Introduction
This psalm, as explained, is a "song of love" recited in honor of the king upon his marriage to the daughter of the king of Tyre. Up to this point, the psalmist praised the groom - his beauty, majesty, valor, and royal throne. From here on, he turns to describe the wedding ceremony itself: the noblewomen who came to honor the celebration, the bride's stature, the words of instruction addressed to her, the tributes brought to her, her procession to the chuppah, and finally the blessing of future generations and an eternal name. Let us follow the order of the verses.
"The Queen Stands at Your Right Hand" - The Stature of the Bride
בְּנוֹת מְלָכִים בְּיִקְּרוֹתֶיךָ נִצְּבָה שֵׁגַל לִימִינְךָ בְּכֶתֶם אוֹפִיר׃ (י) - Daughters of kings are among your cherished ones; the queen stands at your right hand in the finest gold of Ophir.
Rashi explains the word "b'yikkerotecha" as deriving from bikur (visitation/inspection), where the letter beit is part of the root rather than a prepositional prefix, similar to the word structure in "and their princesses shall be your wet nurses." One should understand that in Chazal's usage, bikur does not mean a brief drop-in visit as it does in modern parlance, but rather an act of inspection and attentive care: to examine what is lacking and ensure it is provided, as in the phrase "and to inspect in His sanctuary" (u-levakeir b'heichalo) - to see what needs maintenance or repair in the sanctuary, much like a structural inspection. According to this, princesses are the ones attending to you and looking after your needs. Rashi also cites an alternative explanation in the name of Menachem ben Saruk, who connects it to the root of yokar (preciousness or honor), as in "more precious than a golden vessel" - king's daughters gaze upon your eminence and glory.
The word "sheigal" refers to the queen, as written in Daniel 5: "and the queen was seated beside him." That is to say: your wife will stand at your right hand "in the fine gold of Ophir." Rashi explains: adorned in a cluster of golden jewelry brought from Ophir. Adi means jewelry, and a golden ornament brought from Ophir - a land renowned for its gold mines - is called ketem Ophir.
The Malbim explains according to his approach: for the wedding celebration, several princesses gathered to honor him, and this is the meaning of "b'yikkerotecha" - from the language of honor and prestige, meaning they have come to honor you. However, "the queen stands at your right hand in the fine gold of Ophir": the queen stands supreme above them all, elevated over everyone. For there is ordinary gold, and then there is ketem Ophir - a superior gold far more precious than standard gold. The verse comes to convey: all these royal daughters came merely to honor you on your wedding day, yet know that the woman you have wed is on a far higher level than them all; she is like the fine gold of Ophir, while they are merely ordinary gold.
And why does Scripture specify "at your right hand"? This, too, highlights her importance, says the Malbim: it was the royal custom that when a king wed a woman befitting his stature, she would stand at his right hand. But if he married a woman who did not match his royal dignity, taking her merely for her beauty or other secondary reasons, the queen would stand at his left, which was a mark of lesser standing. Therefore, it is said here, "the queen stands at your right hand" - during the wedding ceremony she stands at his right, showing that she is the fine gold of Ophir compared to the other princesses, who are merely ordinary gold.
As a side note: there are two textual vocalizations for this verse. We read "b'yikkerotecha" - with a sheva under the beit and a chirik under the yud. Yet there is another tradition where the beit has a chirik and the yud is quiescent, vocalized as "bikorotecha", where the yud is silent. Anyone examining the Tehillim edition of Rav Mazuz will see that he presents both as recognized traditions - some editions print it one way, and some the other.
"Hear, O Daughter" - The Prophet's Words to the Bride
שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי וְהַטִּי אָזְנֵךְ וְשִׁכְחִי עַמֵּךְ וּבֵית אָבִיךְ׃ (יא) - Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear; forget your people and your father's house.
Rashi interprets this verse as referring to the Congregation of Israel: "Hear, O daughter" - listen to the word of Hashem; "and consider" - see which is the good path; "and incline your ear" - to the Torah, since according to Rashi's approach, this entire chapter speaks of Torah scholars and Torah study. "Forget your people" - is a person truly meant to forget their own people? Rather, the intention is the nation beyond the Euphrates River among whom you were raised - forget them. "And your father's house" - forget the idolatry that your ancestors practiced across the river, for Avraham's father was Terach. Put that behind you and serve Hashem. And if you do so, "then the King will desire your beauty" - the Holy One, Blessed is He, will desire your beauty and take pleasure in the grace of your deeds.
