10 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
Forget your people and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.
12 The city of Tyre will come with a gift,
people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions follow her—
those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever. NIV
Note: Read the introduction from Psalm 45:1-9 for the background of this psalm.
Describe the scene imagined by the poet for the king's bride. Which phrases are flattering? Which are exergerated? Which are meant to make the bride feel radiant? Which phrases might the Lord be comfortable with and which phrases might the Lord be upset?
How do verse 10 and verse 16 compete with one another? What's the unspoken intention of the poet here?
::::: DIGGING DEEPER :::::
Remember the first half of Psalm 45 is addressed to the king and the 2nd half is to his bride. Interestingly, the writer of Hebrews uses this psalm to depict the greatness of Jesus. Psalm 45:6-7 are quoted in Hebrews 1:8-9 about Jesus' reign and the 2nd half of this psalm has regularly been used as an allegory about the Church, the Bride of Christ. How does Jesus bring redemption to the questionable nature of Psalm 45?