Psalm 110 Story Behind

  Choose a Psalm  Navigate Psalm 110

Home

Listen & Read

Overview

Layers >>

Grammar & Semantics

Story Behind

Discourse

Poetry

Helps

Verse-by-Verse Notes

Exegetical Issues

Translation Aids

All Psalms

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

Sit at my right side

Psalm 110

About the Story Behind Layer

The Story Behind the Psalm shows how each part of the psalm fits together into a single coherent whole. Whereas most semantic analysis focuses on discrete parts of a text such as the meaning of a word or phrase, Story Behind the Psalm considers the meaning of larger units of discourse, including the entire psalm.

The goal of this layer is to reconstruct and visualise a mental representation of the text as the earliest hearers/readers might have conceptualised it. We start by identifying the propositional content of each clause in the psalm, and then we identify relevant assumptions implied by each of the propositions. During this process, we also identify and analyse metaphorical language (“imagery”). Finally, we try to see how all of the propositions and assumptions fit together to form a coherent mental representation. The main tool we use for structuring the propositions and assumptions is a story triangle, which visualises the rise and fall of tension within a semantic unit. Although story triangles are traditionally used to analyse stories in the literary sense of the word, we use them at this layer to analyse “stories” in the cognitive sense of the word—i.e., a story as a sequence of propositions and assumptions that has tension.

Summary Triangle

The story triangle below summarises the story of the whole psalm. We use the same colour scheme as in Participant Analysis. The star icon along the edge of the story-triangle indicates the point of the story in which the psalm itself (as a speech event) takes place. We also include a theme at the bottom of the story. The theme is the main message conveyed by the story-behind.

Story Triangles legend
Propositional content (verse number)	Propositional content, the base meaning of the clause, is indicated by bold black text. The verse number immediately follows the correlating proposition in black text inside parentheses.
Common-ground assumption	Common-ground assumptions are indicated by gray text.
Local-ground assumption	Local-ground assumptions are indicated by dark blue text.
Playground assumption	Playground assumptions are indicated by light blue text.
	The point of the story at which the psalm takes place (as a speech event) is indicated by a gray star.
	If applicable, the point of the story at which the psalm BEGINS to take place (as a speech event) is indicated with a light gray star. A gray arrow will travel from this star to the point at which the psalm ends, indicated by the darker gray star.
	A story that repeats is indicated by a circular arrow. This indicates a sequence of either habitual or iterative events.
	A story or event that does not happen or the psalmist does not wish to happen is indicated with a red X over the story triangle.
	Connections between propositions and/or assumptions are indicated by black arrows with small text indicating how the ideas are connected.
Note: In the Summary triangle, highlight color scheme follows the colors of participant analysis.

• Background
• Paraphrase
• Story Triangles
• Assumptions

Background ideas

Following are the common-ground assumptionsCommon-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/Ancient Near Eastern background. which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm.

• David is a prophet (cf. 2 Sam. 23:1–7; Acts 2:29–30; David's Compositions; cf. Kugel "David the Prophet" 1990).
• To sit at YHWH's right side implies access to YHWH's presence as a priest.
• Melchizedek was both the king of the ancient city of Jerusalem/Zion and a priest of El-Elyon (see Gen. 14:18ff).
• Drinking foreign water is a gesture of dominance (cf. 2 Kgs. 19:24 // Isa. 37:25; cf. von Nordheim 108).
• A king's conquest is ultimately the work of the king's god (cf. 1 Kgs. 5:3; cf. Neo-Assyrian royal prophecies in Hilber 2005 and Nissinen 2019).

Background situation

The background situation is the series of events leading up to the time in which the psalm is spoken. These are taken from the story triangle – whatever lies to the left of the star icon.

Expanded Paraphrase

The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

(For more information, click "Expanded Paraphrase Legend" below.)

Expanded Paraphrase Legend

Expanded paraphrase legend
Close but Clear (CBC) translation	The CBC, our close but clear translation of the Hebrew, is represented in bold text.
Assumptions	Assumptions which provide background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences are represented in italics.

