Psalm 45 (Tehillim 45) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Psalm 45
A Maskil and song of loves for the sons of Korach, praising the king’s beauty, majesty, righteous throne, and anointing, and calling the king’s daughter to forget her own people and worship him.
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, where the heading is verse 1. In most English Bibles the heading has no number, so each verse here is one higher than there (verse 2 here is verse 1 there).
45:1To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korach (Korah), Maskil, A Song of loves.
אלַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־שֹׁ֭שַׁנִּים לִבְנֵי־קֹ֑רַח מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל שִׁ֣יר יְדִידֹֽת׃
45:2My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
ברָ֘חַ֤שׁ לִבִּ֨י ׀ דָּ֘בָ֤ר ט֗וֹב אֹמֵ֣ר אָ֭נִי מַעֲשַׂ֣י לְמֶ֑לֶךְ לְ֝שׁוֹנִ֗י עֵ֤ט ׀ סוֹפֵ֬ר מָהִֽיר׃
45:3You are fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into your lips: therefore God has blessed you for ever.
גיָפְיָפִ֡יתָ מִבְּנֵ֬י אָדָ֗ם ה֣וּצַק חֵ֭ן בְּשְׂפְתוֹתֶ֑יךָ עַל־כֵּ֤ן בֵּֽרַכְךָ֖ אֱלֹהִ֣ים לְעוֹלָֽם׃
45:4Gird your sword upon your thigh, O most mighty, with your glory and your majesty.
דחֲגֽוֹר־חַרְבְּךָ֣ עַל־יָרֵ֣ךְ גִּבּ֑וֹר ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ וַהֲדָרֶֽךָ׃
45:5And in your majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and your right hand shall teach you terrible things.
הוַהֲדָ֬רְךָ֨ ׀ צְלַ֬ח רְכַ֗ב עַֽל־דְּבַר־אֱ֭מֶת וְעַנְוָה־צֶ֑דֶק וְתוֹרְךָ֖ נוֹרָא֣וֹת יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
45:6Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under you.
וחִצֶּ֗יךָ שְׁנ֫וּנִ֥ים עַ֭מִּים תַּחְתֶּ֣יךָ יִפְּל֑וּ בְּ֝לֵ֗ב אוֹיְבֵ֥י הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
45:7Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of your kingdom is a right sceptre.
זכִּסְאֲךָ֣ אֱ֭לֹהִים עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד שֵׁ֥בֶט מִ֝ישֹׁ֗ר שֵׁ֣בֶט מַלְכוּתֶֽךָ׃
45:8You love righteousness, and hate wickedness: therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
חאָהַ֣בְתָּ צֶּדֶק֮ וַתִּשְׂנָ֫א רֶ֥שַׁע עַל־כֵּ֤ן ׀ מְשָׁחֲךָ֡ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֱ֭לֹהֶיךָ שֶׁ֥מֶן שָׂשׂ֗וֹן מֵֽחֲבֵרֶֽיךָ׃
45:9All your garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made you glad.
טמֹר־וַאֲהָל֣וֹת קְ֭צִיעוֹת כָּל־בִּגְדֹתֶ֑יךָ מִֽן־הֵ֥יכְלֵי שֵׁ֝֗ן מִנִּ֥י שִׂמְּחֽוּךָ׃
45:10Kings’ daughters were among your honourable women: upon your right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ofir (Ophir).
יבְּנ֣וֹת מְ֭לָכִים בְּיִקְּרוֹתֶ֑יךָ נִצְּבָ֥ה שֵׁגַ֥ל לִֽ֝ימִינְךָ֗ בְּכֶ֣תֶם אוֹפִֽיר׃
45:11Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear; forget also your own people, and your father’s house;
יאשִׁמְעִי־בַ֣ת וּ֭רְאִי וְהַטִּ֣י אָזְנֵ֑ךְ וְשִׁכְחִ֥י עַ֝מֵּ֗ךְ וּבֵ֥ית אָבִֽיךְ׃
45:12So shall the king greatly desire your beauty: for he is your Lord; and worship you him.
יבוְיִתְאָ֣ו הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ יָפְיֵ֑ךְ כִּי־ה֥וּא אֲ֝דֹנַ֗יִךְ וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוִי־לֽוֹ׃
45:13And the daughter of Tzor (Tyre) shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat your favour.
יגוּבַֽת־צֹ֨ר ׀ בְּ֭מִנְחָה פָּנַ֥יִךְ יְחַלּ֗וּ עֲשִׁ֣ירֵי עָֽם׃
45:14The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
ידכָּל־כְּבוּדָּ֣ה בַת־מֶ֣לֶךְ פְּנִ֑ימָה מִֽמִּשְׁבְּצ֖וֹת זָהָ֣ב לְבוּשָֽׁהּ׃
45:15She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto you.
טולִרְקָמוֹת֮ תּוּבַ֪ל לַ֫מֶּ֥לֶךְ בְּתוּל֣וֹת אַ֭חֲרֶיהָ רֵעוֹתֶ֑יהָ מ֖וּבָא֣וֹת לָֽךְ׃
45:16With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace.
טזתּ֭וּבַלְנָה בִּשְׂמָחֹ֣ת וָגִ֑יל תְּ֝בֹאֶ֗ינָה בְּהֵ֣יכַל מֶֽלֶךְ׃
45:17Instead of your fathers shall be your children, whom you may make princes in all the earth.
יזתַּ֣חַת אֲ֭בֹתֶיךָ יִהְי֣וּ בָנֶ֑יךָ תְּשִׁיתֵ֥מוֹ לְ֝שָׂרִ֗ים בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
45:18I will make your name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise you for ever and ever.
יחאַזְכִּ֣ירָה שִׁ֭מְךָ בְּכָל־דֹּ֣ר וָדֹ֑ר עַל־כֵּ֥ן עַמִּ֥ים יְ֝הוֹדֻ֗ךָ לְעֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃
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Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. The Divine Name is printed as it appears in the codex.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Tziyon (Zion)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem,” the short form יָהּ is “Yah,” and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ is “Hallelujah”; “God” (Elohim) and “Lord” (Adonai) are unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew a psalm’s heading (“A Psalm of David…”) is part of the text and is counted as verse 1, or verses 1–2, so in psalms with a heading the verse numbers are often one or two higher than in English Bibles. Where that happens, a note under the summary says so.
- Quiz
- Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the psalm on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.