Psalms Chapter 45

“My heart is inditing a good matter, etc.] What is valuable and excellent, concerning the excellency of Christ’s person, of his kingdom, of his love to the church, and of the church itself; what is pleasant and delightful, comfortable, useful, and profitable: this his heart was inditing; which shows that it was under the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, and denotes the fervour of it; it “boiling up”, as the word f602 signifies; being heated by the fire of the divine Spirit, whereby it was hot within him, and caused him to speak with his tongue; and also the abundance that was in it, it “bubbling up”…”

“Shoshannim--literally, "Lilies," either descriptive of an instrument so shaped, or denoting some tune or air so called, after which the Psalm was to be sung (see on Psa 8:1, title). A song of loves, or, of beloved ones (plural and feminine)--a conjugal song. Maschil--(See on Psa 32:1, title, and Psa 42:1, title) denotes the didactic character of the Psalm; that it gives instruction, the song being of allegorical, and not literal, import. The union and glories of Christ and his Church are described. He is addressed as a king possessed of all essential graces, as a conqueror exalted on the throne of a righteous and…”

“My heart is inditing - That is, I am engaged in inditing a good matter; though implying at the same time that it was a work of the heart - a work in which the heart was engaged. It was not a mere production of the intellect; not a mere work of skill; not a mere display of the beauty of song, but a work in which the affections particularly were engaged, and which would express the feelings of the heart: the result or effusion of sincere love. The word rendered is “inditing” - רחשׁ râchash - is rendered in the margin, boileth or bubbleth up. It means properly to boil up or over, as a fountain; and the idea here is…”

“Enditing - Heb. boileth, or bubbleth up like water over the fire. This denotes that the workings of his heart, were fervent and vehement, kindled by God's grace, and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Made - Have composed. Pen - He was only the pen or instrument in uttering this song; it was the spirit of God, by whose hand this pen was guided. Psalms 45:2”

“Ps 45 This psalm celebrates a royal wedding; it might have been sung on many occasions and not just at one wedding. As God’s representative, the king carried the responsibility of dispensing justice and maintaining order in God’s world (see Ps 2). 45:title The tune “Lilies” is no longer known (see also Ps 69).”

“Shoshannim: Psa 69:1, Psa 80:1 \*titles Maschil: or, of instruction A song: Sol 1:1, Sol 1:2-7; Isa 5:1; Eph 5:32 is inditing: Heb. boileth, or, bubbleth up, Job 32:18-20; Pro 16:23; Mat 12:35 a good: Psa 49:3; Job 33:3, Job 34:4; Pro 8:6-9 touching: Psa 2:6, Psa 24:7-10, Psa 110:1, Psa 110:2; Sol 1:12; Isa 32:1, Isa 32:2; Mat 25:34, Mat 27:37 tongue: Sa2 23:2; Pe2 1:21 Psalms 45:2”

“(Heb.: 45:2-3) The verb רחשׁ, as מרחשׁת shows, signifies originally to bubble up, boil, and is used in the dialects generally of excited motion and lively excitement; it is construed with the accusative after the manner of verbs denoting fulness, like the synonymous נבע, Psa 119:171 (cf. Talmudic לשׁונך תרחישׁ רננות, let thy tongue overflow with songs of praise). Whatever the heart is full of, with that the mouth overflows; the heart of the poet gushes over with a "good word." דּבר is a matter that finds utterance and is put into the form of words; and טּוב describes it as good with the collateral idea of that…”