Psalm 45:15
ESV
With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.
NIV
Led in with joy and gladness, they enter the palace of the king.
NASB
They will be brought with joy and rejoicing; They will enter into the King’s palace.
CSB
They are led in with gladness and rejoicing; they enter the king’s palace.
NLT
What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as they enter the king’s palace!
KJV
With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.
NKJV
With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King’s palace.
What does Psalm 45:15 mean?
Life with Jesus is joyful. The angel who announced the birth of Jesus to the startled shepherds said, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10–11). Jesus promised His followers, "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11).This verse anticipates the joy that the king's bride and her bridesmaids will experience as they are escorted to the king's palace for the wedding. The psalm was written for an earthly marriage (Psalm 45:1, 9) but also applies to the ministry of Jesus the Messiah (Psalm 45:6–7; Hebrews 1:8–9).
Life on earth holds many difficult circumstances that may cause Jesus' followers to grieve, but when they enter His presence, they will experience eternal joy. Jude 1:24 references this joy by saying: "Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy."
Psalm 45:6–17 describes the glorious king, his bride, and the wedding procession. The original subject of this song was an earthly king and his bride. However, the words also serve as prophecies about the ultimate Davidic King, Jesus Christ.
The psalm begins with the exaggeration for effect common to love songs and works celebrating an earthly king. The groom is described as handsome, powerful, and graceful. The psalm also speaks of an eternal throne—this connects to prophecies about the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12–13; Hebrews 1:8–9). The Bible often uses marriage images to explain the relationship between Christ and the church, including songs such as this.
