You are the most excellent of the sons of men. Grace has anointed your lips, therefore God has blessed you forever.
Strap your sword on your thigh, mighty one: your splendor and your majesty.
In your majesty ride on victoriously on behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness. Let your right hand display awesome deeds.
Your arrows are sharp. The nations fall under you, with arrows in the heart of the king’s enemies.
Your throne, God, is forever and ever. A scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness, and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
All your garments smell like myrrh, aloes, and cassia. Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made you glad.
Kings’ daughters are among your honorable women. At your right hand the queen stands in gold of Ophir.
Listen, daughter, consider, and turn your ear. Forget your own people, and also your father’s house.
So the king will desire your beauty, honor him, for he is your lord.
The daughter of Tyre comes with a gift. The rich among the people entreat your favor.
The princess inside is all glorious. Her clothing is interwoven with gold.
She shall be led to the king in embroidered work. The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to you.
With gladness and rejoicing they shall be led. They shall enter into the king’s palace.
Your sons will take the place of your fathers. You shall make them princes in all the earth.
I will make your name to be remembered in all generations. Therefore the peoples shall give you thanks forever and ever.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17 2. Thou art fairer than the sons of men.…
2. Thou art fairer than the sons of men. The Psalmist commences his subject with the commendation of the beauty of the king, and then he proceeds also to praise his eloquence. Personal excellence is ascribed to the king, not that the beauty of the countenance, which of itself is not reckoned among the number of the virtues, ought to be very highly valued; but because a noble disposition of mind often shines forth in the very countenance of a man. This may have been the case with Solomon, so that from his very countenance it might have appeared that he was endued with superior gifts. Nor is the grace of oratory undeservedly commended in a king, to whom it belongs, by virtue of his office, not only to rule the people by authority, but also to allure them to obedience by argument and eloquence, just as the ancients feigned that Hercules had in his mouth golden chains, by which he captivated the ears of the common people, and drew them after him. How manifestly does this rebuke the mean-spiritedness of kings in our day, by whom it is regarded as derogatory to their dignity to converse with their subjects, and to employ remonstrance in order to secure their submission; nay, who display a spirit of barbarous tyranny in seeking rather to compel than to persuade them, and in choosing rather to abuse them as slaves, than to govern them by laws and with justice as a tractable and obedient people. But as this excellence was displayed in Solomon, so also did it shine forth more fully afterwards in Christ, to whom his truth serves the part of a scepter, as we shall have occasion by and by to notice mere at large. The term על-כן, al-ken, which we have translated because, is sometimes rendered wherefore; but it is not necessary that we should interpret it in this place in the latter sense, as if Solomon had been blessed on account of his beauty and excellence, for both of these are blessings of God. It is rather to be understood as the reason why Solomon was distinguished for these endowments, namely, because God had blessed him. As to the interpretation which others give, God shall bless thee for thy excellency, it is both cold and forced.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17 Solomon’s beauty and eloquence to win favor with his…
Solomon’s beauty and eloquence to win favor with his people, and his power to overcome his enemies, is here described.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv2–17 Psa 45:2 Thou art fairer than the children of…
Psa 45:2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Ver. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men] Heb. Thou art double fairer. The Hebrew word is doubled, ad corroborandum, saith Kimchi; Valde Pulchruisti (Vat.). It may very well be that Solomon was, for his beauty, another Nireus; and for his eloquenee, another Nestor; wisdom might make his face to shine. Of Christ we are sure, that his body, being of the finest temperament, and no way diseased, could not be but very beautiful. The Roman register reporteth him to have been of a reverend countenance, his stature somewhat tall, his hair after the colour of the ripe hazel nut, his forehead smooth and plain, his face without wrinkle, mixed with moderate red, his eyes grey, various, and clear (Lentulus ad Senat. ap. Magdeb. Cent. 1). Surely if Stephen’s face was "as the face of an angel," and if with his bodily eyes he could pierce the heavens, and see there what he would; how much more could the Lord Christ, whose very manhood came the nearest unto God of any that ever was or could be? His very countenance did express a Divinity in him. And what if to the Jews, who esteemed him not, but maligned him, and crucified him, he had "neither form nor beauty?" Isa 53:2; what if he were so broken at thirty-three years of age, with continual pains and grief for them, that they judged him well-nigh fifty? Joh 8:57; yet he was every way complete and comely above all the children of men; yea, above all the angels in heaven; for in him the "Godhead dwelt bodily," Col 2:9, and we "beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth," Joh 1:14. His soul was like a rich pearl in a rough shell; like the tabernacle, goat’s hair without, but gold within; or as Brutus’s staff, cuius intus solidum aurum corneo velabatur cortice (Plutarch). He was all-glorious within; had a fulness of grace above that of Adam, Joh 1:16, as much as a creature was capable of; and more near familiarity with the Godhead than any creature.
Read full note →
Grace is poured into thy lips] So that thou canst gracefully deliver thyself in a set speech. Solomon could, no doubt, as another Phocion or Pericles; in whose lips, πειθω τις επεκαθηρο, said Eupolis, sat a strange persuasive faculty; so that he could prevail with the people at his pleasure. Jesus Christ could much more do so; for together with his words there went forth a power; he spoke as never man spake; he spoke with authority, and not as the Scribes; all that heard him wondered at the words of grace that proceeded out of his mouth, Luk 4:22 Isa 50:4.
Therefore God hath blessed thee] Or better, because that God hath blessed thee, and endowed thee with such gifts and graces.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv2–17 Fairer, or, more beautiful, i.e. lovely and amiable. He…
Fairer, or, more beautiful, i.e. lovely and amiable. He speaks not here so much of this outward beauty, which, though it be an ornament both to a bridegroom and to a king, yet is not very considerable in either, nor is much admired or applauded by wise men, as of the inward and glorious endowments of his mind or soul, such as wisdom, and righteousness, and meekness, &c., as the particulars of this beauty are declared, Psa 45:4,7. Than the children of men; than all other men: which is most true of Christ, but not of Solomon; whom many have excelled, if not in wisdom, yet in holiness and righteousness, which is the chief part of this beauty, and most celebrated in this Psalm.
Grace is poured into thy lips; God hath plentifully poured into thy mind and tongue the gift of speaking with admirable grace, i.e. most wisely and eloquently, and therefore most acceptably, so as to find grace with and work grace in thy hearers. This was in the same sort true of Solomon, but far more eminently and effectually in Christ; of which see Isa 50:4; Luk 4:22; Joh 7:46. The former clause noted his inward perfections, and this signifies his ability and readiness to communicate them to others.
Read full note →
Therefore; which notes not the meritorious cause, for that beauty and grace now mentioned are declared to be the free gifts of God, and were the effects, and not the causes, of God’s blessing him; but rather the final cause, or the end for which God endowed him with those excellent qualifications; and so the sense of the place is, Because God hath so eminently adorned and qualified thee for rule, therefore he hath trusted and blessed thee with an everlasting kingdom. Or, because, as this particle is used, Gen 38:26; Psa 42:6, and elsewhere. And so God’s blessing him with such solid and everlasting blessings, is noted as the cause of this singular beauty and grace here expressed.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On vv6, 10 We have here the royal bridegroom filling his throne…
We have here the royal bridegroom filling his throne with judgment and keeping his court with splendour.
I. He here fills his throne with judgment. It is God the Father that says to the Son here, Thy throne, O God! is forever and ever, as appears Heb 1:8, Heb 1:9, where this is quoted to prove that he is God and has a more excellent name than the angels. The Mediator is God, else he neither would have been able to do the Mediator's work nor fit to wear the Mediator's crown. Concerning his government observe, 1. The eternity of it; it is for ever and ever. It shall continue on earth throughout all the ages of time, in despite of all the opposition of the gates of hell; and in the blessed fruits and consequences of it it shall last as long as the days of heaven, and run parallel with the line of eternity itself. Perhaps even then the glory of the Redeemer, and the blessedness of the redeemed, shall be in a continual infinite progression; for it is promised that not only of his government, but of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end (Isa 9:7); even when the kingdom shall be delivered up to God even the Father (Co1 15:24) the throne of the Redeemer will continue. 2. The equity of it: The sceptre of thy kingdom, the administration of thy government, is right, exactly according to the eternal counsel and will of God, which is the eternal rule and reason of good and evil. Whatever Christ does he does none of his subjects any wrong, but gives redress to those that do suffer wrong: He loves righteousness, and hates wickedness, Psa 45:7. He himself loves to do righteousness, and hates to do wickedness; and he loves those that do righteousness, and hates those that do wickedness. By the holiness of his life, the merit of his death, and the great design of his gospel, he has made it to appear that he loves righteousness (for by his example, his satisfaction, and his precepts, he has brought in an everlasting righteousness), and that he hates wickedness, for never did God's hatred of sin appear so conspicuously as it did in the sufferings of Christ. 3. The establishment and elevation of it: Therefore God, even thy God (Christ, as Mediator, called God his God, Joh 20:17, as commissioned by him, and the head of those that are taken into covenant with him), has anointed thee with the oil of gladness. Therefore, that is, (1.) "In order to this righteous government of thine, God has given thee his Spirit, that divine unction, to qualify thee for thy undertaking," Isa 61:1. 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he has anointed me. What God called him to he fitted him for, Isa 11:2. The Spirit is called the oil of gladness because of the delight wherewith Christ was filled in carrying on his undertaking. He was anointed with the Spirit above all his fellows, above all those that were anointed, whether priests or kings. (2.) "In recompence of what thou has done and suffered for the advancement of righteousness and the destruction of sin God has anointed thee with the oil of gladness, has brought thee to all the honours and all the joys of thy exalted state." Because he humbled himself, God has highly exalted him, Phi 2:8, Phi 2:9. His anointing him denotes the power and glory to which he is exalted; he is invested in all the dignities and authorities of the Messiah. And his anointing him with the oil of gladness denotes the joy that was set before him (so his exaltation is expressed, Heb 12:2) both in the light of his Father's countenance (Act 2:28) and in the success of his undertaking, which he shall see, and be satisfied, Isa 53:11. This he is anointed with above all his fellows, above all believers, who are his brethren, and who partake of the anointing - they by measure, he without measure. But the apostle brings it to prove his pre-eminence above the angels, Heb 1:4, Heb 1:9. The salvation of sinners is the joy of angels (Luk 15:10), but much more of the Son.