The Malbim explains that up to this point the psalmist praised the groom, and from here onward he addresses the bride: "Hear, see, and incline your ear." This refers to the daughter of the king of Tyre, and as previously emphasized, he converted her and then married her. Therefore, he tells her: forget your people - convert and become part of the Jewish people; and forget your father's house - for from now on you remain only in your husband's home. Disconnect from everything you had before.
Advice for Every Bride Getting Married
It can be said that there is general advice here for every bride. As is well known, Yemenite Jews recite this psalm at the wedding feast before Birkat Hamazon, and it contains advice for the bride: "And forget your people and your father's house. So shall the king desire your beauty, for he is your master, and bow down to him." If a woman constantly remarks about everything, "My father didn't do it this way," or "In our home we didn't practice like that," this is a clear recipe for dispute and friction, until he ultimately tells her, "Go back to your father's house." While today this may sound less "politically correct," and should perhaps be phrased more delicately, the underlying principle has not changed: if a home is to have peace, in spiritual matters the husband sets the standard.
On the other hand, the husband must also know his place: in material matters, do not interfere with her kitchen. Whatever she cooks and bakes - do not meddle, and certainly never mention "my mother," which is grounds for world war in the home. A story is told of a man who walked into the kitchen, saw his wife frying an omelet, and started bossing her around: "Put in pepper now, now the onion, right away, hurry!" She asked him, "What happened?" He replied, "I just wanted you to feel how I feel when I'm driving."
This dynamic is seen quite often. In seminaries for ba'alot teshuvah, women grow remarkably, becoming meticulous in mitzvot - yet this can sometimes lead to tension after marriage. When a discussion arises about how to act, a wife may say, "Our rabbi in the seminary said the opposite." The husband calls his rabbi, she calls hers, and it spirals into an argument. The proper guidance given to these young women is clear: married women should not call to ask halachic questions independently. A woman has a husband; if there is a question, let the husband call. There are cases where a wife even argues with her husband while on the phone with her rabbi. The response must be: Why argue with him? He has a rav, and his rav ruled this way. What you learned in the past is valuable, but once you are married, you follow the halachic guidance given to your husband. A wife should not attempt to become her husband's halachic decisor; the husband needs to lead in matters of halachah. If a clarification is needed, the husband should reach out and speak with the rabbi. But confronting him with "The rabbi said this" or "Your rabbi doesn't understand" only breeds needless friction. A woman must know her domain in the physical, practical management of the home, and a man his domain in spiritual direction: he consults a rav and guides the practice at home. When each partner encroaches upon the other's domain, it is certainly not the right path - "And forget your people and your father's house."
"So Shall the King Desire Your Beauty" - The Beauty of Virtue
וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ כִּי הוּא אֲדֹנַיִךְ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִי לוֹ׃ (יב) - "So shall the king desire your beauty, for he is your master, and bow down to him."
The Malbim explains, differently from Rashi, that ve-yit'av does not denote desire (ta'avah), but rather a boundary mark or delineation (tav), as in "and mark a sign (ve-hitvita tav)," "and you shall demarcate (ve-hit'avitem) for yourselves the entrance to Hamath," and "to the boundary (ta'avat) of the everlasting hills." That is, the king will delineate, define, and shape your beauty - he will define your beauty through his being your master. The essence of your beauty will stem from the king being your master, as Chazal teach: "Who is a virtuous woman? One who fulfills the will of her husband." Her beauty, virtue, and nobility lie in listening to her husband. Therefore, "Hear, O daughter, and consider," forget your people and your father's house, and bow down to him - and in this will lie your primary beauty before the king.
The Tribute of the Rich of Tyre
וּבַת צֹר בְּמִנְחָה פָּנַיִךְ יְחַלּוּ עֲשִׁירֵי עָם׃ (יג) - "And the daughter of Tyre [shall come] with a tribute; the richest of the people shall seek your favor."
Rashi explains yechalu as similar to "and Moshe pleaded (vaychal Moshe)," an expression of beseeching and seeking favor; as a reward for this, you will merit that the wealthiest of the nation will bring you gifts and tributes.
