Queen of Psalm 45

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The Queen stands at your right hand (XIV), Dormition Cathedral, Moscow Predsta Tzaritsa.jpg
The Queen stands at your right hand (XIV), Dormition Cathedral, Moscow

The Queen in Gold of Ophir or Queen of Psalm 45 is a biblical character, who appears in Psalm 45 of the book of Psalms. [1] She is considered by Saint Maximus as a prophetic figure of the Virgin Mary.

Contents

The Protoevangelium of James relates that when Mary, at the age of three, was sent to the temple by her parents, a procession of virgin maidens, holding candles two by two, accompanied her to her destination. There the priest received her and, after kissing her, blessed her and exclaimed: "The Lord has magnified your name before all generations, because at the end of time he will manifest his redemption in you to his children of Israel." [2] [3] Thus the prophecy of Psalm 45 was fulfilled, according to which the bride would be presented to the king by a retinue of other virgins. The first verses speak of the most beautiful of all the sons of men, full of eternal graces and blessings, the hero defender of truth and justice, Jesus Christ, the Messiah and son of God. [4] Verse 10 refers to this virgin queen as being at the right hand of the king, which has a symbolism of great honor. Verses 14 and 15, as interpreted by St. Maximus, relate how the daughter of this king, who had previously revealed herself to be God himself (v. 7), presented herself to him beautifully, in garments embroidered with gold and garments of many colors, before. (v.12) It is stated that the beauty of the Virgin enchants the King, her Father, which shows us that the beauty and luxury of her clothes represent the different colors of her various virtues, and the precious value, like gold. , of all its qualities, with which it adorned itself throughout its growth. [5]

Interpretation as the Virgin Mary

Catholicism holds that the second half of Psalm 45 is about the Virgin Mary. She is the “golden queen of Ophir” (v.9); Her beauty, so desired by the king, is not her outward appearance, but her heart (v.13); and that the Church is represented by the virgins who accompany her (v. 14), and who venerate her (v.12). To understand this, we first have to understand the position of the queen in the Old Testament. The queen was not the king's wife, but his mother. [6] In the Orthodox Church, they also share this same interpretation with the Catholic Church. [7] [8] In a papal audience, Pope John Paul II accepts the interpretations of the Virgin Mary and the Church. [9]

Both Jewish tradition (Targum and others) and Christian tradition give this psalm a messianic meaning and, at least since the commentary of Saint Athanasius (4th century), verses 11 and 12 also relate to the Virgin Mary. [10]

In the vision of Saint John

Saint John witnessed the Assumption of Mary, [11] According to the Scriptures he writes:

"1 A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."

— Apocalypse of Saint John 12:1

Some claim that Saint John saw the event of the Assumption in Psalm 45. [12]

The Writings of Jerome and Augustine

Jerome and Augustine mention the Virgin, the Bride and the Church in their Scripture. [13]

Prophecy

According to this Psalm it gives a prophecy about Christ and his mother, verses 1 to 9a talk about Christ and immediately after these verses there is another lesser known prophecy that talks about Mary. In a literal sense, this psalm referred to the king of Israel, probably Solomon, receiving a new wife, with his mother at his right to symbolize his power and authority. [14] But on a spiritual level, it refers to Christ and Mary. [15] [16]

To fulfill this Old Testament prophecy, Mary said:

"48 because he has looked upon the humiliation of his servant. Yes, from now onwards all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Almighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name, 50 and his faithful love extends age after age to those who fear him."

— Gospel of Luke 1:48-50

Catholicism believes that only one woman can accomplish this, and that is Mary. [17] [9] [18] Jesus also gives us Mary on the cross as our mother, making her the mother of countless children: [19]

"25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. 26 Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your son.' 27 Then to the disciple he said, 'This is your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his home."

