What Does Psalms 45:4 Mean?

(4) **And in thy majesty.**—The repetition of this word from the last verse (conjunction included) is suspicious, especially as the LXX., followed by the Vulg., render, “Direct (thine arrows or thine aim”). **Ride prosperously . . .**—Literally, *proceed, ride; *expressing, according to a common Hebrew usage, by two verbs what we express by adverb and verb. **Because **of **. . .**—Better, *In behalf of. *So LXX. and Vulg. There is a difficulty from the absence of the conjunction in the Hebrew before the last of the triad of virtues. The LXX. have it, but may have supplied it, as the Authorised Version does. Some render, “meek righteousness,” or, slightly changing the pointing, “the afflicted righteous.” **And thy right hand shall teach . . .**—If we keep this rendering, we must picture the warrior with his right hand extended, pointing to the foe whom he is about to strike with his deadly arrows. But even this seems somewhat tame; and as the verb rendered “teach” is in 1Samuel 20:20 used for “shooting arrows,” and “arrows” are mentioned immediately in the next verse, it seems obvious to render: *And thy right hand shall shoot terrors, *or, *terribly. *(Comp. Psalm 65:5.)