Psalms 45:9-10

45:9 Princesses are among your honored guests,

your bride stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir.

45:10 Listen, O princess!

Observe and pay attention!

Forget your homeland and your family!


tn Heb “daughters of kings.”

tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.

tn This rare Hebrew noun apparently refers to the king’s bride, who will soon be queen (see Neh 2:6). The Aramaic cognate is used of royal wives in Dan 5:2-3, 23.

tn Heb “a consort stands at your right hand, gold of Ophir.”

sn Gold from Ophir is also mentioned in Isa 13:12 and Job 28:16. The precise location of Ophir is uncertain; Arabia, India, East Africa, and South Africa have all been suggested as options.

tn Heb “daughter.” The Hebrew noun בת (“daughter”) can sometimes refer to a young woman in a general sense (see H. Haag, TDOT 2:334).

sn Listen, O princess. The poet now addresses the bride.

tn Heb “see and turn your ear.” The verb רָאָה (raah, “see”) is used here of mental observation.

tn Heb “your people.” This reference to the “people” of the princess suggests she was a foreigner. Perhaps the marriage was arranged as part of a political alliance between Israel (or Judah) and a neighboring state. The translation “your homeland” reflects such a situation.

tn Heb “and the house of your father.”