Psalms 45:8-9

8, 9. The description of the king culminates in these verses. He has been praised as a man, as a warrior, as a ruler, and now as bridegroom. The scene supposes the bridegroom issuing from the palace attended by musical bands to welcome and escort him to the queen.

Thy garments smell of myrrh Literally, All thy garments myrrh, aloes, and cassia, as if the substance of his garments was of costly aromatics. The Orientals are lavish of perfumery, especially on festive occasions, upon their persons, clothes, beds, and apartments. Song of Solomon 1:3; Song of Solomon 4:11; Song of Solomon 4:16. The Hebrews obtained it mostly from Southern Arabia.

Ivory palaces Palaces inlaid with ivory, or adorned with ivory furniture. 1 Kings 22:39; Amos 3:15. Such seems to have been the “tower of David, builded for an armory,” (Solomon’s Song of Solomon 4:4; Song of Solomon 7:4,) situated at the northeast corner of Zion, “at the turning of the wall.” (Nehemiah 3:19.) The same is probably the edifice called, 1 Kings 7:2, “the house of the forest of Lebanon.” which was built by Solomon. See also Isaiah 22:8. The reader must not confound this with the so-called “tower, or castle, of David,” on the northwest corner of Zion, near the Jaffa gate. See note on Psalms 48:12.

Whereby they have made thee glad The Hebrew is somewhat obscure from the doubtful meaning of מני , ( minnee,) translated “whereby.” Some take it as they do מנ , ( min,) with paragogic yod, ( י ) and read from the ivory palaces, therefrom they rejoice thee. Others take it as a proper noun for Minni, a province of Armenia, (Jeremiah 51:27,) but in Jeremiah’s time subject to Media. and read, from palaces adorned with Armenian ivory they make thee glad. Others still regard it as an apocopated form of the plural מנים , ( minneem,) which word in Psalms 150:4 is translated stringed instruments, and read, Out of the ivory palaces with stringed instruments they delight thee, which is the more common and probable interpretation.