’s because I’ve just been reading J.R.R. Tolkein to my kids, but the picture I get in v.5 is that of a warrior who has fought deep into enemy territory, yet still has arrows left; he is armed and dangerous.
At the end of Tolkein’s Hobbit book, there is a battle where hordes of goblins go out to fight the good guys, and the goblin king was riding in the back of his army with the biggest, baddest goblins around him as his bodyguard. It wasn’t until one of the good-guys (named Beorn) singlehandedly fought his way into the midst of those bodyguards and smashed the goblin king that the battle turned to victory for the good-guys. That’s just fantasy, but here’s the real deal:
Rev. 19:11-16 “...I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war... Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations... He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (NKJ) If that’s not the same King described in Psalm 45, I’ll eat my hat!
In verse 6, this king is called “God7,” and his throne (which is a figure of His reign) is said to last forever and ever.
What hope that gives us! King Jesus will never be voted out, never be conquered, never fade into obscurity or be replaced. His fair leadership will never degenerate!
In verse 7, this King is spoken of as being “anointed.”
The Hebrew word for “anointed” is “Messiah,” and the Greek word for “anointed” is “Christ.”
God anointed Jesus with no mere oil, but rather with the living, Holy Spirit, appointing Jesus to be our “great high priest” to make us right with God and appointing Jesus to be our great high King to lead us in His kingdom forever.
The New Testament book of Hebrews quotes these very verses as speaking about Jesus, the Son of God: Heb. 1:8-9 “… concerning the Son, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. [And] the scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of integrity. You loved righteousness and You hated lawlessness; on account of this, God – Your God – anointed You with oil of gladness beside your companions." (NAW)
Furthermore, this king is anointed “Above/beyond/more than [His] companions/associates.” All great rulers have a retinue of noblemen, councilors, bodyguards, secretaries, wait-staff, etc, but this King is “above” them all in office as King of Kings, and furthermore, He surpasses them in joy and happiness, even though He shares that joy and gladness with His people8.
This King also naturally enjoys the luxuries of kings: Verse 8 describes lavish decorations in his palace, musical entertainers keeping him happy, and perfumers keeping his clothes smelling good.
Myrrh was an aromatic resin used in the holy anointing oil mentioned in Exodus 30, and it was also in Queen Esther’s beauty treatment (ch. 2).
It was mixed with aloe wood (not to be confused with the succulent plant we call aloe, but something more aromatic - like sandalwood), for romantic settings in Prov. 7 and the Song of Solomon.
The third spice was like cinnamon9.
As for the ivory, Ezekiel 27 mentions the kings of Israel getting elephant tusks through international trade, and 1Ki. 22:39 mentions that King Ahab of Israel made a palace of ivory - perhaps one of the ivory palaces to which Amos 3:15 and this psalm refer. It’s hard for me to imagine, however, getting enough ivory to build a whole palace, but I could imagine soundboards being made of ivory, either as part of stringed instruments or as a backboard behind a musician to reflect sound toward his audience.
But, do these things touch on the life of Christ?
Well, myrrh was one of the gifts from the magi at Jesus' birth (Mat 2:11),
it was also mixed with aloe/sandalwood to embalm Jesus' body at His death (John 19:39).
And although ivory isn’t mentioned in connection with Christ in the New Testament, similar opulence is mentioned concerning His residence,
when Jesus said that in His father’s house are many mansions which He is preparing for us (John 14),
and in Rev. 21, they are described as being made of “gold,” “crystal” and “pearl,”
and Rev. 5 & 8 mention the smell of incense there - and the sound of harps and singing.
So, yes, even in the luxuries of kings, Jesus is the grandest of all!
So is it any wonder that his bride, in v.9, is decked out in the finest clothes and jewelry?
When I was in the United Arab Emirates, my missionary friends went stopping at a market for gold jewelry from the neighboring country of Oman. They said that Oman was the Biblical Ophir10, and that it was particularly good quality gold.
The only other time that the Hebrew word for “queen/royal bride” appears in the Bible is in Nehemiah chapter 2, where King Artaxerxes of Persia is seated next to his queen at dinner.
The description here sounds like a wedding party – imagine the splendor of a royal wedding where the bridesmaids are princesses!
The description of the king pauses at the end of v.9, and now, instructions are given to the bride in v.10.
