Why read Psalm 44?
Psalm 44 invites contemplation of the messianic King and the beauty of life with God. In Christian interpretation, its wedding imagery and portraits of king and bride are connected with Christ and the Church.
You can read this psalm when its themes speak to your circumstances, or as part of your regular reading of the Psalter. This explanation draws on the text itself; the psalm is not reserved for one particular need.
In the Sixth Kathisma of the Psalter, Psalm 44 awaits its reader with 21 verses of prayer rising out of a real experience. It begins with "My heart hath uttered a good word; I speak..." — and from there on, everything is dialogue between man and God.
The Orthodox Septuagint numbering is retained here: this Psalm 44 corresponds to Psalm 45 in the Hebrew-text numbering.
The text of Psalm 44
1. My heart hath uttered a good word; I shall speak my song unto the King.
2. My tongue is the reed pen of a writer who writeth skilfully.
3. Thou art fairer in beauty than the sons of men; grace hath been poured forth upon Thy lips. Therefore hath God blessed Thee for ever.
4. Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Mighty One,
5. In Thy beauty and Thy brightness. Draw Thy bow, proceed and reign,
6. For the sake of truth and meekness and righteousness, and Thy right hand shall guide Thee wondrously.
7. Thy arrows are sharp, mighty in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples shall fall under Thee.
8. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.
9. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.
10. Myrrh and aloes perfume Thy garments; from ivory palaces songs of the lute gladden Thee; kings' daughters are in Thy honour;
11. The queen stood at Thy right hand, arrayed in vesture of gold and most beautifully adorned.
12. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people and thy father's house,
13. For the King hath desired thy beauty, for He is thy Lord.
14. And the daughters of Tyre shall worship Him with gifts; the leaders of the people shall make supplication before Thy face.
15. All the glory of the King's daughter is within, clothed in fabrics woven with gold and most beautifully adorned.
16. Virgins shall be brought after her unto the King; her companions shall be brought unto Thee.
17. They shall be brought in with gladness and rejoicing;
18. They shall be brought into the palace of the King.
19. Instead of thy fathers, sons are born unto thee; thou shalt make them princes over all the earth.
20. They shall make mention of thy name from generation to generation;
21. Therefore shall the peoples praise thee for ever, and unto the age of ages.
When Psalm 44 is read
- the psalm of the bride — it is read also to the Mother of God.
- At the end of each psalm, the tradition adds: "Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
Neighbouring psalms
The numbering follows the Orthodox Psalter (Septuagint). The same psalm may have a different number in other Bible editions.
