RR Psalm 45:1-3(1,2) Part 1

Shalom,

Psalm 45:1 For the music director, according to “Lilies.” Of the sons of Korah, a contemplative song, a love song. 2 My heart is stirred with a good word. I speak my verses to the king. My tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. 3 You are the most handsome of the sons of men. Grace pours from your lips. Therefore God has blessed you forever.

Verses 1 and 2 in the Jewish Bible are combined into verse one in most Christian Bibles.  This affects the rest of the numbering throughout the Psalm.  Verse 2 begins in Hebrew, “Rachash Libi,” meaning “my heart is stirred.”  A “Lev” is a heart, so “Libi” is “my heart.”  Rachash is a word that describes a pot of boiling water.  This is water that is “jumping!”  It is boiling over as it tries to leap out of the pot.  So our translation is somewhat inadequate.  My heart is not merely “stirred,” it is “jumping to overflowing.”  Is that your heart?  Consider what comes next….

What makes our hearts leap starts with a “good word (Davar-Tov) spoken (Omer)… to the King (L’Melech).”  It continues, “My tongue is a pen of a writer who is about his business.”  The last Hebrew word (which I translated, “is about his business,” is maher, meaning “quick, fast and in a hurry,” therefore; “a diligent and ready writer.”

Rabbi Trail:  I remember the meaning of the Hebrew word “Maher,” (pronounced “Ma-hair”) because a “hare” is a rabbit, and rabbits are quick as a bunny.  End RT.

All this talk of excited hearts that are making tongues quick to speak makes me think Yeshua was quoting Psalm 45 when He said… Luke 6:45 “Out of the good treasure of his heart the good man brings forth good, and out of evil the evil man brings forth evil. For from the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.”  (The TLV may have missed this one.)  

The first Hebrew word of verse 2 is “Yaf’yaf’i’ta,” from “Yafa,” meaning beautiful (the origin of the city named “Jaffa.”  So, our word, “Yaf’yaf’i’ta” is a repetition (or double portion) of beauty.  This is describing Yeshua, our Lord and Savior.  He is the One Who is “most handsome” with grace (Chen) pouring from His lips.  Yes, Yeshua is the One Whom God has blessed for all eternity.

Song 1:16  How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, so delightful! Yes, our couch is luxuriant.

Yes, Yeshua alone is… Revelation 19:16b “King of kings, and Lord of lords.”  The rest of this Psalm addresses the beauty of this One, Who is Lord of all.  In verses 10 through 17 the focus shifts to the “daughters of Jerusalem” as they delight to honor their Lord.  The final verse returns the focus to the beauty of Yeshua.  It reminds me of this, from Revelation 11.

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel trumpeted, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, “The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Anointed One. And He shall reign forever and ever!”

Shalom shalom.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Mon19-Jan-20261st of Sh'vat, 5786 Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat
Ex 10:12-23, Nu 28:11-15  1 Ki 10Ps 109 -110Lk 22:1-38(Php 2)

Rabbi H Michael Weiner

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