Perhaps the bride’s royal father is the one who whispers these 4 commands to his “daughter”:
Listen,
Observe/pay attention/consider,
Lean your ear in – choosing to listen further,
and Forget your people and your father’s house.
Now, if Jesus is this royal groom, then the church is His bride, and that means you are the one to whom these commands are addressed. Our Heavenly Father is the one whispering these same imperatives to us:
My
child, listen to the words of Jesus!
Are you listening
when the Gospel is preached? Do you believe it?
Then...
“Turn
your eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face”
(That’s
what we’ve been doing with the first 9 verses of this psalm.)
Isn’t
He
awesome! You can’t do any better than Him as
your lover.
So, seize the opportunity now to “lean in” and get close to Him!
And
Forget who you used to be:
Your father is no longer the
devil; your people are no longer the heathen.
Jesus said..., "I'm telling you truly that y'all who followed me, when [things] begin again – whenever the Son of Man shall sit upon His throne of glory, even you yourselves will sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, and everyone who left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields [or farm-lands] for the sake of my name, will receive a hundred times as many, and will inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19:28-29, NAW)
Ephesians 2:1-7 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)
Enter in to the king’s palace, as the bride does in verse 15, “under the drawings of the Father's grace; no[t] in the rags of [your] own righteousness; but in the robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation, the change of raiment Christ has put upon [you]” (John Gill), and you will be led into multiplied happinesses and rejoicing, even as David said in Psalm 31:6-7, “...it is in Yahweh that I have trusted. I will rejoice and be happy there in Your lovingkindness…” (NAW).
This focus on the bride also leads us to our second application point: Not only should we look up at King Jesus and worship Him, we should also take a glance inward to recognize who we are in Christ. What we think of ourselves makes a big difference.
We are not some peasant laboring in obscurity unknown to the king; No! We are spiritual nobility, the apple of the King’s eye.
Do you live like that? Do you pray as though God might not want to hear you, or do you pray assuming that He is hanging on to every word you say because He “yearns” to hear from you? Seeing correctly who you are to Jesus makes a big difference in your prayers and devotional life. It also makes a big difference in how you go about your work:
Do you consider your daily work to be unimportant drudgery, or do you see your occupation as that of a sovereign lord or lady, taking dominion over situations and confidently establishing the kingdom of God?
Do you realize who you are in Christ? That you are the Lord’s children who are to be “installed as princes” in His kingdom (according to v.16)? That you will even preside as judges over angels (1 Cor. 6:3)? Your daily work is important in confidently demonstrating to the watching world what it looks like to be in the kingdom of such a wonderful Lord!
In verse 13, this lady has entered into her Lord’s house11 and taken on His splendor.
Bride of Christ, look in the mirror, as it were, and see: Do you have the attractive character qualities of joy and gladness, integrity, righteousness, humility, truth, majesty, and grace that your Lord possesses?
In v. 11, just knowing how much the king has desired and yearned for her beauty12 is a motivation to this young lady. God also uses this kind of language to speak of how He feels toward His people:
Psalm 132:13 “...Yahweh has chosen Zion; He has yearned for it to be His residence...”
Jesus said in Luke 22:15 "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you...” and in John 17:24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am...”
The Holy Spirit also “yearns jealously” for us, according to James 4:5.
The trinitarian God is unified in “desiring” us! And God's people reciprocate with that same "yearning" to be with Him13.
Is that yearning for Him true of you? Do you believe that how God feels toward you?
The fact that this King is this girl’s Master – her Lord – also is motivation for her to bow down in worship to Him.
If this were speaking of a human husband and wife, it would be the only time in the entire Bible where God commands anyone to bow to a man14, and it would contradict the biblical commands to worship God and God alone (Mt. 4:10, Rev. 19:10/22:9).
To be consistent with the whole counsel of scripture, we need to see this woman as the church, the bride of Christ Jesus whom we are commanded to bow down and worship.
So, understanding who we are as beloved by Jesus and under His Lordship feeds back into that first application of looking upon Him and worshipping Him, but it also leads into a third point of application, and that is...
Verse 12 is difficult to translate, first because there is no verb in the Hebrew to tell us what the daughter of Tyre is doing with her gift.
