Psalm 45




45  Eructavit cor meum


1
My heart is stirring with a noble song;
let me recite what I have fashioned for the king; *
    my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer.


2
You are the fairest of men; *
    grace flows from your lips,
    because God has blessed you for ever.


3
Strap your sword upon your thigh, O mighty warrior, *
    in your pride and in your majesty.


4
Ride out and conquer in the cause of truth *
    and for the sake of justice.


5
Your right hand will show you marvelous things; *
    your arrows are very sharp, O mighty warrior.


6
The peoples are falling at your feet, *
    and the king's enemies are losing heart.

7
Your throne, O God, endures for ever and ever, *
    a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom;
    you love righteousness and hate iniquity.


8
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you *
    with the oil of gladness above your fellows.


9
All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, *
    and the music of strings from ivory palaces makes you glad.


10
Kings' daughters stand among the ladies of the court; *
    on your right hand is the queen,
    adorned with the gold of Ophir.


11
"Hear, O daughter; consider and listen closely; *
    forget your people and your father's house.


12
The king will have pleasure in your beauty; *
    he is your master; therefore do him honor.


13
The people of Tyre are here with a gift; *
    the rich among the people seek your favor."


14
All glorious is the princess as she enters; *
    her gown is cloth-of-gold.


15
In embroidered apparel she is brought to the king; *
    after her the bridesmaids follow in procession.


16
With joy and gladness they are brought, *
    and enter into the palace of the king.


17
"In place of fathers, O king, you shall have sons; *
    you shall make them princes over all the earth.


18
I will make your name to be remembered
from one generation to another; *
    therefore nations will praise you for ever and ever."

Psalm 45 is said to be a song prepared for the celebration of a king’s wedding, perhaps King Solomon marrying a daughter of Pharaoh. Our lectionary appoints the psalm for this coming Sunday, September 2, in response to the Old Testament reading from the Song of Solomon, but only the verses in blue above. One looks at the blue verses and wonders, “why only these?” A partial answer might be that the responsive psalm would otherwise be too long. The cynic’s observation is that some of the omitted verses have hints of violence that are politically incorrect (inexplicably so in our society that happily wages two endless wars at once, rotating troops in and out ad infinitum, and contemplates opening additional fronts while whining that it can’t afford health care for its citizens). An additional answer may be that the allusions are meant to be at least obliquely to Jesus (which is not unusual in Christian treatment of the Old Testament), in which case only the more peaceful, and masculine, verses are suitable.

Regardless of the lectionary linking of the psalm to the Old Testament reading and the Christian worship setting in which it is used, there’s no reason to ignore that the psalm is almost obsequious in its fawning flattery of the king. If we look through the Book of Psalms we observe that this is not all that uncommon; nor should we be surprised considering the absolute monarchy during which some of the psalms were written. We might even expect such in Solomon’s era: he began as a humble servant of the Lord, but had such a reign of tyranny and fear, even selfishness, lust and greed, that upon his death David’s United Kingdom of Israel and Judah dissolved, so hated was Solomon in some parts of the land and by some of the people.

History is History and Facts is Facts.
TW+