Psalm 45:11 kjv
So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
Psalm 45:11 nkjv
So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
Psalm 45:11 niv
Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
Psalm 45:11 esv
and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.
Psalm 45:11 nlt
For your royal husband delights in your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.
Psalm 45 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 95:6 | O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. | General call to worship the Lord. |
| Isa 26:13 | O Lord our God, other lords besides thee have had dominion over us... but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. | Call for sole allegiance to God over other lords. |
| Jn 5:23 | That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. | Christ is due the same honor as God the Father. |
| Jn 20:28 | And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. | Confession of Jesus' divine Lordship. |
| Acts 2:36 | Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus... both Lord and Christ. | God established Jesus' supreme authority. |
| Rom 14:9 | For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. | Jesus' death and resurrection establish universal Lordship. |
| 1 Cor 8:6 | But to us there is but one God, the Father... and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things... | Acknowledgment of Christ as the singular Lord. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | God also hath highly exalted him... that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord... | Christ's supreme exaltation and universal worship. |
| Heb 1:6 | And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. | Even angels are commanded to worship the Son. |
| Rev 5:12 | Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom... | Heavenly declaration of Christ's worthiness to receive all glory and power. |
| Rev 19:16 | And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. | Christ's ultimate sovereign titles. |
| Ps 45:10 | Hearken, O daughter, and consider... forget also thine own people, and thy father's house... | Immediate context; call to abandon past loyalties for the King. |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice... | Obedience and submission valued above external rituals. |
| Gen 12:1 | Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee... | God's call to Abraham to leave past allegiances for His purpose. |
| Lk 14:26 | If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother... he cannot be my disciple. | Demands for radical, unparalleled allegiance to Christ. |
| Phil 3:7-8 | But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ... | Giving up everything worldly as worthless for Christ. |
| Col 3:10 | And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: | Spiritual transformation resulting in true inner beauty. |
| 1 Pet 3:3-4 | Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning... But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit... | Emphasizes inner, spiritual beauty over external. |
| Rev 19:7-8 | ...for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white... | The Bride (Church) preparing herself in righteousness for Christ. |
| Isa 54:5 | For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name... | God as the Husband of His people (typology for Christ and Church). |
| 2 Cor 11:2 | For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. | The Church betrothed to Christ as a pure virgin. |
| Eph 5:25-27 | Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it... That he might present it to himself a glorious church... | Christ's sacrificial love for the Church and her sanctification. |
| Rev 21:9 | ...Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. | New Jerusalem depicted as the Bride, the Lamb's wife. |
Psalm 45 verses
Psalm 45 11 Meaning
Psalm 45:11 is a direct address to the royal bride, exhorting her to fully dedicate herself to the King. It states that the King's profound desire for her spiritual and moral beauty is intrinsically linked to her acknowledgment of his supreme authority and her subsequent act of worshipful submission. This mutual relationship of the King's desire and the bride's devotion forms the essence of their bond, founded on His ultimate Lordship.
Psalm 45 11 Context
Psalm 45 is a "Maskil" and "A Song of Love" celebrating a royal wedding. The psalm opens by praising the King (verses 2-9) for his unparalleled beauty, valor, righteousness, and eternal divine anointing, often seen as a Messianic prophecy pointing to Christ. Verse 10 shifts focus to the bride, admonishing her to sever ties with her former life and family to embrace her new loyalties to the King. Verse 11 logically follows, providing the profound reason for this total devotion: the King himself desires her, and more importantly, he is her supreme Lord who rightfully demands her worship and submission. The subsequent verses (12-17) describe her glorious appearance and future progeny, symbolizing the King's everlasting kingdom. Historically, such psalms would celebrate Israelite or Judahite monarchs, but their heightened language often points beyond mere earthly kingship to the eternal reign and nature of the Messiah.
Psalm 45 11 Word analysis
So shall the King (וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ, wə·yiṯ·'āw ham·me·leḵ):
- וְיִתְאָו (wə·yiṯ·'āw): From the Hebrew root ta'av (תאו), this verb expresses intense desire, longing, or craving. It is a profound, active yearning from the King. Its placement suggests that the King's deep affection is conditional upon the bride's prior action of commitment mentioned in Ps 45:10.
- הַמֶּלֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ): "The King." The definite article "the" highlights his unique and supreme status. In a Messianic interpretation, this is Christ, the ultimate King whose reign is eternal and righteous. His kingship is the foundation of his authority.
greatly desire thy beauty (יָפְיֵךְ, yā·p̄ə·yēḵ):
- יָפְיֵךְ (yā·p̄ə·yēḵ): Derived from yophi (יֹפִי), meaning "beauty," "splendor," or "loveliness." In this context, the bride's beauty encompasses more than physical appearance. It denotes spiritual purity, inner character, righteous living, and devoted obedience. This spiritual beauty, wrought by dedication to the King, becomes the object of his intense desire.
for he is thy Lord (כִּי־הוּא אֲדֹנָיִךְ, kî-hū 'ă·ḏō·nā·yiḵ):
- כִּי־הוּא (kî-hū): "For he is," serves as the compelling reason or justification for the command that follows. It links the King's identity to the expected response from the bride.
- אֲדֹנָיִךְ ('ă·ḏō·nā·yiḵ): "Your Lord/Master." This term is a plural of majesty derived from 'adon (אָדוֹן), signifying supreme authority, sovereignty, and ownership. While distinct from YHWH, it is often used for God and conveys a divine quality of mastery. Here, it signifies the King's unquestionable authority and His rightful claim over the bride.
and worship thou him (וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִי לוֹ, wə·hiš·ta·ḥă·wî lô):
- וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִי (wə·hiš·ta·ḥă·wî): From the Hithpael stem of shachah (שָׁחָה), meaning "to bow down, prostrate oneself," or "do obeisance." This is the quintessential act of humble reverence, submission, and adoration, often performed before a divine being or a supreme sovereign. It signifies absolute homage.
- לוֹ (lô): "to him," the direct object of worship, clearly designating the King as the sole recipient of this ultimate act of submission and adoration.
Words-group by Words-group analysis:
- "So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty": This phrase emphasizes the reciprocal affection and admiration in the divine-human relationship. The King's active desire highlights that true spiritual beauty, stemming from purity and devotion, is precious and highly valued by Him. It suggests that her compliance to Ps 45:10 (forsaking former allegiances) directly leads to her being desirable in His eyes.
- "for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him": This constitutes the bedrock of the bride's obligation. The phrase clearly articulates the theological foundation for her actions: His absolute Lordship ("He is thy Lord") demands her complete and unreserved homage ("and worship thou him"). This underscores the unique and unparalleled nature of the King's authority, demanding singular allegiance and precluding any divided loyalties. It moves beyond affection to righteous duty based on His intrinsic nature and position.
Psalm 45 11 Bonus section
The use of the title אֲדֹנָיִךְ ('ă·ḏō·nā·yiḵ), "Your Lord," for the King in Psalm 45 is exceptionally significant. While it literally means "your masters" (a plural of majesty), its consistent use in the Hebrew Bible in relation to God underscores a divine level of authority and veneration. It attributes to the human king (in a literal sense) or the Messianic King (in a prophetic sense) an authority and worthiness of worship that borders on the divine. This anticipation of a King deserving divine homage is directly fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who unequivocally received and accepted worship as God (e.g., Matt 14:33; Jn 9:38). Furthermore, the Hithpael form of the verb "to worship" (וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִי, wə·hiš·ta·ḥă·wî) signifies a strong emphasis on the act of humble self-prostration, moving beyond mere respect to devout adoration. This command serves as a powerful theological statement about the exclusive allegiance demanded by the King, acting as an implicit polemic against the polytheistic or idolatrous practices of surrounding cultures where divided loyalties to multiple deities were common. The bride must acknowledge one ultimate Lord alone.
Psalm 45 11 Commentary
Psalm 45:11 presents a pivotal injunction to the bride—figuratively representing the Church or individual believer—calling for her unqualified devotion to the King, who is Christ. The King's profound desire for her "beauty" is not based on fleeting external charm but on the intrinsic spiritual loveliness, purity, and holiness that flourishes through her genuine allegiance. This beauty becomes deeply desirable to Him. The profound reason for this expected dedication is explicitly stated: "for he is thy Lord." This title 'Adonai conveys His absolute sovereignty and mastership, making Him the rightful object of exclusive adoration. Therefore, the command "worship thou him" is the logical and necessary response, an act of humble prostration and reverent submission that affirms His supreme authority and worthiness. This verse fundamentally instructs believers that their complete, unreserved surrender and worship of Christ are not merely optional expressions of affection but commanded responses to His undeniable Lordship, fostering a relationship where Christ delights in the believer's consecrated beauty, and the believer freely renders Him ultimate glory. Practically, it means actively prioritizing Christ above all earthly ties and sources of identity.