Psalm 110/Story Behind/Expanded Paraphrase

Story Triangles

(Click diagram to enlarge)

Assumptions Table

Verse	Text (Hebrew)	Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.	Proposition	Common Ground	Local Ground	Playground
1	לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר	A psalm by David.		* David is a prophet (cf. Kugel "David the Prophet" 1990) ** 2 Sam. 23:1-7 ** ויהי דויד בן ישי... כול אלה דבר כנבואה אשר נתן לו מלפני העליון (David's Compositions, 11QPsa). ** "When the spirit of prophecy was upon David..." (Targum Pss 14); "David...who sang in prophecy" (Targum Pss 18); "by David, it was said in prophecy" (Targum Pss 103). ** Δαυὶδ... προφήτης οὖν ὑπάρχων (Acts 2:29-30)"
1aα	נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י	YHWH’s oracle to my lord:	YHWH’s oracle to my lord	* "Assyrian prophecies testify to the existence of cultic, royal prophecy in the seventh century in a society rather near to Israel and Judah. With respect to Psalm 110, they offer comparable stylistic and form-critical features which bear on the questions of the nature, form, setting and date of the psalm. On the basis of these similarities, Psalm 110 should be classified as a unified cultic enthronement prophecy dating to the monarchic period" (Hilber 2005, 88). * People address their superiors as "my lord" (e.g., Josh. 5:14; Zech. 1:9) * YHWH is seated on a throne (cf. Ps. 11:4, etc.) * "YHWH's 'sitting' on his throne means, in Isaiah 6, Psalm 93, and Psalm 99, the exercise of YHWH's universal and cosmic royal rule" (Zenger 147-8). * The right side is "usually the position of honor, privilege, and preference" (1 Kgs. 2:19; Ps. 110:1) (NIDOTTE) * The king's right side is, with the exception of the king's throne, the most honorable position in the kingdom (cf. 1 Kgs 2:19 וַתֵּ֖שֶׁב לִֽימִינֽוֹ). ** On 1 Kgs. 2:19 and the "right side" as the position of honor, see Keil & Delitzsch; Cogan 2001; Devries 2003. * Kings might be said to sit at the right hand of their gods (e.g., depictions of Horemheb at the right hand of Horus). * The Most Holy Place is the earthly representation of YHWH's throne-room—the ark is his footstool, and he is enthroned above the cherubim (see e.g., Ps. 99)—and only priests are permitted into the throne-room of YHWH (e.g., Lev. 16). ** 'The language of “right hand” does more than metaphorically communicate authority, power, and kingship; it also highlights the messiah’s privileged position of access to Yahweh. David’s lord will reign from the very heavenly throne room of God... Thus, we do not have to wait until 110:4 to see the priestly identity of David’s lord. Like the messianic picture in Psalm 2, the Davidic messiah will exercise kingly authority while enjoying priestly access to the very presence of God. (Footnote 90: The messiah’s position at the right hand of God suggests that he mediates God’s rule over the earth. This mediatorial role also points to the messiah’s priestly status)" (Emadi, "The royal priest: Psalm 110 in biblical-theological perspective," SBTS dissertation 2016, 125-126; cf. Emadi, The Royal Priest: Psalm 110 in Biblical Theology 2022)"	* The royal figure in Ps. 110 is David's lord * The royal figure in Ps. 110 is David's superior ** That David’s lord is greater than David himself seems to be reflected in the HB as well as in rabbinic tradition (e.g., Midrash Tehillim 2:9 and 18:29; Daniel 7:13-14 in Talmudic literature and in Saadiah Gaon’s commentary on this passage, and the Midrash to Isaiah 52:13; cf. Yalqut Shim’oni 2:571). These texts speak about the anointed one as a heavenly figure who will be worshiped by all peoples and nations and will be sitting enthroned in heaven."	* The royal figure in Ps. 110 is the Messiah. ** Ps. 110 has been read, since ancient times, as a Messianic prophecy by Jews and Christians alike. See discussion in Perowne II, 288-290; Mitchell 2003, 263f)
