A Love Song

Psalm 45
An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word vocabulary) on
Psalm 4
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Gordon Churchyard
#ords in bo$es are "rom the %ible!
#ords mar&ed with a 'star are described in the word list at the end!
The translated %ible te$t has yet to go through Advanced (hec&ing!
Jesus said, "At midnight somebody shouted, Look, the bridegroom is coming.
Go out and meet him". (Matthew 25:! (This is )art o" a story that *esus told about
a marriage! The bridegroom is the man getting married!)
"sa#m $5
(This is) "or the music leader!
(+t is) "or the 'sons o" ,orah!
(+t is) a 'mas&il and a love song!
(-ing it) to (music that they call) .'lilies.!
(Words that the *psalmist says:)
%& These good words ma&e my 'heart very ha))y!
+ will say these verses to the &ing!
/y 'tongue is 'li&e the )en o" someone that writes easily!
(Words that the *psalmist says to the king:)
%2 0ou are the most beauti"ul man (that there is)!
0ou s)ea& words o" 'grace!
1od has made you s)ecial '"or ever!
%' #ear your 'sword by your side!
(0ou are) the '/ighty 2ne!
(0ou are) great and (you are) the &ing3
%$ (%ecause you are) the &ing4
ride out and beat (all your enemies)!
Then ()eo)le that are) honest
and 'mee& and 'righteous will always win!
0our right hand will show you
that you can do things that (ma&e )eo)le) a"raid!
%5 0our shar) 'arrows will cut into the 'heart o" the &ing5s enemies!
'Nations will "all down under your ("eet)!
% 0our 'throne4 1od4 will go on '"or ever and ever!
The 'sce)tre o" your '&ingdom will be a 'righteous 'sce)tre!
%( 0ou have loved things that are 'righteous
and you have 'hated things that are 'wic&ed!
-o 1od4 your 1od4 has )ut you above the )eo)le that are with you!
6e did this by )utting some 'oil on you4 which made you ha))y!
%) All your clothes (smell) o" 'myrrh4 aloes and cassia!
The (beauti"ul) 'ivory in big houses
(and the music that you hear "rom them) ma&es you ha))y!
%* Among your great women are the daughters o" &ings!
0our '7ueen stands at your right hand!
(-he is wearing) gold "rom '2)hir!
(Words that the *psalmist says to the *queen:)
%&+ 8aughter4 listen (to me)!
6ear (what + am saying) and thin& about it!
9orget your )eo)le and your "ather5s house!
%&& 0ou are beauti"ul and so the &ing loves you!
6e is your 'lord4 so 'worshi) him4 (%&2! daughter "rom Tyre!
%&2 :ich )eo)le will ma&e you ha))y with gi"ts!
%&' The daughter o" the &ing is beauti"ul inside!
They made what she wore out o" cotton made "rom gold!
%&$ They led her to the &ing in her beauti"ul clothes!
The girls that were her "riends "ollowed her!
%&5 They came in with ';oy and were very ha))y
as they entered the &ing5s ')alace!
(Words that the king says to the *queen; or the *psalmist says to the king:)
%& 0ou will have sons instead o" "athers!
0ou will ma&e them ')rinces over all the land!
%&( + will ma&e sure that )eo)le always remember your name!
-o4 )eo)le will ')raise you '"or ever and ever!
,he -tory o. "sa#m $5
The "amous English author4 (! -! <ewis4 wrote that some o" the )salms meant two
things! 6e also wrote that Psalm 4 was a good e$am)le o" this! #hat did (! -!
<ewis mean= 6e thought that "sa#m $5 meant one thing be.ore Jesus came to
the earth and something e#se a.ter he came/
1) %e"ore *esus came to the earth4 it meant this! The &ing in verses 2>? was the &ing
o" *udah or +srael! 6e was the 'messiah! The words .did this by )ouring 'oil over. in
verse @ are .'messiahed. in 6ebrew3 They )oured 'oil ("rom the "ruit o" a tree we call
the olive) over him when he became &ing! All the &ings o" *udah and +srael were
1od5s 'messiahs!
The '7ueen in verses 10>1 was the woman that the &ing married! -ome %ible
students thin& that the 'sons o" ,orah sang Psalm 4 when ,ing -olomon married
his '7ueen! 2thers thin& that they sang it every time a &ing married! The .'sons o"
,orah. were the )eo)le that sang in the 'Tem)le! The 'Tem)le was the house o"
1od! ,ing -olomon built the 'Tem)le in *erusalem! *erusalem was the ca)ital city o"
*udah!
2) A"ter *esus came to the earth it meant something else! This is a more im)ortant
meaning "or (hristians! They thin& that verses 2>? describe *esus4 the ,ing o" &ings!
Aerses 10>1 describe the (hurch4 all (hristians!
A "ew (hristians thin& that the )salm only means one thing! They thin& thatB
the &ing in verses 2>? is a#ways 1od
the '7ueen in verses 10>1 is a#ways 1od5s )eo)le!
