Psalm 45:7f. according to the base text: “Your throne, O God, is
forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness (uprightness) is the scepter of
your kingship. You have loved righteousness and hated godlessness. Therefore,
God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy before your companions (=
more than your companions).” — In rabbinic literature, Psalm 45 is interpreted
to refer to the sons of Korah, to Moses, to Aaron, and to Solomon; see the
explanations in Midr. Ps. 45. Alongside this we find the messianic
interpretation, which is represented mainly in the targum.
Targum Psalm 45:3ff.: “Your beauty, O king, Messiah, is more excellent
than that of the (other) children of men. The spirit of prophecy is laid upon
your lips; therefore Yahweh has blessed you forever. Gird your sword about your
hips, O hero, to kill kings together with rulers, your majesty and your glory.
And your glory will be great; therefore you will have fortune to ride along on
royal steeds (another reading: to sit on the royal throne) for the sake of
faithfulness and truth and gentleness and righteousness, and Yahweh will teach
you, to perform deeds that awaken fear with your right hand. Your projectiles
are drawn to kill masses, to topple nations under you and the children of your
bow (= your arrows) are sent into the heart of the enemies of the king. The
throne of your glory, Yahweh, remains for all eternity. A scepter of
righteousness תְּרִצְתָא (uprightness) is the scepter of your (the
Messiah’s) kingship. Since you have loved righteousness and hated godlessness,
Yahweh, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy more than your
companions. All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloe, and cassia; from
palaces that are covered with ivory, string music delights you (others: that
are covered with ivory from the land of Armenia, you are delighted). The
provinces of your kingdom will come to greet your face and to honor you, while
the book of the Torah will lie at your right side (read דמעתד instead of דמעתר),
which is written with pure gold of Ophir. Hear, community of Israel, the Torah
of his mouth and look at this wondrous works and incline your ear to the words
of the Torah and do not forget the wicked deeds of the godless of your people
and the house of idols which your father’s house served. Then the king will
long for your beauty, for he is your Lord and you will bow before him. And the
inhabitants of the city of Tyre will come with gifts and seek your face, to
your sanctuary the richest of the nations will come. Everything beautiful and
desirable among the goods of the provinces (and) among the treasures of kings
that had been stored up, will be presented to the (Israelite) priests, whose
garments are interwoven with pure gold. In embroidered garments they will
present their offerings before the eternal king, and the rest of their
companions who are dispersed among the nations will be brought to you with joy
in Jerusalem. With joy they will be brought and with songs of praise, and they
will go up into the temple of the eternal king. In place of your fathers there
will be for you the righteous, your sons; you will appoint them as princes in
all the earth. In that time you will say, ‘We will remember your name from
generation to generation. Therefore the nations that have become proselytes
will praise your name for all eternity.’ ” ‖ Genesis Rabbah 99 (63B): “The
scepter will not depart from Judah” (Gen 49:10); this refers to the throne of
kingship (as it says,) “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, a scepter
of righteousness is the scepter of your kingship” (Ps 45:7). When? (When the
following is fulfilled:) “Nor the ruler’s staff from his feet” (Gen 49:10);
when that one comes, to whom the kingship is due (i.e., Shiloh = the Messiah),
of whom it is written: “The crown of arrogance will be trampled with feet …”
(Isa 28:3). ‖ In the course of R. Eliezer (ca. 90) and his colleagues treating
the question whether one will wear weapons in the messianic age, the former had
answered the question in the affirmative on the basis that the weapons would
then serve as an adornment. Then it says further in b. Šabb. 63A: Abbayye (†
338/39) said to Rab Dimi (ca. 320) or, as others say, to Rab Avayya—others say
that Rab Joseph († 333) said to Rab Dimi or, as others say, to Rab Avayya—still
others say that Abbayye said to Rab Joseph, “What was the scriptural basis for
R. Eliezer, so that he said that they (the weapons) would be items of
adornment? Because it is written, ‘Gird your sword around your hips, O hero, your
highness and your glory’ (Ps 45:4).” ‖ See b. ʿAbod. Zar. 65B (read 65A) at §
Rom 1:26 B, #2. This is followed by: Rab Pappi (ca. 360) said, “He should have
answered him with this passage of Scripture. ‘Daughters of kings are among your
honored ladies; your wife stands at your right hand in gold jewelry of Ophir’
(Ps 45:10).” — Since the conversation of Bar Shishak with Rab refers to the
days of the Messiah, Rab Pappi would also have related Ps 45:10 to this time.
(Hermann L. Strack and Paul Billerbeck, A Commentary on the New
Testament from the Talmud and Midrash, ed. Jacob N. Cerone, 4 vols. [trans.
Andrew Bowden and Joseph Longarino; Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2021], 3:790-91)