My guess (and that of the traditional Greek and Latin translations that Christians used for a thousand years before we had other Bibles), is that the most recently-used verb from the end of v.11 should be repeated at the beginning of v.12; in other words, a princess from the neighboring city-state of Tyre is also bowing before this King - and giving him a substantial gift of tribute to boot.
This ties in with the last verse about everybody in the world worshipping King Jesus.
The last half of v.12 also gives headaches to translators; it literally says, “Your faces they will entreat rich men of a people.”
My interpretation is that “the people” is the citizenry of the king15, and that “your face” (or “your favor,” as most English versions figuratively translate it) is put first in the Hebrew sentence to emphasize that it is the very presence of this queen that the rich and famous of the kingdom are begging for.
They want to hang out with her, and they want her at their parties.
Why? Perhaps this is partly because she is wealthy herself, for did not the Apostle Paul tell us that “…our Lord Jesus Christ... was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9, NKJV), and when you’re rich, people tend to want to be around you16.
And what should the church tell those wealthy folks who seek her out? Our script is already written for us in 1 Tim. 6:17-19, "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." (NKJV)
That’s also the sort of thing the Psalmist promises to do in verse 17, causing this great King’s name to be remembered throughout all generations. (The “you” in verses 16 & 17 is masculine, referring to the king.)
The Psalmist does this by writing down his cogitations on Christ and His church, so that generation after generation after generation will read it be inspired to praise the Lord.
This brings us full circle back to the foreword at the beginning of the Psalm, where the “overflow” of the Psalmist’s “heart” led him to write this Psalm to share with us, and like some hype for a modern-day rap song, he says, “My tongue is like the pen of a skilled scribe” as if to say, “This is gonna be good; you don’t want to miss this one” because what is on his heart is that everyone who hears it would be as enthralled as he is with the glories of the Messiah!
You can do this too by writing things and posting them for others to see, but consider how to do it in such a way that multiple generations will receive your message.
Certainly share your faith with your children and teach them to teach it to their children, and do the same with every disciple you make.
Let us therefore:
look Upward at Christ and Worship Him;
let us look Inward to Recognize who we are in Christ,
and let us look Outward and share the good news about our king with all the world for generations to come!
LXX (Ps.44) |
Brenton (LXX) |
DRB (Vulgate) |
KJV |
NAW |
Masoretic Txt |
1 Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένωνB· τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορε εἰς σύνεσιν· ᾠδὴ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦC. 2 ἘξηρεύξατοD ἡ καρδία μου λόγον ἀγαθόν, λέγω ἐγὼ τὰ ἔργαE μου τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἡ γλῶσσά μου κάλαμος γραμματέως ὀξυγράφουF. |
1
For the end, for |
1
Unto the end, for t |
1 To the chief Musician upon ShoshannimG, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of lovesH. My heart is inditingI a good matterJ: I speak of the things which I have madeK touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a readyL writer. |
1 For the concertmaster, on “the Lillies,” A thoughtful one by the sons of Korah, a song of nuptials. My heart has been cogitating on a good thing; I am telling my poetic-works to the king; my tongue is the stylus of a skilled recording-secretary. |
(א)
לַמְנַצֵּחַ
עַל שֹׁשַׁנִּיםM
לִבְנֵי קֹרַח
מַשְׂכִּילN
שִׁיר יְדִידֹתO.
