Psalms 45:1

My heart is inditing a good matter,.... What is valuable and excellent, concerning the excellency of Christ's person, of his kingdom, of his love to the church, and of the church itself; what is

My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Psalms 45:1-17 -A praise-song to the King on His marriage.

Psalms 45 THE The subject matter of this Psalm is by the consent both of Jewish and Christian, ancient and modern, interpreters agreed to be the Messias, and his marriage with the church of God; of which it treats either, 1. Remotely, under the type of Solomon and his marriage with Pharaoh’ s daughter, of which it is to be primarily and literally understood, and then immediately and ultimately of Christ. Or rather, 2. Immediately and directly; although the words be so ordered, that they carry a manifest allusion either to that or some other royal marriage; which seems more than probable from the following arguments: 1. From the great congruity of the matter and style of this Psalm with that of the book of Canticles; whereof this seems to be a kind of abridgement. 2. From the magnificent preface, , which seems too sublime and spiritual for such carnal and earthly matters. 3. And especially from the matter of the Psalm. For there are many things which do not agree to Solomon; such as the warlike posture and exploits, , and the title of God, , which is appropriated to Christ, and affirmed to be incommunicable to any mere creature, . compared with , and that numerous posterity, and the amplitude of their dominion, , and divers other passages, as we shall see in the progress. To the chief musician upon Shoshannim; which title is also prefixed to Psalms 119, and with some small addition, Psalms 130, and with a little variation, Psalms 60. It seems to be the name of a song or tune, or instrument of music. It properly signifies lilies or roses; which some apply to the subject of the Psalm, because those flowers were used ill garlands, or otherwise in nuptial solemnities, and because Christ calls himself the lily and the rose, . A Song of loves, to wit, of Christ and his church. Or, of the beloved ones, to wit, the virgins, who waited upon the bride, as some men did upon the bridegroom, who thence were called his friends, ; in whose name and person this Psalm may seem to be uttered. The psalmist singeth of the beauty of Christ above that of the children of men, ,2; of his terribleness and conquest over his enemies, ; of his everlasting throne, and unction above his fellows, . The church is invited to forsake her father’ s house, that Christ might delight in her, . Her glory and excellency by his graces, which shall be remembered and praised for ever, . My heart; I am about to utter not vain, or rash, or foolish, or false words, but such as proceed from my very heart, and most serious thoughts, and cordial affections. Is inditing, Heb. boileth, or bubbleth up, like water in a pot over the fire. This phrase notes that the workings of his heart in this matter were frequent and abundant, fervent and vehement, free and cheerful, and withal kindled by God’ s grace, and by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

Psalms 45:1 « To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves. » My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer.Upon Shoshannim] The name of an instrument with six strings, saith Kimchi. Or, concerning the lilies, Son 2:1-2, that is, the Messiah and his people, saith Kabuenaki. The city Shushan had its name from lilies there plentifully growing; as Rhodes from roses, Florence from flowers, &c. Maschil] It is not said, as elsewhere, of David; and yet some will have him to have been the penman, others Solomon, epitomizing his Book of Canticles; with which indeed it is of the self-same argument, viz. A Song of loves] An epithalamium or nuptial verse, made at the marriage of Solomon and the Shulamite. As for Pharaoh’ s daughter, various good divines are of the opinion, that neither here nor in the Canticles any respect is had or allusion made to that match of Solomon with her, so expressly condemned by the Holy Ghost, 1 Kings 11:1-3, ut per absurdum mihi videatur, illud matrimonium existimare fuisse tantae rei typum, saith learned Beza. Ainsworth rendereth it, A song of the well beloved virgins, friends of the bridegroom and bride, Psalms 45:9; Psalms 45:14, to set forth Christ in his glory, and his Church in her beauty. So, when Jerome had freed the Locrians from the tyranny of Anaxilos and Cleophron, the virgins sang his praise, as is to be read in Pindarus’ s Odes; which Politian preferred before David’ s psalms, auso nefario, like an atheist as he was. Ver. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter] Heb. frieth, sicut quae in sartagine friguntur, as things are fried in a frying pan, Leviticus 7:9. The prophet, being to sing of such a sublime subject, would not utter anything but what he had duly digested, thoroughly thought upon, and was deeply affected with, Exordium ut vocant floridum. What a high pitch flieth St Paul whenever he speaketh concerning Christ? See Ephesians 1:6; Ephesians 2:4; Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 3:19. The like is reported of Origen: Nusquam non ardet, saith Erasmus; sed nusquam est ardentior quam ubi Christi sermones actusque tractet; that he was ever earnest; but most of all when he discoursed of Christ (Praefat. ad Origen. Opera). Of Johannes Mollias, a Bononian, it is said, that whensoever he spake of Jesus Christ his eyes dropped; for he was fraught with a mighty fervency of God’ s Holy Spirit; and, like the Baptist, he was first a burning (boiling or bubbling), and then a shining light. Ardor mentis est lux doctrinae. Zeal of mind is the light of doctrine. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king] Or, I will speak in my works, that is, in this psalm, concerning the king, viz. Solomon, and him that is greater than Solomon in all his glory, Christ, the King of the Church.