1aβ	שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י	“Sit at my right side,	The lord sits at YHWH's right side.			* The lord sits with YHWH on his throne (cf. Rev. 3:21) * The lord shares in YHWH's rule over the universe (cf. Zenger). * The location of this event is the heavenly throne-room of YHWH (see argument in Mitchell 2003, 259-260"
1b	עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃	until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”	YHWH makes the lord's enemies a footstool for his feet.	* Placing one's feet on one's enemies is an expression of authority and victory. ** Josh. 10:24; Ps. 8:7. ** For this image in Egypt, see Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien 1859. Cf. the description of Thutmose III: "His majesty arrived at the city of Memphis, he being satisfied because every foreign country and every land is under his sandals" (COS II 2.2c, "The Armant Stela of Thutmose III," eighteenth dynasty). ** For this image in Cilicia, see the Azatiwada Inscription (8th-7th cent. BC): "I built strong fortifications in all the far regions of the borders, in places where there had been evil men, gang leaders... But I, Azatiwada, placed them under my feet" (COS 2.31 "The Azatiwada Inscription"; cf. COS 2.21). * The god of the king was credited with subduing the king's enemies. ** “You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet (עַ֤ד תֵּת־יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔ם תַּ֖חַת כַּפּ֥וֹת רַגְלוֹ׃)" (1 Kgs. 5:3, ESV (Heb: 5:17)) ** SAA 9 1.1 line i 11: "′I am the great Lady, I am Ištar of Arbela who throws your enemies before your feet" (Nissinen 2019, 112)"	* The royal figure in Ps. 110 has enemies.	* YHWH will handle the lord's enemies; the lord need only to sit
2a	מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן	YHWH will extend your strong staff from Zion.	YHWH extends the lord's strong staff from Zion.	* The god of the king was primarily responsible for extending the king's rule. ** SAA 9 2.4 lines iii 11-15': "You, Esarhaddon, keep silent! I will select the emissaries of the Elamite king and the Mannean king; I will seal the messages of the Urartean king; I will cut off the heel of Mugallu" (Nissinen 2019, 126). ** 'Lines iii 12–15 manifest the rule of Esarhaddon over the surrounding lands. “The Elamite,” “the Mannean,” and “the Urartian” mean the kings of the southeastern, eastern, and northern neighbors and potential enemies of Assyria. Mugallu is the king of Melid in Anatolia (cf. SAA 4 1–12)' (Nissinen 2019, 126). * "The 'scepter of your power' is the insignia of royal rule" (Zenger 148). Cf. GNT: "your royal power"; NET: "your dominion; NLT: "your powerful kingdom.""		* YHWH and the lord are enthroned in Zion. * Zion is the 'headquarters'/capital of the lord's kingdom."
2b	רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃	Rule among your enemies!	The lord rules in the midst of his enemies.	* SAA 9 7 lines 12-13 '[Mullis]su has said: [You shall reig]n over [the king]s of the countries! You shall show them their boundaries; you shall determine the [ro]ads they take' (Nissinen 2019, 138).
3a	עַמְּךָ֣ נְדָבֹת֮ בְּי֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ךָ	Your people will be willing on the day you manifest your power.	The Lord's people are willing on the day he manifests his power.	* People sometimes volunteer for battle (Judges 5:2, 9). * People who do not volunteer to fight for their god and king deserve to be cursed (cf. Judges 5:23)."	* The lord will manifest his power.	* The lord's people will not fight begrudgingly or be conscripted against their will (cf. 1 Sam. 8:11ff), but, as in the time of the Judges, the people will volunteer to fight. * The willing army is YHWH's gift to the lord. * YHWH gives the people willing hearts."