|
3 ὡραῖος κάλλει παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐξεχύθη χάρις ἐν χείλεσίν σου· διὰ τοῦτο εὐλόγησέν σε ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. |
2 Thou art more beautiful than the sons of men: grace has been shed forth on thy lips: therefore God has blessed thee for ever. |
3) Thou art beautiful above the sons of men: grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever. |
2 Thou art fairerR than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. |
2 You are the most handsome of the sons of men. Grace has been poured through your lips, thus God has greatly blessed you forever. |
(ג יָפְיָפִיתָ מִבְּנֵי אָדָם הוּצַק חֵן בְּשִׂפְתוֹתֶיךָ עַל כֵּן בֵּרַכְךָ אֱלֹהִים לְעוֹלָם. |
4 περίζωσαι τὴν ῥομφαίαν [σου] ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν σου, δυνατέ, τῇ ὡραιότητί σου καὶ τῷ κάλλειS σου |
3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O Mighty One, in thy comeliness, and in thy beauty; |
4) Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O thou most mighty. 5) With thy comeliness and thy beauty |
3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, [with] thy gloryT and thy majesty. |
3 Strap on your sword over {your} thigh, mighty man (it will be your splendor and your majesty), |
(ד) חֲגוֹר חַרְבְּךָ עַל יָרֵךְU גִּבּוֹר הוֹדְךָ וַהֲדָרֶךָ. |
5 καὶ ἔντεινονV καὶ κατευοδοῦ καὶ βασίλευε ἕνεκενW ἀληθείας καὶ πραύτητος καὶ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ὁδηγήσει σε θαυμαστῶςX ἡ δεξιά σου. |
4 and bend thy bow, and prosper, and reign, because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall guide thee wonderfully. |
set out, proceed prosperously, and reign. Because of truth and meekness and justice: and thy right hand shall conduct thee wonderfully. |
4 And in thy majesty ride prosperouslyY because X of truth and meeknessZ and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teachAA thee terribleAB things. |
4 and parade your majesty on the basis of truth, humility, and righteousness. Then your right hand will show you awesome things! |
(ה) וַהֲדָרְךָ צְלַח רְכַב עַל דְּבַר אֱמֶת וְעַנְוָה צֶדֶק וְתוֹרְךָ נוֹרָאוֹת יְמִינֶךָ. |
6 τὰ βέλη σου ἠκονημένα, [δυνατέ], -λαοὶ ὑποκάτω σου πεσοῦνται-- ἐν καρδίᾳ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ βασιλέως. |
5 Thy weapons are sharpened, [Mighty One], (the nations shall fall under thee) they are in the heart of the king's enemies. |
6) Thy arrows are sharp: under thee shall peopleX fall, into the hearts of the king's enemies. |
5 Thine arrows are sharpAC in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the peopleX fall under thee. |
5 Your arrows are sharp. Peoples will fall beneath you in the thick of the king’s enemies. |
(ו) חִצֶּיךָ שְׁנוּנִים עַמִּים תַּחְתֶּיךָ יִפְּלוּ בְּלֵב אוֹיְבֵי הַמֶּלֶךְAD. |
7 ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ θεός, [εἰς] τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου. |
6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of righteousness. |
7) Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness. |
6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a rightAE sceptre. |
6 God, Your throne is for ever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of integrity. |
(ז) כִּסְאֲךָ אֱלֹהִים עוֹלָם וָעֶד שֵׁבֶט מִישֹׁר שֵׁבֶט מַלְכוּתֶךָ. |
8 ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέν σε ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεωςAF παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου. |
7 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of gladness beyond thy fellows. |
8) Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. |
7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladnessAG above thy fellowsAH. |
7 You loved righteousness and you hated evil, therefore, God – your God - anointed you with oil of gladness beyond your associates. |
(ח) אָהַבְתָּ צֶּדֶק וַתִּשְׂנָא רֶשַׁע עַל כֵּן מְשָׁחֲךָ אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֶיךָ שֶׁמֶןAI שָׂשׂוֹן מֵחֲבֵרֶיךָ. |
9
σμύρνα καὶ στακτὴ
[καὶAJ]
κασία |
8 Myrrh, and stacte, and cassia [are exhaled] from X thy garments, and out of the ivory palaces, 9 with which * have gladdened thee |
9) Myrrh and stacte [and] cassia [perfume] X thy garments, from the ivory houses: out of which * have delighted thee |
8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of [the] ivory palaces, wherebyAM they have made thee glad. |
8 Myrrh, sandalwood, and cinnamon [perfume] all your clothes. Stringed instruments from ivory structures have made you happy. |
(ט מֹר וַאֲהָלוֹת קְצִיעוֹתAN כָּל בִּגְדֹתֶיךָ מִן הֵיכְלֵי שֵׁן מִנִּי שִׂמְּחוּךָ. |
