Psalms 45 · The Lantern

To the chief Musician. Upon Shoshannim. Of the sons of Korah. An instruction; — a song of the Beloved. My heart is welling forth [with] a good matter: I say what I have composed touching the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Who that hears these words of the Gospel, "the only-begotten Son;" and, "by Him were all things made," will not hate those who declare He is one of the things made? For how can He be one of the things made by Him? or how shall He be the only-begotten who, as they say, is reckoned with all the rest, if indeed He is a thing made and created?

The inspired authors were not like the seers. In their case, after all, when the demon takes possession of their soul, it cripples their mind and clouds their reasoning, and so they utter everything without their mind understanding anything of what is said; rather, it is like a flute sounding without a musician to play a tune.

Above, the Psalmist proposed a prayer for the adversity of the kingdom and the king; here he sets forth, as it were, the glory of the king and the kingdom from the divine benefit. And first, he sets forth the divine benefit. Second, he invites other nations from this example to serve God, at "all peoples." Regarding the first, he does two things.

Thou art fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured into thy lips: thereforeGod hath blessed thee for ever.

Now a proof that "grace was poured on his lips" is the fact that although the time he spent in teaching was short, … the world has been filled with this teaching and with the religion that came through him. For there has arisen "in his days" "righteousness and an abundance of peace" lasting until the consummation.

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?

"Beautiful in form above the sons of men." With the prologue set forth according to one sense, or the divinity of Christ according to another sense, here is set forth the commendation of Christ according to his humanity.

Gird thy sword upon [thy] thigh, O mighty one, [in] thy majesty and thy splendour;

I, on my part, now wish to engage with you in a discussion on the allegorical expressions of the apostle. What figures of speech could the novel god have found in the prophets (fit for himself)? "He led captivity captive," says the apostle. With what arms? In what conflicts? From the devastation of what country? From the overthrow of what city?

"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 not to send peace, but a sword." And, "In one house shall five…

"Gird your sword upon your thigh." Here he is described as powerful in valor. And first, his warlike virtue is set forth. Second, his progress in battle, at "attend." Third, the effect, at "and your right hand shall lead you." Warlike virtue consists in natural strength and the preparation of arms.

And [in] thy splendour ride prosperously, because of truth and meekness [and] righteousness: and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

What was being achieved was in fact fearful and productive of terror: death was destroyed, hell was broken asunder, paradise was opened, heaven was thrown open, demons were shackled, the lower regions were mingled with the upper, God became human, a human being is seated on the kingly throne, hope in resurrection dawned, expectation reached beyond death, ineffable good things w…

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"?

"Attend, proceed prosperously." The Psalmist above set forth, in commendation of Christ, the strength and preparation of the king; here he treats of his progress; and regarding this he does two things. First, he sets forth the progress of the king.

Thine arrows are sharp — peoples fall under thee — in the heart of the king's enemies.

The sharp arrows of the Mighty One are the well-aimed words that touch the hearts of the hearers, striking and wounding their keenly perceptive souls.

Do you see the successful outcome of the war? The submission of those previously rebellious? The instruction? The catechesis? Their very fall and submission to him, you see, are for everyone the basis and foundation of their exaltation. In fact, having delivered them from their folly and empty conceit and from the demons' error, he subjected them to himself.

"Your arrows are sharp"; as if to say: therefore your right hand shall prepare a way for you, because your arrows are sharp. And here the power of arms and their effect are set forth. The arms of Christ are arrows, which are the words of Christ, which are called arrows for three reasons. First, because an arrow penetrates to the heart with its sharpness. Hos.

Thy throne, OGod, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom:

For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

Immediately he proceeded to say also "a rod of equity," which suggests correctness and justice in prosecution. Such an expression, however, seems not applicable to a human being—at least such an expression occurs nowhere in reference to a human being—whereas it is applicable to God, of whom he says also in another place, "He will judge the world in righteousness; he will judge…

"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever." Above, the Psalmist commended Christ for his graciousness and warlike virtue; here he commends him for his judicial power. And first, he describes his judicial power.

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; thereforeGod, thyGod, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy companions.

Myrrh and aloes, cassia, are all thy garments; out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made thee glad.

The sweet odor of Christ gives forth the fragrance of myrrh because of his passion, and of aloes because he did not remain motionless and inactive for three days and three nights but descended to the lower world to distribute the graces of the resurrection.… And it breathes forth the fragrance of cassia, a very delicate and fragrant bark, … because of the suffering of the cross…

In his wish to imply both the passion and the glory of the passion he says "myrrh, resin, and cassia from your garments," suggesting by "myrrh" the passion, and by mention of "resin and cassia" implying the fragrance and splendor of the passion, as if to say, Even the passion itself, which affects your temple, will be accompanied by great fragrance and glory, with the result th…

"Myrrh and gutta." Here he treats of the delights of the king, and he describes these delights from four things: from clothing, from dwelling, from attendance, and from marriage. Of the first, he says, "Myrrh and gutta and cassia from your garments." The garments of Christ can be twofold: namely, his body. Is.

