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Psalms

About this book
Psalm 45

1 For the music director, according to the tune of “Lilies”; by the Korahites, a well-written poem, a love song. My heart is stirred by a beautiful song. I say, “I have composed this special song for the king; my tongue is as skilled as the stylus of an experienced scribe.”⁠ 2 You are the most handsome of all men. You speak in an impressive and fitting manner. For this reason God grants you continual blessings.⁠ 3 Strap your sword to your thigh, O warrior. Appear in your majestic splendor. 4 Appear in your majesty and be victorious. Ride forth for the sake of what is right, on behalf of justice. Then your right hand will accomplish mighty acts. 5 Your arrows are sharp and penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies. Nations fall at your feet. 6 Your throne, O God, is permanent. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.⁠ 7 You love justice and hate evil. For this reason God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy, elevating you above your companions. 8 All your garments are perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cassia. From the luxurious palaces comes the music of stringed instruments that makes you happy. 9 Princesses are among your honored women. Your bride stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir. 10 Listen, O princess. Observe and pay attention! Forget your homeland and your family.⁠ 11 Then the king will be attracted by your beauty. After all, he is your master. Submit to him. 12 Rich people from Tyre will seek your favor by bringing a gift. 13 The princess looks absolutely magnificent, decked out in pearls and clothed in a brocade trimmed with gold. 14 In embroidered robes she is escorted to the king. Her attendants, the maidens of honor who follow her, are led before you. 15 They are bubbling with joy as they walk in procession and enter the royal palace. 16 Your sons will carry on the dynasty of your ancestors; you will make them princes throughout the land.⁠ 17 I will proclaim your greatness through the coming years, then the nations will praise you forever.

Texts in conversation

Compare A Praise Poem of Shulgi and Psalm 45:2

Ancient Near East, Sumerian · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

The Sumerian poem of Shulgi describes the king as divinely chosen and known for his beauty and strength, standing between the human and divine realms. Psalm 45 follows this tradition, describing the king with attractiveness, wisdom, and divine favor.

Passages

A Praise Poem of Shulgi

Ancient Near East, Sumerian · The Run of King Shulgi of Ur
I, the king, was a hero already in the womb; I, Šulgi, was born to be a mighty man. I am a fierce-looking lion, begotten by a dragon. I am the king of the four regions; I am the herdsman and shepherd of the black-headed people. I am a respected one, the god of all the lands. I am a child born of Ninsun. I am the choice of holy An’s heart. I am the man whose fate was decided by Enlil. I am Šulgi, the beloved of Ninlil. I am he who is cherished by Nintud. I am he who was endowed with wisdom by Enki. I am the powerful king of Nanna. I am the growling lion of Utu. I am Šulgi, who has been chosen by Inana for his attractiveness. I am a mule, most suitable for the road. I am a horse, whose tail waves on the highway. I am a stallion of Šakkan, eager to run.
2000 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in A Praise Poem of Shulgi

Psalm 45:2

Hebrew Bible
1 For the music director, according to the tune of “Lilies”; by the Korahites, a well-written poem, a love song. My heart is stirred by a beautiful song. I say, “I have composed this special song for the king; my tongue is as skilled as the stylus of an experienced scribe.” 2 You are the most handsome of all men. You speak in an impressive and fitting manner. For this reason God grants you continual blessings. 3 Strap your sword to your thigh, O warrior. Appear in your majestic splendor.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... some gods have made a specialty of everything related to the granting of the title of the king. In the early periods it was mainly the role of Enlil, who was himself king of gods. Later, when Marduk also called Bēl (“Lord”) took his place, he was assisted by his son Nabu who made the kings of Babylon. In Assyria the monarchy was conferred by the national god Aššur and the king was his vicar (iššiakku). Monarchs were indeed enthroned through priests, but received their powers from the world of the gods. As such, they were not individuals like the others, because they were somewhere between the world of men and the divine. Moreover, after the creation of men in order to serve the gods, god Ea suggested modelling the beings destined to lead these new servants. These were of course kings who did not have exactly the same nature as the rest of mankind ..."
Philippe Clancier, “The Mesopotamian King between Gods and Men in the First Millennium BCE,” in Conceptualising Divine Unions in the Greek and Near Eastern Worlds, ed. Eleni Pachoumi (Leiden: Brill, 2022), 13–44.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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