(1) Inditing.—A most unhappy rendering of a word, which, though only used here, must, from the meaning of its derivative (a “pot,” or “cauldron”), have something to do with a liquid, and means either to “boil over” or to “bubble up.” The LXX. and Vulg. have apparently thought of the bursting out of a fountain: eructavit. Symmachus has, “been set in motion.” The “spring,” or “fountain,” is a common emblem of inspired fancy:— “Ancient founts of inspiration well through all my fancy yet.” : Locksley Hall.A good matter.—That is, a theme worthy a poet’s song. Luther: “A fine song.” I speak of the things which I have made touching the king.—This rendering follows the LXX., Vulg., and most of the older translations. Perhaps, however, we are to understand Aquila and Symmachus as rendering “my poems;” and undoubtedly the true rendering is, I am speaking: my poem is of a king (not the king, as in Authorised Version). My tongue . . .—So lofty a theme, so august a subject, inspires him with thoughts that flow freely. The ready or expeditious scribe (LXX. and Vulg., “A scribe writing quickly”) was, as we learn from Ezra 7:6, a recognised form of praise for a distinguished member of that body, one of whose functions was to make copies of the Law.

PSALM XLV The contents of this Psalm are generally summed up thus: The majesty and grace of Christ's kingdom; or an epithalamium of Jesus Christ and the Christian Church; the duty of this Church, and its privileges. The Psalm contains a magnificent description of the beauty, ornaments, valour, justice, and truth of the Divine Bridegroom; the beauty, magnificence, and riches of the bride, who was to become mother of a numerous and powerful posterity. The preamble is found in the title and verse 1. The description and character of the Bridegroom, 2-9. The address to the bride by her companions, 10-15. A prediction of her numerous and glorious descendants, 16, 17. NOTES ON PSALM XLV The title is nearly the same with that of Psalm 69 and Psalms 80 "To the chief musician, or master of the band of those who played on the six-stringed instruments, giving instruction for the sons of Korah; a song of loves, or amatory ode; or a song of the beloved maids." The Vulgate and Septuagint have, For those who shall be changed, or brought into another state, which some have interpreted as relating to the resurrection of the just; but if I could persuade myself that the title came by Divine inspiration, I would say it more properly belonged to the calling and conversion of the Gentiles, and bringing them over from idolatry to the worship of the true God. By some the word ששנים shoshannim, is translated lilies; and a world of labour has been spent to prove that these lilies mean the saints, Jesus Christ himself, and the Divine light which is a banner to them that fear him. I cannot believe that any such meaning is intended, and, consequently, I cannot attempt to interpret the Psalm after this model. I believe it to be an epithalamium, or nuptial song, which primarily respected Solomon's marriage with the daughter of Pharaoh; and that it probably has a prophetic reference to the conversion of the Gentiles, and the final aggrandizement of the Christian Church. Verse 1. My heart is inditing a good matter] רחש rachash, boileth or bubbleth up, as in the margin. It is a metaphor taken from a fountain that sends up its waters from the earth in this way. The Vulgate has eructavit, which is most literally translated by the old Psalter: Mi hert ryfted gude word. [Anglo-Saxon] My heart belcheth. - Anglo-Saxon. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king] אמר אני מעשי למלך, literally, "I dedicate my work unto the king." Or, as the Psalter, I say my werkes til the kyng. This was the general custom of the Asiatic poets. They repeated their works before princes and honourable men; and especially those parts in which there was either a direct or constructive compliment to the great man. Virgil is reported to have a part of his AEneid before Augustus, who was so pleased with it that he ordered ten sestertia to be given him for every line.

1. Introduction and dedication. My heart &c.] Better, My heart bubbleth over with goodly words. The nobility of his subject inspires him with an impulse which will not be restrained. I speak of the things &c.] Better, I speak the things which I have made (i. e. composed, cp. Old Eng. maker = poet) touching a king. The absence of the article (a king) lays stress upon the dignity rather than upon the personality of the subject of the Ps.; one who is a king and of no lower rank. The punctuation of the Massoretic Text points to a slightly different rendering: I am about to speak; my work is for (or, touching) a king. the pen of a ready writer] Prompt to express and record the thoughts with which the mind is overflowing. The words rendered ready writer are applied to Ezra (Psalms 7:6) the ‘ready scribe,’ but clearly they do not here bear this technical sense of ‘a learned student of the law,’ but the literal sense of ‘a skilful and rapid penman.’

My heart is inditing - That is, I am engaged in inditing a good matter; though implying at the same time that it was a work of the heart - a work in which the heart was engaged.

1. My heart is inditing—Literally, is boiling over. I am full of my subject.A good matter—A pleasant word, or discourse, equal to “a song of loves,” in the title.