1od5s )eo)le were the *ews in the 2ld Testament4 and are (hristians in the New
Testament and a"ter! They thin& this because all through the %ible marriage is a
)icture o" 1od as husband and his )eo)le as his wi"e!
This shows us that Psalm 4 is not a sim)le )salm! #e must never thin& that we
understand it com)letely! God wi## a#ways ha%e something new to say to us
through it/
0hat "sa#m $5 means
1erse &: -tudents thin& that the )erson that wrote the )salm said this! Although it is
)art o" the )salm4 it is not about the &ing and '7ueen! (.<i&e. is another word "or .as.!)
+t tells us that he says things (with his 'tongue) as easily as other )eo)le write things
(with a )en)! 6is 'tongue is his )en3 A verse is a )art o" a )salm! There are 1@ verses
in this )salm (1C i" you count the words above verse 14 as the 6ebrew %ible does)!
1erses 2 2 *: 9or the *ews be"ore *esus came to the earth4 these words described
their &ing! There is now no &ing o" the *ews !!! only *esus3 9or (hristians4 these
words are all about *esus! 6ere are some o" the things the )salm tells us about
*esusB
a) he s)ea&s words o" 'grace4 verse 2! This means that he tells us that he loves
us and that he died "or us! 6e did not have to do these things4 but he did them! That
is what 'grace means!
b) he is the '/ighty 2ne4 verse D! This is another name "or 1od! +t tells us that
he is more )ower"ul than anybody else! +t also tells us that *esus is 1od (loo& also at
verses E and @)!
c) he does things that ma&e )eo)le a"raid4 verse 4! This is because he is 1od
and is more )ower"ul than any man or woman! Even his 'disci)les were a bit a"raid
when he made the storm become 7uiet3
d) he will rule many 'nations4 verse ! +n the end4 he will rule all the 'nations in
the world! 6e will be ,ing o" &ings3 6is shar) 'arrows will go into the 'heart o" his
enemies! An 'arrow in the 'heart will &ill you! This means that he will beat his
enemies!
e) his 'throne will go on '"or ever and ever4 verse E! This means that he will
never sto) being &ing! .'"or ever and ever. means ."or always and always.! There will
be no end to his '&ingdom! Also4 his '&ingdom will be 'righteous! No bad things will
ha))en in it! The 'sce)tre is the s)ecial stic& (o"ten made "rom gold) that a &ing holds
as he rules his )eo)le! .A 'righteous 'sce)tre. means that the &ing is good! -o good
things will ha))en and not bad things!
") he is 1odFs '/essiah4 verse @! All the &ings o" *udah and +srael were
'messiahs4 with a small .m.G but *esus is the '/essiah with a ca)ital H/53 6e was
1od5s s)ecial servant on earth!
g) he is beauti"ul and there are beauti"ul things round him4 verse C! /yrrh4 aloes
and cassia come "rom trees and )lants! They used them as medicine4 and to ma&e
things smell )leasant! They used 'ivory to ma&e beauti"ul things to )ut in their
houses! +vory came "rom the tus&s o" a large animal called an ele)hant! Tus&s are
'li&e big white teeth and can be u) to a metre long! Ele)hants have one each side o"
their mouth! The end o" the verse .and the music that you hear. is not in the 6ebrew
%ible! -ome %ible students thin& that it may be what a strange word in 6ebrew
means4 but others do not agree!
h) his '7ueen stands at his right hand4 verse ?! -ome )eo)le say that this was
the marriage o" the &ing to the '7ueen4 others do not agree! :eally4 Psalm 4 is very
di""icult to translate and we are not sure about many things in it! The 6ebrew word is
.'7ueen.4 or .the wi"e o" a &ing.4 so in this verse they were already married! '2)hir
was a )lace )robably on the east coast o" the :ed -ea4 in what is now -audi Arabia!
1erses &+ 2 &5: 9or the *ews4 these words described their '7ueen! The *ews now
have no &ing or '7ueen! 9or (hristians this )art is about the bride o" (hrist! +n several
)laces in the %ible4 the (hurch is .the bride o" (hrist.! A bride is a woman who is at
her marriage! *ohn wrote4 .the marriage o" the <amb has come4 and his wi"e has
made hersel" ready. (:evelation 1?B@)! 6e also wrote4 .+ *ohn saw new *erusalem
coming down "rom 1od in 'heaven! -he was 'li&e a bride made beauti"ul "or her
husband. (:evelation 21B2)! New *erusalem is another name "or the (hurch! -o4
'li&e the *ews in the 2ld Testament4 the (hurch in the New Testament is 'li&e the wi"e
o" 1od! 8oes Psalm 4 tell us anything about the (hurch4 the bride o" (hrist= 6ere
are some o" the things that it tells usB
a) the (hurch is to "orget the things that ha))ened in the )ast4 verse 10!
