Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Psalms Chapter 45

Psalms 45:0.

The majesty and grace of Christ's kingdom. The duty of the church, and the benefits thereof.

To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil. A Song of Loves.

Title. שׁשׁנים על al Shoshannim. Upon Shoshannim] Houbigant and others render it, upon the lilies; which seems to be the true meaning of the original word. Parkhurst observes, that Christ, the divine light, and true believers, who are the sons of light, and who are accordingly described as clothed in white, are emblematically represented by lilies: see Song of Solomon 2:1; Song of Solomon 6:1-2; Song of Solomon 6:1-2. Hence may be explained the title of the present, the 69th, and the 80th Psalms, which Acquila constantly renders "To the giver of victory, concerning the lilies:" i.e. the emblematical lilies just mentioned. The version of the LXX, of שׁשׁנים על al shoshannim, is, "Concerning those who are to be changed or transformed;" i.e. from corruption to incorruption, from dishonour to glory, from natural to spiritual. The title of the 60th Psalm is in the singular; שׁושׁן על al shushan, "concerning the lily; i.e. the divine light, who is a banner to them that fear God, and is his right hand, by whom the beloved are delivered." See Parkhurst's Lexicon on the word שׁשׁ shesh, and the remarks on the title of Psalms 22:0. It is further called a song of loves, which being in Hebrew ידידת שׁיר shiir iedidoth, may allude both to Jedidiah, the name given to Solomon by Nathan, 2Sa 12:25 and likewise to the custom observed in the Jewish marriages, wherein the bride was encircled by young virgins, who sung a peculiar song or Psalm in honour of her espousals. Hence some render it, A song of the beloved maids;—a song of the bride-maids; and it has been thought that the Psalm was sung on the marriage of Solomon with Pharaoh's daughters; though unquestionably, like the Book of Canticles, it has a much higher reference. Most interpreters, says Bishop Patrick, conclude that it was composed upon the occasion, at least, of Solomon's marriage with Pharaoh's daughter; who, it is most likely, was a proselyte to the Jewish religion. Some few indeed will not allow so much as this, or that there is any respect to Solomon at all in this Psalm, but only to Christ; and the truth is, many of the expressions in it are so magnificent, that they can but in a very poor and low sense be applied to Solomon and his bride; and some of them scarcely at all. It being so apparent, no Christian can deny it, that the mind of the prophet, while he was writing some part of this Psalm, was carried quite beyond king Solomon, to the great King, the LORD CHRIST: or, at least, he was guided to use words so high, that they proved too big for Solomon; and we must say, as our Saviour did in another case, BEHOLD! A GREATER THAN SOLOMON IS HERE! This the best of the Jewish interpreters acknowledge, particularly Kimchi, Aben-ezra, and Solomon Jarchi.

Psalms 45:1. My heart is inditing a good matter— The word רחשׁ rachash, rendered inditing, signifies boiling or bubbling up; and is here used metaphorically for deeply meditating with fervour and vehemency, in allusion either to water boiled over a fire, or else springing forth from a fountain. The King, means either primarily Solomon, or more properly the Messiah. My tongue is the pen, &c. as if he had said, "I will recite what I have composed with so much fluency, as shall equal the style of the most skilful and diligent writer." Green transposes the clauses in this verse; making the words, I speak of the things, &c. the last clause; because, says he, the address follows in the very next words. He renders it, I will address my work unto the king.

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Psalms 45:2. Grace is poured into thy lips— Hebrew, Grace is poured upon thy lips. The former part of the verse describes the beauty of the king's person; this, his eloquence and gracefulness of address. In this sense Solomon uses these words, Proverbs 22:11. The king is a friend to the grace of lips; i.e. to eloquence of speech and graceful address; and in Ecclesiastes 10:12. The words of a wise man's mouth are said to be grace; i.e. graceful and eloquent. Grace is poured, is used here in the same sense in which Milton uses it, Book 4: ver.364.

————Such grace The hand that form'd them on their shape hath pour'd. Perhaps we cannot have a better comment upon this period than Raphael's description of Adam, in the same author, Book 8: ver. 218. Nor are thy lips ungraceful, fire of men, Nor tongue ineloquent; for God on thee Abundantly his gifts hath also pour'd, Inward and outward both, his image fair; Speaking or mute, all comeliness and grace Attends thee, and each word each motion forms. Such was the eloquence of Solomon, that when the queen of Sheba, who came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear him, had been witness of the wisdom with which he spoke, There was no more spirit in her, nor was he less remarkable for the elegance of his person: and such was the eloquence and graceful address of our Lord, that even the Nazarites, the most prejudiced of his enemies, could not help wondering at the graceful words which proceeded out of his mouth; nor could the officers who were sent by the Jewish Sanhedrin to take him, find in their hearts to execute their commission; because, never man, said they, spake like this man. We may just observe, that the prophet Isa 52:14; Isa 53:2 represents the Messiah as having no form or comeliness; but this relates chiefly to the scandal of his cross; though it may also refer to his countenance, which, before his death, had been wasted and disfigured by fasting and weariness, by painfulness and sorrow; his visage being marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. But the words of the Psalmist principally relate to that internal beauty, which in the prophesy of Ezekiel is called The beauty of wisdom, chap. Psa 28:7 or to that glory which men beheld when Christ was manifested in the flesh, even the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father. See Isaiah 50:4.; Luke 2:52. Instead of therefore God, in the last clause, some read, because God.

