Psalm 110

Text and background

Though they translate this Psalm similarly, Christians and Jews interpret its meaning very differently—Jews as referring to a righteous king favored by God to rule over Israel on earth and smite her enemies in battle, and Christians as referring to Jesus literally sitting at God's right hand in heaven as a divine being of equal stature to God.

The primary difference between the Christian and Jewish translations is subtle but significant—the rendering of the Hebrew word 'אדנ ('adoni='my lord') in verse 1a. Many Christian translations follow the KJV and render this word as "my Lord", with capitalization implying that "Lord" refers to a name of God and that therefore two distinct divine Persons ("LORD" and "Lord") are involved.

Noted Messianic Jewish scholar Dr. Michael L. Brown states the following: "Psalm 110 is an important Messianic psalm pointing to the highly exalted status of the Messiah (to the right hand of God!), and to his priestly and royal nature. For these reasons, it is quoted frequently in the New Testament with reference to Yeshua. Yeshua even quotes it himself, pointing out how the Messiah was greater than David, since David called him 'my lord.'"

Dating

The Psalm is usually dated in its first part in the pre-exilic period of Israel, sometimes even completely in the oldest monarchy. A Date in the Maccabean Era is generally not accepted today.

Melchizedek

Psalm 110:4 in the Authorized King James Version reads Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek, which has become traditional in English translations, but the Hebrew contains ambiguities. The New Jewish Publication Society of America Version, (1985 edition), for example, has You are a priest forever, a rightful king by My decree. Another alternative keeps Melchizedek as a personal name but changes the identity of the person addressed: "You are a priest forever by my order (or 'on my account'), O Melchizedek" - here it is Melchizedek who is being addressed throughout the psalm.

In Judaism

Targum Yonathan to the opening verse of the psalm attributes the victorious king as King David who was a "righteous king" and, as king, had certain priestly-like responsibilities. The Babylonian Talmud understands the chapter as referring to Abram who was victorious in battling to save his brother-in-law Lot and merited priesthood. According to Avot of Rabbi Nathan, chapter 34, Psalm 110 refers to the Messiah, in the context of the Four Craftsmen.

"These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth (Zech. 4:14). This is a reference to Aaron and the Messiah, but I cannot tell which is the more beloved. However, from the verse, The Lord hath sworn and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever after the manner of Mechizedek (Psalm 110:4), one can tell that the Messianic King is more beloved than the Righteous Priest."

As a member of tribe of Judah King David was not a born priest (Kohen) as only members of the tribe of Levi of patrilineal descent from Aaron, the brother of Moses, are entitled to priesthood in Judaism. As the respected Jewish sage Rashi wrote:

Because of the speech of Malchizedek, because of the command of Malchizedek. You are a priest, Heb. kohen ("כהן"). The term kohen bears the connotation of priesthood, servitude to the deity and, less frequently, rulership, as (II Sam. 8:18): "and David's sons were kohanim (chief officers)".

Rashi is speaking of the Hebrew word "kohen" which Christian translators translate as "priest" in Psalm 110, but which is often translated as "ruler" in many places in Christian translations. The Hebrew word is kohen and while commonly translated as "priest" it may have other meanings. The word appears 750 times in the Massoretic Text. In 5 cases the KJV translates it as "officers":

2 Samuel 8:18 (KJV) - And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers (kohenim). 2 Samuel 20:26 (KJV) - And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler (kohen) about David. 1 Kings 4:5 (KJV) - And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer (kohen) and the king's friend.

Judaism

Protestant Christianity

Catholicism

In the rule of St Benedict set to 530, St. Benedict of Nursia attributed the psalms from the 109th to the 147th vespers, except those reserved for other hours. Therefore, from the top Middle Ages, Psalm 109 as it was traditionally performed at the beginning of the solemn service of Vespers Sunday.

Even today, in the ordinary Roman rite, Psalm 110 is recited Vespers every Sunday and read at the Mass for the feast of the Blessed Sacrament. In the Tridentine rite, it is recited in Vespers every Sunday and during major holidays.

New Testament

The first verse of the psalm is an important quote in the New Testament, the basis of an extremely important piece of Christian theology and is one of the most quoted Old Testament verses in the New Testament. In this case, the statements are interpreted as Jesus Christ sitting "at the right hand of God" and God put him "his enemies at the feet" Jesus indicates the first verse of the psalm as a prophetic statement of David, about himself.

In addition, the Psalm is used in the book of Hebrews, to justify the award of the title "High Priest" of Jesus from Scripture . Especially Ps 110.4 EU is often cited.:

1. Hebrews 5:1-6 emphasizes the correspondence of Christ's priesthood to the Levitical priesthood: Aaron and Christ were both called by God and inserted into office.
2. Hebrews 6:20 emphasizes the eternity of this priesthood.
3. Hebrews 7 identified the priesthood of Christ with the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek and ensure its preferential out over the Levitical priesthood. Melchizedek even legitimized Abraham as the progenitor of the Levites

Musical settings

The Latin text was set to music by many composers, such as Tomás Luis de Victoria in the 16th century, or Michel Richard Delalande, Michael Haydn and Vivaldi in the 18th century. In the seventeenth century, Claudio Monteverdi put Psalm 110 in his famous Vespers of the Virgin and in his Selva morale e spirituale.

One of the standard psalms used in the Vespers service, this psalm has also been set by many composers, notably Mozart in his Vesperae solennes de confessore and by Handel in his Dixit Dominus. Richard Rodgers composed a partial setting of the psalm for the opening sequence of his musical The Sound of Music, using verses 1, 5, and 7.