Read full note →
II. He keeps his court with splendour and magnificence. 1. His robes of state, wherein he appears, are taken notice of, not for their pomp, which might strike an awe upon the spectator, but their pleasantness and the gratefulness of the odours with which they were perfumed (Psa 45:8): They smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia (the oil of gladness with which he and his garments were anointed): these were some of the ingredients of the holy anointing oil which God appointed, the like to which was not to be made up for any common use (Exo 30:23, Exo 30:24), which was typical of the unction of the Spirit which Christ, the great high priest of our profession, received, and to which therefore there seems here to be a reference. It is the savour of these good ointments, his graces and comforts, that draws souls to him (Sol 1:3, Sol 1:4) and makes him precious to believers, Pe1 2:7. 2. His royal palaces are said to be ivory ones, such as were then reckoned most magnificent. We read of an ivory house that Ahab made, Kg1 22:39. The mansions of light above are the ivory palaces, whence all the joys both of Christ and believers come, and where they will be for ever in perfection; for by them he is made glad, and all that are his with him; for they shall enter into the joy of their Lord. 3. The beauties of his court shine very brightly. In public appearances at court, when the pomp of it is shown, nothing is supposed to contribute so much to it as the splendour of the ladies, which is alluded to here, Psa 45:9. (1.) Particular believers are here compared to the ladies at court, richly dressed in honour of the sovereign: Kings' daughters are among thy honourable women, whose looks, and mien, and ornaments, we may suppose, from the height of their extraction, to excel all others. All true believers are born from above; they are the children of the King of kings. These attend the throne of the Lord Jesus daily with their prayers and praises, which is really their honour, and he is pleased to reckon it his. The numbering of kings' daughters among his honourable women, or maids of honour, intimates that the kings whose daughters they were should be tributaries to him and dependents on him, and would therefore think it a preferment to their daughters to attend him. (2.) The church in general, constituted of these particular believers, is here compared to the queen herself - the queen-consort, whom, by an everlasting covenant, he hath betrothed to himself. She stands at his right hand, near to him, and receives honour from him, in the richest array, in gold of Ophir, in robes woven with golden thread or with a gold chain and other ornaments of gold. This is the bride, the Lamb's wife, whose graces, which are her ornaments, are compared to fine linen, clean and white (Rev 19:8), for their purity, here to gold of Ophir, for their costliness; for, as we owe our redemption, so we owe our adorning, not to corruptible things, but to the precious blood of the Son of God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv2–17 Thou art fairer than the children of men,.... Here…
Thou art fairer than the children of men,.... Here begins the psalm, and this is an address to the King Messiah, the subject of it, commending him for his beauty and comeliness; which is not to be understood of his divine beauty or his glory, as the only begotten of the Father, in which he is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person; for this admits of no comparison, nor is the beauty of angels and men to be mentioned with it; but of the beauty of his human nature, both in body and soul, which being the immediate produce of the Holy Spirit, and without sin, and full of wisdom, grace, and holiness, must transcend that of any or all the sons of Adam. They are all deformed by sin; and whatever spiritual beauty there is in any of them, they have it from Christ; they are comely through his comeliness the outward beauty of men is vain and deceitful, and soon perishes; but Christ is ever the same, and he esteemed of by all that know him, as exceeding precious, altogether lovely, and transcendently excellent and glorious. The Hebrew word here used is doubled in its radicals, which denotes the exceeding great fairness and beauty of Christ, especially as Mediator, and as full of grace and truth. It follows,
grace is poured into thy lips; by which is meant the matter of his speech, or the Gospel preached by him; these words of grace, as Kimchi on the text expresses himself; or gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, Luk 4:22. The Gospel of the grace of God was given him to preach; it was put into his mouth, and that in great abundance; it was given at sundry times and in divers manners, and by piecemeal, to the prophets before him; but it was poured into his lips, and he was abundantly qualified for preaching it, by having the Spirit without measure given him; and so was poured out in a graceful manner, with great authority, and as never man before him spake, in doctrines of grace, gracious invitations, precious promises, excellent prayers, and even words of eternal life; see Sol 5:13;
Read full note →
therefore God hath blessed thee for ever; or, "because (e) God hath blessed thee for ever"; in his human nature, with the grace of union to the Son of God, and with all the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God; and as Mediator, with all spiritual blessings, with grace and glory for his people. Hence all his comeliness, grace, and gracefulness.
(e) "eo quid", Tigurine version; "propterea quod", Musculus, Piscator; "quia", Gejerus.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 Fairer - Than all other men: which is most…
Fairer - Than all other men: which is most true of Christ; but not of Solomon; whom many have excelled, in holiness and righteousness, which is the chief part of the beauty celebrated in this psalm. Grace - God hath plentifully poured into thy mind and tongue the gift of speaking wisely, eloquently, and acceptably. Therefore - And because God hath so eminently qualified thee for rule, therefore he hath blessed thee with an everlasting kingdom.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 Verse 2. Thou art fairer than the children of…
Verse 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men] By whom are these words spoken? As this is a regular epithalamium, we are to consider that the bride and bridegroom have compliments paid them by those called the friends of the bridegroom, and the companions or maids of the bride. But it seems that the whole Psalm, except the first verse, was spoken by those who are called in the title ידידת yedidoth, the beloved maids, or female companions, who begin with his perfections, and then describe hers. And afterwards there is a prophetical declaration concerning his issue. We may, therefore, consider that what is spoken here is spoken by companions of the bride, or what are called yedidoth in the title. It would be unauthenticated to say Solomon was the most beautiful man in the universe; but to the perfections of the Lord Jesus they may be safely applied.
Grace is poured into thy lips] This probably refers to his speech, or the gracious words which he spoke. Solomon was renowned for wisdom, and especially the wisdom of his conversation. The queen of Sheba came from the uttermost parts of the land to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and so far did she find him exceeding all his fame, that she said one half had not been told her: but behold, a greater than Solomon is here. No man ever spoke like this man, his enemies themselves being judges.
Read full note →
God hath blessed thee for ever.] This, I am afraid, could in no sense be ever spoken of Solomon; but of the man Christ Jesus it is strictly true.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 Psa 45:2. Thou art fairer — More beautiful and…
Psa 45:2. Thou art fairer — More beautiful and amiable; than the children of men — Than all other men. Which is most true of Christ, but not of Solomon; whom many have excelled, if not in wisdom, yet in holiness and righteousness, which is the chief part of the beauty celebrated in this Psalm. Grace is poured into thy lips — God hath plentifully poured into thy mind and tongue the gift of speaking wisely, eloquently, and acceptably, so as to find grace with, and communicate grace to, the hearers. This was in some sort true of Solomon, but far more eminently of Christ, Isa 50:4; Luk 4:22; Joh 7:46. The former clause refers to his inward perfections, and this to his ability and readiness to communicate them to others. Therefore God hath blessed thee, &c. — The psalmist does not mean that the beauty and grace, now mentioned, were the meritorious cause of the blessings which he speaks of, for they were the free gifts of God, and therefore, properly speaking, the effects and not the cause of God’s blessing. But the sense of the clause is, Because God hath so eminently adorned and qualified thee for rule, therefore he hath intrusted and blessed thee with an everlasting kingdom.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv2–17 Thou art fairer than the children of men -…
Thou art fairer than the children of men - That is, Thou art more fair and comely than men; thy comeliness is greater than that which is found among men. In other words, Thou art beautiful beyond any human standard or comparison. The language, indeed, would not necessarily imply that he was not a man, but it means that among all who dwell upon the earth there was none to be found that could be compared with him. The Hebrew word rendered “thou art fairer” - יפיפית yāpeyāpiytha - is a very unusual term. It is properly a reduplication of the word meaning “beautiful,” and thus means to be very beautiful. It would be well expressed by the phrase “Beautiful - beautiful - art thou above the children of men.” It is the language of surprise - of a sudden impression of beauty - beauty as it strikes at the first glance - such as the eye had never seen before. The impression here is that produced by the general appearance or aspect of him who is seen as king. Afterward the attention is more particularly directed to the “grace that is poured into his lips.” The language here would well express the emotions often felt by a young convert when he is first made to see the beauty of the character of the Lord Jesus as a Saviour: “Beautiful; beautiful, above all men.”
Grace is poured into thy lips - The word here rendered “is poured” means properly to pour, to pour out as liquids - water, or melted metal: Gen 28:18; 2Ki 4:4. The meaning here is, that grace seemed to be spread over his lips; or that this was strikingly manifest on his lips. The word grace means properly favor; and then it is used in the general sense of benignity, kindness, mildness, gentleness, benevolence. The reference here is to his manner of speaking, as corresponding with the beauty of his person, and as that which particularly attracted the attention of the psalmist: the mildness; the gentleness; the kindness; the persuasive eloquence of his words. It is hardly necessary to remark that this, in an eminent degree, was applicable to the Lord Jesus. Thus if is said Luk 4:22, “And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.” So Joh 7:46 : “Never man spake like this man.” See also Mat 7:29; Mat 13:54; Luk 2:47.