The Malbim explains the verses sequentially: after describing the honor of the king, he now depicts how the king proceeds from the ivory palaces to the lodging of his bride, to the place of the queen. The daughters of kings stand there, and the queen consort is at his right; there he speaks with her to accept the faith of Israel - "Hear, O daughter, and consider," "Forget your people and your father's house" - and she embraces the faith of Israel and bows before the king, her master. Now the nobles and wealthy leaders of Tyre arrive to present her with gifts, for she is the daughter of the king of Tyre and they are now joined by marriage, coming to honor her with precious tribute for her wedding. And the psalmist says to her: O daughter of Tyre, look, the wealthiest of Tyre are coming to seek your favor with tribute.
"All glorious is the king's daughter within" - What Was the Tribute?
כָּל כְּבוּדָּה בַת מֶלֶךְ פְּנִימָה מִמִּשְׁבְּצוֹת זָהָב לְבוּשָׁהּ׃ (יד) - All glorious is the king's daughter within, her clothing is of settings of gold.
The Malbim explains: What was that tribute? Inside the chest in which they brought the gift, they placed "all the glory of the king's daughter" - all the precious and noble items fitting for a princess, valuable jewelry, and exquisite, treasured possessions; everything was placed inside. They also placed there her garment, "of settings of gold" - costly clothing set with gold. This is what was said earlier, "And the daughter of Tyre with a tribute, the richest of the people will seek your favor" - those wealthy people will bring you an extraordinary tribute to seek your favor at the time of your wedding canopy.
And the Metzudat Tziyon explains "of settings of gold" (mibmishbetzot zahav): The place where a precious stone is mounted is called a mishbetzet (setting). To set something means to join it inside a recess made to hold something else, and this is "her clothing is of settings of gold" - the places where the precious gems are mounted.
"In embroidered apparel she shall be led to the king"
לִרְקָמוֹת תּוּבַל לַמֶּלֶךְ בְּתוּלוֹת אַחֲרֶיהָ רֵעוֹתֶיהָ מוּבָאוֹת לָךְ׃ (טו) - In embroidered apparel she shall be led to the king, the maidens, her companions following her, are brought to you.
Rashi explains: In embroidered garments, all the people of the earth bring a tribute to the King, as it is written, "And they shall bring all your brethren out of all the nations for an offering." That is to say, this already refers to the era of the Redemption, when they will bring an offering to the Jewish people from all ends of the earth. "The maidens, her companions following her" - they follow behind them, as it is written, "They shall take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man, saying: We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." The nations will follow after us to the House of Hashem, and will even grasp the corner of a Jewish man's garment to say: Let us go to the House of Hashem.
And it is worthwhile to read the wondrous verses in Zechariah (as elaborated in the shiurim on the Book of Zechariah): "Thus says Hashem of Hosts: It shall yet come to pass that peoples and the inhabitants of many cities shall come. And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying: Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of Hashem and to seek Hashem of Hosts; I will go also" - every nation will say, "I too want to go." "And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek Hashem of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of Hashem. Thus says Hashem of Hosts: In those days it shall come to pass that ten men out of all the languages of the nations shall take hold, even take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man, saying: We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." Everyone will say: We want to go with you to the Mountain of the House of Hashem, for we have heard that God is with you. And concerning all this, according to Rashi, the Psalmist says, "are brought to You" - Master of the Universe, all of this is brought to You; everyone comes to prostrate before You and serve Hashem shoulder to shoulder.
The Radak explains "lirkamot" as meaning "birkamot" (in embroidered garments), similar to the verse "For I have slain a man for my wounding (lefitz'i)," which means through my wound (befitz'i). That is to say, they come in embroidered clothing, and each one is led to the king when he desires her, and the maidens who are the princess's companions follow behind her to the king.
The Malbim explains according to his approach that this refers to the marriage to the daughter of Tyre: From the bride's lodging, which is her father's house - where the king came to take her and betrothed her with kiddushin after she accepted the faith of Israel, and where the emissaries of Tyre also arrived with tribute - from there they lead the bride to the wedding canopy. For there is erusin, which is kiddushin, and there is the stage of nisu'in, the entry into the chuppah and the Sheva Berachot. And "lirkamot" does not mean, as other commentators explain, that her attendants wore embroidered garments, but rather refers to the embroidered place itself - the chuppah made of silk and embroidery. There the bride is led to be married to the king, and there she arrives with her maidens, and from there they lead them to the royal palace. And as for what is said, "are brought to you" - the bride and her companions are brought to you, my lord the king: she will be the royal consort (shegal), the queen at your right hand, and her companions will become concubines, who hold a lower rank.
