Psalm 110:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.

NIV: The Lord is at your right hand ; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

NASB: The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath.

CSB: The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his anger.

NLT: The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you. He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.

KJV: The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

NKJV: The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.

Once again, David uses the term Adonai, meaning "Lord." This is separate from the term usually printed in small capitals in English, "LORD," referring to the Hebrew term Yahweh. David relates that the Lord, the Messiah (Psalm 110:1), is at the Father's right hand. This is the position of power and acknowledgement. The same imagery is used several times to explain Jesus' absolute divinity and authority.

When Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9), He sat down on the Father's right hand, the place of authority (Colossians 3:1; 1 Peter 3:22). The first recorded martyr, Stephen, saw this. Just before dying, Stephen claimed to have seen Christ "standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:56).

Hebrews 8:1 affirms that "we have such a high priest [Jesus], one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven." But David points out that Jesus will destroy kings when He returns for judgment (Psalm 110:6). At the close of the tribulation Jesus will descend from heaven and strike the rulers of the world in a fiery display of His wrath. Psalm 2:12 advises the kings to make peace with the Son, "lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled."

Psalm 110:5–7 completes a series of declarations regarding a "Lord" who is spoken to by God the Father, yet who is also greater than David. This passage uses symbolic language to describe the extent of this "Lord's" eventual victory and rule over the earth. Enemy kings are overwhelmingly defeated, while the blessed One is refreshed and affirmed.

David records statements made between two persons, described using the Hebrew terms YHWH and Adonai. These are promises made by God the Father to the Messiah. Adonai is guaranteed total victory over the earth as well as an unending priesthood. These references point to someone who is both king and priest: Jesus Christ, a descendant of David.

This is the most-often cited psalm in the New Testament. Psalm 110:1 is quoted in Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42–43, Acts 2:34–35, and Hebrews 1:13. The book of Hebrews extensively comments on the meaning of Psalm 110:4. Many other verses refer to subjects touched on in the psalm. David hears YHWH speaking to someone David identifies as his "Lord." This helps to ground important concepts such as the Trinity and Jesus' role as Messiah.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.