Read full note →
Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever - In connection with this moral beauty - this beauty of character - God will bless thee to all eternity. Since he has endowed thee with such gifts and graces, he will continue to bless thee, forever. In other words, it is impossible that one who is thus endowed should ever be an object of the divine displeasure.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 To rich personal attractions is added grace of the…
To rich personal attractions is added grace of the lips, captivating powers of speech. This is given, and becomes a source of power and proves a blessing. Christ is a prophet (Luk 4:22).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 2. Thou art fairer—The poet strikes at once into…
2. Thou art fairer—The poet strikes at once into the heart of his theme, the king; and first, of his person.
Grace is poured into thy lips— “Grace,” in the sense of benignity, kindness, favour. From the beauty of his person the description rises to the beauty or loveliness of his character, evidenced by his words or discourse. Ecc_10:12.
Read full note →
Therefore— Because of this faultless character.
God hath blessed thee for ever—The most comprehensive expression for happiness and prosperity.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv2–17 2. Thou art fairer &c.] Personal beauty was always…
2. Thou art fairer &c.] Personal beauty was always regarded as a qualification for a ruler, partly on account of its intrinsic attractiveness, partly as the index of a noble nature. Cp. 1Sa_9:2; 1Sa_10:23; 1Sa_16:12; and the descriptions of the classical heroes in Homer and Vergil; e.g. Aeneas (Aen. i. 589), “os humerosque deo similis.”
grace is poured into thy lips] Or, upon thy lips. The gracious smile upon his lips gives promise of the gracious words which proceed from them. Cp. Pro_22:11, “He that hath gracious lips, the king shall be his friend”; Ecc_10:12; Luk_4:22.
Read full note →
therefore] This is usually explained to mean, ‘Hence it may be seen that God hath blessed thee; it is the logical inference from this endowment of beauty.’ But must not therefore be understood as in Psa_45:7? Physical qualifications correspond to moral qualifications. They are in themselves a Divine gift; but they are further regarded as a ground of the special blessings which have been showered upon the king. The P.B.V. because is ungrammatical.
for ever] The perpetuity of the covenant with David and his seed is constantly emphasised. Cp. 2Sa_7:13; 2Sa_7:16; 2Sa_7:25; 2Sa_7:29; Psa_18:50; Psa_89:2 ff.
2–9. The royal bridegroom: his personal beauty, the justice of his government, the success of his arms, the glory of his kingdom, the magnificence of his court. He is one upon whom the Divine blessing has rested in fullest measure.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16 (2) Thou art fairer.—Better, Fair art thou; aye, fairer…
(2) Thou art fairer.—Better, Fair art thou; aye, fairer than, &c. We may thus reproduce the Hebrew expression, which, however, grammatically explained, must convey this emphasis. The old versions render: “Thou art fair with beauty;” or, “Thou hast been made beautiful with beauty.”
Grace is poured into thy lips.—Better, A flowing grace is on thy lips, which may refer either to the beauty of the mouth, or to the charm of its speech. Cicero, himself the grandest example of his own expression, says of another that “Persuasion had her seat upon his lips;” while Christian commentators have all naturally thought of Him at whose “words of grace” all men wondered.
Read full note →
Therefore.—This word is apparently out of place. But there is nothing harsh in rendering: Therefore, we say, God hath blessed thee for ever. And we are struck by the emphasis of its occurrence in Psa_45:7; Psa_45:17, as well as here. Ewald seems to be right in printing the clause so begun as a kind of refrain. The poet enumerates in detail the beauties of the monarch and his bride, and is interrupted by the acclaim of his hearers, who cannot withhold their approving voices.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv2–17 Thou art fairer than the children of men. It…
Thou art fairer than the children of men. It has been argued that a description of the Messiah would not lay stress on his personal beauty. But in the Song of Songs the personal beauty of the bridegroom, whom so many critics regard as the Messiah, is a main point. (Son_5:10-16) A perfect man, such as Messiah was to be, must needs be beautiful, at any rate with a beauty of expression. In calling his bridegroom fair beyond the sons of men," the writer at once gives us to understand that he is not a mere man. Grace is poured into thy lips; rather, grace is poured out on thy lips (Hengstenberg, Cheyne, Kay). The gift of gracious expression and gracious speech has been poured upon him from on high. (comp. Son_5:16, "His mouth is most sweet Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. The gifts bestowed upon him show the Divine favor and blessing, which, once granted, are not capriciously withdrawn.
"Altogether lovely.
Read full note →
"Thou art fairer than the children of men." Immense learning and ingenuity have been expended in the attempt to find some historic occasion for this psalm some Jewish original of these royal portraits, the king and the bride. Solomon has naturally been thought of, as a type, Calvin thinks, of Christ; but the description does not suit him. Even Jehoram and Athaliah, Ahab and Jezebel, have had their advocates. The great Jewish commentators take the psalm as a prophecy of Messiah. Vers. 6, 7, quite inapplicable to Solomon, are in Heb_1:8, 9 applied to Christ. We need not, therefore, bewilder ourselves in a fruitless quest, but may at once see our Saviour in these joyful and adoring words.
I PROPHECY IS HERE CLOTHED IN POETRY, AND DECKED WITH ALLEGORY. The question, therefore, arises How far may this description be understood of our Saviors personal presence, when he lived as Man among men? The four Gospels contain no single descriptive trait. Some ancient Jewish writers strangely held that Messiah would be a leper, because Isaiah speaks of him as "smitten". (Isa_53:4) Some Christians have seemed to find pleasure in supposing our Lord signally devoid of manly beauty. Calvin more reasonably explains Isa_53:2 of the absence of worldly pomp and regal state. Bacon, noting that few great men have been eminent for personal beauty though there are some remarkable exceptions says, "That is the best part of beauty which no picture can express; no, nor the first view of life." This kind of beauty the soul speaking through the countenance is what we cannot suppose absent in our Lord Jesus. We may gather from the Gospels that he had a more than princely nobleness, and a surpassing charm of graciousness. When men came into his presence they were impelled to fall at his feet. Yet little children ran at his call to nestle in his arms. Busy men, when he said, "Follow me," left all and obeyed. The wretched and perishing recognized in him their Deliverer. Jesus alone among men grew from infancy to the prime of manhood with mind and body untainted with sin. It is not said "fairest of men," but "fairer than the children of men;" he is not merely pre-eminent, but alone. "The temple of his body was a fit habitation for "the fulness of the Godhead." Bred to active toil in the pure mountain air, he had a frame capable of immense exertion. He could be heard by thousands in the open air. After a day of toil, not only speaking for hours, but by his intense sympathy taking on himself the burdens of suffering and sorrow he lifted from others, he would climb some mountain with the free step of a mountaineer, and spend the night in prayer. Even in his last inconceivably awful sufferings, we see no evidence of bodily weakness. After the agony of Gethsemane, the sleepless night of insult and torture, the terrible Roman scourge, and six hours on the cross, our Saviour"s last words were uttered "with a loud voice," and he expired not from exhaustion, but from a broken heart. Add to all this that in his heart dwelt love, such as no other ever held; and that behind the veil of his human nature was the majesty of indwelling Deity. Who can suppose that the countenance of Jesus was a mask to hide that grace and glory, not a mirror to reflect it?
II THE BEAUTY OF WHICH ALL OUTWARD GRACE, MAJESTY, LOVELINESS, IS BUT THE SHADOW, BELONGS IN TRANSCENDENT MEASURE TO THE LORD JESUS. The lost "image of God," defaced lineaments of which only remain in our ordinary human nature, reappears in him in full perfection. (Joh_14:9) We read in him all that most concerns us to know concerning God his character and bearing towards ourselves. The amazing claim made by the Bible (unheard of elsewhere) that man was made in God"s likeness, seems contradicted by the whole current of our world"s history. But who can deny that no lower style fits the life and personal character of Jesus? (Some of the strongest testimonies are from professed unbelievers.) In the most admirable characters great excellence is commonly balanced by corresponding defects. But what excellence or virtue can you find in him, either falling short of the highest vigour or strong at the expense of some other? What is his chief feature? Love? But not at the cost of the severest truth, the strictest justice. Holiness? Yet he was the Friend of sinners. Benevolence? But you can no more imagine him weakly indulgent, or imposed upon, than deaf to any real cry of need. Would you see the glory of the sunbeam? You must not gaze on the sun itself, but on the flowers, leaves, meadows forests, hills, clouds, ocean, which his light clothes with their endless variety of colour and beauty. So the beauty of our Saviour"s character is to be read in the hearts he drew to him, the lives he changed and hallowed, the characters he moulded, the homes he blessed, the love he inspired; in the track of life he has left he only in our dark world. But you need the open eye. (Isa 53:2Jo Isa_1:14 Isa 9:39) An unbeliever may admire his portrait in the Gospels, as he would a character in fiction. But to those who seek and trust him, Jesus reveals himself. (Joh_14:21-23 1Pe_1:8 1Pe_2:7)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain On vv2–17 Ver. 2. Thou. As though the King himself had…
Ver. 2. Thou. As though the King himself had suddenly appeared before him, the psalmist lost in admiration of his person, turns from his preface to address his Lord. A loving heart has the power to realise its object. The eyes of a true heart see more than the eyes of the head. Moreover, Jesus reveals himself when we are pouring forth our affections towards him. It is usually the case that when we are ready Christ appears. If our heart is warm it is an index that the sun is shining, and when we enjoy his heat we shall soon behold his light. Thou art fairer than the children of men. In person, but especially in mind and character, the King of saints is peerless in beauty. The Hebrew word is doubled, "Beautiful, beautiful art thou." Jesus is so emphatically lovely that words must be doubled, strained, yea, exhausted before he can be described. Among the children of men many have through grace been lovely in character, yet they have each had a flaw; but in Jesus we behold every feature of a perfect character in harmonious proportion. He is lovely everywhere, and from every point of view, but never more so than when we view him in conjugal union with his church; then love gives a ravishing flush of glory to his loveliness. Grace is poured into thy lips. Beauty and eloquence make a man majestic when they are united; they both dwell in perfection in the all fair, all eloquent Lord Jesus. Grace of person and grace of speech reach their highest point in him. Grace has in the most copious manner been poured upon Christ, for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell, and now grace is in superabundance, poured forth from his lips to cheer and enrich his people. The testimony, the promises, the invitations, the consolations of our King pour forth from him in such volumes of meaning that we cannot but contrast those cataracts of grace with the speech of Moses which did but drop as the rain, and distil as the dew. Whoever in personal communion with the Wellbeloved has listened to his voice will feel that "never man spake like this man." Well did the bride say of him, "his lips are like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh." One word from himself dissolved the heart of Saul of Tarsus, and turned him into an apostle, another word raised up John the Divine when fainting in the Isle of Patmos. Oftentimes a sentence from his lips has turned our own midnight into morning, our winter into spring. Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Calvin reads it, Because God hath blessed thee for ever. Christ is blessed of God, blessed for ever, and this is to us one great reason for his beauty, and the source of the gracious words which proceed out of his lips. The rare endowments of the man Christ Jesus are given him of the Father, that by them his people may be blessed with all spiritual blessings in union with himself. But if we take our own translation, we read that the Father has blessed the Mediator as a reward for all his gracious labours; and right well does he deserve the recompense. Whom God blesses we should bless, and the more so because all his blessedness is communicated to us.
