Mazmur 45:9-10

45:9 Princesses ¹  are among your honored guests, ² 

your bride ³  stands at your right hand, wearing jewelry made with gold from Ophir. ⁴ 

45:10 Listen, O princess! ⁵ 

Observe and pay attention! ⁶ 

Forget your homeland ⁷  and your family! ⁸ 

[45:9]  ¹ tn Heb “daughters of kings.”

[45:9]  ² tn Heb “valuable ones.” The form is feminine plural.

[45:9]  ³ tn This rare Hebrew noun apparently refers to the king’s bride, who will soon be queen (see Neh 2:6). The Aramaic cognate is used of royal wives in Dan 5:2-3, 23.

[45:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “a consort stands at your right hand, gold of Ophir.”

[45:9]  sn Gold from Ophir is also mentioned in Isa 13:12 and Job 28:16. The precise location of Ophir is uncertain; Arabia, India, East Africa, and South Africa have all been suggested as options.

[45:10]  ⁵ tn Heb “daughter.” The Hebrew noun בת (“daughter”) can sometimes refer to a young woman in a general sense (see H. Haag, TDOT 2:334).

[45:10]  sn Listen, O princess. The poet now addresses the bride.

[45:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “see and turn your ear.” The verb רָאָה (ra’ah, “see”) is used here of mental observation.

[45:10]  ⁷ tn Heb “your people.” This reference to the “people” of the princess suggests she was a foreigner. Perhaps the marriage was arranged as part of a political alliance between Israel (or Judah) and a neighboring state. The translation “your homeland” reflects such a situation.

[45:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “and the house of your father.”