Psalm 110 Text
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Sit at my right side
Psalm 110
Listen & Read: Psalm 110
Read along and listen to our audio recordings for Psalm 110. Choose between simple, unaffected audio recordings (in Hebrew or English), or a dramatized reading that takes into account our emotional, discourse, and poetic analyses. You can also choose between a text-only view, or a view overlaid with our summary At-a-Glance, Expanded Paraphrase, or Participant Analysis tracking.
| Simple Reading (Hebrew) Forthcoming. |
Simple Reading (English) Forthcoming. |
| Dramatic Reading (Hebrew) Forthcoming. |
Dramatic Reading (English) Forthcoming. |
Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.
| Text (Hebrew) | Verse | 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. |
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לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר
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1a | A psalm by David.
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נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י
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1b | YHWH’s oracle to my lord:
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שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י
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1c | “Sit at my right side,
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עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃
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1d | until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
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מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן
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2a | YHWH will extend your strong staff from Zion.
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רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃
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2b | Rule among your enemies!
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עַמְּ ךָ֣ נְדָבֹת֮ בְּ י֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ ךָ
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3a | Your people will be willing on the day you manifest your power.
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בְּֽהַדְרֵי־קֹ֭דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר
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3b | On holy mountains, from the womb of dawn,
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לְ֝ ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽי ךָ׃
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3c | The dew, your young men, [will come] into your possession.
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נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָ֨ה ׀ וְלֹ֥א יִנָּחֵ֗ם
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4a | YHWH has sworn, and he will not change his mind:
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אַתָּֽה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם
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4b | “You are forever a priest
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עַל־דִּ֝בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק׃
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4c | just like Melchizedek.”
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אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑
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5a | The Lord at your right side
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מָחַ֖ץ בְּ יוֹם־ אַפּ֣ וֹ מְלָכִֽים׃
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5b | smashed kings on the day his anger was unleashed.
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יָדִ֣ין בַּ֭גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת
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6a | He will rule among the nations whom he filled with corpses.
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מָ֥חַץ רֹ֝֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה׃
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6b | He smashed heads across the wide world.
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מִ֭נַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה
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7a | He will drink from a wadi on the campaign.
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עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ׃
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7b | Therefore, he will lift [his] head.
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Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.
| Speaker | Structure | Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) | Addressee | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Superscription |
לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר | 1a | A psalm by David. | King | ||||||
David | YHWH's Declaration |
נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י | 1b | YHWH’s oracle to my lord: | triumphant awe | |||||
YHWH |
שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י | 1c | “Sit at my right side, | |||||||
| עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃ | 1d | until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” | ||||||||
David |
מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן | 2a | YHWH will extend your strong staff from Zion. | |||||||
| רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃ | 2b | Rule among your enemies! | ||||||||
| עַמְּךָ֣ נְדָבֹת֮ בְּי֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ךָ | 3a | Your people will be willing on the day you manifest your power. | ||||||||
| בְּֽהַדְרֵי־קֹ֭דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר | 3b | On holy mountains, from the womb of dawn, | ||||||||
| לְ֝ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽיךָ׃ | 3c | The dew, your young men, [will come] into your possession. | ||||||||
YHWH's Confirmation |
נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָ֨ה ׀ וְלֹ֥א יִנָּחֵ֗ם | 4a | YHWH has sworn, and he will not change his mind: | confidence | ||||||
YHWH |
אַתָּֽה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם | 4b | “You are forever a priest | |||||||
| עַל־דִּ֝בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק׃ | 4c | just like Melchizedek.” | ||||||||
David |
אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑ | 5a | The Lord at your right side | |||||||
| מָחַ֖ץ בְּיוֹם־אַפּ֣וֹ מְלָכִֽים׃ | 5b | smashed kings on the day his anger was unleashed. | ||||||||
| יָדִ֣ין בַּ֭גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת | 6a | He will rule among the nations whom he filled with corpses. | ||||||||
| מָ֥חַץ רֹ֝֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה׃ | 6b | He smashed heads across the wide world. | ||||||||
| מִ֭נַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה | 7a | He will drink from a wadi on the campaign. | ||||||||
| עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ׃ | 7b | Therefore, he will lift [his] head. |
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.
| Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Expanded Paraphrase |
|---|---|---|
| לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃ | 1 | A psalm by David to whom YHWH promised an everlasting dynasty, who is also a prophet. This psalm is YHWH’s prophetic oracle which he revealed to me in a vision. In this oracle, YHWH speaks to my lord who is my descendant and yet who is also my superior. He says to him, “ Sit with me on my throne at my right side the place of supreme honor and so share in my rule over the worlduntil I give you victory over your enemies and make your enemies a footstool for your feet such that your enemies are brought under your authority and control. You need not take matters into your own hands; I will subdue your enemies for you.” |
| מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃ | 2 | YHWH will extend your strong staff the symbol of your royal rule from Zionthe holy city in which you are enthroned. From Zion, your kingdom will spread to the ends of the earth. Then you willRule among those who are currently your enemies! |
| עַמְּךָ֣ נְדָבֹת֮ בְּי֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ךָ בְּֽהַדְרֵי־קֹ֭דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר לְ֝ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽיךָ׃ | 3 | In order for your royal rule to extend from Zion, you will need an army, and so YHWH will give you an army. Your people will be willing to fight for you and join your army on the day you manifest your power and gather an army for war. Onthe holy mountains which surround Zion, from the womb of dawn early in the morning as a sign of their willingness, your army, which might be compared to the morning dew, which falls on the mountains of Zion, that is, your young men, [will come] into your possession.Like dew, which falls from the sky as a gift from God, so your willing army is a gift from YHWH. And just as dew consists of innumerable drops and covers the ground, so your army will consist of innumerable people and overwhelm your enemies. |
| נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָ֨ה ׀ וְלֹ֥א יִנָּחֵ֗ם אַתָּֽה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם עַל־דִּ֝בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק׃ | 4 | Because you are seated on YHWH's throne, in YHWH's throne-room, a place only priests are permitted to enter, you are, therefore, a priest, and your priesthood is confirmed with an oath. YHWH has sworn an oath, and he will not change his mind: YouDavid's descendant and lord are forever a priest and, therefore you will forever sit enthroned in my presence. Although you are not from the tribe of Levi, the tribe to which Israel's priests belong, one of the first kings in Zion, who was called "Melchizedek," who was not a Levite, was both king and priest. You, therefore, are king and priestjust like Melchizedek.” |
| אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑ מָחַ֖ץ בְּיוֹם־אַפּ֣וֹ מְלָכִֽים׃ | 5 | This is what I, David, saw in my vision: The Lord (=YHWH) who stands in battle at your (=my lord, the king's) right side to protect you and to fight on your behalf) (because you have served him as a faithful priest smashed rebellious kings on the day his anger was unleashed just as he defeated wicked kings in Melchizedek's day. |
| יָדִ֣ין בַּ֭גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת מָ֥חַץ רֹ֝֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה׃ | 6 | When YHWH has slain all of the rebellious kings, He himself will become king in their place, and will rule with justice among the nations whom he filled with corpses. Because the lord shares YHWH's throne, the lord also will rule among the nations whom YHWH filled with corpses. In my vision,He that is, YHWH, smashed the heads of the rebellious kings across the wide world and so he has extended the lord's scepter from Zion and made his enemies a footstool for his feet. |
| מִ֭נַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ׃ | 7 | After smashing the heads of enemy kings, like a warrior who is weary from battle He that is, YHWH, will drink from a wadi on the campaign. The fact that he is able to pause to refresh himself with water in enemy territory is a sign that he has successfully conquered his enemy. Therefore refreshed from his drink and confident in his victory, he will lift [his] headin victorious triumph over his enemies whose heads have been smashed. |
Participant Tracking Text Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? Our full analysis can be found in the Participant Analysis layer.
There are six participants/characters in Psalm 110:
Profile List
| David/Psalmist |
| YHWH |
| "The Lord" (v. 5) |
| King |
| "lord" (v. 1) |
| "priest" (v. 4) |
| King's people |
| "young men" (v. 3) |
| "dew" (v. 3) |
| Wicked |
| "[Rebellious] kings" (v. 5) |
| "Head [of the rebellious kings]" (v. 6) |
| Nations |
Profile Notes
- King: The oracle begins with YHWH speaking to a person whom David calls “my lord.” This person is a king who rules alongside YHWH over the entire earth. David addresses this king as his superior: a king greater than he is, because he will see the fulfillment of the eternal and universal promises that YHWH has made. This superior will be greater not only in the extent of his kingdom, but also in his relationship to YHWH: he will be both priest and king, having immediate, special access to YHWH, and he will be successful because YHWH, himself, will do battle against his enemies.
- King's people: The king's people will be willing to serve in his army. In the ancient world, extending a kingdom happened when armies fought over territory. Professional, full-time soldiers were not common in the ancient world, so kings depended largely on volunteers to serve in their armies. It was not easy for kings to find volunteers to serve in their army. It is not difficult for this king, however. His people, i.e., his potential army, will be willing to serve in his army as soon as he announces his plans for war. He would start his campaign in the holy mountains which surround Jerusalem, and these mountains will be covered with young soldiers in the same way the grass is covered with dew in the early morning.
- Enemies: Although the king's enemies are never explicitly identified in this psalm, their fate is clearly stated: YHWH will destroy them. Moreover, the imagery of enemies as a footstool (v. 1) was also used to express both authority and victory over enemies. In other words, Psalm 110 depicts YHWH bringing victory, and then authority, over all the king’s enemies. In David's vision, YHWH smashed the heads of the rebellious kings across the wide world, and so he has extended David's lord's scepter from Zion and made his enemies a footstool for his feet. The king rules alongside YHWH over the entire earth.
| Text (Hebrew) | Verse | 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. |
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לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר
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1a | A psalm by David.
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נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י
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1b | YHWH’s oracle to my lord:
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שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י
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1c | “Sit at my right side,
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עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃
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1d | until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
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מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן
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2a | YHWH will extend your strong staff from Zion.
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רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃
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2b | Rule among your enemies!
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עַמְּ ךָ֣ נְדָבֹת֮ בְּ י֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ ךָ
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3a | Your people will be willing on the day you manifest your power.
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בְּֽהַדְרֵי־קֹ֭דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר
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3b | On holy mountains, from the womb of dawn,
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לְ֝ ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽי ךָ׃
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3c | The dew, your young men, [will come] into your possession.
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נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָ֨ה ׀ וְלֹ֥א יִנָּחֵ֗ם
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4a | YHWH has sworn, and he will not change his mind:
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אַתָּֽה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם
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4b | “You are forever a priest
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עַל־דִּ֝בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק׃
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4c | just like Melchizedek.”
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אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑
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5a | The Lord at your right side
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מָחַ֖ץ בְּ יוֹם־ אַפּ֣ וֹ מְלָכִֽים׃
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5b | smashed kings on the day his anger was unleashed.
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יָדִ֣ין בַּ֭גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת
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6a | He will rule among the nations whom he filled with corpses.
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מָ֥חַץ רֹ֝֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה׃
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6b | He smashed heads across the wide world.
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מִ֭נַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה
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7a | He will drink from a wadi on the campaign.
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עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ׃
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7b | Therefore, he will lift [his] head.
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