The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 44
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 45 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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For the end, for alternate strains by the sons of Korah; for instruction, a Song concerning the beloved.
Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορὲ εἰς σύνεσιν, ᾠδὴ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ.
My heart has uttered a good matter: I declare my works to the king: My tongue is the pen of a quick writer.
Ἐξηρεύξατο ἡ καρδία μου λόγον ἀγαθὸν, λέγω ἐγὼ τὰ ἔργα μου τῷ βασιλεῖ· ἡ γλῶσσά μου κάλαμος γραμματέως ὀξυγράφου.
Thou art more beautiful than the sons of men: Grace has been shed forth on thy lips: Therefore God has blessed thee forever.
Ὡραῖος κάλλει παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐξεχύθη χάρις ἐν χείλεσί σου, διὰ τοῦτο εὐλόγησέ σε ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
Lo! now then that Word, so uttered, Eternal, the Co-eternal Offspring of the Eternal, will come as "the Bridegroom;" "Fairer than the children of men" (ver. 2). "Than the children of men." I ask, why not than the Angels also? Why did he say, "than the children of men," except because He was Man? Lest you should think…
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O Mighty One, In thy comeliness, and in thy beauty;
Περίζωσαι τὴν ῥομφαίαν σου ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν σου δυνατέ· τῇ ὡραιότητί σου, καὶ τῷ κάλλει σου,
"Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most Mighty" (ver. 3). What is meant by "Thy sword, but "Thy word"? It was by that sword He scattered His enemies; by that sword he divided the son from the father, "the daughter from the mother, the daughter-in-law from the mother-in-law." We read these words in the Gospel, "I came…
And bend thy bow, and prosper, and reign, Because of truth and meekness and righteousness; And thy right hand shall guide thee wonderfully.
καὶ ἔντεινον, καὶ κατευοδοῦ, καὶ βασίλευε· ἕνεκεν ἀληθείας καὶ πρᾳΰτητος καὶ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ὁδηγήσει σε θαυμαστῶς ἡ δεξιά σου.
What does he mean to express by the "thigh"? The flesh. Whence those words, "A prince shall not depart from Judah; and a lawgiver from his thighs"? Did not Abraham himself (to whom was promised the seed in which "all the nations of the earth were to be blessed"), when he sent his servant to seek and to bring home a…
Thy weapons are sharpened, Mighty One (The nations shall fall under thee); They are in the heart of the king’s enemies.
Τὰ βέλη σου ἠκονημένα δυνατὲ, λαοὶ ὑποκάτω σου πεσοῦνται, ἐν καρδίᾳ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ βασιλέως.
"Your arrows are sharp, are most powerful"; words that pierce the heart, that kindle love. Whence in the Song of Songs it is said, "I am wounded with love." [Song of Songs 2:5] For she speaks of being "wounded with love;" that is, of being in love, of being inflamed with passion, of sighing for the Bridegroom, from…
Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: The scepter of thy kingdom is a scepter of righteousness.
Ὁ θρόνος σου ὁ Θεὸς εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος, ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου.
"Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever" (ver. 6). Because God has "'blessed Thee' for ever," on account of the "grace poured over Thy lips." Now the throne of the Jewish Kingdom was a temporal one; belonging to those who were under the Law, not to those who were under "grace:" He came to "redeem those who were under…
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity: Therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee With the oil of gladness beyond thy fellows.
Ἠγάπησας δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἐμίσησας ἀνομίαν, διὰ τοῦτο ἔχρισέ σε ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Θεός σου ἔλαιον ἀγαλλιάσεως παρὰ τοὺς μετόχους σου.
"You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity". See there "the rod of direction" described. "You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity." Draw near to that "rod;" let Christ be your King: let Him "rule" you with that rod, not crush you with it. For that rod is "a rod of iron;" an inflexible rod. "You shall…
Myrrh, and stacte, and cassia are exhaled from thy garments, And out of the ivory palaces,
Σμύρνα καὶ στακτὴ καὶ κασία ἀπὸ τῶν ἱματίων σου, ἀπὸ βάρεων ἐλεφαντίνων, ἐξ ὧν ηὔφρανάν σε
"Out of Your garments is the smell of myrrh, amber, and cassia". Out of Your garments is perceived the smell of fragrant odours. By His garments are meant His Saints, His elect, His whole Church, which he shows forth, as His garment, so to speak; His robe "without spot and wrinkle," [Ephesians 5:27] which on account…
With which kings’ daughters have gladdened thee for thine honor: The queen stood by on thy right hand, clothed in vesture wrought with gold, And arrayed in diverse colors.