10 θυγατέρες βασιλέων ἐν τῇ τιμῇ σου· παρέστη ἡ βασίλισσαAO ἐκ δεξιῶν σου ἐν [ἱματισμῷ] διαχρύσῳ περιβεβλημένη [πεποικιλμένη]AP. |
* kings' daughters for thine honour: the queen stood by on thy right hand, [clothed] in [vest-ure] wrought with gold, [and arrayed in divers colours.] |
10) The daughters of kings * in thy glory. The queen stood on thy right hand, in gilded [clothing]; surrounded [with variety]. |
9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourableAQ women: upon thy right hand did stand the queenAR in gold of Ophir. |
9 Daughters of kings are among your maids-of-honor. The queen has taken her stand at your right hand with gold from Oman. |
(י בְּנוֹת מְלָכִים בְּיִקְּרוֹתֶיךָAS נִצְּבָהAT שֵׁגַלAU לִימִינְךָ בְּכֶתֶםAV אוֹפִיר. |
11 ἄκουσον, θύγατερ, καὶ ἰδὲ καὶ κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου καὶ ἐπιλάθου τοῦ λαοῦ σου καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, |
10 Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear; forget also thy people, and thy father's house. |
11) Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear: and forget thy people and thy father's house. |
10
Hearken, O daughter, and |
10 Listen, daughter, and observe, and lean your ear in, and forget your people and your father’s house. |
(יא) שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי וְהַטִּי אָזְנֵךְAX וְשִׁכְחִיAY עַמֵּךְ וּבֵית אָבִיךְ. |
12
|
11 Because the king has desired thy beauty; for he is thy Lord. 12 And... shall adore him |
12) And the king shall greatly desire thy beauty; for he is the Lord thy God, and him they shall adore. |
11 So shall the king greatly desireBA thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worshipBB thou him. |
11 The king has also yearned for your beauty, so it is he who is your master, and you should bow before him, |
(יב) וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ כִּי הוּא אֲדֹנַיִךְ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִי לוֹ. |
θυγατέρες Τύρου ἐν δώροις, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου λιτανεύσουσιν οἱ πλούσιοι τοῦ λαοῦ. |
12 And the daughter of Tyre ... with gifts; the rich of the people of the land shall supplicate thy favour. |
13) And the daughter[s] of Tyre with gifts X, yea, all the rich among the people, shall entreat thy countenance. |
12 And the daughterBC of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. |
12 (as does the daughter of Tyre - with an offering). It is your presence that the rich men of the people will request. |
(יג) וּבַת צֹר בְּמִנְחָה פָּנַיִךְ יְחַלּוּ עֲשִׁירֵי עָם. |
14 πᾶσα ἡ δόξα [αὐτῆς] θυγατρὸς βασιλέως ἔσωθεν ἐν κροσσωτοῖςBD χρυσοῖς περιβεβλημένη πεποικιλμένη. |
13
All her glory is that of the daughter
of the king of |
14) All the glory of the king's daughter is within in golden borders, 15) Clothed |
13 The king's daughterBE is all glorious withinBF: her clothingBG is of wroughtBH gold. |
13 All glorious is the daughter of the king indoors; her clothing is made from gold fibers. |
(יד כָּל כְּבוּדָּהBI בַת מֶלֶךְ פְּנִימָהBJ מִמִּשְׁבְּצוֹת זָהָב לְבוּשָׁהּ. |
15 ἀπενεχθήσονται τῷ βασιλεῖ παρθένοι ὀπίσω αὐτῆς, αἱ πλησίον αὐτῆς ἀπενεχθήσονταί σοι· |
14 in embroidered clothing: virgins shall be brought to the king after her: her fellows shall be brought to thee. |
round about with varieties. After her shall virgins be brought to the king: her neighbours shall be brought to thee. |
14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needleworkBK: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto theeBL. |
14 Upon embroidered-carpets she will be led to the king, her maidens-in-waiting following behind her as they are being brought to you. |
(טו לִרְקָמוֹתBM תּוּבַל לַמֶּלֶךְ בְּתוּלוֹת אַחֲרֶיהָ רֵעוֹתֶיהָBN מוּבָאוֹת לָךְBO. |
16
ἀπενεχθήσονται
ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ
καὶ ἀγαλλιάσει,
ἀχθήσ |
15 They shall be brought with gladness and exultation: they shall [be] led into the king's temple. |
16) They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing: they shall [be] brought into the temple of the king. |
15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be broughtBQ: they shall enter into the king's palace. |
15 They will be led in happineses and rejoicing; they will go into the palace of the king. |
(טז) תּוּבַלְנָה בִּשְׂמָחֹתBR וָגִיל תְּבֹאֶינָה בְּהֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ. |
17 ἀντὶ τῶν πατέρων σου ἐγενήθησάνBS σοι υἱοί· καταστήσεις αὐτοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. |
16 Instead of thy fathers children are born to thee: thou shalt make them princes over all the earth. |
17) Instead of thy fathers, sons are born to thee: thou shalt make them princes over all the earth. |
