Psalm 45:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

NIV: In your majesty ride forth victoriously in the cause of truth, humility and justice; let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.

NASB: And in Your majesty ride on victoriously, For the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness; Let Your right hand teach You awesome things.

CSB: in your splendor ride triumphantly in the cause of truth, humility, and justice. May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts.

NLT: In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!

KJV: And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

NKJV: And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.

The immediate subject of these verses is a king of Israel, on the occasion of a wedding (Psalm 45:1–3). As expected, the psalmist praises the king's appearance, speech, and military prowess. A second layer of meaning occurs when looking at God's promises to David, regarding the line of kings (2 Samuel 7:12–13, 16). While the psalmist likely did not have the Messiah in mind when these words were written, many portions of the psalm prophetically describe Jesus Christ.

This verse portrays a mighty warrior. The image depicts a champion of truth, meekness, and righteousness. The New Testament attributes these virtues to Jesus. John 1:17 says, "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." Jesus declared that He is truth (John 14:6). He calls sinners to find rest in Him, affirming, "I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). He is also completely righteous. The apostle Paul declares that He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), and the apostle Peter affirms that Jesus was like a lamb "without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:19) and says plainly, "He committed no sin" (1 Peter 2:22). Even Pontius Pilate, who turned Jesus over to an angry crowd for crucifixion, asked concerning Jesus, "What evil has he done?" (Matthews 27:23). Revelation 19:11–16 shows Jesus, the true, meek, righteous king riding a white horse and executing judgment on His enemies at His second coming.

Later verses of this psalm will be cited by New Testament writers (Hebrews 1:8–9) in connection with Jesus' ministry.

The psalm begins with the exaggeration for effect common to love songs and works celebrating an earthly king. The groom is described as handsome, powerful, and graceful. The psalm also speaks of an eternal throne—this connects to prophecies about the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12–13; Hebrews 1:8–9). The Bible often uses marriage images to explain the relationship between Christ and the church, including songs such as this.

This psalm is often identified as a marriage song, likely ascribing praise to a descendant of David. However, its praise transcends a mortal ruler and his wedding. There are messianic interpretations, noted in the New Testament (Hebrews 1:8–9). These references provide another layer of meaning, as they praise the King of kings, Jesus Christ.

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.