Psalms 45
PettHeading. ‘For the Chief Musician; set to Shoshannim. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Maschil. A Song of loves.’Again we have a psalm for the choirmaster set to the tune Shoshannim (‘lilies’). In the Son 2:16; Son 6:2-3 the place of lilies was the place for love, and so the name of the tune fits the theme. As previously it is a Maschil and is ‘of the sons of Korah’ (see introduction to Book 2).
And it is a song of ‘loves’, a wedding song, for it deals with the marriage between the Davidic king and his bride. The word used here for ‘loves’ always indicates a high and holy love. In practise the king and his bride may well never have previously met, for this great occasion suggests a political marriage, as does the exhortation to the bride, so that the love is anticipated rather than real.The splendour of the occasion fits well with Solomon, and initially this psalm may well be describing the time when he was united with his Egyptian bride, the daughter of Pharaoh. But the king is undoubtedly addressed in terms reminiscent of the promises to David of the coming King from his house Who would rule the world, and be established on God’s throne (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalms 2). Thus the Psalm looks forward also to the Coming King, and we must also therefore find within it an indication of the coming of the Messiah. Indeed the Aramaic Targum paraphrases Psalms 45:2 as, ‘Your beauty O King Messiah exceeds that of the children of men, a spirit of prophecy is bestowed on your lips’.
Psalms 45:1
The Psalmist Indicates the Joy With Which He Writes (Psalms 45:1) Psalms 45:1‘My heart overflows with a goodly matter;I speak the things which I have made touching the king.My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.’It is clear from these words that the writer was almost overwhelmed at the occasion as he considered his subject matter, the king dressed in all his finery and his jewels, the magnificence of the decorated palace, the array of queens and princesses and the glory of his queenly bride.He recognises that he has a goodly matter to write about, and his heart overflows at the thought. He is also conscious that he will be speaking about things which he has formulated which concern his sovereign, a thought which fills him with awe. And thus his tongue flows smoothly like the pen of a capable and willing writer.
Psalms 45:2-7
A Description of The King’s Glory (Psalms 45:2-7). His description of the bridegroom’s glory follows a carefully constructed pattern.1)Firstly he describes the king’s splendour (Psalms 45:2). He is fairer than the children of men, granted wisdom by God and blessed by God for ever. This was no doubt the nation’s view of Solomon, and it is even more true of the even greater ‘Son of David’, our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose bride is His people.. He is the fairest among ten thousand, has received directly the wisdom of the Father, and is truly from everlasting to everlasting.2)Secondly he is a mighty warrior on behalf of truth and meekness and righteousness (Psalms 45:3-4). This was initially true of Solomon until he lapsed, and it is permanently and everlastingly true of our Lord Jesus Christ, the greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42).3)Thirdly his arrows are sharp and effective (Psalms 45:5). No doubt Solomon like all great Overlords would attend at the battlefield and fire his bow so that he could be lauded for having taken part in the fighting. (A similar picture is found of the Great King of Assyria on Assyrian inscriptions - compare Isaiah 37:33).
But the greater than Solomon would Himself be a polished arrow in God’s quiver (Isaiah 49:2). The arrow of His word would be sharp and true.4)His throne is the very throne of God (Psalms 45:6-7). In the case of Solomon it was established by God, and Solomon was to be His righteous representative before His people, while in the case of the Coming One He Himself would share God’s throne, and would indeed be God upon that throne.
Psalms 45:8-9
Proceeding To The Royal Wedding (Psalms 45:8-9). Having established the glory of the king’s person attention now turns to the Royal Wedding. He is covered in delightful ointments and perfumes, he is welcomed by stringed instruments playing from ivory palaces, he is attended by the daughters of kings, and at his right hand is his noble queen arrayed in the finest of gold, the gold of Ophir. All is ready for he and his bride being united as one.In the New Testament the bride of Christ is revealed to be the church (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:8; Revelation 21:2), composed of all true believers in Christ, and her covering is to be ‘the righteousnesses’ of God’s people (Revelation 19:8).Psalms 45:8-9‘All your garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia,Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.Kings’ daughters are among your honourable women,At your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.’The king is rigged out in his finery, and covered in delightful ointments and perfumes, and the procession passes by his ivory palace. Ivory palaces were a sign of ostentation and wealth, and indicated powerful and successful kings (see Amos 3:15). Ahab was famous for his ivory palace (1 Kings 22:39). They were not of course made of ivory, but decorated with inlaid ivory.
That there are a number of such suggests the glory of this king, and as he passes by them in his royal procession the musicians are out on the balconies playing loudly and skilfully in order to add to the joy of the occasion. Or the idea may be that it was in such a palace that he was greeted by his prospective queen.He is so noble and powerful that his honourable women, attending at the wedding, were nothing less than the daughters of kings.
