Psalms — Chapter 45
For the leader; on shoshannim.ashoshannim Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Of the Korahites. A maskil. A love song.
My heart is astir with gracious words;I speak my poem to a king;my tongue is the pen of an expert scribe.
You are fairer than all mortals;your speech is endowed with grace;rightly has God given you an eternal blessing.
Gird your sword upon your thigh, O hero,in your splendor and glory;
bMeaning of verse uncertain. in your glory, win success;ride on in the cause of truth and meekness and right;and let your right hand lead you to awesome deeds.
Your arrows, sharpened,[pierce] the breast of the king’s enemies;peoples fall at your feet.c[pierce] the breast of the king’s enemies; / peoples fall at your feet Clauses transposed for clarity.
Your divine throneddivine throne Cf. 1 Chron. 29.23. is everlasting;your royal scepter is a scepter of equity.
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;rightly has God, your God, chosen to anoint youwith oil of gladness over all your peers.
All your robes [are fragrant] withmyrrh and aloes and cassia;from ivoried palaceslutes entertain you.
Royal princesses are your favorites;the consort stands at your right hand,decked in gold of Ophir.
Take heed, lass, and note,incline your ear:forget your people and your father’s house,
and let the king be aroused by your beauty;since he is your lord, bow to him.
O Tyrian lass,the wealthiest people will court your favor with gifts,
goods of all sorts.The royal princess,her dress embroidered with golden mountings,
is led inside to the king;egoods of all sorts … to the king Meaning of Heb. uncertain. maidens in her train, her companions,are presented to you.
They are led in with joy and gladness;they enter the palace of the king.
Your sons will succeed your fathers;you will appoint them princes throughout the land.
I commemorate your fame for all generations,so peoples will praise you forever and ever.
✦ Connected Across Traditions
The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Hadith (An-Nawawi 13)
“None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.”
Mahabharata 5.1517
“One should never do to another what one regards as injurious to oneself.”
Dhammapada 10:1
“All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.”
Divine Compassion & Mercy
Quran 1:1
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.”
Luke 6:36
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Snp 1.8
“As a mother would risk her life to protect her child, her only child, even so should one cultivate a limitless heart with regard to all beings.”
Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1
“One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred.”
Humility & Surrender
Bhagavad Gita 18:66
“Abandon all varieties of dharma and simply surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions; do not fear.”
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Tao Te Ching 22
“If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.”
Quran 2:45
“Seek help through patience and prayer. It is indeed exacting, but not for those who are humble.”
Good vs Evil / Light vs Darkness
Yasna 30:3
“Now the two primal Spirits, who reveal themselves as Twins, are the Better and the Bad, in thought and word and action.”
John 1:5
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Dhammapada 1:1-2
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow.”
Bhagavad Gita 16:21
“There are three gates to self-destructive hell: lust, anger, and greed. Therefore, one must learn to give these up.”