Ver. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips. Thus he begins to set forth his beauty, wherein is the delightfulness of any person; so is it with the soul when God hath made known to man his own filthiness and uncomeliness through sin, and that only by Jesus sin is taken away; oh, how beautiful is this face, the first sight of him! Secondly, Full of grace are thy lips: here is the second commendation; which is, when Jesus hath opened his lips to us, from them he pours out grace into our soul, when he makes known the Father to us, and speaks peace to all that are far off and near; when he calls, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you:" and all this is because God hath blessed him for ever; we are assured he comes from God, and that he and his works are eternal, and therefore all his grace poured out upon us shall remain with us, and make us blessed for ever; for he is the Word of God, and he speaks the mind of God, for he speaks nothing but what he hath heard from the Father; and when he speaks to our souls with his Word, the Spirit is given, a certain testimony to our soul that we are the sons of God, and a pledge of our inheritance; for the Spirit and the Word cannot be separated. Richard Coore, in "Christ set forth."
Read full note →
Ver. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men, etc. Nothing can be more beautiful than this abrupt way of discourse. The prophet sets out with a professed design to speak of the king. But as if in the moment he had so intended, the glorious Person of whom he was going to speak appeared to his view, he instantly leaves every other consideration to speak to him himself. And what a rapturous address he makes! He first describes the glories, the beauties, the astonishing loveliness, of his person. Though to a carnal eye there was no beauty to desire him, his visage was marred more than any man's, and his form more than the sons on men, yet to an eye truly enlightened, he is the king in his beauty, fairer, as the glorious Mediator, the Head, the Bridegroom of his Church and people, than all the children of men. And, in the Father's view, so greatly beloved, so truly glorious, that grace was poured into his lips. Reader, observe the expression; not simply grace put into his heart, for the holiness and purity of his person, but poured into his lips, that, like the honey, it might drop upon his people, and be for ever communicated to all his redeemed, in an endless perpetuity of all suited blessings here, and glory hereafter. Robert Hawker, D.D.
Ver. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men. Are you for beauty? That takes with most: for this none like Christ. For beauty and comeliness he infinitely surpasses both men and angels. We read of Moses, that he was exceeding fair; and of David, that he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance; and Josephus reports of the one of them, that all that saw him were amazed at and enamoured of his beauty. Oh, but what was their beauty to Christ's? Were their beauty, and with theirs the beauty of men and angels put together, it would all be nothing to the beauty of Christ; not so much as the light of a farthing candle is to the light of the sun at noonday. Edward Pearse in "The Best Match." 1673.
Ver. 2. Thou art fairer, etc. Fair he was (1) in his conception, conceived in purity, and a fair angel brought the news. Fair (2) in his nativity: wraioz is the word in the Septuagint, tempustivus, in time, that is, all things are beautiful in their time, Ec 3:11. And in the fulness of time it was that he was born, and a fair star pointed to him. Fair (3) in his childhood; he grew up in grace and favour, Lu 2:52. The doctors were much taken with him. Fair (4) in his manhood; had he not been so, says S. Jerome, had there not been something admirable in his countenance and presence, some heavenly beauty, the apostles and the whole world (as the Pharisees themselves confess) would not so suddenly have gone after him. Fair (5) in his transfiguration, white as the light, or as the snow, his face glittering as the sun Mt 17:2, even to the ravishing the very soul of S. Peter, that "he knew not what he said, "could let his eyes dwell upon that face for ever, and never come down the mount again. Fair (6) in his passion. Nihil indecorum, no uncomeliness, in his nakedness; his very wounds, and the bloody prints of the whips and scourges drew an ecce from the mouth of Pilate: "Behold, the man!" the sweetness of his countenance and carriage in the midst of filth and spittle, whips and buffets. His very comeliness upon the cross, and his giving up the ghost, made the centurion cry out, he "was the Son of God:" there appeared so sweet a majesty, so heavenly a lustre in him through that very darkness that encompassed him. Fair (7) in his resurrection; so subtle a beauty, that mortal eyes, even the eyes of his own disciples, were not able to see or apprehend it, but when he veiled it from them. Fair (8) in his ascension; made his disciples stand gazing after him so long (as if they never could look long enough upon him), till an angel is sent from heaven to rebuke them, to look home, Ac 1:2. Mark Frank.
Ver. 2. O fair sun, and fair moon, and fair stars, and fair flowers, and fair roses, and fair lilies; but O ten thousand thousand times fairer Lord Jesus! Alas! I have wronged him in making the comparison this way. O black sun and moon! but O fair Lord Jesus! O black flowers, and black lilies, and roses! but O fair, fair, ever fair, Lord Jesus! O black heaven! but O fair Christ! O black angels! but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus! Samuel Rutherford.
Ver. 2. In one Christ we may contemplate and must confess all the beauty and loveliness both of heaven and earth; the beauty of heaven is God, the beauty of earth is man; the beauty of heaven and earth together is this God man. Edward Hyde, D.D., 1658.
Ver. 2. Thou. "I have a passion, "observed Count Zinzendorf in one of his discourses to the congregation at Herrnhut, "and it is He He only."
Ver. 2. Thou art fairer. Hebrew, thou art double fairer; the Hebrew word is doubled, ad corroborandum, saith Kimchi. John Trapp.
Ver. 2. Grace is poured into thy lips. This is said as if this grace were a gift, and not something inherent in our Lord himself. And is not this exactly what we learn from the histories of the evangelists? Before Jesus went forth to the work of his public mission, the Holy Ghost descended from heaven like a dove, and lit upon him. The Spirit who imparts all its graces to the church of Christ, imparted his graces to Christ himself. Not that the Son of God needed the anointing of the Spirit of God, but he suffered it to be so that he might be in all things like his brethren. If he was to be their example, he must show them wherein their great strength lay. They see in him the fruits of the Holy Ghost who is promised to themselves. All that Christ ever did as the Head and Representative of his people, he did by that very Spirit which is still resident in his church. George Harpur.
Ver. 2. Grace is poured into thy lips. Full of grace are thy lips. Full of grace for the matter, and full of grace for the manner.
1. For the matter, he delivered acceptable doctrine: "The law was given by Moses, but grace came by Jesus Christ." Joh 1:17. Moses had harsh and hard words in his law; "Cursed is he that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them; "but Christ on the contrary speaks better things, the first words in his first sermon are, "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Mt 5:3. He cometh unto his people, cum verbo gratiae, cum osculo gratae, saith Augustine: his lips are full of grace, that is, pouring out gracious words abundantly. Mt 11:28 Joh 3:16 Lu 4:18. "His lips are like lilies dropping down myrrh" So 5:13; all that heard him wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, Lu 4:22. II. For the manner, he taught not as the scribes; he spake so sweetly that the very catch poll officers, astonished at his words, gave this testimony, "Never man spake like this man, "Joh 7:46. He spake so graciously that the apostles forsook all things and followed him; at his call Andrew left his nets straightway, James and John their father without tarrying, Matthew from the receipt of custom, Zacchaeus from the like worldly course came hastily to receive him joyfully. Mr 10:28 Mt 4:20-21 9:9 Lu 19:6. Nay, beloved, he was so powerful an orator, that the very winds and waves obeyed his word, Mr 4:39. It is reported in Holy Writ that all princes and people were desirous of hearing Solomon's eloquence; the Queen of Sheba wondering at the same, cried out, "Happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom, "1Ki 10:8. Solomon is type here, but Christ is the truth; and this showeth evidently that Christ is not a tyrant, but a mild prince, persuading obedience plausibly, not compelling his people violently; his sayings are his sceptre and his sword: his piercing exhortations are, as it were, his sharp arrows by which his followers are subdued unto him.
To conclude this argument, his fair words (as the Scripture speaks) "are as an honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones" Pr 16:24: "an honeycomb, "and what more toothsome? "sweetness to the soul and health to the bones; "and what, I pray, more wholesome? The good man's soul is Christ's own spouse, to which he speaks a great many ways graciously; sometimes correcting, and what stronger argument of love? for "whom he loveth he chasteneth" Heb 12:6; sometimes instructing, and his gospel is able to make "the man of God perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" 2Ti 3:17; sometimes wooing in amorous terms, as in his love song everywhere: "my beloved, ""my sister, ""my spouse, " "the fairest among women, ""my love, ""my dove." etc.; sometimes promising, and that both the blessings of this life present. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: etc., Isa 41:10, and of that life which is to come. Joh 17:21, 24. But Christ's excellent intercession every day to God the Father, appearing in the court of heaven, and as an advocate pleading for us, is yet fuller of grace; for if Caleb easily granted his daughter's request, and bestowed on her "the springs above and the springs beneath" Jud 1:15, how shall Almighty God (whose mercies are above all his works) deny the suits of such a Son in whom he is well pleased?
