Psalms 110 - a diversion

When you find the road blocked, in the UK it's not a detour that you take, but a diversion, if I remember correctly. What are we to make of this psalm?

The inscription is the first key: Note that it is one where ldvid precedes mzmor. See also Psalms 24, 40, 68, 101, 109, 110, 139. The normal order for this phrase is mzmor ldvid. Kimhi says of these psalms that first the Holy Spirit rested on David and then he wrote the psalm. There is a commentary on this psalm by Kimhi here. (Kimhi was edited and published in 1883 in Cambridge, so Forbes could have had access to this in principle.) Kimhi will not begin with the prejudgments of Christianity about what a phrase signifies. The explanation of the priesthood of Mechizedek is very helpful:

since in his blessing he [Melchizedek] put Abraham first over the most high God, the Holy One, blessed be He, removed the Priesthood from him and gave it to Abraham, because it is said Thou art a priest for ever ... because of the word which Melchizedek spoke.

I had read bits of Kimhi when I did my translation but not this part. There is no need for a special gloss for the very common root dbr here in verse 4.

So this psalm is about David. I have rendered it as 'to', but prepositions are notorious for taking on many glosses. About would be just fine as a gloss. It makes good sense.

I agree of course, that the NT applies this psalm to Jesus, but I will be drawn into the host of motivations that apply these psalms in that first century or two of the common era to 'explain' why they or I would still apply it thus. Do we not all attempt to rule within and among our enemies? And I should not forget that we are, in spite of the enemies within and around us, also accompanied by many who are willing in the day of our weal. I like the ambiguity of that word. For there is both welt and wealth in our struggle.

Yahweh has sworn and without a sigh. Are we also accompanied by the real power? When does Yahweh sigh (nkm)? Or as traditional translations read, repent? First over humanity prior to the flood. Then at the incident of the golden calf. It is part of his character. It occurs only once in the Psalter. You can see them all at the link.

Verse 7 often surprises me. Kimhi associates it with Balaam's proverb of Numbers 23:24. For lifting the head high, he refers to David's reputation as noted in 2 Samuel 8:13.

Syllables: 143. Words: 65. Roots: 53. Root Recurrence: 32%. Average per verse: 3.

advn (2) aib (2) ap arx ath gvh gvi dbr dvd din drc hdm hdr zmr kil 'tl ihvh (3) ivm (2) ild imn (2) iwb chn cn l la mkx (2) m'th mla mlc (2) nam ndb nkl nkm yd yzz yl (4) ylm ym xdq xivn qdw qrb raw (2) rbh rgl rdh rvm rkm wby wkr wit wlk wth

לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ		1 Of David a psalm, an oracle of Yahweh to my Lord. Sit at my right hand, till I set your enemies as your footstool.
a ldvid mzmor naum ihvh ladoni wb limini yd-awit aoibiç hdom lrgliç	5 11 12	l/dvd m/zmr nam ihvh l/adn\i wb l/imn\i yd a/wit aib\ic hdm l/rgl\ic
מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ		2 Yahweh will send the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule within and among your enemies.
b m'th-yuzç iwlk ihvh mxion rdh bqrb aoibiç	11 8	m'th yz\c i/wlk ihvh m/xivn rdh b/qrb aib\ic
עַמְּךָ֣ נְדָבֹת֮ בְּי֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ךָ בְּֽהַדְרֵי־קֹ֭דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר לְ֝ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽיךָ		3 Your people are willing in the day of your weal. In the honour of holiness from the womb of the dawn, yours is the dew of your childhood.
g ymç ndbot biom kilç bhdri-qodw mrkm mwkr lç 'tl ildutç	10 9 7	ym\c ndb\t b/ivm kil\c b/hdr\i qdw m/rkm m/wkr l\c 'tl ild\tic
נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָ֨ה ׀ וְלֹ֥א יִנָּחֵ֗ם אַתָּֽה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם עַל־דִּ֝בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק		4 Yahweh has sworn and without a sigh, You are a priest forever, by the word of Melchizedek.
d nwby ihvh vla iinkm ath-cohn lyolm yl-dbrti mlci-xdq	16 7	n/wby ihvh v/la i/nkm ath chn l/yvlm yl dbr\ti mlc\i xdq
אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑ מָחַ֖ץ בְּיוֹם־אַפּ֣וֹ מְלָכִֽים		5 My Lord is at your right hand. He will wound kings in the day of his anger.
h adonii yl-iminç mkx biom-apo mlcim	7 9	adn\i yl imn\c mkx b/ivm ap\v mlc\im
יָדִ֣ין בַּ֭גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת מָ֥חַץ רֹ֝֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה		6 He will advocate among the nations, a fullness of bodies. He will wound exceedingly a head on earth.
v idin bgoiim mla gvviiot mkx raw yl-arx rbh	10 8	i/din b/gvi\m mla gv\ivt mkx raw yl arx rbh
מִ֭נַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ		7 ♪g He will imbibe from the torrent in the way. Therefore he will lift a head high.
z mnkl bdrç iwth yl-cn irim raw	8 5	m/nkl b/drc i/wth yl cn i/rim raw

1	[Matthew 22:44, Acts 2:34-35, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 1:13, 10:12-13, 1 Peter 3:22]
3	weal, חיל (kil), or wealth or force, both of which I have used in other verses. The חיל of Egypt is destroyed in the sea. The parallels expressing womb and youth suggests a birthing image. The archaic weal (e.g. as in common weal) can be used to mean both wealth and hurt as in the birth process.
4	[Hebrews 5:6, 7:17, 21]

The Music of Psalms 110

Following Psalms 110, one of two oracles in the Psalter, we have the two acrostics 111, and 112. David is a man after God's own heart, so his journeys in Psalms 110 are celebrated by these two acrostics, one for the one who fears Yahweh and the other for Yahweh. Note how each of us is thus invited to become like Yahweh. Yet not alone as if individual perfection was possible, but together with the willing people and the power of God as Psalms 110 notes.

The Psalms are about character and the development of a community of the merciful, who are 'likest God'.