θυγατέρες βασιλέων ἐν τῇ τιμῇ σου· παρέστη ἡ βασίλισσα ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, ἐν ἱματισμῷ διαχρύσῳ περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη.
What a nuptial song! Behold in the midst of songs full of rejoicing, comes forth the Bride herself. For the Bridegroom was coming. It was He who was being described: it was on Him all our attention was fixed. "Upon Your right hand stood the Queen". She which stands on the left is no Queen. For there will be one…
Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear; Forget also thy people, and thy father’s house.
Ἄκουσον θύγατερ καὶ ἴδε καὶ κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἐπιλάθου τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου.
The Prophet addresses this Queen (for he delights in singing to her), and moreover each one of us, provided, however, we know where we are, and endeavour to belong to that body, and do belong to it in faith and hope, being united in the membership of Christ. For it is us whom he addresses, saying, "Hearken, O…
Because the king has desired thy beauty; For he is thy Lord.
Ὅτι ἐπεθύμησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Κύριός σου.
"For the King has greatly desired your beauty". What "beauty" is that, save that which is His own work? "Greatly desired the beauty"— Of whom? Of her the sinner, the unrighteous, the ungodly, such as she was with her "father," the devil, and among her own "people"? No, but hers of whom it is said, "Who is this that…
And the daughter of Tyre shall adore him with gifts; The rich of the people of the land shall supplicate thy favor.
Καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ θυγατέρες Τύρου ἐν δώροις, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου λιτανεῦσουσιν οἱ πλούσιοι τοῦ λαοῦ τῆς γῆς.
All her glory is that of the daughter of the king of Heshbon, Robed as she is in golden fringed garments,
Πᾶσα ἡ δόξα αὐτῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως Ἐσεβὼν, ἐν κροσσωτοῖς χρυσοῖς περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη·
"All the glory of her, the King's daughter, is from within" (ver. 13). Not only is her robe, outwardly, "of gold, and of divers colours;" but He who loved her beauty, knew her to be also beautiful within. What are those inward charms? Those of conscience. It is there Christ sees; it is there Christ loves her: it is…
in embroidered clothing: Virgins shall be brought to the king after her: Her fellows shall be brought to thee.
ἀπενεχθήσονται τῷ βασιλεῖ παρθένοι ὀπίσω αὐτῆς, αἱ πλησίον αὐτῆς ἀπενεχθήσονταί σοι.
"With fringes of gold, clothed with divers colours" (ver. 14). Her beauty is from within; yet in the "fringes of gold" is the diversity of languages: the beauty of doctrine. What do these avail, if them be not that beauty "from within"? "The virgins shall be brought unto the King after her." It has been fulfilled…
They shall be brought with gladness and exultation: They shall be led into the king’s temple.
Ἀπενεχθήσονται ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ καὶ ἀγαλλιάσει, ἀχθήσονται εἰς ναὸν βασιλέως.
"With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought and shall be led into the Temple of the King" (ver. 15). The "Temple of the King" is the Church itself: it is the Church itself that enters into "the Temple of the King." Whereof is that Temple constructed? Of the men who enter the Temple? Who but God's "faithful"…
Instead of thy fathers children are born to thee: Thou shalt make them princes over all the earth.
Ἀντὶ τῶν πατέρων σου ἐγενήθησάν σοι υἱοὶ, καταστήσεις αὐτοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν.
"Instead of thy fathers, children are born to thee" (ver. 16). Nothing can be more manifest. Now consider the "Temple of the King" itself, for it is on its behalf he speaks, on account of the unity of the body that is spread throughout all the world: for those very persons who have chosen to be virgins, cannot find…
They shall make mention of thy name from generation to generation: Therefore shall the nations give thanks to thee Forever, even forever and ever.
Μνησθήσονται τοῦ ὀνόματός σου ἐν πάσῃ γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ, διὰ τοῦτο λαοὶ ἐξομολογήσονταί σοι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος·
"They shall be mindful of thy name in every generation and generation; therefore shall the peoples confess unto Thee" (ver. 17). What does it profit then to "confess" indeed and yet to confess out of "the Temple"? What does it profit to pray, and yet not to pray on the Mount? "I cried," says he, "unto the Lord with my…
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