John Boys.
Ver. 2. Grace is poured into thy lips. The former clause noted his inward perfections; and this signifies his ability and readiness to communicate them to others. Matthew Poole.
Ver. 2. (second clause). Never were there such words of love and sweetness spoken by any man as by him: never was there such a loving and tender heart as the heart of Jesus Christ: Grace was poured into his lips. Certainly never were there such words of love, sweetness, and tenderness spoken here upon this earth as those last words of his which were uttered a little before his sufferings, and are recorded in the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th chapters of John. Read over all the books of love and friendship that were ever written by any of the sons of men, they do all come far short of these melting strains of love that are there expressed. So sweet and amiable was the conversation of Jesus Christ, that it is reported of the apostle Peter in the Ecclesiastical History, that after Christ's ascension he wept so abundantly, that he was always seen wiping his face from the tears; and being asked why he wept so, he answered, He could not choose but weep as often as he thought of that most sweet conversation of Jesus Christ. John Row.
Ver. 2. In what respects Jesus is fairer than the best of men.
Ver. 2. Jesushis person, his gospel, his fulness of blessing.
Ver. 2.
I. We may and ought to praise Christ. Angels do, God
does, Scripture does, Old Testament saints and New, so
should we. It is the work of heaven begun on earth.
2. For what should we praise him?
1. For his beauty. Is wisdom beauty? Is righteousness? Is love? Is meekness? All are found in him supremely
"All human beauties, all divine,
In our Redeemer meet and shine."
2. For his grace. Grace of God treasured up in him.
3. For his blessednessof God and for ever. G.R.
Ver. 2-5. In these verses the Lord Jesus is presented,
1. As most amiable in himself.
2. As the great favourite of heaven.
3. As victorious over his enemies. Matthew Henry.
Psalms 45:3*
Ver. 2-5. In these verses the Lord Jesus is presented,
1. As most amiable in himself.
2. As the great favourite of heaven.
3. As victorious over his enemies. Matthew Henry.
Ver. 2-5. In these verses the Lord Jesus is presented,
1. As most amiable in himself.
2. As the great favourite of heaven.
3. As victorious over his enemies. Matthew Henry.
Ver. 2-5. In these verses the Lord Jesus is presented,
1. As most amiable in himself.
2. As the great favourite of heaven.
3. As victorious over his enemies. Matthew Henry.
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace…
Psa_45:2
Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into Thy lips; therefore God hath blessed Thee for ever.
Read full note →
The King in His beauty
I. The person of the king. The old world valued in a king, personal beauty, and graciousness of speech. Both are ascribed here to the King spoken of. We have to think, not of the outward form, howsoever lovely with the loveliness of meekness and transfigured with the refining patience of suffering it may have been, but of the beauty of a soul that was all radiant with a lustre of loveliness that shames the fragmentary and marred virtues of the rest of us, and stands before the world for ever as the supreme type and high-water mark of the glory that is possible to a human spirit.
II. His warfare. He is to put on all His panoply. Thus arrayed, with the weapon by His side and the glittering armour on His limbs, He is called upon to mount His chariot or His warhorse and ride forth. But for what? On behalf of truth, meekness, righteousness. If He be a warrior these are the purposes for which the true King of men must draw His sword, and these only. No vulgar ambition nor cruel lust of conquest, earth-hunger or glory actuates Him. Nothing but the spread through the world of the gracious beauties which are His own can be the end of the Kings warfare. In two or three swift touches the psalmist next paints the tumult and hurry of the fight. Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things. There are no armies or allies, none to stand beside Him. The one mighty figure of the kingly warrior stands forth, as in the Assyrian sculptures of conquerors, erect and alone in His chariot, crashing through the ranks of the enemy, and owing victory to His own strong arm alone. Put side by side with this the picture of our Lords entry into Jerusalem. And yet that lowly procession of the Christ, with tears upon His cheeks, is part fulfilment of this glorious prediction. But it is only part. The psalm waits for its completion still, and shall be filled on that day of the true marriage supper of the Lamb.
III. The royalty of the king. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. In the great mosque of Damascus, which was a Christian church once, there may still be read, deeply cut in the stone, high above the pavement where the Mohammedans bow, these words, Thy kingdom, O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom. It is true, and yet it shall be known that He is for ever and ever the Monarch of the world. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
The King of kings
We can be at no loss to understand what King is here meant (Heb_1:8-9).
I. His personal excellences.
1. They are of a moral and mental character. We must bear in mind that this whole psalm contemplates not only a king, but a Teacher-King, a Royal Prophet. He must, consequently, be, in His own person, the perfect exemplification of the Divine wisdom that He taught. Solomon, therefore, does not represent Christ by His outward splendour, of which our Lord had none, but by His spiritual perfections.
2. They are not derived; they are His own, native, meritorious perfections, for the sake of which He is worthy to reign. Now, this cannot be said of any man. If Christ had been any other than a sinless character, it must have been seen and noticed; for He passed His life in public, He was constantly surrounded by a crowd of vigilant and malicious witnesses. The same argument might be drawn from the absolute and unquestioned authority which lie always maintained over them, and which would have been weakened and destroyed if they had ever detected Him in a sin. Nor let it be imagined that all these things are said for the purpose of exhibiting our blessed Lord as a perfect model for admiration merely. The application of the doctrine lies here; that, if He had not been absolutely sinless, He could neither have been an acceptable sacrifice for sin, nor have been the great High Priest of our profession,
II. His peculiar official qualifications. Grace is poured into Thy lips.
1. Think of the manner in which this great Teacher-King communicated the knowledge of Himself, and His Fathers will. It is not possible for human language to express the kindness, the clearness, the tenderness that accompanied every word which proceeded from His lips.
2. Note the plenitude told of--grace is poured, not sparingly but abundantly. Now, is Christ to us altogether lovely? Did you never feel that you could part with all the world for just one beam, one spark of His infinite love; for just one drop of that heavenly joy which is the foretaste of its full fruition? I tell you plainly, I do not believe in that mans religion at all who has strong affections for all other objects, and nothing but a cold assent, an icy, philosophic calmness to lay at the feet of Jesus. I do not believe in it, because it is not the religion of the psalmist. You have just so much religion as you have love to Christ, and not an atom more!
III. The blessing pronounced upon him. God hath blessed Thee for ever. This could not be said of Solomon but of Christ only. And this blessing--
1. Descends through Him upon all who are His.
2. It comprehends perpetual increase. True, the progress seems to us slow, but no important promises in the past have ever been fulfilled without similar delays.
3. Its chief fulfilment will be seen in the latter-day glory. Christ is King; submit to Him, so gracious and gentle in His rule. (D. Katterns.)
Jesus Christ compared with men
Thou art fairer, etc.
I. Christ is so as the son of God. All others have only a creature nature. He has the nature of God, and all the angels of God are bidden worship Him. Then should not we? And more than they, for He died for us, not for them.
II. As the son of man. The children of men are born of sinful fathers; He was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost. They are born with a sinful taint, but He was born without sin.
III. In work, suffering and temptation, which He shared with the children of men.
1. In work. He knew what it was. Some men never know their work; they spend their whole lives without finding it out, and consequently never do any work worth doing. But Christ knew His work. He made it His meat and His drink.
2. In suffering, too, Christ endured completely all that He was appointed to suffer. There was no putting away from Him that which He ought to bear; no hiding His face from that which He ought to see and confront. The cup which My Father hath given me, shall I not drink?
3. In temptation. It could not defile Him as it too often defiles us. Thoughts of wrong-doing were thrown into His mind like firebrands thrown into a house, but they never even proceeded towards the production of a wrong purpose.
IV. In his official characters of prophet, King and priest. Contrast the ordinary prophets and Christ. He was ever speaking by the Holy Spirit, ever faithful, ever possessing unlimited knowledge. And as King and priest he was perfect.
V. In four things in which men notably fail.
1. In the harmony and variety of His excellencies.
2. In the unbroken consistency of His actions.
3. In the perfection of His manifold works.
4. His influence was in all respects superior. We need nobody to tell us that Jesus Christ is better than man. Do you act the things you know best? Do you work out now the things with which you are most familiar? Certainly not. For example, you think of the children of men more than of Him who is fairer than, etc. And you love them more; and prize them more. They seem to give you more pleasure. You perhaps also trust the children of men more than you trust Him who is fairer than the children of men. They have often deceived you. Therefore we remind you of the truth of the text, that we may get more thought, more love, more confidence, more service, more honest speech for Him, mark, who is fairer than the children of men. Let us take care lest any of us, after having professed to account the Lord Jesus Christ fairer than the children of men should be condemned for having preferred men to our Saviour. (Samuel Martin.)
The beauty of Christ
The whole psalm tells of the spiritual marriage and unity that is betwixt Christ and His Church.
I. The excellence of the beauty of Christ. Thou art fairer than, etc.
1. It is not the beauty of His person in which the psalmist dwells with such admiration. Scripture is silent on the outward appearance of Christ. What hints there are now to show, that what, ever beauty of this kind there may have been, His sorrow, poverty and hardship had greatly destroyed.
2. But it is the beauty of His character that is told of here. He was unstained by sin, glorious in holiness. To do the will of God was His meat--necessary to His very existence.