The king’s daughters may have been other wives, or they may simply have come from their fathers’ kingdoms to play their part in the wedding in honour of the King.But most conspicuous of all is his wife, standing there in her beauty, dressed in gold of Ophir, the finest of imported gold (1 Kings 9:28; 1 Kings 10:11). Here then is splendour indeed, and it demonstrates the magnificence of the occasion, and adequately depicts the even greater glory of the coming Messiah, of whom this king is a type and forerunner.The identity of his queen is unknown. That it is not Pharaoh’s daughter is probable in that there is no mention of Egypt. To marry the daughter of an Egyptian Pharaoh was such an honour, and would have added such prestige to the wedding, that it would hardly have been allowed to pass without mention. It is attractive to think that it might have been the Shulamite of the Song of Solomon. The only doubt is as to whether she was a king’s daughter (Psalms 45:13).
But see Son 7:1. She may well have been the daughter of a relatively minor shepherd king.
Psalms 45:10-12
Advice Given To The Bride (Psalms 45:10-12). The bride is advised to forget her past life and to look forward to her glorious future. She may well never have met her husband-to-be, and was probably feeling a little lost and homesick. But she is advised to accept advice and be responsive, and to forget her own people and her father’s house and give proper reverence to her new husband. Then will the king desire her, and all will treat her with honour. This was a duty that every king’s daughter was expected to follow. They were brought up to recognise that they would go to some foreign king as a treaty wife, and from then on should forget their old home.It is a beautiful picture of the bride of Christ who on coming to Christ is called on to turn her back on the past and live only for Him.
Her sole desire is to be to please Him.Psalms 45:10-12 Listen, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear;Forget also your own people, and your father’s house,So will the king desire your beauty,For he is your lord, and reverence you him.And the daughter of Tyre will be there with a gift,The rich among the people will entreat your favour.’The bride is called on to listen carefully to final last minute advice, probably from some beloved attendant who has accompanied her on her journey. It is that she will pay close heed to what she is now told.
She must now put out of her mind her own people, for whom she has had such affection, and her father’s house where she has been so courted and admired, and give all her attention to pleasing her new lord. Then the king will desire her beauty. For she is to remember that he is now her lord and that she must reverence him.Then not only will her husband desire her beauty, but influential and wealthy people will come and pay her homage. The ‘daughter of Tyre’, like ‘the daughter of Zion’, is a description of the whole people of Tyre. Tyre was at the time an outstandingly rich and influential city state. She would only bring a gift to someone of great importance.
And the same was true of the wealthy. They would seek the favour of someone whom they saw as influential.It is therefore unlikely that the bride is the daughter of Pharaoh.
The daughter of Pharaoh was unlikely to be impressed by either of these facts. But the young Shulammite princess, who was probably Solomon’s first wife, certainly would have been.As far as the Messianic aspect is concerned it is an indication that His ‘bride’ should leave behind their old lives and be completely committed to Him. Old things are to pass away. All things are to become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). He is to be their ‘all’.
Psalms 45:13-15
The Glory Of The Bride (Psalms 45:13-15). The glory of the bride, who is a king’s daughter, is now described, and her entrance in splendour into the king’s palace.Psalms 45:13-15‘The king’s daughter within the palace is all glorious,Her clothing is inwrought with gold.She will be led to the king in embroidered work,The virgins her companions who follow her,Will be brought to you.’With gladness and rejoicing will they be led,They will enter into the king’s palace.’Having responded to the advice given to her the bride now leaves her palace and goes bravely to the king’s palace amidst all the festivities. She is splendidly dressed in a gold interlaced, heavily embroidered outfit, and is led forth to her bridegroom. Her virgin companions accompany her in solemn and stately procession, and they are brought with gladness and rejoicing into the king’s own palace.‘Will be brought to you.’ The Psalmist has been talking to the prospective queen, (Psalms 45:10-11), but had changed tense to describe her splendour, now he turns back to speaking to her again.We can see in this splendour of the bride a picture of the even greater splendour given to Christ’s church, when she is to be ‘glorious, without spot and blemish and any such thing’ (Ephesians 5:26). She too will enter Heaven with rejoicing.
Psalms 45:16
Concluding Promises To The King (Psalms 45:16). Psalms 45:16‘Instead of your fathers will be your children,Whom you will make princes in all the earth.I will make your name to be remembered in all generations,Therefore will the peoples give you thanks for ever and ever.’The final urging to the king is that he should concentrate his thoughts on his prospective children. These will replace his ancestors, and in contrast will be made princes in all the earth. Compare what was said about the sons of David in Psalms 122:5. The king’s sons regularly had a say in ruling under their father.This will then enable the writer (or God) to make the king’s name remembered to all generations, although note the possible gentle transition into God’s final promise made to him (Who else could promise this?). God will ensure that his name is remembered for ever, and that people will thank him for ever and ever. This last could only really be true of the Coming king who would rule over the everlasting kingdom (2 Samuel 7:13; 2 Samuel 7:16).It is often said that it is difficult to apply this last verse to the Messianic concept of the Psalm, but that is only so if the application is interpreted too strictly.
However, if we remember that Isaiah said of the future Messiah that ‘He would see His seed’ (Isaiah 53:10), it fits in admirably. The bride will produce princely sons for her bridegroom (who will in fact then become part of the bride). We can compare how the woman arrayed with the sun in Revelation 12:1, who was symbolic of Israel, also had children who were themselves Israel (Revelation 12:17).