Psalm Chapter 110 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Key Takeaways from This Psalm:
Psalm 110:1
Verse: יְהוָה לַאדֹנִי אָמַר
Transliteration: Adonai la-Adoni amar
English: “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’”
Focus Word: יְמִין (Yamin)
- Root: י-מ-ן (Yod-Mem-Nun)
- Meaning: “Right hand,” “position of power and authority.”
- Deeper Insight: Yamin conveys honor and authority, symbolizing God’s sovereign empowerment of His chosen King or Messiah.
| Hebrew Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning / Morphology | Scholarly Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| נְאֻם — ne’um | Verse 1 — “The LORD said to my Lord…” | “Oracle,” solemn declaration. | Ne’um (“oracle”) denotes an authoritative, divine pronouncement. It signals the formal delivery of a revealed statement. The word underscores the solemnity of Yahweh’s decree. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament |
| שֵׁב — shev | Verse 1 — “Sit at My right hand…” | “Sit,” dwell enthroned. | Shev (“to sit”) conveys enthronement and royal authority. It implies shared rule and delegated dominion. The verb highlights the Messiah’s exaltation by God. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms |
| הֲדֹם — hadom | Verse 1 — “…Your footstool.” | “Footstool,” subjection. | Hadom (“footstool”) symbolizes total conquest and submission of enemies. It reflects royal victory imagery common in the ANE. The term supports the Psalm’s theme of divine kingship. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament |
| מַטֵּה — matteh | Verse 2 — “The rod of Your strength…” | “Rod,” scepter, authority. | Matteh (“rod/scepter”) indicates delegated royal power. It links kingship with divine commissioning. The word anchors the Messiah’s authority in God’s sovereignty. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| רְדֵה — redeh | Verse 2 — “…rule in the midst of Your enemies.” | “To rule,” govern, dominate. | Redeh (“to rule”) reflects governance exercised despite opposition. It expresses triumph in hostile territory. The verb highlights unstoppable divine dominion. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary |
| נְדָבֹת — nedavot | Verse 3 — “…Your people shall be volunteers…” | “Willing offerings,” freely given devotion. | Nedavot (“freewill devotion”) portrays wholehearted volunteer allegiance. It describes worshipers responding freely to divine kingship. The term emphasizes joyful submission rather than coerced loyalty. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Commentary |
| הֲלֹם — halom | Verse 3 — “…from the womb of the morning…” | “From,” origin, source. | Halom (“from”) poetically describes radiant emergence. It conveys imagery of freshness and divine vitality. The word enhances the Psalm’s exalted poetic tone. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק — Malki-Tzedek | Verse 4 — “…after the order of Melchizedek.” | “King of righteousness.” | Malki-Tzedek (“king of righteousness”) signifies priest-kingship grounded in justice. It introduces a unique priestly office distinct from the Levitical order. The name underscores the Messiah’s eternal priesthood. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms |
| נִשְׁבַּע — nishba‘ | Verse 4 — “The LORD has sworn…” | “To swear,” make oath. | Nishba‘ (“to swear”) conveys irrevocable divine commitment. It emphasizes certainty and unchangeable purpose. The term reinforces the permanence of the Messianic priesthood. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary |
| דִּין — din | Verse 6 — “He shall judge among the nations…” | “To judge,” execute justice. | Din (“to judge”) expresses decisive administration of justice. It underscores divine authority exercised globally. The verb highlights the Messiah’s role as universal ruler. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar (Institution & Dates) | Work | View on Psalm 110 |
|---|---|---|
| Hugh Binning (University of Glasgow, 1627–1653) | Sermons on the Psalms | Binning underscores the Psalm as a declaration of God’s appointed ruler and priestly authority. |
| William Lowth (University of Oxford, 1660–1732) | Commentary on the Psalms | The Psalm portrays the union of royal and priestly functions in God’s anointed. |
| Johann Albrecht Bengel (University of Tübingen, 1687–1752) | Gnomon Novi Testamenti | Bengel highlights the Psalm’s messianic promise and its implications for spiritual leadership. |
| Philip Doddridge (Northampton Academy, 1702–1751) | Family Expositor | Doddridge emphasizes divine authority vested in Christ as both king and priest. |
| James Durham (St Andrews / Edinburgh, 1622–1658) | Commentary on the Psalms | Durham sees the Psalm as a model for understanding Christ’s enduring rule and spiritual mediation. |
THE ROD OF STRENGTH IN ZION
Zion is a place of God's ruling power and there is a weapon of war kept in Zion to fight the enemies of everyone that is identified with Zion. Therefore, you cannot be identified with Zion and be overpowered or molested by the enemies because the LORD's ruling power is available to subdue the enemies and judge their evil activities against you.
It should be a thing of joy to be identified with the dwelling place of God, this is because the Zion of God is a holy place, which by the redemptive work of Christ has been brought so close to humanity than what he can think, which by implication, is your body, that is referred to as the Temple of the living God, where His Spirit lives. It is also a physical place where God's presence is resident.
Importantly, you need to know that to be identified with Zion is to be on the LORD's side and when a man is there, His victory is sure and safety guaranteed. Moreover, the holiness feature of being identified with Zion is enough excitement and joy because it gives you rest from guilt and fear, which is torment from the devil and makes you more than a conqueror.
From verse one, it is clearly seen the Victory without a fight that everyone identified with Zion enjoys and many more from God in the other verses that would be stated here.
- He communicates with you in the midst of challenges by saying “sit at my right hand”, which brings inner peace and rest.
- He gives assurance of victory with the word “until I make Thine enemies thy footstool”
- The holiness in Zion is characterized by the beauty that would definitely reflect in your life and endeavours.
- The Strength supplied propels willingness to do the things of God with agility.
Are you truly identified with Zion and how often have you benefitted from the rod of strength that fights the battle of Zionites from the beginning to the end?
My Counsel
Ø Do not move an inch from God’s placement to ascertain unwavering victory
Ø Maintain a holy lifestyle, which guarantees you to be identified with Zion
Ø Ensure that the willingness power supplied as mentioned in verse 3 is fully maximized to the glory of God alone.
Declaration
Father, help me to remain with you in Zion till the end of my life in Jesus' name.
