What does Psalm 45:9 mean?
ESV: daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
NIV: Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
NASB: Kings’ daughters are among Your noble women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
CSB: Kings' daughters are among your honored women; the queen, adorned with gold from Ophir, stands at your right hand.
NLT: Kings’ daughters are among your noble women. At your right side stands the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir!
KJV: Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
NKJV: Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
Verse Commentary:
The daughters of kings mentioned in this verse as "ladies of honor" are bridesmaids. The immediate context of this psalm is a king's wedding (Psalm 45:1). This depicts the queen standing beside the bridegroom-king. She is arrayed in gold of Ophir. Ophir was probably located in western Arabia and its gold was highly valued (1 Chronicles 29:4; Job 28:16). First Kings 9:28 reports that King Solomon's servants brought him enormous quantities of this treasured metal from Ophir for his construction projects.
Though this psalm is primarily about the king, it also offers prophetic information about the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Psalm 45:6–7; Hebrews 1:8–9). Christ's relationship to His church and His relationship to Israel as Messiah are often depicted using wedding terminology (Isaiah 54:5; Hosea 2:19; John 3:29; Revelation 21:9; 22:17). Matthew 25:1–12 relates the story of five foolish virgins and five wise virgins who waited at night for the arrival of the bridegroom. The foolish virgins' lamps were running out of oil, but the five wise virgins carried enough oil to keep their lamps lit. When the bridegroom arrived, the five wise virgins accompanied him to the marriage feast. When Jesus arrives for the marriage feast, He expects His people to be ready and waiting.
Verse Context:
Psalm 45:6–17 describes the glorious king, his bride, and the wedding procession. The original subject of this song was an earthly king and his bride. However, the words also serve as prophecies about the ultimate Davidic King, Jesus Christ.
Chapter Summary:
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.
Chapter Context:
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.
Book Summary:
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.
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