Psalms 45

General context

The speaker says his heart is inditing a good matter and that he speaks of things he has made touching the king, his tongue the pen of a ready writer. He addresses the king as fairer than the children of men, with grace poured into his lips, and blessed by God for ever. He tells him to gird his sword on his thigh and ride in majesty because of truth, meekness and righteousness; his arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies and the people fall under him. The addressee is called O God: his throne is for ever and ever, its sceptre a right sceptre; because he loves righteousness and hates wickedness, God his God has anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows. His garments smell of myrrh, aloes and cassia out of ivory palaces; kings' daughters are among his honourable women, and the queen stands at his right hand in gold of Ophir. The speaker then addresses a daughter, telling her to hearken, forget her own people and her father's house, so that the king will desire her beauty, for he is her Lord and she is to worship him; the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift and the rich will entreat her favour. The king's daughter is all glorious within, clothed in wrought gold, and she and her virgin companions are brought with gladness into the king's palace. The closing lines promise the king children in place of his fathers, to be made princes in all the earth, and that his name will be remembered in all generations and praised for ever.

Cited passages: Psalms 45:1, Psalms 45:2, Psalms 45:3, Psalms 45:4, Psalms 45:5, Psalms 45:6, Psalms 45:7, Psalms 45:8, Psalms 45:9, Psalms 45:10, Psalms 45:11, Psalms 45:12, Psalms 45:13, Psalms 45:15, Psalms 45:16, Psalms 45:17

Psalms 45 (KJV)

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Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "My heart is inditing a good matter", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction, and the king is never named. The speaker identifies himself only as a writer whose subject is "the king". Two addressees follow: the king, from verse 2 to verse 9 and again in verses 16 and 17, and "O daughter" in verses 10 to 12. In verse 6 the throne is addressed as "O God", and in verse 7 the same figure is told that "God, thy God, hath anointed thee"; the text places both lines side by side without explaining the address. "The queen in gold of Ophir", "the daughter of Tyre" and "the king’s daughter" are the only titles given to the women; the text does not say whether the daughter addressed in verse 10 and the king’s daughter of verse 13 are the same person. Verses 6 and 7 are quoted in the Letter to the Hebrews as words spoken "unto the Son": "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom" and "therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows".

Cited passages: Psalms 45:1, Psalms 45:10, Psalms 45:6, Psalms 45:7, Psalms 45:9, Psalms 45:12, Psalms 45:13, Hebrews 1:8, Hebrews 1:9

Literary context

The poem announces itself as composition: a heart inditing, a tongue like a pen. It then moves through three scenes. The first is the king armed and riding, with sword, arrows and falling enemies, but the cause of the ride is "truth and meekness and righteousness", and the praise of his throne rests on "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness". The second scene is sensory and still: perfumed garments, ivory palaces, kings' daughters, a queen in gold. The third turns to the bride with commands, "Hearken", "consider", "incline thine ear", "forget", and a procession of virgins entering the palace "with gladness and rejoicing". Gold recurs on the queen and on the daughter's clothing. The last two verses look forward, replacing fathers with children and promising a remembered name, and the speaker's "I" returns to close the frame he opened in verse 1. Coming after the national complaint of Psalm 44, this song contains no plea at all.

Cited passages: Psalms 45:1, Psalms 45:4, Psalms 45:7, Psalms 45:8, Psalms 45:10, Psalms 45:14, Psalms 45:13, Psalms 45:16, Psalms 45:17

Key moments

1. The pen of a ready writer (Psalms 45:1). The speaker says his heart is inditing a good matter touching the king.
2. Gird thy sword (Psalms 45:3). He calls the king most mighty and tells him to gird his sword and ride in majesty.
3. Thy throne, O God (Psalms 45:6). The addressee is called O God, and his throne is said to be for ever with a right sceptre.
4. Anointed with the oil of gladness (Psalms 45:7). Because the king loves righteousness, God his God has anointed him above his fellows.
5. The queen in gold of Ophir (Psalms 45:9). Kings' daughters are among his women and the queen stands at his right hand.
6. Hearken, O daughter (Psalms 45:10). The speaker tells the daughter to forget her own people and her father's house.
7. Into the king's palace (Psalms 45:15). The daughter and her companions are brought with gladness into the palace.

For reflection

The daughter is told to forget her own people and her father's house so that the king will desire her beauty; what does the poem count as her gain in that exchange, and what does it leave unsaid?

People in this chapter

• Korah