Psalms 45:4

4 come thou forth with prosperity, and reign thou. For truth, and mildness, and rightfulness; and thy right hand shall lead forth thee wonderfully. (come thou forth with prosperity; and reign thou in truth, and humility, and righteousness. And thy right hand, or thy strength, shall lead thee forth to great victories.)

Psalms 45:4 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 45:4

And in thy majesty ride prosperously
Not literally, as was prophesied of him he should, and as he did, ( Zechariah 9:9 ) ( Matthew 21:7 Matthew 21:9 Matthew 21:16 ) ; but mystically and spiritually, either in the chariots of angels up to heaven, ( Psalms 68:17 Psalms 68:18 ) ; or on the white horse of the Gospel, with his bow and arrows after mentioned, conquering and to conquer, ( Revelation 6:2 ) ; and where he rides "in [his] majesty", showing forth his glory both as a divine Person and as Mediator; and which is very conspicuous in the Gospel, and the ministry of it; and also "prosperously", as he did in the first preaching of the word by the apostles, when it was made the power of God to salvation to multitudes, and the Lord caused them to triumph in Christ everywhere; and as he will in the latter day, when the Jews will be converted, and the fulness of the Gentiles brought in;

because of truth, and meekness, [and] righteousness;
either because he himself is "truth", the truth of all types, promises, prophecies, and doctrines; or because of the Gospel of truth which comes by him; or on account of his truth and faithfulness in fulfilling his own engagements, and the promises of his father: and because of the "meekness" which was so apparent in him, in taking upon him the form of a servant; in his marriage to sinners, and conversation with them; in ministering: to his disciples; in his conduct towards his enemies; and in seeking not his own glory, but his Father's: and because of "righteousness", the holiness of his nature, the purity of his life and actions; and because of the righteousness he is the author of to his people, and of his righteous administration of his offices, especially as a King;

and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things;
or thy power, which the right hand is a symbol of, shall perform terrible things; as it did in the work of redemption, by conquering and destroying the enemies of his people, and of himself; and as it does in the conversion of men, which makes terrible work in their consciences, as the instances of the three thousand, of Saul, and of the jailer show; and as it has in his judgments on his enemies the Jews, in the utter ruin of their nation, city, and temple; and will do on all the antichristian powers in the latter day. The Targum paraphrases it,

``the Lord shall teach thee to do terrible things with thy right hand F6.''


FOOTNOTES:

F6 "Dextra mihi Deus" Virgil. Aeneid. 10. prope finem.

Psalms 45:4 In-Context

2 Christ, thou art fairer in shape than the sons of men; grace is spread abroad in thy lips; therefore God blessed thee [into] without end. (Thou anointed king, thou art more comely in appearance than any other man; grace is spread abroad by thy lips/thy lips speak most eloquently; yea, God hath blessed thee forever.)
3 Be thou gird with thy sword; on thy hip most mightily. Behold thou in thy shapeliness and thy fairness; (Be thou gird with thy sword on thy hip, most mighty man. In thy glory, and in thy majesty,)
4 come thou forth with prosperity, and reign thou. For truth, and mildness, and rightfulness; and thy right hand shall lead forth thee wonderfully. (come thou forth with prosperity; and reign thou in truth, and humility, and righteousness. And thy right hand, or thy strength, shall lead thee forth to great victories.)
5 Thy sharp arrows shall fall into the hearts of the enemies of the king; peoples shall be under thee. (Thy arrows shall be sharp in the hearts of the enemies of the king; and nations shall fall down under thee.)
6 God, thy seat is into the world of world; the rod of thy realm is a rod of right ruling, or of equity. (Like God, thy throne shall last forever; and the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of justice, yea, of equity and fairness.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.