3b	בְּֽהַדְרֵי־קֹ֭דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר	On holy mountains, from the womb of dawn,	In holy adornment, from the womb of the dawn,	* Israel is a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19). * Priests and Levites sometimes wore "holy adornment" when worshipping YHWH. * Priests did not fight with traditional weapons, but with the praise of YHWH (see esp. 2 Chron. 20; cf. Josh. 6; Ps. 8:3; Ps. 149:6.) * (Alternatively, if "holy mountains" is the correct reading): The "holy mountains" are the mountains around the holy city, Zion (v. 2) (cf. Ps. 87:1; 125:2; 133)."	* The people are dressed in holy adornment.	* The lord's army is an army of priests. * The army gathers itself in Zion and prepares to march out from Zion (cf v. 2)."
3c	לְ֝ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽיךָ׃	The dew, your young men, [will come] into your possession.	the dew, the young men of the lord, come into the lord's possession.	* See "dew" imagery table
4a	נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָ֨ה ׀ וְלֹ֥א יִנָּחֵ֗ם	YHWH has sworn, and he will not change his mind:	YHWH swears YHWH will not change his mind	* Oaths confirm the sincerity of a commitment to do or not do something (cf. Gen. 21:24; 22:16ff; 24:7; Deut. 1:35; Jdg. 21:1; Jer. 22:5; 49:13; Ps. 15:4; 89:36f) * Oaths accompany covenants (cf. Gen. 21:21-25; Deut. 4:31; Ezek. 16:8; cf. D. C. Lane, "The Meaning and Use of the Old Testament Term for 'Covenant' (berit)," 2000). * It is characteristic of royal prophecies to emphasize the truthfulness of what is prophesied. ** SAA 9 1.1 line i 11: "′I am the great Lady, I am Ištar of Arbela who throws your enemies before your feet. Have I spoken to you any words that you could not rely upon?" (Nissinen 2019, 112). ** SAA 9 1.10 line vi 3: "You could rely upon the previous word I spoke to you, couldn’t you? Now you can rely upon the later words, too!" (Nissinen 2019). ** SAA 9 2.3 line ii 17': "Humanity is treacherous, but I am the one whose words and deeds are reliable" (Nissinen 2019, 124)."		* YHWH commits to the lord being a priest forever. * YHWH and the lord/priest are in covenant (cf. 2 Sam. 7) * "And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: 'The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever."' Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant" (Heb. 7:20-22). * 'The sense of “not change his mind,” literally “will not relent,” means this oracle does not fit the profile of the divine consideration of killing Israel at Mount Sinai, where he did “relent” or “change his mind” (Exod 32:14) ... The oracle affirms that the commitment to the psalmist’s lord shall be forever akin to Nathan’s oracle to David. In that case, Nathan contrasted the enduring promise regarding David’s seed with Saul, whose house was removed' (Schnittjer, Gary Edward. 2021. Old Testament Use of Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Guide. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 523)."
4b	אַתָּֽה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם	“You are forever a priest	The lord is forever a priest	* Priesthood may be defined in terms of "access to the divine presence" (Davies, A Royal Priesthood, 2004, 98; cf. Gentry, KTC, 2012, 320). "Central to my understanding of what a priest is, is the notion of his fitness to approach the deity and 'minister' in his presence like an attendant in the court of a king" (Davies 2004, 98). "The Hebrew Bible... defined priesthood by the issue of 'access' (Lev. 10.3; Ezek. 44.15-16). Priests were those who could stand before Yahweh (Exod. 19.22), enter Yahweh's presence (Exod. 28.35), or go up to the altar (1 Sam. 2.28)" (Nelson, Raising up a Faithful Priest 1993, 61). ** Ex. 19:12 —הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים הַנִּגָּשִׁ֥ים אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה "the virtual definition of what it means to be a priest" (Davies 2004, 98) * Others have