Psalms — Chapter 45
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1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies.” A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song. My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2You are the most handsome of men; grace has anointed your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.
3Strap your sword at your side, O mighty warrior; appear in your majesty and splendor.
4In your splendor ride forth in victory on behalf of truth and humility and justice; may your right hand show your awesome deeds.
5Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s foes; the nations fall beneath your feet.
6Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you above your companions with the oil of joy.
8All your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces of ivory the harps make you glad.
9The daughters of kings are among your honored women; the queen stands at your right hand, adorned with the gold of Ophir.
10Listen, O daughter! Consider and incline your ear: Forget your people and your father’s house,
11and the king will desire your beauty; bow to him, for he is your lord.
12The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; men of wealth will seek your favor.
13All glorious is the princess in her chamber; her gown is embroidered with gold.
14In colorful garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions are brought before you.
15They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king.
16Your sons will succeed your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land.
17I will commemorate your name through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you forever and ever.
1My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
3Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
4And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
5Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.
6Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
7Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
8All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
9Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house;
11So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
12And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.
13The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
14She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.
15With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace.
16Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
17I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
1My heart overfloweth with a goodly matter; I speak the things which I have made touching the king: My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2Thou art fairer than the children of men; Grace is poured into thy lips: Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
3Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one, Thy glory and thy majesty.
4And in thy majesty ride on prosperously, Because of truth and meekness [and] righteousness: And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
5Thine arrows are sharp; The peoples fall under thee; [They are] in the heart of the king`s enemies.
6Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: A sceptre of equity is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
7Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
8All thy garments [smell of] myrrh, and aloes, [and] cassia; Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made thee glad.
9Kings` daughters are among thy honorable women: At thy right hand doth stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; Forget also thine own people, and thy father`s house:
11So will the king desire thy beauty; For he is thy lord; and reverence thou him.
12And the daughter of Tyre [shall be there] with a gift; The rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.
13The king`s daughter within [the palace] is all glorious: Her clothing is inwrought with gold.
14She shall be led unto the king in broidered work: The virgins her companions that follow her Shall be brought unto thee.
15With gladness and rejoicing shall they be led: They shall enter into the king`s palace.
16Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, Whom thou shalt make princes in all the earth.
17I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: Therefore shall the peoples give thee thanks for ever and ever. Psalm 46 For the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah; set to Alamoth. A Song.
1For the music director, according to the tune of “Lilies”; by the Korahites, a well-written poem, a love song. My heart is stirred by a beautiful song. I say, “I have composed this special song for the king; my tongue is as skilled as the stylus of an experienced scribe.”
2You are the most handsome of all men. You speak in an impressive and fitting manner. For this reason God grants you continual blessings.
3Strap your sword to your thigh, O warrior. Appear in your majestic splendor.
4Appear in your majesty and be victorious. Ride forth for the sake of what is right, on behalf of justice. Then your right hand will accomplish mighty acts.
5Your arrows are sharp and penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies. Nations fall at your feet.
6Your throne, O God, is permanent. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.
7You love justice and hate evil. For this reason God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy, elevating you above your companions.
8All your garments are perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cassia. From the luxurious palaces comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy.
9Princesses are among your honored women. Your bride stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir.
10Listen, O princess. Observe and pay attention! Forget your homeland and your family.
11Then the king will be attracted by your beauty. After all, he is your master. Submit to him.
12Rich people from Tyre will seek your favor by bringing a gift.
13The princess looks absolutely magnificent, decked out in pearls and clothed in a brocade trimmed with gold.
14In embroidered robes she is escorted to the king. Her attendants, the maidens of honor who follow her, are led before you.
15They are bubbling with joy as they walk in procession and enter the royal palace.
16Your sons will carry on the dynasty of your ancestors; you will make them princes throughout the land.
17I will proclaim your greatness through the coming years, then the nations will praise you forever.