"They shall be led with gladness and rejoicing" and the Allegory for the Messianic Era
תּוּבַלְנָה בִּשְׂמָחֹת וָגִיל תְּבֹאֶינָה בְּהֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ׃ (טז) - They shall be led with gladness and rejoicing; they shall enter into the king's palace.
The Malbim explains: It is commanded that all of them be led with joy and gladness, accompanied by all kinds of musical instruments, and from there "they shall enter the palace of the king" - for as explained, they hold the status of concubines and will remain in the king's halls within his palace. And the Radak writes: They will bring them to the king with joy and gladness, and they will dwell in the palace prepared for them until the king desires them, following the manner of the house of women under Ahasuerus, "until she was called by name to come before the king."
The Radak adds that all of these verses can be explained allegorically, "and this is the correct interpretation": The daughters of kings are the nations; the king is the King Messiah; and the consort, the queen, is Knesset Yisrael - the primary bride, who will reign as mistress over all the nations. According to this, "Hear, O daughter" is addressed to each and every nation: Be careful to fulfill only the will of the King Messiah, "for he is your master, and bow down to him" - he is the master and must be obeyed. And why was Tyre mentioned specifically? Because Tyre was close and adjacent to the Land of Israel. The "maidens" are the nations, so termed because, so to speak, no man had known them until then: the Jewish people are like a married woman, already fully bonded with the King Messiah, whereas the other nations had not until now accepted the sovereignty of Hashem or the sovereignty of the King Messiah, having adhered to a different messiah according to their distorted notions. Now, however, all of them will come to the King Messiah to have him as their master; they will accept the commandments - the Seven Noahide Laws or the faith of Israel - and "they shall enter the palace of the king," accepting upon themselves the sovereignty of the Creator, blessed be He, and the kingdom of the King Messiah.
"In place of your fathers shall be your sons"
תַּחַת אֲבֹתֶיךָ יִהְיוּ בָנֶיךָ תְּשִׁיתֵמוֹ לְשָׂרִים בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ׃ (יז) - "In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will appoint them as princes throughout the land." (17)
Rashi explains that this is addressed to all of Israel: "In place of your fathers shall be your sons" - your children will be a continuation of your forefathers and will not stray from the path, Heaven forbid. The Radak explains: Just as the kingdom descends to the King Messiah from the forefathers, generation after generation, until the royalty reaches him - so too will it never cease from his children. That which you received from generation to generation, from Yehudah, and after him the Davidic dynasty, down to the generation of the King Messiah - so too will your sons continue and inherit the monarchy from you. And the Metzudat David explains that "you will appoint them as princes" is addressed to the Holy One, blessed be He: You, Hashem, will appoint the sons of the King Messiah as princes and rulers throughout the Land of Israel.
The Malbim explains according to his approach, that this is a song of praise to King Solomon: I bless you that Hashem will bless the fruit of your womb born to you from the woman you married, the daughter of Tyre, and from her companions. And why does it say "In place of your fathers" rather than "in place of you"? Because a king inherits the honor of his fathers, yet possesses a majesty greater than theirs - David was a king, while Yishai his father was not. And what will David leave behind to his other sons? After all, not all of them can be kings, and his own royal honor he cannot bequeath to everyone; what, then, does he leave them? The noble standing of his forefathers. This is not like a Rebbe who appoints all ten of his sons as Rebbes, with each opening his own court; here, only one single king can succeed. Therefore, if the father held the rank of a nobleman and you, the son, achieved the rank of a great king - your sons will continue your father's rank and serve as princes. This is the meaning of "you will appoint them as princes throughout the land": they will enjoy prestige and authority, but it is impossible for all of them to hold the monarchy.
"I will make your name remembered in every generation"
אַזְכִּירָה שִׁמְךָ בְּכָל דֹּר וָדֹר עַל כֵּן עַמִּים יְהוֹדוּךָ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד׃ (יח) - "I will make your name remembered in every generation; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever." (18)
Rashi explains that these words are addressed to the Holy One, blessed be He. The Radak explains that they are directed toward the King Messiah: In every generation his name is remembered and he is longed for - we await the Messiah. "Therefore nations will praise you" - you will possess kingship and greatness unlike anything seen before, and all the nations will acknowledge you as their king, echoing the phrase "Yehudah, your brothers shall acknowledge you," meaning that everyone will submit to your sovereignty.
