Psalm 110 stands at the crossroads of promise and fulfillment, a short royal psalm whose lines echo through the Gospels, Acts, Hebrews, and Paul. David writes as king and seer, reporting an oracle from the Lord to “my lord,” and the New Testament lifts that opening as the clearest witness that the Messiah is greater than David and shares the throne of God (Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:41–46). Here the promised Son is installed at God’s right hand, assured of victory over every enemy, and sworn into an eternal priesthood “in the order of Melchizedek,” the king-priest of Salem in Genesis (Psalm 110:1–4; Genesis 14:18–20). No psalm is quoted more often by the apostles, because no psalm so tightly holds together the person and work of Christ as reigning King and everlasting Priest (Hebrews 5:5–6; Acts 2:34–36).
This study hears Psalm 110 in its own voice and then follows its sound across Scripture. We will set the psalm in David’s world, walk through its verses, trace its fulfillment in Christ’s present session, Christ’s seated rule at God’s right hand, and look ahead to the promised day when the scepter stretches from Zion and the nations are judged in righteousness (Psalm 110:2; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Isaiah 2:2–4). The featured chapter is Psalm 110 itself, so our closing Scripture will come from its lines.
Words: 2931 / Time to read: 16 minutes
Historical and Cultural Background
David’s authorship matters because the psalm opens with a royal oracle in which the Lord speaks to “my lord,” a title that Jesus uses to show that the Messiah is not a mere descendant who stands beneath David, but David’s superior who shares God’s throne (Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:43–45). In the ancient Near East the king sat at the right hand of a greater ruler as a vicegerent, a trusted partner in rule; in Israel’s Scriptures, the right hand of God signals the place of power, honor, and effective salvation (Exodus 15:6; Psalm 118:15–16). To be told, “Sit at my right hand,” is to be enthroned beside the Almighty, not as a rival but as the Son in whom the Father delights and through whom He rules (Psalm 110:1; Psalm 2:7–12).
The psalm’s images were common in David’s world. A conqueror placing a foot on a defeated foe’s neck was a public sign that the enemy’s power was broken, which explains the footstool imagery, the public sign of total defeat, promised to the enthroned lord (Joshua 10:24; Psalm 110:1). Zion, David’s royal city, stood as the earthly center of God’s rule, and from Zion the scepter would extend to bring nations under the Messiah’s just reign (Psalm 110:2; Psalm 2:6–8). The oath about a priest “forever in the order of Melchizedek” recalls a time before the Levitical system, when a king-priest of Salem blessed Abram and received tithes, a pattern that showed that a priesthood older and higher than Levi existed by God’s design (Genesis 14:18–20; Hebrews 7:1–7). David the king knew that his line would receive a forever-throne by covenant; Psalm 110 shows that this throne includes a priesthood that matches the throne in duration and in dignity (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Psalm 110:4).
Set within Israel’s story, the psalm reaches forward. It looks beyond David’s reign to a greater Son who sits at God’s right hand now and will rule from Zion in the age to come, an inter-advent pattern that the apostles preach when they announce that Jesus has been exalted to God’s right hand and will remain there “until” His enemies are subdued (Acts 2:33–36; 1 Corinthians 15:25). The first coming secured the cross and resurrection; the present age is marked by the risen Lord’s heavenly rule and gathering of a people; the second coming will bring the scepter’s visible reach from Jerusalem over the earth (Luke 24:46–49; Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 19:11–16).
Biblical Narrative
The psalm begins with enthronement. “The Lord says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’” (Psalm 110:1). Jesus cites this verse to show that the Messiah is more than David’s son; He is David’s lord, which explains why He receives the place at God’s right hand (Matthew 22:41–46). Peter begins the church’s preaching by quoting the same oracle, arguing that David did not ascend into the heavens but spoke of the Messiah whom God has made “both Lord and Messiah,” seated now in power (Acts 2:34–36). The “until” marks a timeframe: the Messianic King reigns in heaven while enemies are subdued, and that reign moves toward a day when every foe becomes a footstool and the Son hands the kingdom to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:25–28; Hebrews 1:13).
The next line sketches the direction of that reign. “The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies’” (Psalm 110:2). A scepter symbolizes royal authority, and Zion anchors the rule in the covenant promises to David about a throne in Jerusalem (Esther 4:11; 2 Samuel 7:16). Isaiah foresaw a time when the law would go out from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, bringing peace among nations that lay down their arms, which matches the psalm’s vision of a scepter reaching outward in a world not yet fully at peace (Isaiah 2:2–4; Psalm 110:2). John pictures the same authority with the image of the iron scepter by which the Lord shepherds the nations in righteousness, not by cruelty but by firm justice that defends the meek and restrains evil (Revelation 19:15; Psalm 2:9).