sought to define priesthood in functional terms. ** "Perhaps the central concept of priesthood is mediation between the sphere of the divine and the ordinary world" (NIDOTTE; cf. Andrew Malone, God's Mediators, 2017, 9-10; Rooke "Kingship as Priesthood" — "Priesthood is the responsibility of acting as a mediator between the human and the divine" (188)). Thus, priesthood is functional in nature. "Priesthood is primarily about doing things, about carrying out rituals and procedures, rather than about being a particular kind of person or having a particular genealogical descent" (Rooke 189). * Some ANE kings also functioned as priests ** For this practice in Egypt and Mesopotamia, see Purcell 2020. ** For this practice in Ugarit, see Tsumura 1999. ** A Hittite text mentions "the Tabarna, the Great King, priest of the Sungoddess of Arinna" (COS 1.75, "The Hittite Conquest of Cyprus") ** David acted as a priest (see esp. 2 Sam. 6) *** wearing a linen ephod (2 Sam. 6:14) *** strumming an instrument (מכרכר) before YHWH (or "dancing") (2 Sam. 6:14, 16; cf. LXX; McCarter 1980) *** offers sacrifices (עולות ושלמים) to YHWH (2 Sam. 6:17) *** blesses the people in YHHW's name (2 Sam. 6:18; cf. Gen. 14) *** gives the people food (2 Sam. 6:19; cf. Gen. 14:18) *** blesses YHWH (2 Sam. 6:21 LXX—εὐλογητὸς κύριος = ברוך יהוה; cf. McCarter 1984, 185 who claims that the LXX is earlier) ** David's sons were "priests" (2 Sam. 8:18). ** Cf. 1 Sam. 2:35; Zech. 6:9-13 (on the Zech. passage, see Wolters 2014) * The king is a priest "because of his unique position before Yahweh... arising out of the sacral nature of his kingship..." (Rooke "Kingship as Priesthood" 193). "Even though he is not a priest in the sense of one who carries out the regular functions of a sanctuary attendant, because of his vocation and his relationship to Yahweh he is nonetheless an ex officio priest, a mediator between his god and his people" (Rooke "Kingship as Priesthood" 198). * Kings from David's line were not allowed to serve as priests in the Temple, only the descendants of Aaron (2 Chron. 26:16-21) * Melchizedek was both the king of Salem and a priest of El-Elyon (see Gen. 14:18ff). * Melchizedek received tribute from battle and blessed/praised God Most High (Gen. 14). * Priests fight battles by praising YHWH (e.g., Josh. 6; 2 Chron. 20; cf. Ps. 149). * "The rhetorical strategy of portraying the king in priestly action amid depictions of the king’s military prowess is found throughout ancient Near Eastern iconography... The concepts of the king and deity at war and the king as priest were intertwined aspects of royal rhetoric ... The constellation of royal, priestly, and violent imagery in Ps 110 is a pattern of literary imagery that accords with ancient Near Eastern—including ancient Syro-Palestinian—conceptions of kingship depicted within iconographic evidence" (Purcell 2020, 299-300). ** image of Pharaoh Sebekemsaf I (17th dynasty) presenting an offering to Montu, solar and warrior god; "set amid other reliefs wherein the same king is depicted subduing his enemies before the same god, Montu" (283). ** in the temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel (19th dynasty) depictions of the king as priest "stand alongside scenes of Ramses II in battle against and victory over different enemies" (285) ** in Assurnasirpal II's throne room contained reliefs of the king serving the gods as a priest in addition to reliefs of the king triumphing over ene"