16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earthBT. |
16 Your sons will be successors of your fathers; you will install them as princes throughout all the land. |
(יז תַּחַת אֲבֹתֶיךָ יִהְיוּ בָנֶיךָ תְּשִׁיתֵמוֹ לְשָׂרִים בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ. |
18 μνησθήσονταιBU τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ· διὰ τοῦτο λαοὶ ἐξομολογήσονταί σοι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος. |
17
They shall make mention of thy name |
18) They shall remember thy name throughout all generations. Therefore shall people praise thee for ever; yea, for ever and ever. |
17 I will make thy name to be rememberedBV in all generations: therefore shall the peopleXBW praiseBX thee for ever and ever. |
17 I will cause your name to be remembered always - generation after generation, therefore peoples will respond to you forever and ever. |
(יח) אַזְכִּירָה שִׁמְךָ בְּכָל דֹּר וָדֹר עַל כֵּן עַמִּים יְהוֹדֻךָ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד. |
1 So Cohen, following Meri and Kimchi, who called the flower a “rose,” but Delitzsch said that it couldn’t have been an instrument (and that there couldn’t have been roses in Palestine at the time), Gerald Wilson opted for “tune” with the NIV, and Delitzsch raised the tantalizing hypothesis that these are additional verses extolling the personal Word of God composed to go with an old tune called “A Lily is the Testimony” that had extolled the written word of God.
2 And only 9 women are described as such: Sarah (Gen. 12:11-14), Rachel (Gen. 29:17), Abigail (1 Sam. 25:3), Tamar (2 Sam. 13:1, 14:27), Abishag (1 Ki. 1:3-4, Song of Solomon), Esther (2:7), the daughters of Job (42:15).
3 Zachariah uses שׁפך, one of the closest synonyms to the יצק root used in this Psalm.
4 תִפְאֶרֶת – which may be related to יפה used in v.2.
5Secondarily, God causes His people to “ride” - Isaiah 58:14 "Then you will indulge yourself over Yahweh, and I will make you ride upon the high places of earth" (NAW)
6 2 Sam. 7:23, Psalm 106:21-22, Isa. 64:3
7Elohim. Jews avoid this by adding “given/from.” Delitzsch noted that while Elohim can be interpreted “judge,” it is nevertheless not unlikely to mean “Yahweh” in this Elohistic part of the Psalter which uses Elohim instead of Yahweh.
8Ps. 51:10, 14; 119:111; Isa. 35:10; 51:3, 11; 61:3; Jer. 25:10; 33:9, 11
9 BDB, Holliday, and Bible dictionaries by both Faucett and Unger described it as a peeled bark, so I don’t know where the NIV Application Commentary got that it was made of dried flowers.
10 In the commentaries I read, India is also a runner-up to Arabia as to this location.
11 Everywhere else the Hebrew word for “inside” occurs, it means the interior of a building.
12 Her beauty is the counterpart to his handsomeness spoken of in v.2, using the same Hebrew root word.
13 Isa. 26:9, Mt. 13:17, Lk. 17:22, Php. 1:23
14Every other imperative of this verb in the OT commands obeisance to Yahweh: 1 Chr. 16:29; Ps. 29:2; 96:9; 97:7; 99:5-9, and every NT imperative to bow directs worship to God (Mt. 4:10, Jn. 4:24, Rev. 14:7, 19:10 & 22:9).
15 And this king, unlike many earthly rulers, does not happen to be beholden to any of the wealthy citizens of His kingdom, for this King is the Lord who created everything that is.
16 Proverbs 14:20 “The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, But the rich has many friends.” (NKJV)
AMy
original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright
restrictions have forced me to remove them from the
publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in
footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB,
or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not
in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use
of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square
brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different
from all the other translations, I underline it. When a
version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs
too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far
from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout.
And when a version omits a word which is in the Hebrew text, I
insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original
word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I
occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between
the various editions and versions when there are more than two
different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea
Scrolls containing any part of Psalm 45 are 11QPsd which
contains fragments of vs. 6-8, and 4QPsc, which contains
fragments of vs. 8-11, highlighted in purple.