Verse 3 turns from the King’s rod to the people’s response. “Your people will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb” (Psalm 110:3). The imagery is dense with life and loyalty. The King will not rule over a sullen people; He will be surrounded by a willing, holy host who present themselves freely to their sovereign (Judges 5:2; Romans 12:1). The dew image suggests freshness, number, and quiet appearing, the kind of army that God gathers by His Spirit rather than by coercion (Micah 5:7; Psalm 110:3). John’s vision of the armies of heaven following the Lord in fine linen, white and clean, answers to the psalm’s picture of holy splendor, a community made ready by grace to share in the King’s work (Revelation 19:14; Revelation 19:8).
At the center of the psalm stands the oath. “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek’” (Psalm 110:4). This is the only place in the Old Testament where the king is directly declared a priest by divine oath, and Hebrews builds an entire argument on its finality and its forever-length (Hebrews 7:17; Hebrews 7:21). Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, blessed Abram and received tithes, showing a priesthood that does not depend on genealogy from Levi and that combines royal and priestly dignity in one person (Genesis 14:18–20; Hebrews 7:1–3). The Messiah’s priesthood is like that—grounded in God’s oath, exercised forever, and fitting for a Savior who “always lives to intercede” and who “is able to save completely those who come to God through him” (Hebrews 7:24–25; Romans 8:34). The cross supplies the once-for-all sacrifice; the risen Christ supplies the unending intercession; the oath supplies the guarantee that this ministry will never fail (Hebrews 10:12–14; Hebrews 6:17–20).
Verses 5–6 return to the theme of victory and judgment. “The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth” (Psalm 110:5–6). The language is severe because rebellion is severe, and the King’s justice is part of His love for truth and for the oppressed (Psalm 96:10–13; Isaiah 11:3–5). The “day of his wrath” points to the day when the Son appears in glory, defeats the gathered armies that resist Him, and begins His public reign over the nations (Revelation 19:19–21; Zechariah 14:3–9). Paul echoes the same certainty when he says that the Lord Jesus will overthrow the lawless one with the breath of His mouth and bring him to nothing by the splendor of His coming, because the King’s word is a sword and His appearance ends the pretense of evil (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:15).
The psalm closes with a brief, vivid line. “He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high” (Psalm 110:7). It is a picture of the victorious King pausing to drink and then lifting His head in renewed strength as He moves on to triumph. It also hints at the true humanity of the Messiah, who depends on the Father and moves within time, and at the promise that His path ends in exaltation, the very movement Paul traces when he says that because He humbled Himself to the cross, God exalted Him to the highest place (John 5:19; Philippians 2:8–9). The brook and the raised head bind together the suffering Servant and the reigning Lord, the one story the Scriptures tell.
Theological Significance
Psalm 110 gathers into one place the heart of Christ’s identity and work. First, it presents the Messiah as true King, enthroned at God’s right hand and promised complete victory, which explains why the apostolic preaching centers on the exaltation of Jesus as Lord (Psalm 110:1–2; Acts 2:33–36). The right hand is not a waiting room but a throne from which He pours out the Spirit, governs His church, and directs history toward the day when every knee bows and every tongue confesses that He is Lord (John 16:7; Ephesians 1:20–22; Philippians 2:10–11). This is why Paul can say Christ must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet and that the last enemy to be destroyed is death, a direct reading of Psalm 110 through the lens of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:25–26; Hebrews 2:14–15).
Second, it reveals the Messiah as eternal Priest, a role the New Testament explains with care so that believers know why salvation is certain. The Levitical priests were many and mortal; Jesus is one and lives forever, which is why His priesthood is effective and unending (Hebrews 7:23–25; Hebrews 7:28). He offered Himself once for all as a spotless sacrifice, entered the true sanctuary in heaven, and now intercedes for His people, bringing His finished work to bear on their daily need (Hebrews 9:11–14; Romans 8:34). Because God has sworn and will not change His mind, no charge can stand against those God justifies, and no sin can exhaust the reach of His priestly care for those who come (Hebrews 6:17–19; 1 John 2:1–2).
Third, the psalm sketches the shape of the present and the future in a way that aligns with a grammatical-historical reading and a clear Israel–church distinction. At present, the royal Son is enthroned in heaven, ruling in the midst of His enemies as the gospel advances and a willing people gather to Him from every nation (Psalm 110:2–3; Acts 15:14). In the future, the scepter will extend from Zion in public view, the nations will be judged, and the Lord will be King over all the earth from Jerusalem, which fulfills promises made to David and to Israel without collapsing them into the church’s present calling (Psalm 110:2; Zechariah 14:9; Luke 1:32–33). Paul’s hope that “all Israel will be saved” and that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable fits this horizon, because the same Lord who now gathers Gentiles will turn again to the nation according to His covenant mercy (Romans 11:25–29; Jeremiah 31:35–37).