The Malbim explains: Even after your death I will make your name remembered in every generation - your good name will endure for all generations, "therefore nations will praise you forever and ever," for the memory of Solomon's reign is eternal; there is no generation in which he and his deeds are not remembered.
The Radak's Rebuttal to the Errant
In his concluding remarks, the Radak addresses "the Christian errants," as he defines them - and the Radak did not hesitate to write openly about Christianity. As has been noted on several occasions, when the Malbim speaks against Christianity, he writes in delicate and allusive terms because he lived among them; but the Radak, living in Eastern lands, had no hesitation in writing sharp and uncompromising criticisms against them. Conversely, the Rambam, living under Islamic rule, did not always allow himself to write explicitly against the Muslims.
Radak notes: The mistaken Christian commentators interpret this psalm as referring to that man, and they interpret "daughters of kings" as an allegory for the nations drawn after their faith. They attempt to support their claims from what is stated, "Your throne, given of God, is forever and ever" - for it calls him a king, so how could it call him God? Rather, according to their claim, he is the son of God. But Radak responds: "Your throne, given of God" has already been explained with two interpretations - in the name of Rav Saadia Gaon: God will establish your throne; and in the name of Ibn Ezra: similar to "And Solomon sat on the throne of Hashem." And even if they were to say that "Your throne" addresses God, it should be understood that "God" is in the vocative form, as a supplication: O God, may Your throne endure forever and ever - and this is not speaking of the throne of a supposed "son of God"; rather, the throne of God is the royal throne, as in "And Solomon sat on the throne of Hashem as king."
Radak adds: From the psalm itself, one can prove the absurdity of their claims. How could it be said of God, "oil of joy above your companions" - who are God's companions? And how could it be said of God, "the queen stands at your right hand," even metaphorically? The word "shegal" denotes a consort for marital intimacy, which is inconceivable in relation to God. And how could it be said, "In place of your fathers shall be your sons"? If they claim that God has sons, since according to their distortion that man is the son of God and those who believe in him are sons, like the phrase "You are children to Hashem your God" - how will they explain "in place of your fathers"? If you have ascribed sons to God, have you also ascribed to Him a father? And if they say "the Father," as in their doctrine of father, son, and holy spirit - we have already answered this regarding the psalm "Why do the nations rage?" A further response: even according to their own doctrine, one could speak of one father, but "fathers" in the plural - did He have multiple fathers?
From all this, one sees the intellectual shallowness of those commentators, and there is no need to elaborate further in refuting their assertions, as their words are utter vanity and possess no footing in Scripture. On the contrary, the verses prove the exact opposite of what they seek to demonstrate. As has often been noted, there are so many contradictions in the Christian faith that it has been likened to Swiss cheese, full of holes. More than once in public disputations, the priests were left speechless in the face of the multitude of contradictions and absurdities in their claims, from which not a single proof could be sustained. This psalm certainly provides no support whatsoever for their flawed approach.
In summary: The second half of the psalm, according to the Malbim, depicts the wedding ceremony itself: the daughters of kings have come to honor the groom, yet the bride stands at his right hand like "pure gold of Ophir" - a status above them all. To her the psalmist turns, urging her to forget her people and her father's house and embrace the faith of Israel; her primary splendor lies in recognizing that the king is her master - an eternal foundation for domestic harmony, where each party knows their place. The wealthy of Tyre bring her costly gifts; all her glory is within, her attire woven of gold settings, and from there she is escorted to the embroidered bridal canopy with gladness and joy, entering the king's palace. In conclusion, the blessing of future generations: your sons shall be princes throughout the land, your name shall be remembered for all generations, and peoples shall praise you forever and ever. Radak interprets the entire psalm allegorically as referring to the era of the King Messiah, when all nations will accept his sovereignty, and through this he also refuted the claims of the misguided. It should also be noted that the Malbim offers another comprehensive interpretation of the entire chapter "by way of the intellect," a profound philosophical and allegorical approach; we have contented ourselves with his peshat interpretation, which reveals to us eternal redemption, Amen and Amen.