> [[psalm-109|← Previous]] | [[psalm-00|TOC]] | [[psalm-111|Next →]] --- # Psalm 110 ## God Appoints the King Both King and Priest 1 A psalm of David. The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand, while I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The scepter of your might: the LORD extends your strong scepter from Zion. Have dominion over your enemies! 3 Yours is princely power from the day of your birth. In holy splendor before the daystar, like dew I begot you. 4 The LORD has sworn and will not waver: “You are a priest forever in the manner of Melchizedek.” 5 At your right hand is the Lord, who crushes kings on the day of his wrath, 6 Who judges nations, heaps up corpses, crushes heads across the wide earth, 7 Who drinks from the brook by the wayside and thus holds high his head. \* (Psalm 110) A royal Psalm in which a court singer recites three oracles in which God assures the king that his enemies are conquered ([Ps 110:1] – [2]), makes the king “son” in traditional adoption language ([Ps 110:3]), gives priestly status to the king and promises to be with him in future military ventures ([Ps 110:4] – [7]). \* (110:1) The LORD says to my lord: a polite form of address of an inferior to a superior, cf. [1 Sm 25:25]; [2 Sm 1:10]. The court singer refers to the king. Jesus in the synoptic gospels (([[matthew-22|Mt 22]]:41] – [46] and parallels) takes the psalmist to be David and hence “my lord” refers to the messiah, who must be someone greater than David. Your footstool: in ancient times victorious kings put their feet on the prostrate bodies of their enemies. \* (110:4) Melchizedek: Melchizedek was the ancient king of Salem (Jerusalem) who blessed [[abraham|Abraham]] ([[genesis-14|Gen 14]]:18 – [20]); like other kings of the time he performed priestly functions. [Heb 7] sees in Melchizedek a type of Christ. \* (110:7) Who drinks from the brook by the wayside: the meaning is uncertain. Some see an allusion to a rite of royal consecration at the Gihon spring (cf. [1 Kgs 1:33], [38]). Others find here an image of the divine warrior (or king) pursuing enemies so relentlessly that he does not stop long enough to eat and drink. a. (110:1) ([[matthew-22|Mt 22]]:44]; ([[acts-of-the-apostles-02|Acts 2]]:34] – [35]; [1 Cor 15:25]; [Heb 1:13]; [8:1]; [10:12] – [13]; [1 Pt 3:22]. b. (110:3) ([[psalm-02|Ps 2]]:7]; [89:27]; [Is 49:1]. c. (110:4) [Ps 89:35]; [132:11]; [[genesis-14|Gen 14]]:18; [Heb 5:6]; [7:21]. d. (110:5) ([[psalm-02|Ps 2]]:9]; ([[revelation-02|Rv 2]]:27]; [12:5]; [19:15]. e. (110:7) ([[psalm-03|Ps 3]]:4]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[psalm-109|← Previous]] | [[psalm-00|TOC]] | [[psalm-111|Next →]]