Psalms 45:13-17

45:13 The princess ¹  looks absolutely magnificent, ² 

decked out in pearls and clothed in a brocade trimmed with gold. ³ 

45:14 In embroidered robes she is escorted to the king.

Her attendants, the maidens of honor who follow her,

are led before you. ⁴ 

45:15 They are bubbling with joy as they walk in procession

and enter the royal palace. ⁵ 

45:16 Your ⁶  sons will carry ⁷  on the dynasty of your ancestors; ⁸ 

you will make them princes throughout the land.

45:17 I will proclaim your greatness through the coming years, ⁹ 

then the nations will praise you ¹⁰  forever.

[45:13]  ¹ tn Heb “[the] daughter of a king.”

[45:13]  ² tn Heb “[is] completely glorious.”

[45:13]  ³ tc Heb “within, from settings of gold, her clothing.” The Hebrew term פְּנִימָה (pÿnimah, “within”), if retained, would go with the preceding line and perhaps refer to the bride being “within” the palace or her bridal chamber (cf. NIV, NRSV). Since the next two lines refer to her attire (see also v. 9b), it is preferable to emend the form to פְּנִינִיהָּ (“her pearls”) or to פְּנִינִים (“pearls”). The mem (מ) prefixed to “settings” is probably dittographic.

[45:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “virgins after her, her companions, are led to you.” Some emend לָךְ (lakh, “to you”) to לָהּ (lah, “to her,” i.e., the princess), because the princess is now being spoken of in the third person (vv. 13-14a), rather than being addressed directly (as in vv. 10-12). However, the ambiguous suffixed form לָךְ need not be taken as second feminine singular. The suffix can be understood as a pausal second masculine singular form, addressed to the king. The translation assumes this to be the case; note that the king is addressed once more in vv. 16-17, where the second person pronouns are masculine.

[45:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “they are led with joy and happiness, they enter the house of the king.”

[45:16]  ⁶ tn The pronoun is second masculine singular, indicating the king is being addressed from this point to the end of the psalm.

[45:16]  ⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as jussive and the statement interpreted as a prayer, “May your sons carry on the dynasty of your ancestors!” The next line could then be taken as a relative clause, “[your sons] whom you will make princes throughout the land.”

[45:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “in place of your fathers will be your sons.”

[45:17]  ⁹ tn Heb “I will cause your name to be remembered in every generation and generation.” The cohortative verbal form expresses the poet’s resolve. The king’s “name” stands here for his reputation and character, which the poet praised in vv. 2-7.

[45:17]  ¹⁰ sn The nations will praise you. As God’s vice-regent on earth, the king is deserving of such honor and praise.