Psalms 110:5

My Notes

What Does Psalms 110:5 Mean?

David prophesies the Messiah's devastating judgment: the Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

The Lord (Adonai) at thy right hand — the Lord here is distinct from the LORD (Yahweh) of v.1. The LORD said unto my Lord — the Father addresses the Son. Now the Son (Adonai, my Lord) is at the right hand of the warrior-king — or the Father is at the right hand of the Messiah, supporting him in battle. Either reading produces the same result: divine power backing the messianic king in the day of judgment.

Shall strike through (machats — to shatter, to crush, to smash) kings — the verb is violent and decisive. Strike through means to pierce completely — the blow goes through the target. The kings are not merely defeated. They are shattered. The targets are kings (melakim) — the most powerful human beings on earth. Their crowns, their armies, their fortifications — none of it prevents the shattering.

In the day of his wrath (yom aph) — the wrath has an appointed day. Not constant anger. Appointed judgment — a specific day when the wrath that has been restrained is released. The day of wrath is the climactic moment when God's patience gives way to God's justice and the kings who opposed him are shattered.

Psalm 110 is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament — referenced or alluded to over 20 times. Jesus quoted v.1 to challenge the Pharisees' understanding of the Messiah (Matthew 22:44). Peter quoted it at Pentecost (Acts 2:34-35). The writer of Hebrews built an entire Christological argument on it (Hebrews 1:13, 5:6, 7:17). The psalm describes the Messiah as priest (v.4, after the order of Melchizedek) and king (v.1-3, 5-7) — the dual role that only Christ fulfills.

The striking of kings is the messianic judgment — the moment when every power that opposed God's anointed is shattered by divine force. Revelation 19:15-16 depicts the same scene: the King of kings strikes the nations with the sword of his mouth and rules with a rod of iron.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What does 'strike through' (shatter, pierce completely) communicate about the decisiveness of messianic judgment?
• 2.Why are 'kings' specifically targeted — and what does their shattering reveal about the limits of human power?
• 3.How does 'the day of his wrath' describe appointed judgment rather than constant anger — and what does the appointed timing mean?
• 4.How does Psalm 110 being the most quoted psalm in the New Testament reveal its importance for understanding who Jesus is?

Devotional

The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. The Lord — at the right hand of the warrior. Supporting. Empowering. Fighting alongside. And the action is not gentle: strike through. The blow does not stop at the surface. It goes through — shattering, crushing, piercing completely. And the targets are kings — the most powerful people on earth.

Shall strike through kings. Kings. Not peasants. Not minor officials. Kings — the ones with armies, with walls, with crowns. The ones who believe they are untouchable. The ones who have never been struck by anyone. The Lord strikes through them — through their power, through their defenses, through everything they thought made them invulnerable.

In the day of his wrath. The wrath has a day. Not a constant condition — an appointed moment. The day when patience expires and justice arrives. The day when the kings who opposed God's anointed discover that the power they accumulated was nothing against the power they opposed. The day is coming. It is on the calendar. And when it arrives, the striking is decisive.

This is the Messiah the Pharisees did not expect. Not a gentle teacher only. A king who strikes through kings. Not a philosopher who argues with power. A warrior who shatters it. Psalm 110 — the most quoted psalm in the New Testament — describes a Messiah who is priest and king, who sits at God's right hand, and who strikes through every king who stands against him.

The kings of the earth still set themselves against the Lord and against his anointed (Psalm 2:2). The opposition continues. The resistance persists. But the day of his wrath is appointed — and on that day, the striking will be as decisive as the psalm describes. Through. Shattered. Finished.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture