TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 45:10–17. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
This latter part of the psalm is addressed to the royal bride, standing on the right hand of the royal bridegroom. God, who said to the Son, Thy throne is for ever and ever, says this to the church, which, upon the account of her espousals to the Son, he here calls his daughter.
I.He tells her of the duties expected from her, which ought to be considered by all those that come into relation to the Lord Jesus:
"Hearken, therefore, and consider this, and incline thy ear, that is, submit to those conditions of thy espousals, and bring thy will to comply with them." This is the method of profiting by the word of God. He that has ears, let him hear, let him hearken diligently; he that hearkens, let him consider and weigh it duly; he that considers, let him incline and yield to the force of what is laid before him. And what is it that is here required?
1.She must renounce all others.
(1.)Here is the law of her espousals: "Forget thy own people and thy father's house, according to the law of marriage. Retain not the affection thou hast had for them, nor covet to return to them again; banish all such remembrance (not only of thy people that were dear to thee, but of thy father's house that were dearer) as may incline thee to look back, as Lot's wife to Sodom." When Abraham, in obedience to God's call, had quitted his native soil, he was not so much as mindful of the country whence he came out. This shows,
[1.]How necessary it was for those who were converted from Judaism or paganism to the faith of Christ wholly to cast out the old leaven, and not to bring into their Christian profession either the Jewish ceremonies or the heathen idolatries, for these would make such a mongrel religion in Christianity as the Samaritans had.
[2.]How necessary it is for us all, when we give up our names to Jesus Christ, to hate father and mother, and all that is dear to us in this world, in comparison, that is, to love them less than Christ and his honour, and our interest in him, Luk 14:26.
(2.)Here is good encouragement given to the royal bride thus entirely to break off from her former alliances: So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty, which intimates that the mixing of her old rites and customs, whether Jewish or Gentile, with her religion, would blemish her beauty and would hazard her interest in the affections of the royal bridegroom, but that, if she entirely conformed to his will, he would delight in her. The beauty of holiness, both on the church and on particular believers, is in the sight of Christ of great price and very amiable. Where that is he says, This is my rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it. Among the golden candlesticks he walks with pleasure, Rev 2:1.
2.She must reverence him, must love, honour, and obey him: He is thy Lord, and worship thou him. The church is to be subject to Christ as the wife to the husband (Eph 5:24), to call him Lord, as Sarah called Abraham, and to obey him (Pe1 3:6), and so not only to submit to his government, but to give him divine honours. We must worship him as God, and our Lord; for this is the will of God, that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father; nay, in so doing it is reckoned that they honour the Father. If we confess that Christ is Lord, and pay our homage to him accordingly, it is to the glory of God the Father, Phi 2:11.
II.He tells her of the honours designed for her.
1.Great court should be made to her, and rich presents brought her (Psa 45:12): "The daughter of Tyre," a rich and splendid city, "the daughter of the King of Tyre shall be there with a gift; every royal family round about shall send a branch, as a representative of the whole, to seek thy favour and to make an interest in thee; even the rich among the people, whose wealth might be thought to exempt them from dependence at court, even they shall entreat thy favour, for his sake to whom thou art espoused, that by thee they may make him their friend." The Jews, the pretending Jews, who are rich to a proverb (as rich as a Jew), shall come and worship before the church's feet in the Philadelphian period, and shall know that Christ has loved her, Rev 3:9. When the Gentiles, being converted to the faith of Christ, join themselves to the church, they then come with a gift, Co2 8:5; Rom 15:16. When with themselves they devote all they have to the honour of Christ, and the service of his kingdom, they then come with a gift.
2.She shall be very splendid, and highly esteemed in the eyes of all,
(1.)For her personal qualifications, the endowments of her mind, which every one shall admire (Psa 45:13): The king's daughter is all glorious within. Note, The glory of the church is spiritual glory, and that is indeed all glory; it is the glory of the soul, and that is the man; it is glory in God's sight, and it is an earnest of eternal glory. The glory of the saints falls not within the view of a carnal eye. As their life, so their glory, is hidden with Christ in God, neither can the natural man know it, for it is spiritually discerned; but those who do so discern it highly value it. Let us see here what is that true glory which we should be ambitious of, not that which makes a fair show in the flesh, but which is in the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible (Pe1 3:4), whose praise is not of men, but of God, Rom 2:29.
