Psalm 110

This psalm belongs to Book Five of the Psalms (Psalms 107–150), and its superscription reads "A Psalm of David." The preceding psalm, Psalm 109, is a plea for deliverance from enemies that ends with the confession "For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor" (Psalm 109:31). Psalm 110 follows by celebrating a king seated at the LORD's "right hand."

Structure

• Verse 1 The LORD tells "my Lord" to sit at His right hand until He makes his enemies his footstool.
• Verses 2–3 The LORD sends forth the rod of strength out of Zion. The Lord's people offer themselves willingly in the beauties of holiness, and young men come forth like the dew of the morning.
• Verse 4 The LORD swears an oath, declaring him a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. "Order" here denotes rank or line of succession.
• Verses 5–7 The Lord at the right hand strikes through kings in the day of His wrath and judges among the nations; He drinks of the brook in the way and lifts up His head.

Key Verses

• Psalm 110:1 "Sit thou at my right hand": one of the verses the New Testament draws on most often when speaking of Christ's exaltation.
• Psalm 110:4 "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek": the verse on which Hebrews grounds its explanation of Christ's priesthood.

People and Places

• David: the king named in the superscription and traditionally regarded as the author.
• Melchizedek: the king of Salem and priest who blessed Abraham (Genesis 14:18–20).
• Zion: a name for Jerusalem, portrayed as the place from which royal authority extends.

Points for Reflection

• In verse 1, "the LORD" and "my Lord" translate two different words in the Hebrew original. Many scholars regard the psalm as a royal psalm connected with the enthronement of a Davidic king. Some interpretations within Jewish tradition read it as a psalm about David or a king of Israel. Christianity has read it as a messianic prophecy pointing to Jesus Christ.
• Jesus cites verse 1 to raise the question of how the Messiah can be both David's son and David's Lord (Matthew 22:41–45). Peter quotes verse 1 in his Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:34–35). Hebrews quotes verse 1 in 1:13 and verse 4 in chapters 5–7.
• Verse 3 is known to be difficult to interpret in the original text, and its wording differs considerably among translations. Interpretations also vary as to what the "brook" in verse 7 signifies.

In the Korean Church

Verse 1 is commonly linked to the phrase "sitteth on the right hand of God" in the Apostles' Creed, and it is frequently cited in sermons on the Ascension and the kingship of Christ. In expository preaching on Hebrews, verse 4 is read alongside that book as a text explaining Christ's office as High Priest.