Kings' daughters are among thine honourable women; upon thy right hand doth stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

The queen … is the soul that is joined with the Word, its Bridegroom; not subjected by sin but sharing the kingdom of Christ, it stands on the right hand of the Savior in gilded clothing, that is to say, adorning itself charmingly and religiously with spiritual doctrines, interwoven and varied.

The church is in attendance on you, he is saying, on your right; that is, it will always be assembled for you. The church is always assembled in union with him both in purpose and in the grace of rebirth, just as members and body are with the head, as the apostle says in one place, "You are the body of Christ and individually members of it." … For this reason, "at your right ha…

"The queen stood." Above, the Psalmist praised Christ for graciousness, warlike virtue, and delights; here he praises him for his bride, whom he describes in four respects: as to the presence of the bridegroom, as to her dignity, as to her glory, and as to her adornment. The bride of Christ is the Church; the brides of a king are called queens.

Hearken, daughter, and see, and incline thine ear; and forget thine own people and thy father's house:

The church was formed from pagans and Jews, so he does well to say "Forget your people and your father's house," meaning idolatry and observance of the law, practicing instead a new life by grace.

But we have witness too from the Father, how lovingly and how courteously he gives her the name of daughter, and nevertheless invites her as his daughter-in-law to the sweet caresses of his Son: "Listen, daughter, pay careful attention: forget your nation and your ancestral home, then the king will fall in love with your beauty." See then from whom this bride demands a kiss.

"Hear, O daughter." Here the bride is commended in four ways: for her beauty; for the excellence of her glory, at "all her glory." For her company, at "they shall be brought." And for her offspring, at "instead of your fathers." Regarding the first, he does two things. First, he sets forth how she acquires beauty or graciousness.

And the king will desire thy beauty; for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him.

How, then, shall he be a God, who has not as yet been made a man? Or how can he be perfect who was but lately created? How, again, can he be immortal, who in his mortal nature did not obey his Maker? For it must be that thou, at the outset, shouldest hold the rank of a man, and then afterwards partake of the glory of God. For thou dost not make God, but God thee.

By progressing in virtue and attaining to better things, "reaching forth to those things that are before," according to the word of the blessed Paul, we rise ever to … spiritual beauty, so that to us too it may be said hereafter, "The king greatly desired your beauty."

"And the king shall desire your beauty." Here he promises the bride the graciousness of the king. First, from the king, and this is love. Second, from the people, and this is honor, at "they shall entreat your countenance." He therefore promises the love of the king and shows the dignity of the king.

And the daughter of Tyre with a gift, the rich ones among the people, shall court thy favour.

All glorious is the king's daughter within; her clothing is of wrought gold:

The queen who, chosen out of many, stands at the right hand of God, clothed in the golden ornament of virtue, whose beauty the King desired, is, as I said, the undefiled and blessed flesh, which the Word himself carried into the heavens and presented at the right hand of God, "wrought about with many colors," that is, in the pursuits of immortality, which he calls symbolically…

By "within" he refers to the mind, and the words can refer only to not bodily beauty but virtue of soul. This, in fact, is the true glory of the devout, purity of conscience, for which they will be utterly conspicuous in the judge's sight.

"All her glory." Above, the Psalmist commended the bride for her beauty; here he commends her as to glory, both interior and exterior. He does the first when he says, "all her glory." The word "her" is superfluous; hence it is construed as explanatory: "her," namely "of the king's daughter, from within." And this in three ways.

She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of embroidery; the virgins behind her, her companions, shall be brought in unto thee:

With joy and gladness shall they be brought; they shall enter into the king's palace.

Instead of thy fathers shall be thy sons; princes shalt thou make them in all the earth.

For this reason did the Lord declare that the first should in truth be last, and the last first. And the prophet, too, indicates the same, saying, "instead of fathers, children have been born unto thee." For the Lord, having been born "the First-begotten of the dead," and receiving into His bosom the ancient fathers, has regenerated them into the life of God, He having been mad…

"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 favour with the King unless they be led into the Temple of the…

"Instead of your fathers, sons have been born to you." Here he commends her for her offspring. Regarding which he sets forth four things: namely, the origin of the offspring, its dignity, its office, and its fruit. He says therefore, "Instead of your fathers, sons have been born to you." The children of the early Church are the apostles and their successors.

I will make thy name to be remembered throughout all generations; therefore shall the peoples praise thee for ever and ever.

Psalms45