BJewish Translators in the early AD centuries tended to translate Shoshannim along the lines of “victory in judgment” Aquila=τω νικοποιω επι τοις κρινοις, Σymmachus=επινικιον ‘υπερ των ανθων (“flower”). Θeodotion=εις το νικος ‘υπερ των κρινων. The LXX translation “alternate strains” was acknowledged by the BHS as a legitimate translation of ששנים, if given a different vowel pointing from the MT.
C The MT is plural, as is Aquila’s translation (προσφιλιας), but LXX, Symmachus, Vulgate, NASB, & NIV read singular.
D cf. Σ=εκινηθη (“has been set in motion”)
E Αq. & Σ. = δικαιωματα (righteousnesses), Θ = ποιηματα (doings)
F Α = σχοινος γραμματεως ταχινου (“has a fast scribe”), Σ = ‘ως γραφειον γραφεως ταχινου (“like a pencil of a fast writer”)
G NIV & ESV = Lillies
H NIV = wedding
I NASB & ESV = overflows with, NIV = is stirred by
J NASB = good theme, NIV = noble theme, ESV = pleasing theme
K NASB, NIV, & ESV = verses
L NIV = skillful
MThis is the 22nd Psalm directed to the concertmaster. The other Psalms related to “Shoshenniym” are Ps. 60 (עַל־שׁוּשַׁן עֵדוּת singular “lilly,” of David), 69 (עַל־שׁוֹשַׁנִּים of David), and 80 (אֶל־שֹׁשַׁנִּים of Asaph, compare with 45 עַל־שֹׁשַׁנִּים).
NThis is the third and final Maschil of the Sons of Korah (after 42 & 44). Several other authors also wrote Maschils, including David (Psalms 32, 52-55, & 142), Asaph (Psalms 74 & 78), Heman (Ps. 88) and Ethan (Ps. 89).
OAlthough not spelled the same elsewhere, the same basic word is found in Deu. 33:12; Ps. 60:5; 84:1; 108:6; 127:2; Isa. 5:1; Jer. 11:15; 12:7.
PHapex Legomenon, a verb used nowhere else, but its root can be found in the nouns in Lev. 2:7 & 7:9 translated “pan/griddle/deep-fryer/stewpot”
Q Like the “skilled scribe” Ezra (7:6), not like the “working” of the false “pen” of the “scribes” of Jeremiah’s day (Jer. 8:8).
R NIV = most excellent, ESV = most handsome
S Α=επιδοξοτητι… διαπρεπεια (most praiseworthy… befitting), Σ=επαινον… αξιομα (applause… worth)
T NASB, NIV, and ESV = splendor
U“Your” is not in the MT, although the final coph looks a lot like that pronoun. Nevertheless, the LXX, Symmachus, Syriac and Targums, all insert “your.” No legible DSS of this verse has been discovered for comparison.
V Σ = και εν τω αξιωματι σου προκοπτε… “and in your propriety get underway” is more like the MT.
W Σ = επιβηθι επι λογου “go forth on the basis of...” is more like the MT.
X Α = φωτισει σε επιφοβα…, Σ = ‘υποδειξει σοι φοβερα are more like the MT “show you fearsome things.”
Y NASB, NIV, & ESV = victoriously
Z NIV = humility
AA NIV = display
AB NASB, NIV, ESV = awesome
AC
NIV = let [them] pierce… let nations fall
AD DSS has more text at the end of this verse, only the first word of which is legible: אלף “a thousand…”
AE NASB & ESV = of uprightness, NIV = of justice
AF Α = χαρας (joy), Σ=αγλαισμου (rejoicing?)
AG NASB & NIV = joy
AH NIV & ESV = companions
AI Isa. 61:3 is the only other place in the O.T. which mentions “oil of gladness” - in that case upon the ransomed ones. Heb. 1 quotes this verse saying it is addressed to the Son of God. The traditional Greek text of Heb. 1:8 is identical to the LXX here, but all the earliest-known manuscripts (Chester-Beatty Papyrus46, Siniaticus, Vaticanus) add the word “and” in two places change the pronoun at the end of the quote from “your” to “His.” None of this changes the meaning, however.
AJ Some Hebrew manuscripts apparently include this “and,” although it’s not in the MT.
AKAquila reinserted the “all” in the MT which is not in the LXX or in Symmachus. BHS notes that there are some Hebrew manuscripts which don’t have it either.