II. The grace of his communications. He dwelt among us: people wondered at His gracious words. The text may refer--
1. To the gracefulness of His address.
2. To the graciousness of His words.
III. The glory of his reward. Therefore God hath blessed Thee for ever (Php_2:9-11). In conclusion, What think ye of Him? What will you ask of Him? (J. Jowett, M. A.)
Fairer than the children of men
The writer of this psalm sees his King in the light of his own adoration, and as he gazes, his subject is transfigured before him, form and raiment change, and at last he is gazing upon a glorified Being of his own vivid imagination. Take the text, then, as a description of Jesus our Lord in His superhuman excellence, wisdom and benign position. It presents to us--
I. His appearance. Thou art fairer, etc. There He stands, in disposition upright, pure, magnanimous, and the very embodiment of love. The clear light is produced by combination of every possible shade of colour. It is beautiful as broken up in rose, sunflower, and rainbow, but perfect in its whiteness. Christs soul is the pure white light resulting from the union of all possible excellencies. Every shade of worth and virtue which appears broken up and imperfect in the very best of mortals, glows in fullest splendour in His matchless character.
1. Gentleness.
2. Sympathy.
3. Self-forgetfulness.
4. Constancy.
II. His speech. Grace is poured, etc.
1. His voice must have been wondrously sweet, rich and musical; His accents more entrancing than those tones of fable which calmed the mad passions of men, quieted the ferocity of wild beasts, and charmed the very stocks and stones to listen.
2. We know His manner of speech; as pure literature the utterances of Jesus are beyond praise, and will remain a joy for ever. Nowhere will you find anything which in arrangement of words and sentences seems so exquisitely a work of nature--like the unfolding of the flower, the flow of the river, and the song of the birds.
3. The matter of His teaching was the message and prophecy of grace. He brings God home to mens hearts.
II. His beatific state. Therefore God hath blessed Thee for ever. We cannot judge of Divine blessing and curse from a superficial survey of present appearances. The thorny path which the Redeemer trod was His only way to the honour He sought. God has now placed Him in a position of supreme honour; He has gained the reverence and warm love of myriads, and is continually attracting more to Himself. Concentrate irate one sublime ideal all imagination can conceive of beauty of form, comprehensiveness of mind, depth and purity of soul; imagine a perfect state where the King reigns in righteousness, midst abounding peace and plenty, and all the good that God has destined human souls to realize in Christ; and you catch a glimpse of the ideal of the text. (Thomas Pitt.)
Christ Jesus, the Bridegroom of the Church, fairer than the children of men
I. Some general observations.
1. In all our inquiries after the knowledge of Christ, the first thing we ought to know and consider is His person.
2. There is an ineffable glory and beauty in the person of Jesus Christ (Zec_9:17).
3. There are some seasons wherein our Lord Jesus is pleased to favour believers with more than ordinary clear and distinct views of His glory and beauty (Joh_2:11). He ordinarily does so in the day of conversion; the pleasant month of renewed manifestations, after a long and dark night of desertions; when they are called to suffer for His sake; when deeply engaged in secret prayer, meditation, self-examination, etc. And sometimes He gives believers very clear views of His glory about the time of their departure from the present world (2Sa_23:5); Simeon, Anna, etc.
4. A believing view of Christ in the beauty and glory of His person throws a veil over all created excellency.
5. Those to whom the Lord Jesus has been pleased to manifest His beauty in a saving manner, may go and tell Him, as the psalmist does, Thou art fairer than the children of men. Yea, they should do it. They should tell Him in the way of holy gratitude and thankfulness for His amazing condescension in showing them His glory.
II. In what respects our Lord Jesus is fairer than the children of men.
1. In the glory and dignity of His person.
2. In respect of that fulness of grace that is poured into His lips.
3. In respect of His work as the Head and Surety of the New Covenant (Isa_12:5; Dan_9:24; Heb_2:14; Isa_25:8).
4. In respect of the revelation of Gods mind and will which He has made to men (Joh_1:18; Psa_40:10; Joh_17:8).
5. In a relative capacity. There are many endearing relations in which He stands to His people; and in every one of them He infinitely excels all the children of men. Among fathers, He is the everlasting Father (Isa_9:6). Among husbands the most loving and affectionate; for He gave His life for His spouse (Eph_5:2). Among brethren He is the first-born. Among friends the Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Is He prophet? then He is the Interpreter, one among a thousand (Job_33:23). Is He a Priest? then He is the High Priest of our profession (Heb_3:1). Is He a King? He is the King of kings and Lord of Lords (Num_24:7). Among shepherds He is the Chief (Heb_13:20). Is He a Physician? then He is the Physician both of the soul and the body. He heals all manner of soul diseases among the people (Psa_103:8). And our temporal as well as eternal life is in His hand. He gives the physician his skill, and causes the medicinal herb to spring.
6. There is an incomparable beauty and excellency in His Name. Hence says the spouse (Son_1:8). There is safety and protection in His Name; it is a strong tower unto which the righteous run and are safe.
III. Use.
1. For information.
(1) We may see and be informed why believers are so much in love with Him. They have seen the King in His beauty (Isa_33:17); and when He is seen by the eye of faith, it is impossible not to love Him (1Pe_2:7).
(2) We may see they have great cause and reason to rejoice unto whom God hath revealed Christ (Luk_10:2; Joh_17:3).
(3) We may see one special means of taking our hearts and affections off from the vain, transitory and fading things of a present world; and that is, to be much in the contemplation of the glory and excellency of the person of Christ; the fulness of grace that is in Him, the suitableness of His saving offices to the case of our souls, with the power and authority He has to put them in execution for the good of His Church and people.
(4) Is Christ incomparably fair and excellent, and every way suited to fill the hand and heart of faith? Then we may see matter of lamentation, that, though He is set before men in the dispensation of the Gospel, in the glory of His person and riches of His grace, there are but few disposed to put honour upon Him by believing.
(5) We may see that we should not content ourselves with a general consideration of the beauty and excellency of Christ; but should enter particularly into the consideration of these things in Him wherein He is fairer than the children of men.
2. For trial. Can you join with the psalmist in saying from the heart, Thou art fairer than the children of men? Is our Lord Jesus a covering of your eyes from every other Lord and lover? Do you confide in Christ, and solely rely upon His most perfect righteousness as the ground of your access to and acceptance with God?
3. For exhortation.
(1) We exhort you who have been admitted to behold the matchless beauty and excellency of our glorious Immanuel, to bless and praise a God of infinite love and grace for giving you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ.
(2) As for you who never saw any beauty nor comeliness in Christ, why you should desire Him. Satan, the god of this world, has blinded your eyes that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ hath not yet shined unto you. (T. Bennet.)
Grace is poured into Thy lips.--
Grace poured into Christs lips
I. The grace which is poured into Christs lips.
1. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon Him as a spirit of wisdom, counsel and understanding (Isa_11:2-3). Wisdom and knowledge discovered themselves in Him, to the astonishment of His greatest enemies (Mar_6:2).
2. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon Him as the spirit of faith and trust in God (Mat_27:46).
3. The grace of holy gratitude and thankfulness to God, His heavenly Father, evidenced itself in Him in the highest degree of perfection (Psa_22:9-10; Joh_11:41).
4. Our Lord Jesus evidenced the most cheerful and ready compliance with the will of God in every part of His work (Joh_4:34; Mat_26:39).
5. The graces of humility and self-denial appear conspicuously in all the sayings and actings of Christ (Php_2:7; 2Co_7:9; Mat_11:29; Rom_12:2-3).
6. The graces of meekness and patience were most perfectly exercised by Him (Heb_12:3; 1Pe_2:24).
7. Our Lord Jesus is full of love; love to God, and love to the souls of men was the golden weight which engaged and carried Him forward in every part of the work Jehovah gave Him to do; so we find Him entering upon the crowning piece of the work of our redemption as to purchase, in the highest exercise of love to His, and our heavenly Father (Joh_14:31).
8. He was full of zeal for God and the advancement of His declarative glory (Joh_2:13-18).
II. In what capacity our Lord Jesus has this grace poured into his lips.
1. As the second Adam, the Surety of the New Covenant, the Head and Representative of His mystical body the Church.
2. As the Trustee of the New Covenant.
3. As the Administrator of the Covenant of grace (Act_5:31; Joh_14:13-14).
4. As sustaining the character of our Head and Husband, our Father, our elder Brother, our best Friend, and the Steward set over the family of God, to give every one his portion in due season.
III. Whence it is that the grace that is poured into the lips of our glorious redeemer is condescended on as such a leading part of his glory and beauty.
1. Grace is here considered as the glory of Christ, because in this internal grace the reparation of the image of God doth consist.
2. This grace is the glory of Christ, because it is that which inclines the heart of Jesus Christ unto all that goodness and kindness that He hath showed unto us.
3. Grace is the glory of Christ, as He is, in respect of it, the great example and pattern whereunto we ought to labour after conformity.
4. Because grace being poured into His lips, and poured into His lips for our special benefit, it renders Him in every respect a fit match for us.
5. Because Jesus Christ is made an everlasting blessing to the sons of men in virtue of this grace that is poured into His lips; God having poured grace into His lips, hath set Him to be blessings for ever (Psa_21:6). Men shall be blessed in Him.
IV. Improvement.
1. Inferences.
(1) If it be so as has been said, that grace and holiness is that which renders our Lord Jesus so very fair and beautiful; then we may see how much grace Should be prized by us. Grace is the ornament that adorns the soul.
(2) We may see what reason we have to admire the wisdom and goodness of God, which are so richly manifested towards fallen men, in His providing such a suitable help for them.
(3) We may see matter of comfort to believers amidst all their wants.
(4) We may see grounds of encouragement to those who are yet destitute of grace to come to Christ for it.
