Psalm 110 Home
Sit at my right side
Psalm 110
Translation
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This psalm presents a startling picture of the enemy kings being violently smashed, and their nations filled with corpses, as the first step to YHWH and his promised king reigning over these nations. YHWH vows to extend this king’s reign from Zion throughout the wide world. This king is one whom David addresses as his superior: a descendant of his who will nonetheless be greater than he is, because he will receive the eternal and universal promises YHWH has made.
This descendant will be greater not only in the extent of his kingdom, but also in his relationship to YHWH: he will be both priest and king, having immediate access to YHWH and receiving assurance of success because YHWH, himself, will do battle against his enemies.
This prophetic declaration to David was not about David’s own time, but a future time, when God’s promises would be fulfilled. God’s message to David was the certainty that all these promises would be fulfilled, and that YHWH himself would ensure that it was so.
נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑יעַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃
YHWH’s oracle to my lord: “Sit at my right side, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
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