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Psalms 45:3. Gird thy sword, &c.— This is meant of Christ's coming victoriously to set up his spiritual kingdom in our hearts, and to rule and reign in them by the power of his grace; in allusion to earthly potentates, who are invested with the ensigns of majesty, and girded with their proper armour when they go forth to battle. But the sword with which Christ was armed, was the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Bishop Hare renders the verse, Gird thee with thy sword on thy thigh, O powerful One: thy glory and thy renown are for ever.

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Psalms 45:4. Ride prosperously— i.e. "Go forth, like a great conqueror, (see Revelation 19:11.) not to enslave men's persons, or to spoil their goods; but to settle the true faith among them, and to make them humble and meek, just and merciful." Thy right hand, &c. means, "Thy mighty power shall instruct thee to do miraculous and amazing works." See Luke 5:26; Luke 5:26. Green renders this verse, Ride on successfully in the cause of truth, righteousness, and meekness; and let thy right hand direct thee to do formidable things: and others, And in thy majesty prosper thou: ride for the cause of truth, &c.

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Psalms 45:5. Thine arrows are sharp, &c.— Thine arrows are sharp; people shall fall under thee, in the midst of the king's enemies. Or, Thy sharp arrows shall level the people under thee; they shall fall into the heart of the king's enemies. Houbigant. The allusion to an earthly conqueror is still continued. The meaning is, "Thy word shall pierce like sharp arrows into the hearts of all who oppose thee, and make all nations humble themselves and become subject to thee."

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Psalms 45:6. Thy throne, O God, &c.— In Heb 1:8 this verse is immediately applied to Christ. The word here rendered God, is אלהים elohim, in the plural; concerning which, see the note on the 1st verse of the 1st chapter of Genesis. In agreement with this verse, St. Paul says of him, that He is over all, God blessed for ever, Rom 9:5 and we are told, Luk 1:33 that of his kingdom there shall be no end. The sceptre of his kingdom is a right sceptre; i.e. "His laws are all righteous and good." It is translated by Houbigant and others, A sceptre of equity.

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Psalms 45:7. Thy God hath anointed thee— Christ is emphatically, The Anointed; Luke 4:18.; Acts 10:38. Kings, priests, and prophets, were anointed when they entered upon their several offices. Christ was anointed of the Father, solemnly appointed to be the prophet, priest, and king of his people; but it is the regal dignity which is here chiefly referred to, with which (as man) he was not fully invested till after his resurrection, and exaltation to his throne in heaven. Gladness, means such as is remarkable at the coronation of kings, or rather infinitely beyond it. Thy fellows, must mean either other prophets, priests, and kings, or the faithful in general, who also have an unction from the Holy One, and who are made kings and priests unto God. See 1 John 2:20.; Revelation 1:6.

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Psalms 45:8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, &c.— The aloes commonly known in England, to be used by the practitioners in physic, is found to be far from a perfume. It may be proper, therefore, to observe, that there is a wood called the wood of aloes, of Syria, which is a prickly shrub, and which the perfumers make use of. See Proverbs 7:17. It was, perhaps, from not attending to this particular, that some have rendered the verse, Myrrh, and cedar-oil, and cassia, are all thy garments, from the ivory palaces, wherein thou delightest. Green, after Bishop Hare, &c. gives us the verse thus; All thy garments, out of the ivory wardrobes perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, delight thee with their fragrance. And Houbigant translates it, myrrh, aloes, and cassia, all thy garments, from the ivory vessels, the vessels of thy anointing; those from which the myrrh, &c. are taken. These perfumes are mentioned as emblematical of the virtues and graces of Christ; and of the knowledge of him, which was spread as a sweet odour in every place, when he went to espouse a church unto himself. See 2 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 2:16.

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Psalms 45:9. Kings' daughters, &c.— Kings' daughters were in thy magnificence. Or, Were among thy high-valued treasures. Mudge. The prophet here represents the bride, whose marriage he celebrates, as attended by princesses. There is no need to speak of the literal propriety, if referring to Solomon. But in the spiritual sense, these images of a bride or a queen, and of her honourable women, (who, in the proper and literal sense, are persons really different,) are not to be so distinguished: as in the parable of the virgins, Matthew 25:0 those who go before the bride, are not in the mystical sense different from the bride herself; since the church, who is the spouse of Christ, is no other than the faithful who compose the church: but the prophet in this Psalm, which is a continued parable, refers to the ceremonies observed in the marriages of kings; whose queens, richly clothed, are attended with a retinue of ladies of the first quality. Compare Revelation 21:9-11.

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