2. Use of trial. Do you believe in God as your God through our Lord Jesus Christ? And do you endeavour to maintain the claim of faith to Him as your God and Father, even when clouds and darkness are round about Him? Do you study, through grace, to yield a cheerful and ready obedience to all Gods commandments from love to Him and a tender regard to His authority? Are you humble and self-denied?
3. Exhortation.
(1) As to you who have been admitted to behold the beauty and glory of Christ by the eye of faith, and have been made partakers of His grace.
(a) We exhort you to be much taken up in the believing contemplation of the person and glory of Christ.
(b) We exhort you to use and improve the grace that is in Christ. Remember that it is poured into His lips for your behoof; that you may daily come to His fulness in the exercise of faith, and receive out of it grace for grace.
(c) We exhort you to be humble and thankful to God for the grace you have already received.
(2) As for you who are yet strangers to Christ and so destitute of saving grace. We exhort you to believe the misery of your present condition. To believe that you stand in absolute need of Christ and the grace that is poured into His lips. To believe there is grace in Christ answering to all your wants, and that He makes you heartily welcome to come to Him, and be enriched out of His fulness for time and eternity. To consider that the day of grace will not always last with you. It is a limited day, and may be shorter than you are aware of. (T. Bonnet.)
The worth of Jesus seen
Some Cornish fishermen found a belt containing diamonds. They considered it worth £20, and sold it for £20. Ah, said the buyer, I expect this is worth money--I think it is worth £1,000, and he sold it for I do not know how much. Ah, said the man who bought it, this is worth money--it is worth £3,000, and he sold it for £3,000. I believe eventually it passed into the hands of those who gave £10,000 for it. If you could only have put something at the back of the eyes of those fishermen which would have shown them the truth! That is what the Spirit of God has come for--to show us the worth of Jesus. Oh, it is such a sad thing that He should be to us so little when He wants to be so much; that we should be poor when He wants to enrich us with the treasures of His grace. (M. G. Pearse.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alexander MacLaren 1905 · Public Domain On vv2, 10 Psa 45:2 - Psa 45:7.
Psalms
THE KING IN HIS BEAUTY
Read full note →
Psa 45:2 - Psa 45:7.
There is no doubt that this psalm was originally the marriage hymn of some Jewish king. All attempts to settle who that was have failed, for the very obvious reason that neither the history nor the character of any of them correspond to the psalm. Its language is a world too wide for the diminutive stature and stained virtues of the greatest and best of them, and it is almost ludicrous to attempt to fit its glowing sentences even to a Solomon. They all look like little David in Saul’s armour. So, then, we must admit one of two things. Either we have here a piece of poetical exaggeration far beyond the limits of poetic license, or ‘a greater than Solomon is here.’ Every Jewish king, by virtue of his descent and of his office, was a living prophecy of the greatest of the sons of David, the future King of Israel. And the Psalmist sees the ideal Person who, as he knew, was one day to be real, shining through the shadowy form of the earthly king, whose very limitations and defects, no less than his excellences and his glories, forced the devout Israelite to think of the coming King in whom ‘the sure mercies’ promised to David should be facts at last. In plainer words, the psalm celebrates Christ, not only although, but because, it had its origin and partial application in a forgotten festival at the marriage of some unknown king. It sees Him in the light of the Messianic hope, and so it prophesies of Christ. My object is to study the features of this portrait of the King, partly in order that we may better understand the psalm, and partly in order that we may with the more reverence crown Him as Lord of all.
I. The Person of the King.
The old-world ideal of a monarch put special emphasis upon two things-personal beauty and courtesy of address and speech. The psalm ascribes both of these to the King of Israel, and from both of them draws the conclusion that one so richly endowed with the most eminent of royal graces is the object of the special favour of God. ‘Thou art fairer than the children of men, grace is poured into Thy lips: therefore God hath blessed Thee for ever.’
Here, at the very outset, we have the keynote struck of superhuman excellence; and though the reference is, on the surface, only to physical perfection, yet beneath that there lies the deeper reference to a character which spoke through the eloquent frame, and in which all possible beauties and sovereign graces were united in fullest development, in most harmonious co-operation and unstained purity.
‘Thou art fairer than the children of men.’ Put side by side with that, words which possibly refer to, and seem to contradict it. A later prophet, speaking of the same Person, said: ‘His visage was so marred, more than any man, and His form than the sons of men. . . . There is no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him.’ We have to think, not of the outward form, howsoever lovely with the loveliness of meekness and transfigured with the refining patience of suffering it may have been, but of the beauty of a soul that was all radiant with a lustre of loveliness that shames the fragmentary and marred virtues of the best of us, and stands before the world for ever as the supreme type and high-water mark of the grace that is possible to a human spirit. God has lodged in men’s nature the apprehension of Himself, and of all that flows from Him, as true, as good, as beautiful; and to these three there correspond wisdom, morality, and art. The latter, divorced from the other two, becomes earthly and devilish. This generation needs the lesson that beauty wrenched from truth and goodness, and pursued for its own sake, by artist or by poet or by dilettante, leads by a straight descent to ugliness and to evil, and that the only true satisfying of the deep longing for ‘whatsoever things are lovely’ is to be found when we turn to Christ and find in Him, not only wisdom that enlightens the understanding, and righteousness that fills the conscience, but beauty that satisfies the heart. He is ‘altogether lovely.’ Nor let us forget that once on earth ‘the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment did shine as the light,’ as indicative of the possibilities that lay slumbering in His lowly Manhood, and as prophetic of that to which we believe that the ascended Christ hath now attained-viz. the body of His glory, wherein He reigns, filled with light and undecaying loveliness on the Throne of the Heaven. Thus He is fairer in external reality now, as He is, by the confession of an admiring, though not always believing, world, fairer in inward character than the children of men.
Another personal characteristic is ‘Grace is poured into Thy lips.’ Kingly courtesy, and kingly graciousness of word, must be the characteristic of the Sovereign of men. The abundance of that bestowment is expressed by that word, ‘poured.’ We need only remember, ‘All wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth,’ or how even the rough instruments of authority were touched and diverted from their appointed purpose, and came back and said, ‘Never man spake like this Man.’ To the music of Christ’s words all other eloquence is harsh, poor, shallow-like the piping of a shepherd boy upon some wretched oaten straw as compared with the full thunder of the organ. Words of unmingled graciousness came from His lips. That fountain never sent forth ‘sweet waters and bitter.’ He satisfies the canon of St. James: ‘If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man.’ Words of wisdom, of love, of pity, of gentleness, of pardon, of bestowment, and only such, came from Him. ‘Daughter! be of good cheer.’ ‘Son! thy sins be forgiven thee.’ ‘Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden.’
‘Grace is poured into Thy lips’; and, withal, it is the grace of a King. For His language is authoritative even when it is most tender, and regal when it is most gentle. His lips, sweet as honey and the honeycomb, are the lips of an Autocrat. ‘He speaks, and it is done: He commands, and it stands fast.’ He says to the tempest, ‘Be still!’ and it is quiet; and to the demons, ‘Come out of him!’ and they disappear; and to the dead, ‘Come forth!’ and he stumbles from the tomb.
Another personal characteristic is-’God hath blessed Thee for ever.’ By which we are to understand, not that the two preceding graces are the reasons for the divine benediction, but that the divine benediction is the cause of them; and therefore they are the signs of it. It is not that because He is lovely and gracious therefore God hath blessed Him; but it is that we may know that God has blessed Him, since He is lovely and gracious. These endowments are the results, not the causes; the signs or the proofs, not the reasons of the divine benediction. That is to say, the humanity so fair and unique shows by its beauty that it is the result of the continual and unique operation and benediction of a present God. We understand Him when we say, ‘On Him rests the Spirit of God without measure or interruption.’ The explanation of the perfect humanity is the abiding Divinity.
II. We pass from the person of the King, in the next place, to His warfare.
The Psalmist breaks out in a burst of invocation, calling upon the King to array Himself in His weapons of warfare, and then in broken clauses vividly pictures the conflict. The Invocation runs thus: ‘Gird on thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty hero! gird on thy glory and thy majesty, and ride on prosperously on behalf {or, in the cause} of truth and meekness and righteousness.’ The King, then, is the perfection of warrior strength as well as of beauty and gentleness-a combination of qualities that speaks of old days when kings were kings, and reminds us of many a figure in ancient song, as well as of a Saul and a David in Jewish history.
The singer calls upon Him to bind on His side His glittering sword, and to put on, as His armour, ‘glory and majesty.’ These two words, in the usage of the psalms, belong to Divinity, and they are applied to the monarch here as being the earthly representative of the divine supremacy, on whom there falls some reflection of the glory and the majesty of which He is the vice-regent and representative. Thus arrayed, with His weapon by His side and glittering armour on His limbs, He is called upon to mount His chariot or His warhorse and ride forth.
But for what? ‘On behalf of truth, meekness, righteousness.’ If He be a warrior, these are the purposes for which the true King of men must draw His sword, and these only. No vulgar ambition or cruel lust of conquest, earth-hunger, or ‘glory’ actuates Him. Nothing but the spread through the world of the gracious beauties which are His own can be the end of the King’s warfare. He fights for truth; He fights-strange paradox-for meekness; He fights for righteousness. And He not only fights for them, but with them, for they are His own, and by reason of them He ‘rides prosperously,’ as well as ‘rides prosperously’ in order to establish them.
In two or three swift touches the Psalmist next paints the tumult and hurry of the fight. ‘Thy right hand shall teach Thee terrible things.’ There are no armies or allies, none to stand beside Him. The one mighty figure of the Kingly Warrior stands forth, as in the Assyrian sculptures of conquerors, erect and solitary in His chariot, crashing through the ranks of the enemy, and owing victory to His own strong arm alone.
