“A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool .”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 110:1 Mean?
David writes a psalm that Jesus himself would later cite as messianic (Matthew 22:44). The LORD (Yahweh) said unto my Lord (Adonai): sit at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
The verse is a conversation within the Godhead — Yahweh speaking to someone David calls "my Lord." For David to call anyone his lord was extraordinary — he was the king. Whoever this is outranks the king of Israel.
"Sit thou at my right hand" — the position of highest honor and authority. The invitation is to rest — not to fight. The enemies will be dealt with by God, not by the one seated.
"Until I make thine enemies thy footstool" — God himself will subdue the opposition. The seated one waits while God works. The victory is accomplished by divine action, not human effort.
Jesus quoted this psalm to demonstrate that the Messiah was greater than David — David's Lord, not just David's son. The psalm points to someone who transcends every human category.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean that David — the king — called someone else 'my Lord'?
- 2.How does the command to 'sit' challenge your instinct to fight your own battles?
- 3.What enemies in your life does God need to make into a footstool while you wait?
- 4.How does Jesus' use of this psalm prove the Messiah is more than just David's descendant?
Devotional
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand. A king calling someone else his Lord. That alone should have made everyone in Israel pay attention. David had no earthly superior. Yet he writes about someone he serves.
Sit. The instruction is to rest in the highest position while God handles the enemies. Not fight. Not strategize. Sit. The battle belongs to someone else.
Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The enemies are real. The opposition is genuine. But the resolution does not depend on the seated one taking action. God does the making. The enemies become a footstool — not just defeated but placed under the feet of the one who waited.
Jesus asked the Pharisees about this verse and they could not answer. If the Messiah is David's son, why does David call him Lord? The question has only one answer: the Messiah is both human (David's descendant) and divine (David's Lord).
Where are you fighting battles that God has told you to sit through? The seat is at the right hand — the position of completed authority. The enemies are being made a footstool. Your job is to sit.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
The Lord said unto my Lord,.... The Targum is,
"the Lord said in his Word.''
Galatinus (q) says the true Targum of…
The Lord said unto my Lord - In the Hebrew, “Spake Jehovah to my Lord.” The word יהוה Yahweh is the incommunicable name…
Some have called this psalm David's creed, almost all the articles of the Christian faith being found in it; the title…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture