This psalm is an illustrious prophecy of Messiah the Prince: it is all over gospel, and points at him only, as a bridegroom espousing the church to himself and as a king ruling in it and ruling for it. It is probable that our Saviour has reference to this psalm when he compares the kingdom of heaven, more than once, to a nuptial solemnity, the solemnity of a royal nuptial, Matt. xxii. 2; xxv. 1. We have no reason to think it has any reference to Solomon's marriage with Pharaoh's daughter; if I thought that it had reference to any other than the mystical marriage between Christ and his church, I would rather apply it to some of David's marriages, because he was a man of war, such a one as the bridegroom here is described to be, which Solomon was not. But I take it to be purely and only meant of Jesus Christ; of him speaks the prophet this, of him and of no other man; and to him ( ver. 6, 7) it is applied in the New Testament (Heb. i. 8), nor can it be understood of any other. The preface speaks the excellency of the song, ver. 1. The psalm speaks, I. Of the royal bridegroom, who is Christ. 1. The transcendent excellency of his person, ver. 2. 2. The glory of his victories, ver. 3-5. 3. The righteousness of his government, ver. 6, 7. 4. The splendour of his court, ver. 8, 9. II. Of the royal bride, which is the church. 1. Her consent gained, ver. 10, 11. 2. The nuptials solemnized, ver. 12-15. 3. The issue of this marriage, ver. 16, 17. In singing this psalm our hearts must be filled with high thoughts of Christ, with an entire submission to and satisfaction in his government, and with an earnest desire of the enlarging and perpetuating of his church in the world.
Nuptial Song; Glories of the Messiah.
To the chief musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil. A song of loves.