(2.)For her rich apparel. Though all her glory is within, that for which she is truly valuable, yet her clothing also is of wrought gold; the conversation of Christians, in which they appear in the world, must be enriched with good works, not gay and gaudy ones, like paint and flourish, but substantially good, like gold; and it must be accurate and exact, like wrought gold, which is worked with a great deal of care and caution.
3.Her nuptials shall be celebrated with a great deal of honour and joy (Psa 45:14, Psa 45:15): She shall be brought to the king, as the Lord God brought the woman to the man (Gen 2:22), which was a type of this mystical marriage between Christ and his church. None are brought to Christ but whom the Father brings, and he has undertaken to do it; none besides are so brought to the king (Psa 45:14) as to enter into the king's palace, Psa 45:15.
(1.)This intimates a two-fold bringing of the spouse to Christ.
[1.]In the conversion of souls to Christ; then they are espoused to him, privately contracted, as chaste virgins, Co2 11:2; Rom 7:4.
[2.]In the completing of the mystical body, and the glorification of all the saints, at the end of time; then the bride, the Lamb's wife, shall be made completely ready, when all that belong to the election of grace shall be called in and called home, and all gathered together to Christ, Th2 2:1. Then is the marriage of the Lamb come (Rev 19:7; Rev 21:2), and the virgins go forth to meet the bridegroom, Mat 25:1. Then they shall enter into the king's palaces, into the heavenly mansions, to be ever with the Lord.
(2.)In both these espousals, observe, to the honour of the royal bride,
[1.]Her wedding clothes - raiment of needle-work, the righteousness of Christ, the graces of the Spirit; both curiously wrought by divine wisdom.
[2.]Her bride-maids - the virgins her companions, the wise virgins who have oil in their vessels as well as in their lamps, those who, being joined to the church, cleave to it and follow it, these shall go in to the marriage.
[3.]The mirth with which the nuptials will be celebrated: With gladness and rejoicing shall she be brought. When the prodigal is brought home to his father it is meet that we should make merry and be glad (Luk 15:32); and when the marriage of the Lamb has come let us be glad and rejoice (Rev 19:7); for the day of his espousals is the day of the gladness of his heart, Sol 3:11.
4.The progeny of this marriage shall be illustrious (Psa 45:16): Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children. Instead of the Old Testament church, the economy of which had waxed old, and ready to vanish away (Heb 8:13), as the fathers that are going off, there shall be a New Testament church, a Gentile-church, that shall be grafted into the same olive and partake of its root and fatness (Rom 11:17); more and more eminent shall be the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, Isa 54:1. This promise to Christ is of the same import with that Isa 53:10, He shall see his seed; and these shall be made princes in all the earth; there shall be some of all nations brought into subjection to Christ, and so made princes, made to our God kings and priests, Rev 1:6. Or it may intimate that there should be a much greater number of Christian kings than ever there was of Jewish kings (those in Canaan only, these in all the earth), nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the church, which shall suck the breasts of kings. They are princes of Christ's making; for by him kings reign and princes decree justice.
5.The praise of this marriage shall be perpetual in the praises of the royal bridegroom (Psa 45:17): I will make thy name to be remembered. His Father has given him a name above every name, and here promises to make it perpetual, by keeping up a succession of ministers and Christians in every age, that shall bear up his name, which shall thus endure for ever (Psa 72:17), by being remembered in all the generations of time; for the entail of Christianity shall not be cut off. "Therefore, because they shall remember thee in all generations, they shall praise thee for ever and ever." Those that help to support the honour of Christ on earth shall in heaven see his glory, and share in it, and be for ever praising him. In the believing hope of our everlasting happiness in the other world let us always keep up the remembrance of Christ, as our only way thither, in our generation; and, in assurance of the perpetuating of the kingdom of the Redeemer in the world, let us transmit the remembrance of him to succeeding generations, that his name may endure for ever and be as the days of heaven.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
2 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Where he began, there he concluded—in Christ.… Because you have achieved so much, you have appointed such rulers, you have driven out evil, you have planted virtue, you have plighted your troth to our nature, you have performed these wonderful good things. All the world will offer you hymns of praise, not for a short time, not for ten, not twenty, not a hundred years, or in one part of the world, but earth and sea, both inhabited and uninhabited, will sing praise for all time, giving thanks for all the good things accomplished. For all these good things let us too give thanks to the loving Christ, through whom and with whom be the glory to the Father, together with Holy Spirit, now and forever, for ages of ages.