4c	עַל־דִּ֝בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק׃	just like Melchizedek.”	just like Melchizedek.			* "Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever" (Heb. 7:3). ** "In a book that provides the exact genealogy of virtually everyone who is important to the storyline, rather strikingly Melchizedek simply appears and disappears–we are told neither who his parents were nor when and how he died. He and his city are a foil to Sodom and its king...the including of Melchizedek in the plot-line of Genesis is no accident, but a symbol-laden event with extraordinary significance (especially Heb. 7). God is preparing the way for the ultimate priest-king, not only in verbal prophecies but in models (or types) that provide the categories and shape the expectations of the people of God" (Carson, For the Love of God)."
5a	אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑	The Lord at your right side	YHWH at the lord's right side
5b	מָחַ֖ץ בְּיוֹם־אַפּ֣וֹ מְלָכִֽים׃	smashed kings on the day his anger was unleashed.	smashes kings on the day his anger is unleashed.	* The slaughter of the king's enemies was ultimately credited to the king's god. ** SAA 9 1.2 lines i 30′ King of Assyria, fear not! ′The enemy of the king of Assyria I will lead to the slaughter... ii 1' I have de[feated] your enemy in a single [combat]!" (Nissinen 2019, 113). ** SAA 9 2.1 lines i 10': "...Esarhaddon, king of Assyria! I will catch [your enemies] and trample them [under my foot]" (Nissinen 2019, 122). ** SAA 9 2.5 lines iii 21-25: 'I will pull the orchard of your enemies up by the roots; I will shed the blood of my king’s enemies. I will guard my king; the enemies I will bring in neckstocks and the allies with tribute before his feet' (Nissinen 2019, 127). ** SAA 9 3.3 lines ii 18-23 'As you were standing in their midst, I removed them from your presence, drove them up the mountain and rained fire and brimstone upon them. I slaughtered your enemies and filled the River with their blood' (Nissinen 2019, 131). * The king's god is with him in battle. ** SAA 9 5 lines 6-7: "Ninurta [goes] at the right and the left o[f my king. He treads] his enemies under [his] foot" (Nissinen 2019, 136) ** SAA 9 1.1 line i 18 ′I am Ištar of Arbela, I will flay your enemies and deliver them up to you. I am Ištar of Arbela, I go before you and behind you' (Nissinen 2019, 112). * Sometimes the king needed only to sit in his palace while his god took care of his enemies. ** SAA 9 2.3 line ii 1': "Your enemies, whatever [they are, I will defeat. You shall stay] in your palace" (Nissinen 2019, 123). * The "day" of YHWH's anger. "The term Day of the Lord is sometimes used by the prophets to refer to any specific period of time in which the God of Israel intervenes in human affairs to save and judge (Is 13:6; Ezek 13:5; Amos 5:18)... Many times the day is named for what God was to do or what was to happen: 'day of trouble' (Ezek 7:7), 'day of rebuke' (Hos 1:9), 'day of punishment' (Is 10:3), 'day of vengeance' (Is 63:4), 'day of doom' (Jer 51:2), 'day of darkness' (Joel 2:2) or 'day of the LORD's anger' (Zeph. 2:2). In some prophetic texts 'the day of the Lord' refers to an event so cataclysmic that it ends an age of the world (e.g., Joel 2:28-3:21; Zech. 14:1-21)" (DBI "Day, Day of the Lord"). See also Ps. 1:5; Ps. 2:12. * In Genesis 14, YHWH crushed kings across the wide earth. Thus, "this psalm also recalls the story of the ten kings in Genesis 14, the tenth of which was Melchizedek... This deliverance of Abram's enemies into his hands, which Melchizedek recognized was an act of God Most High, is likely meant to be understood as the historical and literary backdrop against which to understand the Davidic king's and Yahweh's royal victory in this psalm" (cf. Joshua Mathews. 2013. Melchizedek’s Alternative Priestly Order: A Compositional Analysis of Genesis 14:18–20 and Its Echoes Throughout the Tanak. Bulletin for Biblical Research Supplements. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 115.)"	* YHWH's anger will be unleashed.	* Kings refuse to submit to YHWH and his anointed (cf. Ps. 2) * Cf. Apocalyptic Midrash Otot ha-Mashiah: "And the Holy One (blessed be he) needs nothing for the battle, but to say to him (Messiah ben David), Sit at my right hand (Ps. 110:1). And he (Messiah ben David) will say to Israel, Stand firm, and see the deliverance of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today (Exod. 14:13). Thereupon the Holy One (blessed be he) fights against them, as it is said, And the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights on a day of battle (Zech. 12:3)" (Otot 8.4, cited in Mitchell 2003, 265-6)."
