What is the meaning of Psalm 45:10? Listen, O daughter! “Listen, O daughter!” (Psalm 45:10) • The psalmist addresses the bride, calling her “daughter,” a term of affection that establishes intimacy and identity. • In its immediate setting the bride is a royal princess marrying the king of Israel; prophetically it portrays Christ taking His Church as bride (2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19:7). • The imperative “listen” underscores that a word from the King demands undivided attention, just as Israel was told, “Hear, O Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4). • For believers, listening means receiving the Word as absolute truth, because “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Consider and incline your ear “Consider and incline your ear” (Psalm 45:10) • “Consider” invites thoughtful reflection, not a passing glance. Like Mary who “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19), the bride is to weigh every word. • “Incline your ear” calls for active submission—bowing the head toward the Speaker. Proverbs 4:20-22 echoes, “My son, pay attention to my words…for they are life to those who find them.” • Isaiah 55:2-3 links listening with covenant blessing: “Listen carefully to Me…Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, that your soul may live.” • The king’s instructions carry promise and protection; obedience secures the favor described in the following verses (Psalm 45:11). Forget your people and your father’s house “Forget your people and your father’s house” (Psalm 45:10) • “Forget” here means a decisive break with former loyalties. Genesis 2:24 sets the pattern: a man “leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife.” Likewise the bride’s primary allegiance now belongs to the king. • Spiritually, coming to Christ requires renouncing past identities and securities. Jesus said, “Anyone who comes to Me and does not hate father and mother…cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). • Paul modeled this abandonment: “Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13-14). • This call is not a rejection of family affection but a reordering of priorities. The bride’s wholehearted devotion will elicit the king’s desire—“the king will desire your beauty” (Psalm 45:11). summary Psalm 45:10 summons the royal bride—and ultimately every believer—to listen attentively, ponder deeply, and sever competing allegiances so that undivided love and loyalty are given to the King. By heeding this threefold call, we enter the fullness of covenant joy promised in the rest of the psalm. |
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