"They shall be mindful of your name in every generation and generation; therefore shall the peoples confess unto You" [Psalm 45:17]. What does it profit then to "confess" indeed and yet to confess out of "the Temple"? What does it profit to pray, and yet not to pray on the Mount? "I cried," says he, "unto the Lord with my voice: and He heard me out of His holy hill." Out of what "hill"? Out of that of which it is said, "A city set upon a hill cannot be hid." [Matthew 5:14] Of what "hill"? Out of that hill which Daniel saw "grow out of a small stone, and break all the kingdoms of the earth; and cover all the face of the earth." [Daniel 2:34-35] There let him pray, who hopes to receive: there let him ask, who would have his prayer heard: there let him confess, who wishes to be pardoned. "Therefore shall the peoples confess unto you for ever, world without end." For in that eternal life it is true indeed there will no longer be the mourning over sins: but yet in the praises of God by that everlasting City which is above, there will not be wanting a perpetual confession of the greatness of that happiness. For to that City itself, to which another Psalm sings, "Glorious things are spoken of you, O City of God," to her who is the very Bride of Christ, the very Queen, a "King's daughter, and a King's consort;"...the peoples shall for this very cause confess even to herself; the hearts of all, now enlightened by perfect charity, being laid bare, and made manifest, that she may know the whole of herself most completely, who here is, in many parts of her, unknown to herself....
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Summary
Psalms 45:17 serves as a majestic climax to a royal wedding psalm, declaring a divine commitment to ensure the King's enduring legacy and universal, perpetual praise. It proclaims that the King's identity, character, and reign will be actively remembered and celebrated across all generations, leading to an unending chorus of adoration from all peoples. This verse encapsulates the ultimate destiny and recognition of the King, whose unparalleled majesty and righteous dominion, celebrated throughout the psalm, point beyond any earthly monarch to a universal and everlasting sovereignty.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 45 is a unique and highly significant royal psalm, identified in its superscription as a "Song of Loves" (Shir Yedidoth), commonly interpreted as an epithalamium (wedding song) for an Israelite king. While celebrating an earthly monarch's beauty, valor, righteousness, and his marriage to a foreign princess, the language consistently elevates beyond the human, leading many scholars to recognize its profound Messianic implications. The psalm describes the King's divine anointing and eternal throne, as seen in Psalms 45:6-7, and his universal dominion. Verse 17 functions as a grand, eschatological finale, projecting the King's fame and influence far beyond his earthly lifespan and into an eternal realm of remembrance and adoration. It provides a fitting and climactic conclusion to the majestic portrayal of this unique, divinely appointed monarch.
Historical & Cultural Context
Royal psalms were a common genre in the ancient Near East, often composed for significant state occasions such as coronations, weddings, or military victories. These compositions typically lauded the king's divine favor, power, and commitment to justice, serving to legitimize his rule and inspire national pride. In this cultural setting, a king's "name" was inextricably linked to his reputation, authority, and very essence; to "remember" his name was to ensure the perpetuation of his legacy and honor. The concept of an enduring royal fame was vital for dynastic stability and the collective identity of the nation. While the immediate historical backdrop might have been the nuptials of a specific Israelite king, the hyperbole and idealized language employed in Psalms 45 strongly suggest a deeper, divinely inspired purpose. The expansive scope of "all generations" and "for ever and ever" transcends the limitations of any single earthly reign, pointing towards an everlasting dynasty and a universal recognition that only a divinely appointed, eternal King could achieve.
