Bible Commentaries
Psalms 45

Verses 1-17

Meir Arama says, that with the consent of all [the rabbins] this psalm speaks of the Messiah. The Targum also, as far as the eighth verse, expounds it of the Messiah. Their interpretation appears to be correct,

( 1) From the sublime effusions of David’s soul.

(2) The King is higher than the kings of the earth.

(3) In all his wars he is terrible and victorious.

(4) His title, the Elohim, St. Paul, Hebrews 1:8, will not allow to be inscribed to a mortal man.

(5) The description of the Queen is too exalted for Pharaoh’s daughter, and agrees better with St. Paul’s description of the church. Ephesians 5:27.

Though Solomon had no war, yet some orthodox fathers think that David glances also on Solomon’s marriage.

Shoshannim, in the title, signifies an instrument of six strings. Maschil signifies of instruction. A song of loves: the original word is Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord. So Nathan appointed Solomon to be called, 2 Samuel 12:25; a name which made him highly figurative of Christ, the beloved of the Father. Now, though these high encomiums are passed on Solomon, and these exalted requests made for his person and empire; and though language equally strong is used for David; yet we have proof in abundance, that the inspired writers in the old testament referred all their sorrows, and all their joys, to the Messiah as the ultimate object of their hope.

Psalms 45:1 . My heart is inditing, pouring forth a torrent of divine truths, maxims the most illustrious, and prophecies the most luminous.

Psalms 45:2 . Thou art fairer than the children of men, in point of regal splendour, virtue, and wisdom. Targum, Thou art fairer, oh King Messiah.

Psalms 45:3 . Gird on thy sword. Solomon had indeed a sword, but he engaged not in wars; nor had he occasion, except to quell revolts by some of his officers in old age. But Christ has a sword with two edges.

Psalms 45:5 . Thine arrows are sharp. As Solomon had no war, this prophecy refers to Christ, who fights against Jews and Romans, and all the enemies of the church, with the sharp sword that goes out of his mouth.

Psalms 45:6 . Thy throne, oh God, is for ever and ever. The word אלהים Elohim, in the plural, is here applied to the king whose praise the psalmist celebrates. But this cannot be Solomon, for the word in the plural form is never applied to any creature individually, whether angel or man. It is several times metaphorically applied to judges, rulers, or princes, in their collective capacity, as Psalms 82:6; but never individually. Manoah said of the angel, Judges 13:22, “We shall surely die, because we have seen ELOHIM.” But the angel there is the same as in Genesis 22:11, JEHOVAH, the Angel of the covenant. St. Paul adduces this passage expressly to prove the divinity of Christ, Hebrews 1:8-9; and it does not admit of any other interpretation.

Psalms 45:7 . The oil of gladness above thy fellows. God gave not the Spirit to the Messiah by measure; he had a name of glory and exaltation above every name. He is heir of all things, and Mediator between God and man.

Psalms 45:8 . Ivory palaces. The walls of palaces were sometimes cased with polished ivory.

Psalms 45:9 . Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women. The rabbins, and most of the christian fathers, expound the remaining verses of the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoh’s daughter; and our Poole admits that this idea does not diminish the glory of the Messiah. It is usual with the prophets, by things which are near, to speak of Christ, and of the glory of his kingdom.

Psalms 45:10 . Forget also thine own people. A man must forsake father and mother, and cleave to his wife. The gentiles also must forget their kindred and their gods, to be joined to Christ, and incorporated with the Israel of God.

Psalms 45:11 . Worship thou him. As a woman is required to reverence her husband, so the church, yea all the angels of God, must adore the Saviour. Kiss the Son lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way.

Psalms 45:12 . The daughter of Tyre. So also we read of the daughter of Zion, the daughter of Jerusalem, and the daughter of Babel. It means the virgins of those cities, and denotes the conversion of that nation to Christ. Both Greece and Carthage, to which they fled, embraced the christian faith.

Psalms 45:13 . The king’s daughter is all glorious within. In royal marriages there is a great deal of exterior splendour, in dress, jewels, crowns, equipage; but in the church, the glory of holiness is within the adornings of godliness, and the loveliness of the christian temper. We may here add, a versification by the late C. Wesley, never, with the exception of five verses, before printed. Its merits are incomparable.

My heart is full of Christ, and longs His rising glories to declare; Of him I make my loftiest songs, I cannot from his praise forbear; My ready tongue makes haste to sing The beauties of my heavenly King.

Sharp are the arrows of thy love, And pierce the most obdurate heart; Their point thine enemies shall prove, And strangely filled with pleasing smart, Fall down before thy cross subdued, And feel thine arrows dipt in blood.

Daughter of heaven though born on earth, Incline thy willing heart and ear, Forget thy first ignoble birth, Thy people and thy kinsfolks here; So shall the king delight to see His beauties copied, and by thee. He only is thy God and Lord, Worship divine to him be given, By all the host of heaven adored, By every creature under heaven: And all the gentile world shall know, And freely to his service flow.

Thee, Jesus, King of kings, and Lord Of lords, I glory to proclaim; From age to age thy praise record, That all the world may learn thy name: And all shall soon thy grace adore, When time and sin shall be no more.