1 To the Overseer. -- `On the Lilies.' -- By sons of Korah. -- An Instruction. -- A song of loves. My heart hath indited a good thing, I am telling my works to a king, My tongue `is' the pen of a speedy writer.
The Spirit of Jehovah hath spoken by me, And His word `is' on my tongue.
While the king `is' in his circle, My spikenard hath given its fragrance.
Of the uprightness of my heart `are' my sayings, And knowledge have my lips clearly spoken.
Ezra himself hath come up from Babylon, and he `is' a scribe ready in the law of Moses, that Jehovah God of Israel gave, and the king giveth to him -- according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him -- all his request.
Lo, for righteousness doth a king reign, As to princes, for judgment they rule. And each hath been as a hiding-place `from' wind, And as a secret hiding-place `from' inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary land.
for not by will of man did ever prophecy come, but by the Holy Spirit borne on holy men of God spake.
this secret is great, and I speak in regard to Christ and to the assembly;
`Then shall the king say to those on his right hand, Come ye, the blessed of my Father, inherit the reign that hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
The good man out of the good treasure of the heart doth put forth the good things, and the evil man out of the evil treasure doth put forth evil things.
The Song of Songs, that `is' Solomon's. Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth, For better `are' thy loves than wine. For fragrance `are' thy perfumes good. Perfume emptied out -- thy name, Therefore have virgins loved thee! Draw me: after thee we run, The king hath brought me into his inner chambers, We do joy and rejoice in thee, We mention thy loves more than wine, Uprightly they have loved thee! Dark `am' I, and comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As tents of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon. Fear me not, because I `am' very dark, Because the sun hath scorched me, The sons of my mother were angry with me, They made me keeper of the vineyards, My vineyard -- my own -- I have not kept. Declare to me, thou whom my soul hath loved, Where thou delightest, Where thou liest down at noon, For why am I as one veiled, By the ranks of thy companions?
The heart of the wise causeth his mouth to act wisely, And by his lips he increaseth learning,
Hearken, for noble things I speak, And the opening of my lips `is' uprightness. For truth doth my mouth utter, And an abomination to my lips `is' wickedness. In righteousness `are' all the sayings of my mouth, Nothing in them is froward and perverse. All of them `are' plain to the intelligent, And upright to those finding knowledge.
To the Overseer. -- `On the Lilies,' by David. Save me, O God, for come have waters unto the soul.
Lift up, O gates, your heads, And be lifted up, O doors age-during, And come in doth the king of glory! Who `is' this -- `the king of glory?' Jehovah -- strong and mighty, Jehovah, the mighty in battle. Lift up, O gates, your heads, And be lifted up, O doors age-during, And come in doth the king of glory! Who `is' He -- this `king of glory?' Jehovah of hosts -- He `is' the king of glory! Selah.
Judgment let us choose for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what `is' good.
For I have been full of words, Distressed me hath the spirit of my breast, Lo, my breast `is' as wine not opened, Like new bottles it is broken up. I speak, and there is refreshment to me, I open my lips and answer.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 45
Commentary on Psalms 45 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 45
This psalm is an illustrious prophecy of Messiah the Prince: it is all over gospel, and points at him only, as a bridegroom espousing the church to himself and as a king ruling in it and ruling for it. It is probable that our Saviour has reference to this psalm when he compares the kingdom of heaven, more than once, to a nuptial solemnity, the solemnity of a royal nuptial, Mt. 22:2; 25:1. We have no reason to think it has any reference to Solomon's marriage with Pharaoh's daughter; if I thought that it had reference to any other than the mystical marriage between Christ and his church, I would rather apply it to some of David's marriages, because he was a man of war, such a one as the bridegroom here is described to be, which Solomon was not. But I take it to be purely and only meant of Jesus Christ; of him speaks the prophet this, of him and of no other man; and to him (v. 6, 7) it is applied in the New Testament (Heb. 1:8), nor can it be understood of any other. The preface speaks the excellency of the song (v. 1). The psalm speaks,
In singing this psalm our hearts must be filled with high thoughts of Christ, with an entire submission to and satisfaction in his government, and with an earnest desire of the enlarging and perpetuating of his church in the world.
To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil. A song of loves.
Psa 45:1-5
Some make Shoshannim, in the title, to signify an instrument of six strings; others take it in its primitive signification for lilies or roses, which probably were strewed, with other flowers, at nuptial solemnities; and then it is easily applicable to Christ who calls himself the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys, Cant. 2:1. It is a song of loves, concerning the holy love that is between Christ and his church. It is a song of the well-beloved, the virgins, the companions of the bride (v. 14), prepared to be sung by them. The virgin-company that attend the Lamb on Mount Zion are said to sing a new song, Rev. 14:3, 4.
Psa 45:6-9
We have here the royal bridegroom filling his throne with judgment and keeping his court with splendour.
Psa 45:10-17
This latter part of the psalm is addressed to the royal bride, standing on the right hand of the royal bridegroom. God, who said to the Son, Thy throne is for ever and ever, says this to the church, which, upon the account of her espousals to the Son, he here calls his daughter.