Key Themes
Psalms 45:17 powerfully encapsulates several pivotal themes central to the psalm and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores Enduring Legacy and Renown, promising that the King's "name"—representing his character, authority, and reputation—will not diminish but will be actively commemorated across "all generations," signifying an everlasting impact and recognition. Secondly, the emphatic declaration "I will make thy name to be remembered" highlights Divine Sovereignty and Promise, implying a direct divine intervention or a divinely inspired assurance that guarantees the King's lasting renown. This points to God's active role in exalting His chosen King, echoing God's promise to make Abraham's name great in Genesis 12:2. Finally, the inevitable consequence of this enduring remembrance is Universal and Perpetual Praise: "therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever." This signifies not merely passive memory but active worship and glorification from all peoples, extending into eternity. This anticipates a future reality where every knee will bow and every tongue confess the Lordship of the King, as prophetically envisioned in Philippians 2:10-11.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
In biblical thought, a "name" (שֵׁם, shêm) is profoundly significant, representing far more than a mere label. It encapsulates the entire identity, character, reputation, authority, and very essence of a person. Here, the King's name signifies his royal dignity, his unparalleled beauty, his valor, his righteousness, and his divine appointment. To "remember" this name means to perpetually acknowledge, honor, and uphold all that the King embodies and represents.
The verb "remembered" (זָכַר, zâkar) denotes an active, intentional, and ongoing act of commemoration, rather than a passive recollection. It implies keeping alive the significance of the person or event, ensuring that the King's impact and legacy are not forgotten but continually celebrated, upheld, and brought to mind through the ages. This active remembrance ensures a living, dynamic engagement with his reign.
The word "praise" (יָדָה, yâdâh) fundamentally means to use or hold out the hand, and by extension, to revere or worship with extended hands. It signifies fervent adoration, glorification, and exultation, often involving a joyful, enthusiastic, and public declaration of the King's worth and greatness. The perpetual nature of this praise suggests an unending worship from "the people," serving as a testament to the King's eternal reign and his supreme worthiness of honor.
Verse Breakdown
"I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations"
This opening clause functions as a powerful divine declaration or a divinely inspired assurance from the psalmist. The speaker, understood either as God Himself or the psalmist speaking prophetically under divine inspiration, guarantees the King's enduring renown. "Thy name" refers to the King's entire being, character, and legacy. The phrase "in all generations" emphasizes the timeless, universal, and enduring scope of this remembrance, transcending any single era, culture, or human lifespan. It signifies an active, perpetuated memory, not one that fades with time.
"therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever"
This clause presents the direct and inevitable consequence of the King's name being remembered across generations. The conjunction "therefore" establishes a clear causal link between the divine promise of remembrance and the resulting universal adoration. "The people" (עַמִּים, ʻammim) suggests not merely a specific nation, but potentially all peoples or nations, indicating a broad, even universal, acknowledgment. They will not merely remember but actively "praise" (glorify, worship) the King. The concluding phrase "for ever and ever" (לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, l'olam va'ed) strongly emphasizes the eternal and perpetual nature of this praise, signifying an unending duration of worship, adoration, and glorification.
Literary Devices
Psalms 45:17 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound and far-reaching message. The most prominent is Divine Declaration, where the speaker—whether God directly or the psalmist as God's inspired mouthpiece—asserts an active and sovereign role in ensuring the King's enduring fame. This lends immense weight, certainty, and divine authority to the promise. There is also evident Hyperbole, as the promise of remembrance "in all generations" and praise "for ever and ever" extends beyond the natural lifespan or influence of any earthly monarch. This deliberate exaggeration elevates the King to a realm of eternal significance, serving to foreshadow a greater, indeed divine, King. Furthermore, the verse exhibits clear Causal Parallelism, where the initial clause ("I will make thy name to be remembered...") directly and inevitably leads to the second clause ("therefore shall the people praise thee..."). This structural arrangement reinforces the logical and certain progression from divine action to universal and unending worship, underscoring the inevitability of the King's ultimate glorification.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 45:17 speaks profoundly to the theological themes of divine sovereignty, the nature of true and lasting renown, and the ultimate purpose of all creation: praise. It asserts that genuine and enduring fame is not merely a product of human effort, historical accident, or fleeting popularity, but a divinely ordained reality. The emphatic "I will make" signifies God's active, sovereign hand in exalting His chosen King, ensuring that His character, reign, and redemptive work are not forgotten but perpetually celebrated. This promise of eternal remembrance and universal praise points to a King whose worthiness transcends all temporal and cultural boundaries, fulfilling God's overarching plan for a kingdom that endures forever. It highlights that the ultimate end of all things is the glorification of God and His anointed, drawing all peoples into a unified, unending chorus of adoration.
