Psalm 45:9
ESV
daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
NIV
Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
NASB
Kings’ daughters are among Your noble women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
CSB
Kings’ daughters are among your honored women; the queen, adorned with gold from Ophir, stands at your right hand.
NLT
Kings’ daughters are among your noble women. At your right side stands the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir!
KJV
Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
NKJV
Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
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.
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.