Theotokos in Psalm 45
Psalm 45 is a Messianic psalm. It tells us of the king’s wedding.
Let us first read Psalm 45: 9-17 :
9. Daughters of kings (Royal Daughter) are among your ladies of honor;
at your right hand stands the Queen in gold of Ophir.
10. Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
forget your people and your father's house, and the king will desire your beauty.
11. Since he is your lord, bow to him.
13. All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
14. In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her.
15. With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.
16. In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.
17. I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.
Verses 9 and 17 are seen throughout the Church as a reference to Mother of God, the queen (v. 9), who is both His Queen and His daughter, as a personification of the Church (virgins v. 14), the bride of the Messiah. This passage especially verses 9 and 10 are sung on all feast days of Virgin Mary and is a kukkilion in the Holy Qurbana that starts with 'Ninnal Sthuthiyodu Rajamakal' [Listen in youtube]
നിന്നാള് സ്തുതിയോടു രാജമകള്
നിന് വലഭാഗെ രാജഭാമിനിയും
നിന്നഴകരജന് മോഹിപ്പാന്
നിന് ജനമോര്ക്കായ്ക പിത്രുഗൃഹവും
This hymn is also chanted in the western tradition on the feast of the assumption (dormition) of the Theotokos. [Listen]
Mor Athanasius of Alexandria (AD 296 to AD 373) in his Letter to Marcellinus on the interpretation of the Psalms says:
" Listen, O daughter, behold and incline your ear, and forget thine your people and your fathers's house. For the King desired your beauty, for He is your Lord. Is not this like what Gabriel said, Hail, thou that art full of grace, the Lord is with thee? [Lk 1:28]. The only difference being that Gabriel addresses Mary by an epithet, because he is of another race from her, while David simply calls her his own daughter, because it was from him that she should spring."
Mary was brought as a small child to the temple by her parents in order to be raised there among the virgins consecrated to the service of the Lord until the time of their betrothal in marriage. According to Church tradition, Mary was solemnly received by the temple community which was headed by the priest Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. It was while she was living in the temple, that Gabriel appeared to her and made the announciation.
Now with this backdrop read Psalm 45:10-15. We can clearly see how these verses are a shadow of the presentation of the Theotokos to the temple and the announciation to the Theotokos by Gabriel.
Verse 16 shows how the sons replace the fathers, the interpretation being that the sons of the New Covenant are in a higher place than the fathers of the Old Covenant.
In Psalm 45:17, we can see the Prophey "I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; and the nations will praise you forever and ever". In the Gospel of Saint Luke, Mary herself speaks the following words:
"My soul magnifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, hence-forth all generations shall call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation." (Luke 1:47-50)