Reflection and Application
For the believer, Psalms 45:17 offers profound hope, deep assurance, and a clear call to worship. It assures us that the name of Jesus Christ, our King and Messiah, is indeed eternally remembered and supremely exalted across all generations. His reign is boundless, and His praise is everlasting. This verse encourages us to actively join the ever-growing chorus of "the people" who praise Him, recognizing that our worship is not merely a personal act but a participation in a universal, eternal symphony of adoration that spans heaven and earth. It reminds us that our efforts to proclaim His name and share His message are not in vain, but contribute directly to His enduring legacy and the ongoing fulfillment of this ancient prophecy. We are called to live lives that authentically reflect His character and embody His kingdom values, so that His name may be glorified through us, ensuring that His praise continues "for ever and ever" in our hearts and through our faithful witness to a world that desperately needs to know Him. Our very lives become living testimonies, echoing the psalmist's declaration and actively contributing to the global remembrance and praise of the King.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is Psalm 45 solely about an earthly king, or does it have a deeper meaning?
While Psalms 45 was likely composed for an earthly king's wedding, its language and imagery consistently transcend the typical descriptions of human monarchs. Many interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, have understood it to possess a dual fulfillment or a profound prophetic dimension pointing to the Messiah. The descriptions of the King's eternal throne (Psalms 45:6), divine anointing, and universal praise go far beyond what could be fully achieved by any human king. Christians, in particular, see this psalm as a rich and profound foreshadowing of Jesus Christ, the ultimate King whose reign is truly eternal and whose name is praised by all peoples across all generations.
What does "name" signify in this verse in biblical terms?
In biblical thought, a "name" (Hebrew: shêm) is far more than a simple identifier or label. It embodies the entire identity, character, reputation, authority, and very essence of a person. To remember the King's "name" means to acknowledge, honor, and uphold all that he is—his righteousness, his valor, his beauty, and his divine appointment. In the context of the Messiah, it refers to the full revelation of God's character and redemptive work in Jesus Christ, whose name is indeed above every name (Philippians 2:9).
How can "we" make His name remembered and praised today?
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to actively participate in the ongoing fulfillment of this prophecy. We make His name remembered through our consistent and heartfelt worship, our faithful witness to the Gospel, and our lives lived in obedience to His commands. Every act of love, justice, and mercy done in His name contributes to His renown and glorification. By sharing the transformative story of Jesus, teaching His Word with integrity, and living as His devoted disciples, we actively ensure that His name is not forgotten but continually celebrated and glorified across generations, fulfilling the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 45:17 finds its ultimate, most glorious, and complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. While initially celebrating an earthly monarch, the psalm's hyperbolic language, divine declarations, and eternal scope point undeniably to the Messiah, whose reign is truly "for ever and ever." The promise, "I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations," is perfectly realized in Christ, whose name is indeed exalted above every name, a profound truth proclaimed in Philippians 2:9-11. God the Father has actively ensured that the name of Jesus—embodying His divine character, His perfect redemptive work on the cross, and His sovereign authority—will never be forgotten but will be proclaimed, honored, and confessed by every tongue and every knee. Consequently, the declaration, "therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever," anticipates the universal and unending worship that Christ supremely receives. From the adoration of the heavenly host in Revelation 5:12-13 to the ongoing mission of the church to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), the praise of Jesus echoes through history and into eternity. His kingdom is everlasting (Hebrews 1:8), and His renown will endure throughout all generations, culminating in a new heavens and new earth where His glory fills everything and His praise is unending.