Ps. 45.9 (containing the queen)

“A princess / is stationed / among your noblest women – the consort / of your right hand / with gold / of Ophir.” There is an interesting parallel between the introduction of the queen and the introduction of the king. Just as with the king the psalmist pauses before addressing her directly, first drawing attention to her physical bearing and presence within the room. And, like the king, she is described, although in different fashion, as being one ‘among many’. However, also like the king, it is probable that this designation is to point to the fact that she is the ‘most beautiful’ of “your noblest women”.  A crucial difference, however, is this: that whereas the king was praised in his own right, here the queen is seen solely through the eyes of the king. Notice, the address is to the king. Therefore, when we look to the queen we are looking at her through the eyes of the king. It is the orientation that is important—the king accomplished, in his own person, judicial and martial deeds. The queen’s accomplishments, on the other hand, will be only by and through the king—her ‘sons and princes’. The point is that the queen is, in a very real way, although independent (and this will be emphasized in the following verses) will be contained within the ambit of the king. She will provide her own potentiality to the king and thereby bring him to completion (and he bring her to completion) but, in a very real way, she will reside in him and not he in her; his ‘residing’ will be in the kingdom and nation. This ‘containing’ of the queen happens in a formal way in the psalm as well as it begins with the king, moves into this portion regarding the queen (but seen through the eyes of the king) and the concludes with an address to the king by way of the queen’s fertility.