6a	יָדִ֣ין בַּ֭גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת	He will rule among the nations whom he filled with corpses.	YHWH judges the nations whom he filled with corpses.	* Kings are responsible for "ruling" (דין) with justice (cf. Ps. 72:2). * When YHWH becomes king over the nations, he will "rule" (דין) them with justice (cf. Ps. 96:10)."	* YHWH filled the nations with corpses (the corpses of their kings).	* The kings of the nations did not rule with justice.
6b	מָ֥חַץ רֹ֝֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה׃	He smashed heads across the wide world.	YHWH smashes heads across the wide world.	* In his final "oracle" (נאם) (Num. 24:15-19), Balaam saw a "scepter" (שֵׁ֙בֶט֙) rise from Israel (cf. Ps. 110:2), "smash" (מחץ) the heads of his enemies (cf. Ps. 110:5-6), and "rule" (רדה) from Jacob.
7a	מִ֭נַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה	He will drink from a wadi on the campaign.	YHWH drinks from a wadi on the campaign.	* Drinking foreign water is a gesture of dominance: "Das Trinken fremder Wasser ist... ein Bild der Überlegenheit über ein besiegtes Volk" (108). ** 2 Kings 19:24 // Isa. 37:25 ** Egyptian prophecy: "Die Tiere der Wüste werden aus dem Strome Ägyptens Wasser trinken und sich kühlen auf ihren Sandbänken, da niemand sie fortjagt. Dieses Land wird in Verwirrung (?) sein, und niemand weiß, was geschehen wird" (see H. Greßmann, Altorientalische Texte zum Alten Testament, 47). ** Foreigners passing by were charged to drink water (cf. Deut. 2:28) ** Freedom means being able to drink your own water (Isa. 36:16). * Warriors drink water to refresh themselves after battle (so Reicke 1857, 217; Baethgen 1904, 339; cf. Calvin). ** Judges 7:4-6; 15:15-19; cf. Ps. 36:9; Jer. 31:9"		* "Perhaps the point of this statement is that the king is favored by God in finding a brook with water in it to refresh himself from the weariness of battle" (Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, "Brook"). "The image connotes that even in desert areas of the broad earth God will supply Messiah with an abundant amount of water to quench his thirst and refresh him (cf. Deut. 8:7; Ps. 36:9)" (Waltke 2010, 511-12). * Alternatively: "The source of the king’s triumph (cf. Pss 3:4 (3); 27:6) is enigmatically described as his drinking from the stream... Since the following על־כן, “therefore,” places great import on v 7a, a mere drink before the king resumes battle is inappropriate. Reference is frequently seen to a rite of drinking from the Gihon spring as part of the enthronement ceremony (cf. 1 Kgs 1:38). Stoebe (“Erwägungen zu Ps. 110,” 191), following B. Eerdmans, plausibly found allusion to the important part the spring played in the capture of Jerusalem (cf. 2 Sam 5:8). The reference may be to a ritual drinking from the Gihon spring as a sacramental means of receiving divine resources for the royal task" (Allen 2002, 118)."
7b	עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ׃	Therefore, he will lift [his] head.	YHWH lifts his head.	* Ps. 27:6 – וְעַתָּ֨ה יָר֪וּם רֹאשִׁ֡י עַ֤ל אֹֽיְבַ֬י סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י * "Upon a royal seat which may not be overthrown, he let him raise (his) head heavenward" (COS 1.172, "The Birth of Shulgi in the Temple of Nippur", a neo-Sumerian royal hymn) * In Hannah's song (1 Sam. 2:1-10), judging the nations (דין) is followed by raising the horn of his anointed (וְיָרֵ֖ם קֶ֥רֶן מְשִׁיחֽוֹ)."

---

Bibliography

Psalm 110/Bibliography

---