Analysis of Psalm 110

Introduction

Psalm 110:1[1] is one of the most frequent Old Testament quotations in the New Testament, occurring five times (Matt 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43; Acts 2:34-35; Heb 1:13). It is alluded to a further fourteen times (Matt 26:64; Mark 14:62; Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69; Acts 5:31, Acts 7:55-56, Rom 8:34; 1 Cor 15:25; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3, 8:1, 10:12-13, 12:2). This article will explore the way the New Testament writers use Psalm 110:1, particularly how they focus on different words depending on the purpose of the context.

“My Lord”

The first three occurrences of the quotation refer to the same incident and can be considered together.

Jesus is at pains to highlight the authorship of the psalm, mentioning David before and after the quotation. This is in order to identify the “my” of “my Lord”. Since David is author of the Psalm, “my Lord” indicates David’s subservience to the Messianic figure in the Psalm.

Jesus’ question may at first be understood as casting doubt on the idea that the Messiah would be David’s son. However, the extensive references to Christ as the Son of David elsewhere in the Gospels (Matt 1:1, 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15, etc.) show that this cannot be the case. Rather Jesus is challenging the scribes’ perception of what sonship means. In the case of David and Jesus, sonship does not indicate subservience; Jesus is Lord – even of David.

“At my right hand”

Peter explains what is meant by “Sit at my right hand” (Acts 2:33-36). Commenting on Christ’s exaltation to “the right hand of God”, Peter continues “it was not David who ascended into heaven”. Thus, exaltation to the right hand means Christ’s ascension to heaven (also mentioned in Mark 16:19). Lest we miss the allusion in v. 33, Peter makes it explicit by quoting directly from Psalm 110 in the following verses.

Peter affirms that the quotation has now been fulfilled: “having been exalted to the right hand of God” (v. 33), “God has made him both Lord and Christ (v. 36).

The subsequent references to “the right hand of God” in the New Testament make it clear that it is not simply location which is in view, but the status and role of Jesus, and how that relates to those who follow him.

“Sit”

In the Letter to the Hebrews, each of the references to Psalm 110:1 begins with forms of “sit”, and this word seems to be the primary focus of the writer. Jesus’ sitting down is a result of (a) making “purification of sins” (v.3) and (b) “having becoming […] better than the angels” (v.4).

The angels theme is developed later in the chapter. God’s invitation to Jesus to “Sit at my right hand” (v. 13) is contrasted to the position of the angels who are “sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation. A similar sit/serve contrast made in Luke 17:7-8 illustrates the difference between lord and servant.

The purification/offering theme is alluded to elsewhere in Hebrews. Sitting “at the right hand of the throne of God” is the climactic result of “endur[ing] the cross” and “despising the shame” (Heb 12:1-2). More explicitly, Christ’s sacrificial ministry is contrasted with that of the Levitical priests (Heb 8:1-2, Heb 10:11-13). They stand, “daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices” but Christ “having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb 10:11-12). Christ’s sitting down is a result of the completion of his offering. Now he “wait[s] from that time onward until his enemies be made a footstool for his feet” (Heb 10:13).

The focus on sitting is somewhat puzzling in the light of the allusions to Psalm 110:1 in Acts 7:55-56. In reference to Stephen’s vision, Jesus is twice said to be “standing at the right hand of God”, indicating perhaps the continuing care of Christ for the saints.[2]

“Until”

For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. (1 Cor 15:25-28)

The quotation in this text is from Psalm 8:6: “You have put all things under his feet.” Yet this verse speaks neither of enemies, nor of a time limit (“until” or “when”). Rather, Paul has interpreted Psalm 8 in the light of Psalm 110. Drawing a parallel between “footstool of your feet” (Psalm 110) and “under his feet” (Psalm 8), Paul inserts “put… enemies” into his allusion to Psalm 8, replacing the verb hupotassó (“to make subject” from Psalm 8, as translated in 1 Cor 15:27) with tithēmi (“to put” from Psalm 110, as translated throughout the New Testament).

How does this inform our understanding of Paul’s use of Psalm 110:1? Paul’s focus in 1 Corinthians is on “until”. The “until” of the psalm indicates that the reign of Christ at the right hand of God will not be eternal. Once the promised subjugation of enemies is complete,

“then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power” (1 Cor 15:24).

Paul’s composite allusion has precedent in the Gospels. The eagle-eyed reader may have noticed above a distinction between the quotation used by Matthew and Mark and that used by Luke, a distinction preserved in NASB, ESV, NIV, NET and NLT but obscured in KJV and NKJV. Matthew 22:44 and Mark 12:36 read “I put your enemies beneath your feet” (thō tous echthrous sou hupokatō tōn podōn sou), while Luke 20:42-43 has “I make your enemies a footstool for your feet” (thō tous echthrous sou hupopodion tōn podōn sou). Luke is a close translation of the Hebrew of Psalm 110:1, as is the LXX. Why then do Matthew and Mark change the quotation? Are they simply removing redundancy?

“Beneath your feet” is identical in Greek to “under his feet” in Psalm 8:6 (as quoted in Hebrews 2:8). It seems possible, then, that Matthew and Mark are alluding to Psalm 8 within their quotation from Psalm 110.

This accords with the theme of Jesus’ authority found particularly in Matthew’s gospel (Matt 7:29, 8:27, 9:6, 9:8, 28:18). The triumphal entry (Matt 21:1-11) and the cursing of the fig tree (Matt 21:18-22) illustrate Jesus’ authority and between these two instances, Jesus cleanses the temple and quotes from Psa 8:2: “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself” (Matt 21:16).

Matthew follows this with a section on Jesus’ authority:

A Chief priests and elders: “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”

B Question from Jesus: John the Baptist

C Three parables from Jesus

D Three questions from the Jewish authorities

B Question from Jesus: The son of David

A “No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.”

It seems entirely appropriate, therefore, for this section on the authority of Jesus to conclude with a quotation from Psa 110:1, combined with an allusion to Psa 8:6. Both passages indicate that his authority is God-given, and thus Jesus answers the Pharisees and Sadducees with Scripture, having previously done so through authoritative action and teaching.

The “Son of David” is the “Son of Man”

Another composite allusion is found in Jesus’ own use of Psalm 110:

This time the allusion is to Dan 7:13: “with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man.” Jesus is paralleling the “my Lord” of Psalm 110 with the “one like a son of man” of Daniel 7, and as such the invitation to sit at the right hand corresponds to the subsequent verses in Daniel: “and to him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations and languages should serve him” (Dan 7:14a).

Summary

In reviewing the use of Psa 110:1 in the New Testament, we can appreciate the depth of meaning seen in one verse by the New Testament writers. They use it to show:

• the lordship of Jesus
• the superiority of the Messiah over David
• the role of the Messiah as “son of man”
• the difference between Jewish and Biblical ideas of sonship
• the authority of Jesus derived from God
• the completion of Jesus’ sacrificial ministry for all time
• the ascension of Jesus into heaven
• Christ as the divinely appointed king
• the supremacy of Christ over all things
• the ministry of Jesus in bringing repentance and forgiveness
• the ongoing intercessory work of Jesus
• the power of God at work in the lives of believers
• the spiritual position of believers with Christ at God’s right hand
• the need for believers to focus their minds on heavenly things
• the subjugation of all Christ’s enemies, including death
• the consummation of Christ’s work, when the kingdom is delivered to God.