Everything is now new!
b) the ,ing (*esus) loves the (hurch4 verse 11! 6e does this because the
(hurch in (hrist is beauti"ul3 :emember4 it is not how we see the (hurch but how
1od sees it that matters3
c) the (hurch must 'worshi) (hrist4 verse 11! .#orshi). is a di""icult word! +t
means love4 be a"raid o"4 be a servant o"4 and "all down on the ground in "ront o" !!! all
at the same time3
+n verse 1D we read .the daughter o" the &ing is beauti"ul inside.! This )robably
means that nobody saw what she wore until the &ing saw it! #hen *ewish girls came
to their marriage4 they covered their clothes! #hen they met their husband4 they
showed everyone their dress! #hat will the (hurch wear when she marries (hrist= +"
we believe in *esus4 we wi## a## ha%e a "robe o. 3righteousness"/ A robe is a long
dress that covers all the body and "eet! *esus gave us 'righteousness when we "irst
believed in him! +t means that 6e does not see us as bad but as good! This is not
because we are good4 but because *esus gives us the gi"t o" goodness
(righteousness) when we believe that he died "or us!
1erses & 2 &(: %ible students are not sure about these two verses! The two
im)ortant ideas are at the end o" ,he -tory o. "sa#m $$! Either the &ing is s)ea&ing4
or the ')salmist is s)ea&ing! %ut4 whatever is right4 .)eo)le will ')raise 1od "or ever
and ever.! .9or ever and ever. is a strange idea in the 6ebrew language! +t means
.as "ar as we can see.! 9or us it means ."or always and always.!
"sa#m $5 in the 4ew ,estament
+n the New Testament4 there is a boo& that we call .The <etter to the 6ebrews.! #e
do not &now who wrote it! This is what it says in 6ebrews 1BC>?B
%) %ut about the -on (it says)4 .0our 'throne4 1od4 is '"or ever and ever! 6is
'sce)tre is a 'sce)tre o" 'righteousness!
%* 0ou have loved things that are 'righteous and you have 'hated things that
are 'wic&ed! -o 1od4 your 1od4 has )ut you above the )eo)le that are with
you! (6e did this) by )ouring 'oil over you4 which made you ha))y.!
This is a very im)ortant )art o" the %ible! 5t is im6ortant because it te##s us that
ear#y 7hristians thought that "sa#m $5 was about Jesus/ -o4 it does not matter
that it may have been about the ,ing o" *udah! +t is now about *esus3
-omething to do
&. :ead about the 'sons o" ,orah at the end o" Psalm 4D in this set o" )salms!
2. :ead Psalm 4B 2 > ?! 6ow many things can you "ind that remind you o" *esus=
0ord #ist
arrow I stic& with a shar) )oint at the end4 shot by a bow!
disci6#e I someone that "ollows and obeys a teacher!
.or e%er (and e%er! I always4 with no end!
grace I being &ind to someone when you do not have to be!
hate I the o))osite o" love!
heart I )art o" our bodyG the *ews thought that you used your 'heart to thin&G so to
&now it .in your heart. or .by heart. means that you remember it!
hea%en I the home o" 1od!
i%ory I hard white material o" great value!
8oy I "eeling ha))y dee) inside!
kingdom I a country that has a &ing!
#ike I another word "or .as.!
#i#ies I beauti"ul "lowers!
#ord I someone with authority (with a ca)ital < a name "or 1od4 loo& a"ter Psalm 2)!
maski# I a )salm that teaches you something!
meek I letting )eo)le teach you!
Messiah I a name "or *esusG really it means Hhe is made &ing5!
Mighty 9ne I a name "or 1od that means that he is )ower"ul!
myrrh, a#oes, cassia I all have s)ecial smells!
nation I a grou) o" )eo)le (or a country) with a government!
oi# I li7uid "rom the "ruit o" the olive tree!
96hir I a )lace where -olomon got gold!
6a#ace I the home o" a &ingG a beauti"ul building!
6raise I (noun4 or being something) words that say that someone or something is
very good!
6raise I (verb4 or doing something) say that someone or something is very good!
6raise God I say how great that 1od is!
6rince I son o" a &ing!
6sa#mist I the )erson that wrote a )salm!
:ueen I the wi"e o" a &ing!
righteous I very very goodG only 1od is very righteous (or has righteousness)G doing
what is right!
righteousness I being very good!
sce6tre I a s)ecial stic& that a &ing holds4 maybe made o" gold!
sons o. ;orah I the )eo)le that sang in the 'Tem)le (loo& in Psalm 4D)!
sword I a long shar) &ni"e that soldiers used!
tem6#e I a s)ecial building where )eo)le 'worshi) 1od!
throne I a s)ecial chair that a &ing or '7ueen sits on!
tongue I the bit in the mouth that s)ea&s or tastes!
wicked I very very bad!
worshi6 I say that someone is very wonder"ul!
2000-2001, Wycliffe Associates (UK)
This publication is written in asyn!lish "e#el A (1200 wor$s)
%uly 2001
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