Psalm 110
The 110th Psalm (Psalm 109 by counting the Septuagint and Vulgate ) is a Psalm from the Bible's Book of Psalms. He is associated with David and belongs to the royal psalms. Because of his messianic salary he is the most quoted Old Testament text in the New Testament.
Text, structure and content
The psalm is in terms of its content and its textual tradition, one of the most difficult texts of the Psalter. Thus, Hans -Joachim Kraus stated: " No Psalm has in research so many hypotheses and discussions triggered as the 110th Psalm ."
The Psalm can be divided into two parts, appearing as God's Word Introduction formulas are structure-building in verse 1 and 4:
Particularly controversial has been the question of who is the speaker in v. 1. Traditional conceptions take the beginning of the Psalm "by David " literally and see King David as worshipers, who quotes a saying of God and of " his Lord " as a third party talks. Thus would exist a David herrscherliche parent figure who was sitting on the " right hand of God ." In the historical-critical exegesis is believed, however, that it is the person praying to a fictional character is that transmitted as a court or cult spokesman the Israelite king as " his master, " a word from God. After that, it is in the form at the right hand of God to the ideal typical Israelite king himself, holding the throne in the manner of David. However, the Psalm documented hardly a private enthronement festival, as it is sometimes assumed.
The sovereign images in the first part of the Psalm are familiar from the ancient Near Eastern iconography. This includes the idea of the defeated enemies as a " footstool " (v. 1) and also the " rod " in v. 2 as a symbol of the power of the king, who is already found in older Babylonian and Assyrian times.
The understanding of verse 3 is preparing extraordinary difficulties because the Hebrew consonants stock is no fixed meaning. Erich Zenger prefers the traditional Masoretic text, but he considers the result of an editorial revision and translated
" Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy strength in the beauty of holiness. From the womb of the morning you come to the dew of thy youth. "
Other attempts at reconstruction come to alternative interpretations that lead to partially substantially different translations.
The second part of the Psalm speaks of the king of permanent priestly dignity. For this Melchizedek is reminiscent of pre-Israelite times to the Jerusalem priest-king who blesses Abraham in Gen. 14.17-20 EU.
The importance of the last verse of the Psalm is controversial, insofar uncertainty about the acting subject. Some exegetes here another Inthronisierungsritus of the Davidic king is seen. This would, however, a change of subject between V. 4-6 (YHWH as actor ), V. 7 presuppose ( the priest-king as a doer ), for which there is no further evidence in the text. Thus, the image of " drinking from the stream on the way " YHWH also refer to as the victorious warrior who shows his superiority after successful battle.
Dating
The psalm is usually dated in his first part in the pre-exilic period of Israel, sometimes even completely in the oldest monarchy. The comparison with other royal psalms from pre-exilic period (Ps 18 EU, Ps 21 EU, Ps 2 EU), which show the king himself as a fighter, shall, after Erich Zenger later emergence time near when YHWH as a " man of war " is presented. The image of the priest-king Melchizedek vordavidischen and the oath of God, to receive the kingdom (v. 4), have also in post-exilic period in which the messianic restoration of the monarchy was expected. A dating only in the Maccabean era is no longer represented today.
Importance in the New Testament
The first verse of the psalm plays an extremely important role in the entire New Testament and is one of the most quoted Old Testament verses in the New Testament. ( Mk 12.36 EU 14.62 EU) Jesus Christ sitting by his exaltation " at the right hand of God" and God put him " his enemies at your feet " (Luke 20.41-44 EU, 1: Here, the statements are interpreted christologically Cor 15,25 EU).
In addition, in Hebrews the psalm is used to justify the award of the title " high priest " in Jesus the light of Scripture. Especially Ps 110.4 EU is often cited:
In this argument the Hebrews supports the view of the Bund in Jesus Christ is the "better covenant" (Heb. 7.22 EU).
This outstanding appreciation of the Psalms in the New Testament has its precipitation found in the Christian Apostles' Creed, which states in reference to v. 1 by ascended into heaven Christ:
"He is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. "
Reception
The psalm was, inter alia, by Georg Friedrich Händel Dixit Dominus set to music.