Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 176:702 (Apr 2019)
Article: A Literary, Compositional, And Intertextual Analysis Of Psalm 45
Author: Seth D. Postell

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BSac 176:702 (April-June 2019) p. 146

A Literary, Compositional, And Intertextual Analysis Of Psalm 45

Seth D. Postell

Seth D. Postell is academic dean, Israel College of the Bible, Netanya, Israel.

This article will be included in the forthcoming Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Edwin A. Blum (Chicago: Moody, 2019).

A special word of thanks to Jo Blower, esteemed colleague and lover of the Bible who provided helpful editorial feedback.

Abstract

Though the author of Hebrews interprets Psalm 45 messianically, many scholars have denied that the psalm speaks directly about the Messiah. Contrary to their concerns, a direct messianic interpretation of this psalm is supported by a literary analysis of the psalm, an analysis of Psalm 45 in the context of the psalms of the Sons of Korah (Pss 42–49) and the Psalter as a whole, and by the matrix of echoes and allusions to other messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Bible.

Psalm 45 is typically identified as a wedding song in honor of one of Israel’s ancient kings or a scripted wedding song in honor of every Israelite king.1 Scholars agree that messianic significance has been attached to the psalm, but many believe it to be accrued meaning, beyond the author’s original intent.2

However, little scholarly attention has been paid to the placement of the psalm within the Psalter as a whole. Reading the book

BSac 176:702 (April-June 2019) p. 147

of Psalms as a single body of work causes a narrative to emerge. Careful study of textual indicators within Psalm 45 and an appreciation of the wider story reveal a psalm that is no mere relic of royal weddings gone by, but a song about the Messiah to come.

This article will maintain that Psalm 45 was specifically and directly written as a celebration of the glories of the future, divine Davidic Messiah. The first part will outline and summarize Psalm 45. It will also look at the identities of both the king and the bride, since her presence in the psalm has been one of the primary reasons for denying the direct messianic interpretation. The second part will examine the literary-canonical context of Psalm 45 as well as its literary relationship to ...

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