Psalm 45 explained: A Song for a Royal Wedding

The poet's eager opening (v. 1)

The singer says his heart is overflowing with a fine subject, and his words come as easily as a skilled scribe's pen. He is offering this poem as a gift to the king.

Praise for the warrior king (vv. 2-5)

The king is praised for his looks, his gracious speech and God's lasting favor, then urged to ride out armed and win battles. The poem ties his victories to truth, humility and justice, though it also openly wishes for his enemies to fall.

A throne called God's (vv. 6-7)

Verse 6 addresses the king as "God." Ancient translations and the book of Hebrews take this literally, and Christians read it as pointing to Jesus as truly God. Others see a lofty title for God's chosen ruler, or translate it "your throne is God's throne."

Splendor of the palace (vv. 8-9)

Verse 7 says God anointed the king with "oil of joy," the oil poured on kings and used at feasts, and now he appears in robes scented with costly spices, with music playing in palaces decorated with ivory. His queen stands at his right hand, the place of honor, dressed in gold from Ophir, a place famous for fine gold whose location is unknown.

Words to the bride (vv. 10-12)

The bride, likely a foreign princess as in many royal marriages of the time, is told to leave her family behind and honor the king as her lord. Wealthy Tyre, a rich trading city on the coast, will bring gifts to win her favor, a sign of her new high standing.

Procession and royal line (vv. 13-17)

The princess comes in clothing woven with gold, followed by her young attendants, and they are led joyfully into the palace. The poem ends by promising the king sons who will rule across the land, and the poet vows to make his name remembered forever.

Key verse: Psalm 45:6

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on whether this psalm is first a song for a real Israelite king's wedding that was later applied to Jesus, or a direct prophecy of Christ and his church from the start.

Something to think about

What do you imagine it would cost someone to leave their own people and family behind to begin a new life in an unfamiliar place?