Psalms 45:5

Thine arrows [are] sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; [whereby] the people fall under thee.

Thine arrows {H2671} are sharp {H8150}{H8802)} in the heart {H3820} of the king's {H4428} enemies {H341}{H8802)}; whereby the people {H5971} fall {H5307}{H8799)} under thee.

Your arrows are sharp. The people fall under you, as they penetrate the hearts of the king's enemies.

Your arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s foes; the nations fall beneath your feet.

Thine arrows are sharp; The peoples fall under thee; They arein the heart of the king’s enemies.

Psalms 45:5 (KJV): Thine arrows [are] sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; [whereby] the people fall under thee.

Context

Psalm 45 is a royal psalm, often interpreted as a wedding song for a king. It praises the king's beauty, grace, power, and righteous rule, and then addresses the queen. Verse 5 falls within the section describing the king's military might and his effectiveness against his adversaries. This verse emphasizes the swift and decisive nature of the king's conquest over those who oppose him.

Key Themes

  • The King's Power and Authority: The verse highlights the irresistible force of the king's actions against his foes.
  • Effective Warfare: The imagery of sharp arrows hitting the heart signifies a direct and deadly blow, ensuring the enemy's defeat.
  • Submission of Enemies: The result of the king's power is the submission ("fall under thee") of the opposing people.
  • Divine Appointment: While a literal earthly king is the subject, many Christian interpretations see this psalm, especially its portrayal of a righteous and powerful king, as prophetic of Christ's messianic rule and conquest.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "arrows" is chitzim (חִצִּים), standard for literal arrows used in battle. "Sharp" is shěnunim (שְׁנוּנִים), emphasizing their readiness and effectiveness for piercing. The phrase "in the heart" (בְּלֵב, bə·lêḇ) indicates a fatal strike, going directly to the vital center. "Fall under thee" (יִפְּלוּ תַחְתֶּיךָ, yip·pəlū taḥ·tey·ḵā) means to be subdued or brought into submission, often implying defeat and prostration.

Reflection

This verse vividly portrays the power of the king over his adversaries. Spiritually, it can be seen as illustrating the power of God or Christ against spiritual enemies. Just as the king's arrows were sharp and effective, the "weapons of our warfare" (as described in 2 Corinthians 10:4) are mighty through God. It speaks to the certainty of divine judgment against those who oppose God's rule and the ultimate submission of all things under Christ's authority.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Psalms 21:12

    Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, [when] thou shalt make ready [thine arrows] upon thy strings against the face of them.

  • Psalms 38:2

    For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.

  • Numbers 24:8

    God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce [them] through with his arrows.

  • Zechariah 9:13

    When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.

  • Zechariah 9:14

    And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.

  • Psalms 22:27

    All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

  • Psalms 66:3

    Say unto God, How terrible [art thou in] thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

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