Then follow three short, abrupt clauses, which, in their hurry and fragmentary character, reflect the confusion and swiftness of battle. ‘Thine arrows are sharp. . . . The people fall under Thee.’ . . . ‘In the heart of the King’s enemies.’ The Psalmist sees the bright arrow on the string; it flies; he looks-the plain is strewed with prostrate forms, the King’s arrow in the heart of each.
Put side by side with that this picture:-A rocky road; a great city shining in the morning sunlight across a narrow valley; a crowd of shouting peasants waving palm branches in their rustic hands; in the centre the meek carpenter’s Son, sitting upon the poor robes which alone draped the ass’s colt, the tears upon His cheeks, and His lamenting heard above the Hosannahs, as He looked across the glen and said, ‘If thou hadst known the things that belong to thy peace!’ That is the fulfilment, or part of the fulfilment, of this prophecy. The slow-pacing, peaceful beast and the meek, weeping Christ are the reality of the vision which, in such strangely contrasted and yet true form, floated before the prophetic eye of this ancient singer, for Christ’s humiliation is His majesty, and His sharpest weapon is His all-penetrating love, and His cross is His chariot of victory and throne of dominion.
But not only in His earthly life of meek suffering does Christ fight as a King, but all through the ages the world-wide conflict for truth and meekness and righteousness is His conflict; and wherever that is being waged, the power which wages it is His, and the help which is done upon earth He doeth it all Himself. True, He has His army, willing in the day of His power, and clad in priestly purity and armour of light, but all their strength, courage, and victory are from Him; and when they fight and conquer, it is not they, but He in them who struggles and overcomes. We have a better hope than that built on ‘a stream of tendency that makes for righteousness.’ We know a Christ crucified and crowned, who fights for it, and what He fights for will hold the field.
This prophecy of our psalm is not exhausted yet. I have set side by side with it one picture-the Christ on the ass’s colt. Put side by side with it this other. ‘I beheld the heaven opened; and lo! a white horse. And He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.’ The psalm waits for its completion still, and shall be fulfilled on that day of the true marriage supper of the Lamb, when the festivities of the marriage chamber shall be preceded by the last battle and crowning victory of the King of kings, the Conqueror of the world.
III. Lastly, we have the royalty of the King.
‘Thy throne, O God! is for ever and ever.’ This is not the place nor time to enter on the discussion of the difficulties of these words. I must run the risk of appearing to state confident opinions without assigning reasons, when I venture to say that the translation in the Authorised Version is the natural one. I do not say that others have been adopted by reason of doctrinal prepossessions; I know nothing about that; but I do say that they are not by any means so natural a translation as that which stands before us. What it may mean is another matter; but the plain rendering of the words, I venture to assert, is what our English Bible makes it-’Thy throne, O God! is for ever and ever.’
Then it is to be remembered that, throughout the Old Testament, we have occasional instances of the use of that great and solemn designation in reference to persons in such place and authority as that they are representatives of God. So kings and judges and lawyers and the like are spoken of more than once. Therefore there is not, in the language, translated as in our English Bible, necessarily the implication of the unique divinity of the persons so addressed. But I take it that this is an instance in which the prophet was ‘wiser than he knew,’ and in which you and I understand him better than he understood himself, and know what God, who spoke through him, meant, whatsoever the prophet, through whom He spoke, did mean. That is to say, I take the words before us as directly referring to Jesus Christ, and as directly declaring the divinity of His person, and therefore the eternity of His kingdom.
We live in days when that perpetual sovereignty is being questioned. In a revolutionary time like this it is well for Christian people, seeing so many venerable things going, to tighten their grasp upon the conviction that, whatever goes, Christ’s kingdom will not go; and that, whatever may be shaken by any storms, the foundation of His Throne stands fast. For our personal lives, and for the great hopes of the future beyond the grave, it is all-important that we should grasp, as an elementary conviction of our faith, the belief in the perpetual rule of that Saviour whose rule is life and peace. In the great mosque of Damascus, which was a Christian church once, there may still be read, deeply cut in the stone, high above the pavement where now Mohammedans bow, these words, ‘Thy kingdom, O Christ! is an everlasting kingdom.’ It is true, and it shall yet be known that He is for ever and ever the Monarch of the world.
Then, again, this royalty is a royalty of righteousness. ‘The sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness.’ His rule is no arbitrary sway, His rod is no rod of iron and tyrannical oppression, His own personal character is righteousness. Righteousness is the very life-blood and animating principle of His rule. He loves righteousness, and, therefore, puts His broad shield of protection over all who love it and seek after it. He hates wickedness, and therefore He wars against it wherever it is, and seeks to draw men out of it. And thus His kingdom is the hope of the world.
And, lastly, this dominion of perennial righteousness is the dominion of unparalleled gladness. ‘Therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of joy above Thy fellows.’ Set side by side with that the other words, ‘A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.’ And remember how, near the very darkest hour of the Lord’s earthly experiences, He said:-’These things have I spoken unto you that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.’ Christ’s gladness flowed from Christ’s righteousness. Because His pure humanity was ever in touch with God, and in conscious obedience to Him, therefore, though darkness was around, there was light within. He was ‘sorrowful, yet always rejoicing,’ and the saddest of men was likewise the gladdest, and possessed ‘the oil of joy above His fellows.’
Brother! that kingdom is offered to us; participation in that joy of our Lord may belong to each of us. He rules that He may make us like Himself, lovers of righteousness, and so, like Himself, possessors of unfading joy. Make Him your King, let His arrow reach your heart, bow in submission to His power, take for your very life His words of graciousness, lovingly gaze upon His beauty till some reflection of it shall shine from you, fight by His side with strength drawn from Him alone, own and adore Him as the enthroned God-man, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Crown Him with the many crowns of supreme trust, heart-whole love, and glad obedience. So shall you be honoured to share in His warfare and triumph. So shall you have a throne close to His and eternal as it. So shall His sceptre be graciously stretched out to you to give you access with boldness to the presence-chamber of the King. So shall He give you too, ‘the oil of joy for mourning,’ even in the ‘valley of weeping,’ and the fulness of His gladness for evermore, when He sets you at His right hand.
Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On vv6, 10 From the description of the King’s majesty the writer…
From the description of the King’s majesty the writer now turns to a hymn of praise and worship.
v. 6. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, the Messiah, true man, at the same time eternal God, Heb 1:8; the scepter of Thy kingdom is a right scepter, His dominion is one of rightness, of righteousness and justice.
Read full note →
v. 7. Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness, the King Himself, coequal with God, hates the evil and loves the good, He causes righteousness to be applied in the government of His kingdom by mercifully giving to all its citizens, through His Word, the merciful gift of His righteousness, which, in turn, causes them to eschew evil and love the truly good; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows. The King, the Messiah, is here clearly addressed as God, worshiped as God. God has anointed Him who is Himself God. There is only one God, and yet a distinction is here made between God and God, between the Messiah and His God and Father. His God has anointed Christ with oil of gladness, with the Holy Ghost, who imparts joy in the Redeemer through the Word, Heb 2:11-12; Isa 61:1-3. Above His companions the Messiah is anointed, above all ordinary, merely human kings, priests, and prophets. He is anointed with the Holy Ghost without measure and therefore freely gives of this Spirit, filling the hearts of the poor and afflicted with glorious comfort, with the assurance of the forgiveness of their sins.
v. 8. All Thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, being perfumed with the most costly ointments and spices; out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad, rather, from the palaces of ivory the stringed instruments have gladdened Thee. The ivory palaces are the habitations in Messiah’s kingdom. They are white, the color of innocence, purity, holiness, and the songs performed on the stringed instruments are the praises sung in honor of the King by the citizens of His kingdom, hymns of thanksgiving to His grace.
v. 9. King’s daughters were among Thy honorable women, precious and valued are the bridal virgins, the maidens of the bridal procession, the believers, who are also followers of the King; upon Thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir, the Bride, or Wife, of the King appearing in the midst of the bridal virgins chosen by His grace, and identified with them for the purposes of the lesson here conveyed. The gold of Ophir decorating the queen is a picture of the rich gifts of mercy which the Messiah has bestowed upon His Church. The paragraph thus treats of Christ, true God and man, King and Bridegroom, from whom the gifts of mercy, righteousness, and joy in the Holy Ghost go forth and are bestowed upon the members of His Church, but who also lets His enemies feel the power of His majesty.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 Put your sword on your side
Put your sword on your side
Warriors carried their swords in a sheath that hung from a belt around their waist. The sword would rest against their side. This phrase describes an action of someone preparing for battle. AT: "Prepare yourself for battle" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Read full note →
ride on triumphantly
The writer tells the king to ride his horse or chariot to victory.
because of trustworthiness, meekness, and righteousness
The abstract nouns "trustworthiness," "meekness," and "righteousness" can be stated as adjectives. Possible meanings are 1) these are qualities of the mighty one. AT: "because you are trustworthy, meek, and righteous" or 2) these are virtues that he fights to uphold for the people whom he rules. AT: "in order to fight for what is trustworthy, meek, and right" (See: Abstract Nouns)
your right hand will teach you fearful things
Most soldiers held their swords with their right hands when they fought. Here, the phrase "right hand" refers to his ability to fight, which the writer speaks of as if it were a person who can teach the king through the experience he gains in battle. AT: "You will learn to accomplish great military feats by fighting in many battles" (See: Metonymy and Personification)
fearful things
"awesome deeds." This refers to military victories that cause his enemies to fear him and his allies to revere him.
translationWords
sword
might
glory
majesty
trust
meek
righteous
right hand
fear
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 45:2 This general description of the king’s symbolic status…
45:2 This general description of the king’s symbolic status anticipates his permanent legacy (45:16). That the Lord has blessed him and charged him to bear God’s attributes is symbolized by his handsome appearance and gracious words.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.