1My heart overflows with a noble theme. I recite my verses for the king. My tongue is like the pen of a skillful writer.
2You are the most excellent of the sons of men. Grace has anointed your lips, therefore God has blessed you forever.
3Strap your sword on your thigh, mighty one: your splendor and your majesty.
4In your majesty ride on victoriously on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. Let your right hand display awesome deeds.
5Your arrows are sharp. The nations fall under you, with arrows in the heart of the king’s enemies.
6Your throne, God, is forever and ever. A scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom.
7You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
8All your garments smell like myrrh, aloes, and cassia. Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.
9Kings’ daughters are among your honorable women. At your right hand the queen stands in gold of Ophir.
10Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear. Forget your own people, and also your father’s house.
11So the king will desire your beauty, honor him, for he is your lord.
12The daughter of Tyre comes with a gift. The rich among the people entreat your favor.
13The princess inside is all glorious. Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
14She shall be led to the king in embroidered work. The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to you.
15With gladness and rejoicing they shall be led. They shall enter into the king’s palace.
16Your sons will take the place of your fathers. You shall make them princes in all the earth.
17I will make your name to be remembered in all generations. Therefore the peoples shall give you thanks forever and ever.
Summary
A royal wedding psalm celebrating a king's marriage, understood by later New Testament writers as pointing to Christ (Hebrews 1:8-9). The poet describes his heart stirred by a noble theme and addresses the king as the most excellent of men, blessed by God forever, urging him to ride out victoriously for truth and justice (vv. 1-5). The king's throne is described as established by God forever, his rule marked by righteousness and gladness above his companions, and his royal robes fragrant with spices from ivory palaces (vv. 6-9). The psalm then turns to address the bride, urging her to forget her own people and honor her lord, describing her arrival in splendor with her attendants amid joy and gladness (vv. 10-15). It closes anticipating that the king's sons will become princes throughout the land, and that his name will be remembered and praised by the nations forever (vv. 16-17).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Tyre (v.12): Phoenician port city on the Mediterranean coast.
Places on this map
- TyreSour, LebanonOriginally an island fortress a half mile off the Phoenician coast, which is why it held out against Assyria and Babylon and only fell when Alexander built a causeway to it. That causeway silted up, and Tyre has been a peninsula ever since. Wikipedia
- Mediterranean SeaCalled simply the Great Sea, and treated as the western edge of the world. Israel's coast has almost no natural harbours, so for most of its history the sea was a boundary rather than a road, and seafaring was left to the Phoenicians. Wikipedia
- Phoeniciacoastal LebanonA narrow strip of coast backed hard against the Lebanon range, with too little farmland to feed itself and excellent harbours. That combination made its cities trade by sea, plant colonies as far as Spain, and supply Israel with timber, craftsmen and Jezebel. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- Crossway: crossway.org A royal wedding psalm, and how Hebrews reads it as addressed to the Son.
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Grace on the King's Lips (v.2) — The king is praised first for the grace poured out in his words, not for power or wealth. When you think about what makes Christ worth following, is it His grace and character that draws you, or something more surface-level?
- An Eternal, Divine Throne (vv.6-7) — The psalm addresses the king directly as God, with a throne lasting forever — words Hebrews applies straight to Christ's deity. Do you relate to Jesus as a wise teacher to admire, or as the eternal King He actually is?
- Leaving the Old Behind for the King (vv.10-11) — The bride is told to forget her former household and give herself fully to the king who now desires her. What old loyalties or identities is God asking you to release so you can belong fully to Him?
- Glory That Comes From the King (v.13) — The bride's splendor is described in detail, but it's clear her glory comes from her position with the king, not from herself. Do you find your worth in what Christ has given you, or in your own achievements?
- A Name Remembered Forever (v.17) — The psalm ends with a promise that the king's name will be praised by every generation without end. Does your daily life reflect that you belong to a kingdom that will actually outlast everything else you're building?