Commenting
on Psa 45:6, which has the Davidic King being called “God” (elohim), Walter Kaiser wrote:
The Davidite was addressed as “Elohim” in
psalm 45:6. The judges of Israel represented God and also were called “Elohim”
in that the solemnity of coming before a judge was comparable to coming before
God (Exod. 21:6, 22:8, 9, 28; c. Ps. 82:1, 6). Yet Psalm 45:6 claimed even more
than Exodus did for the judges:
Thy throne, O God, endures for ever and ever;
a scepter of equity is the scepter of Your rule.
a scepter of equity is the scepter of Your rule.
Thus not only was the office of the king
identified with Deity, but the very person of the king and his dynasty would
rule like God forever! (Note vv. 2, 16-17). Just as the Davidite was addressed
in Psalm 89:26-27 as God’s “son,” His “firstborn” and “the Highest” (‘elyôn, “Most High” when applied to
God), so his throne by metonymy was now called Elohim in Psalm 45. Thus, what
God stood for in heaven, David was appointed to be as a symbol and pledge of
God’s kingdom on earth. Human language appeared to be on the brink of bursting
all boundaries as it described this unique filial relationship of a man and
God.
The Hebrew text refuses to be softened as
most contemporary translations insist on doing (e.g., the RV, RSV, NEB, but not
JB or NASB). Neither did the NT writers miss the impact of this verse in
Hebrews 1:8-9. The mystery of the passage is that the “God” whom the psalmist
addressed is Himself appointed by God! (Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Toward an Old Testament Theology [Grand
Rapids, Mich.: Academie Books, 1978], 161)
Notwithstanding
his dogmatic (and false) claim that elohim
means “human judge” in Ps 82 and the other texts listed, what is important
about the above is that Kaiser states (correctly) that the (human) Davidic King
is being addressed in Psa 45 (and other texts, such as Psa 72 and 110 [Ibid.,
161-62]). This is important as some
(not all) Protestants argue that the only person such psalms are addressing is
the then-future Messiah, not the human king. Furthermore, note that Kaiser has
Jesus (post-ascension and post-super exaltation [cf. Phil 2:5-11]) being
appointed by, not the person of the Father merely, but “God.” On this, see, for
e.g.:
