eyes more than mere earthly beauty; it appears to him in the light of a celestial transfiguration, and for this very reason as an imperishable gift, in which there becomes manifest an unlimited endless blessing.
Verses 3-5
Psa 45:3-5 (Hebrew_Bible_44:4-6) In the ever blessed one the greatest strength and vigour are combined with the highest beauty. He is a hero. The praise of his heroic strength takes the form of a summons to exert it and aid the good in obtaining the victory over evil. Brightness and majesty, as the objects to חגור, alternating with the sword, are not in apposition to this which is their instrument and symbol (Hengstenberg), but permutatives, inasmuch as חגור is zeugmatically referable to both objects: the king is (1) to gird himself with his sword, and (2) to surround himself with his kingly, God-like doxa. הוד והדר is the brilliancy of the divine glory (Psa 96:6), of which the glory of the Davidic kingship is a reflection (Psa 21:6); mentioned side by side with the sword, it is, as it were, the panoply that surrounds the king as bright armour. In Psa 45:5 והדרך, written accidentally a second time, is probably to be struck out, as Olshausen and Hupfeld are of opinion. Hitzig points it והדרך, “and step forth;” but this is not Hebrew. As the text runs, wa - hadārcha (with Legarme preceded by Illuj, vid., Accentsystem xiii. §8c, 9) looks as though it were repeated out of Psa 45:4 in the echo-like and interlinked style that we frequently find in the songs of degrees, e.g., Psa 121:1-2; and in fact repeated as an accusative of more exact definition (in the same bold manner as in Psa 17:13-14) to צלח, which, like Arab. ṣlḥ, starting from the primary notion of cleaving, breaking through, pressing forward, comes to have the notion of carrying anything through prosperously, of being successful, pervadere et bene procedere (cf. the corresponding development of signification in Arab. flḥ , 'flḥ), and, according to Ges. §142, rem. 1, gives to רכב the adverbial notion of that which is effectual (victorious) or effective and successful. We cannot determine whether רכב is here intended to say vehi curru or vehi equo; but certainly not upon a mule or an ass (1Ki 1:33; Zec 9:9), which are the beasts ridden in a time of peace. The king going forth to battle either rides in a war-chariot (like Ahab and Jehoshaphat, 1 Kings 22), or upon a war-horse, as in Rev 19:11