— Gospel of John 19:25-27

That is why Catholics honor the Virgin Mary as Queen of Heaven because she is the mother of the King, Christ. Pope Pius XII publishes an encyclical about the Queen of Heaven titled Ad caeli Reginam. Saint Amadeus of Lausanne explains in a homily how the psalmist's prophecy is fulfilled by having a relationship with the Woman Clothed with the Sun. [20] José Miguel Arráiz Roberti also considers the Psalm to be prophetic given a prophecy from Christ and the Virgin Mary. [21]

Other interpretations

Israel

Some Protestants claim that the bride is Israel, the bride of God. [22] [7]

The Church

Other Protestants maintain that he is speaking of the Church, the bride of Christ. [23]

Russian icon of Jesus Christ

This icon illustrates the text of the second part of verse 10 of Psalm 45 (44): “The queen is at your right, adorned with the gold of Ophir…” [24] whose exegesis gives as an explanation: The tsar, the king is Jesus Christ; the tsarina, the queen is Mary and the Church.

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References

  1. ↑ "Psalms - Chapter 45 - Bible - Catholic Online".
  2. ↑ The Apostle, James. Protoevangelium of James (PDF).
  3. ↑ "Protoevangelium of James" (PDF).
  4. ↑ the Confessor, Maximus (2020). Life of the Virgin . pp. 10–12.
  5. ↑ the Confessor, Maximus (2020). Life of the Virgin . p. 13.
  6. ↑ Why Mary Matters. pp. 415–418. ISBN   9781312917347.
  7. 1 2 "Mary as the Queen of Heaven - St. George Orthodox Church". 17 June 2020.
  8. ↑ The Old Testament in Eastern Orthodox Tradition. p. 240. ISBN   9780195331233.
  9. 1 2 "6 October 2004 | John Paul II". www.vatican.va. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
  10. ↑ "Apéndice – Atanasio de Alejandría – Carta sobre los Salmos" (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  11. ↑ "SOLENNITÀ DELL'ASSUNZIONE DELLA BEATA VERGINE MARIA - OMELIA DI GIOVANNI PAOLO II" (in Italian).
  12. ↑ "The Catholic Defender: Mary's Assumption Into Heaven". 25 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "Reading Psalm 45 in Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine - JSTOR". 2000. pp. 281–303. doi:10.2307/3169581. JSTOR   3169581. S2CID   162923596.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  14. ↑ "Del maestro de coro. Según la melodía: «Lirios...» De los hijos de Coré. Poema. Canto de amor" (in Spanish).
  15. ↑ "Salmo 45 : Profecía sobre la Virgen María y su legado" (in Spanish).
  16. ↑ "Is There a Queen in the Kingdom of Heaven? Pt. II". catholic.com.
  17. ↑ "GIOVANNI PAOLO II - UDIENZA GENERALE - Mercoledì, 18 settembre 1996". www.vatican.va (in Italian).
  18. ↑ The Blessed Virgin Mary and Every Woman. ISBN   9781515244561.
  19. ↑ "Jesús en la Cruz, la Madre y el discípulo - Vatican". www.vatican.va (in Spanish).
  20. ↑ Saint Amadeus of Lausanne. Homelies de Saint Amedee Eveque de Lausanne Sur La Vierge Marie Mere de Dieu. by Saint) Saint), Paperback | Indigo Chapters (in French). ISBN   9781272886721 . Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  21. ↑ Arráiz Roberti, José Miguel. Compendio de Apologética Católica. pp. 511–512. ISBN   9781312047402.
  22. ↑ Postell, Seth (January 2019). "A LITERARY, COMPOSITIONAL, AND INTERTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF PSALM 45". Bibliotheca Sacra 176.
  23. ↑ "Psalms 45 - Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible - StudyLight.org".
  24. ↑ Translation from Hebrew of the entire verse 10 of Psalm 44 by Louis Segond: “Daughters of kings are among your beloved; The queen is at your right, adorned with the gold of Ophir.

Bibliography

Many authors have commented on the psalms. Here are some of the best-known works, listed in chronological order:

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