Fourth, the union of throne and altar in one person guards the Gospel itself. If Jesus were King without being Priest, He could rule but not reconcile; if He were Priest without being King, He could reconcile but not bring the reconciled world under righteous rule (Psalm 85:10; Colossians 1:20). Psalm 110 says He is both, so He brings peace with God by His blood and then brings peace among nations by His scepter, a sequence consistent with the cross, the church age, the Lord’s return, and the coming kingdom (Ephesians 2:13–18; Isaiah 9:6–7; Revelation 20:4–6). The church confesses this with joy because every promise finds its “Yes” in Him and because He is faithful to complete what He began (2 Corinthians 1:20; Philippians 1:6).
Spiritual Lessons and Application
Believers live between the oracle and its outcome, and Psalm 110 supplies sturdy comfort for that space. First, rest under Christ’s authority. The Father has seated the Son at His right hand and pledged the final subduing of every enemy, which means no rival power can overturn His purpose for His people (Psalm 110:1; John 10:28–29). When news shakes and nations rage, remember the scepter that does not break and the throne that does not move, and pray with confidence to the Lord who rules now and will be seen to rule then (Psalm 2:1–6; Hebrews 4:16).
Second, draw near through Christ’s priesthood. The oath that declares “You are a priest forever” is your open door to the Father, because the Son who bled for you now speaks for you, and His intercession never fails (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:25). Bring sins to the Priest who cleanses; bring needs to the Priest who sympathizes; bring fears to the Priest who intercedes, and watch how assurance grows when you stand where God has provided an advocate (1 John 1:9; Hebrews 4:14–16; Romans 8:34).
Third, give yourself willingly to the King’s service. The psalm sees a people made willing in holy splendor, which is the Spirit’s work in every age as He forms hearts that say, “Your people will be my people, and your God my God,” and hands ready to serve (Psalm 110:3; Titus 2:11–14). Offer your life as a living sacrifice and count it an honor to stand in the ranks of those who bear the King’s name in word and deed until He appears (Romans 12:1–2; Colossians 3:17).
Fourth, hope for justice without surrendering mercy. The psalm does not blush to speak of judgment, because a world of abused and wronged people needs a Judge who will not be bribed or wearied into delay (Psalm 110:5–6; Psalm 98:9). Let that certain day steady your work for what is right now, and let it keep you from despair when wrong seems to win, knowing that the Lord’s patience means salvation even as He hastens the day (2 Peter 3:9–13; Romans 12:19–21). Pray for enemies to become friends before they become footstools, because that is how you yourself were saved (Ephesians 2:1–7; Luke 6:27–28).
Finally, lift your head because He lifts His. The closing picture of the King drinking and raising His head invites you to take courage. Jesus walked the path of obedience with human weakness and divine help; He now reigns in strength and shares that strength with those who wait on Him (Psalm 110:7; Isaiah 40:28–31). In dark hours, step to the brook of promised grace and drink, then rise to keep going in the work He gives until faith becomes sight and the scepter shines from Zion (Hebrews 12:1–3; Psalm 110:2).
Conclusion
Psalm 110 gives the church a tight, blazing summary of the Messiah’s person and work. David hears the Lord enthrone David’s Lord at His right hand “until” every foe is underfoot; he hears an unbreakable oath declare a priesthood without end; he sees a scepter stretching from Zion and a willing, holy people gathering to the King; he sees nations judged and the King refreshed and exalted to finish His course (Psalm 110:1–7). The apostles read those lines and preach Jesus of Nazareth as their fulfillment—crucified, risen, exalted, and returning—so that sinners might be forgiven through His priesthood and gathered under His gracious rule (Acts 2:32–39; Hebrews 7:24–27). From a dispensational vantage, the psalm outlines the present session and the promised future kingdom without confusing the church’s calling with Israel’s covenanted destiny, all under the same Lord who is faithful to His word (Acts 1:6–8; Romans 11:25–29).
Take this psalm into prayer and into life. When doubts rise, look to the right hand and remember who sits there. When sin accuses, look to the oath and remember who pleads there. When injustice roars, look to the scepter and remember who will rule from Zion. And when weariness weighs, look to the brook and remember who lifts His head—and yours—until the day breaks and the true King is seen by every eye (Colossians 3:1–4; Revelation 19:11–16).
“The Lord says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies.’ ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’” (Psalm 110:1–4)
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