Psalms45

New American Standard

TranslationKJV WEB ASV ESV NIV NASB NKJV NLT

¹ My heart is moved with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

² You are the most handsome of the sons of mankind; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever.

³ Strap Your sword on Your thigh, Mighty One, In Your splendor and majesty!

⁴ And in Your majesty ride on victoriously, For the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness; Let Your right hand teach You awesome things.

⁵ Your arrows are sharp; The peoples fall under You; Your arrows are in the heart of the King’s enemies.

⁶ Your throne, God, is forever and ever; The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of justice.

⁷ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your companions.

⁸ All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia; From ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You joyful.

⁹ Kings’ daughters are among Your noble women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

¹⁰ Listen, daughter, look and incline your ear: Forget your people and your father’s house;

¹¹ Then the King will crave your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him.

¹² The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; The wealthy among the people will seek your favor.

¹³ The King’s daughter is all glorious within; Her clothing is interwoven with gold.

¹⁴ She will be brought to the King in colorful garments; The virgins, her companions who follow her, Will be brought to You.

¹⁵ They will be brought with joy and rejoicing; They will enter into the King’s palace.

¹⁶ In place of your fathers will be your sons; You shall make them princes in all the earth.

¹⁷ I will make Your name known among all generations; Therefore the peoples will praise You forever and ever.

Study

Psalms 45

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Psalms 45. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.

Chapter Summary

In this chapter: This psalm is a prophecy of Messiah the Prince, and points to him as a Bridegroom espousing the church to himself, and as a King ruling in it, and for it..

vv1-5

The psalmist's tongue was guided by the Spirit of God, as the pen is by the hand of a ready writer. This psalm is touching the King Jesus, his kingdom and government. It is a shame that this good matter is not more the subject of our discourse. There is more in Christ to engage our love, than there is or can be in any creature. This world and its charms are ready to draw away our hearts from Christ; therefore we are concerned to understand how much more worthy he is of our love. By his word, his promise, his gospel, the good will of God is made known to us, and the good work of God is begun and carried on in us. The psalmist, verses 3–5, joyfully foretells the progress and success of the Messiah. The arrows of conviction are very terrible in the hearts of sinners, till they are humbled and reconciled; but the arrows of vengeance will be more so to his enemies who refuse to submit. All who have seen his glory and tasted his grace, rejoice to see him, by his word and Spirit, bring enemies and strangers under his dominion.

vv6-9

The throne of this almighty King is established for ever. While the Holy Spirit leads Christ's people to look to his cross, he teaches them to see the evil of sin and the beauty of holiness; so that none of them can feel encouragement to continue in sin. The Mediator is God, else he had been neither able to do the Mediator's work, nor fit to wear the Mediator's crown. God the Father, as his God in respect to his human nature and mediatorial offices, has given to him the Holy Spirit without measure. Thus anointed to be a Prophet, Priest, and King, Christ has pre-eminence in the gladdening gifts and graces of the spirit, and from his fulness communicates them to his brethren in human nature. The Spirit is called the oil of gladness, because of the delight wherewith Christ was filled, in carrying on his undertakings. The salvation of sinners is the joy of angels, much more of the Son. And in proportion as we are conformed to his holy image, we may expect the gladdening gifts influences of the Comforter. The excellences of the Messiah, the suitableness of his offices, and the sufficiency of his grace, seem to be intended by the fragrance of his garments. The church formed of true believers, is here compared to the queen, whom, by an everlasting covenant, the Lord Jesus has betrothed to himself. This is the bride, the Lamb's wife, whose graces are compared to fine linen, for their purity; to gold, for their costliness: for as we owe our redemption, so we owe our adorning, to the precious blood of the Son of God.

vv10-17

If we desire to share these blessings, we must hearken to Christ's word. We must forget our carnal and sinful attachments and pursuits. He must be our Lord as well as our Saviour; all idols must be thrown away, that we may give him our whole heart. And here is good encouragement, thus to break off from former alliances. The beauty of holiness, both on the church and on particular believers, is, in the sight of Christ, of great price, and very amiable. The work of grace is the workmanship of the Spirit, it is the image of Christ upon the soul, a partaking of the Divine nature. It is clear of all sin, there is none in it, nor any comes from it. There is nothing glorious in the old man or corrupt nature; but in the new man, or work of grace upon the soul, every thing is glorious. The robe of Christ's righteousness, which he has wrought out for his church, the Father imputes unto her, and bestows upon her. None are brought to Christ, but those whom the Father brings. This notes the conversion of souls to him. The robe of righteousness, and garments of salvation, the change of raiment Christ has put upon her. Such as strictly cleave to Christ, loving him in singleness of heart, are companions of the bride, who partake of the very same grace, enjoy the same privileges, and share in one common salvation. These, every one, shall be brought to the King; not one lost or left behind. Instead of the Old Testament church, there shall be a New Testament church, a Gentile church. In the believing hope of our everlasting happiness in the other world, let us always keep up the remembrance of Christ, as our only way thither; and transmit the remembrance of him to succeeding generations, that his name may endure for ever.

Key Words

choirmasterH5329Hebrew

נָצַח: properly, to glitter from afar, i.e. to be eminent (as a superintendent, especially of the Temple services and its music); to be permanent

LiliesH7799Hebrew

שׁוּשַׁן: a lily (from its whiteness), as aflower of architectural ornament; also a (straight) trumpet (from the tubular shape)

MaskilH4905Hebrew

מַשְׂכִּיל: instructive, i.e. a didactic poem

SonsH1121Hebrew

בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)

KorahH7141Hebrew

קֹרַח: Korach, the name of two Edomites and three Israelites

loveH3039Hebrew

יְדִיד: loved

songH7892Hebrew

שִׁיר: a song; abstractly, singing

heartH3820Hebrew

לֵב: the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything

overflowsH7370Hebrew

רָחַשׁ: to gush

pleasingH2896Hebrew

טוֹב: good (as an adjective) in the widest sense; used likewise as a noun, both in the masculine and the feminine, the singular and the plural (good, a good or good thing, a good man or woman; the good, goods or good things, good men or women), also as an adverb (well)

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