AL cf. A = ναων οδοντος (synonymous for “ivory palaces/temples”)
AM NASB, NIV, & ESV = strings (playing musical instruments). The ancient Greek versions and Jewish commentators went with the KJV interpretation of a relative pronoun (Α=εξ ‘ων, Σ= ‘οθεν.) BHS, on the other hand, relates it to the minniym harps in Sirach 39:15, and Delitzsch concurred, citing the same instrument in Psalm 150.
AN Hapex legomenon presumably a “peeled” bark like cinnamon.
AO Α = συγκοιτος (bedfellow), Σ & Ε = παλλακη (?)
AP Α, Θ, Ε = Ophir
AQ NASB = noble
AR NIV = the royal bride
ASThis root is mostly used to describe “precious” stones. The only other time it describes persons directly is Lam. 4:2 “precious sons of Zion.” John Calvin suggested “bridesmaids” or “concubines,” the latter of which does not seem appropriate.
AT See 1 Sam 4:20 for the only other Biblical instance of ladies “standing by” – in that case attending a birth.
AU As a verb, this root means “to rape” but the only other noun instance in the OT is Neh. 2:4, referring to the queen of Persia. It seems to be a lesser-used synonym to גּבירה (lady, in the formal sense) and מלכה (feminine form of “king”).
AV This is one of about 3 words for gold in Hebrew, perhaps referring to different carrots of gold. Also found in Job 28:16-19; 31:24; Prov. 25:12; Cant. 5:11; Isa. 13:12; Jer. 2:22; Lam. 4:1; and Dan. 10:5.
AW NASB = give attention
AX “Inclining the ear” is a common phrase in the Psalms to describe active listening (Ps. 17:6; 31:3; 49:5; 71:2; 78:1; 86:1; 88:3; 102:3; 116:2). The DSS transcript of 4QPsalmsc found on downloads.thewaytoyahuweh.com transposes the middle two letters of this word, but אנז is not a known root in Hebrew, so this is presumably a misspelling.
AYNowhere else in scripture does this phrase “forget... people” occur, but alas, it occurs several times with “people” as the subject rather than the object, as people forget God (Ps. 45:11; 59:12; Jer. 2:32; 18:15; 23:27; 50:6).
AZ Aquila, Theodotion, and Symmachus all corrected this verb and subject to singular to match the MT.
BA NIV translates passively “is enthralled by”
BB
NASB & ESV = bow, NIV = honor
BC ESV translates figuratively “people,” and applies the verb to the first clause rather than to the second.
BD Α = ποικιλτα (many-colored), Σ = συσφιγτηρων (having stamped patterns)
BE NIV & ESV = princess (unlike v.9 where they translated the plural form as “king’s daughters”)
BF NIV & ESV + her chamber
BG NIV = gown, ESV = robe[s]
BH NASB, NIV, ESV = interwoven with
BIThis word is found in only two other places in the OT: Judges 18:21, where it is translated "goods/valuables/possessions" and Ezekiel 23:41, where it is translated "stately/splendid/elegant." Delitzch noted that the preceeding word col (normally translated “all/every” denotes “nothing but”
BJ Every other instance of this word in the Hebrew OT refers to the interior of a building.
BK NASB & NIV = embroidered, ESV = many-colored
BL ESV omits the last phrase
BM Multicolored, only here and Jdg. 5:30; 1 Chr. 29:2; and Ezek. 16:10, 13, 18; 17:3; 26:16; 27:7, 16, 24
BN Judges 11:37-38 is the only other instance of this word in the feminine, although there are a few more instances in masc.
BO I suspect that the MT misspelled this “you” as feminine instead of masculine.
BP Α & Σ = εισελευσονται is more like the MT “will enter,” but the MT is active, not passive.
BQ NASB = led forth, NIV = led in, ESV = led along
BR The only other plural form of this word is in Psalm 16:11.
BSAq. & Symm. translated the unstated verb in the MT with verbs of being, thus avoiding the implication of “birth” which was added by the LXX.
BT NIV = land
BUAquila, Symmachus, and Theodotian all amended this verb to first person singular to match MT; the Syriac and Targums, however, made it first person plural “we.”
BV NIV = perpetuate your memory through
BW
NIV, ESV = nations
BX NASB = give thanks