What does Psalm 45:9 mean?

The daughters of kings mentioned in this verse as "ladies of honor" are bridesmaids. The immediate context of this psalm is a king's wedding (Psalm 45:1). This depicts the queen standing beside the bridegroom-king. She is arrayed in gold of Ophir. Ophir was probably located in western Arabia and its gold was highly valued (1 Chronicles 29:4; Job 28:16). First Kings 9:28 reports that King Solomon's servants brought him enormous quantities of this treasured metal from Ophir for his construction projects.

Though this psalm is primarily about the king, it also offers prophetic information about the Messiah, Jesus Christ (Psalm 45:6–7; Hebrews 1:8–9). Christ's relationship to His church and His relationship to Israel as Messiah are often depicted using wedding terminology (Isaiah 54:5; Hosea 2:19; John 3:29; Revelation 21:9; 22:17). Matthew 25:1–12 relates the story of five foolish virgins and five wise virgins who waited at night for the arrival of the bridegroom. The foolish virgins' lamps were running out of oil, but the five wise virgins carried enough oil to keep their lamps lit. When the bridegroom arrived, the five wise virgins accompanied him to the marriage feast. When Jesus arrives for the marriage feast, He expects His people to be ready and waiting.