Matthew Henry’s Modern English CommentaryPsalms 110

The Messiah’s DominionThis section describes how Jesus, our great Redeemer, will defeat all His enemies and save His people. The psalm shows Jesus as a powerful King who brings judgment to those who fight against Him, but also as a Savior who comforts those who trust in Him. The victory of Christ is both complete and fair, and it brings hope to everyone who follows Him. Jesus, called the Lord at your right hand, will conquer His enemies (Psalm 110:5 ). He is the judge of all, and He will make sure that those who stand against Him are defeated. He will strike down even the greatest kings and rulers who oppose Him. No matter how powerful these enemies are, they cannot win against Christ (Psalm 2:2-5 ). His victory will be seen everywhere, reaching all nations. Christ’s judgment is fair—He will judge His enemies before He punishes them, making it clear they brought this trouble on themselves (Revelation 19:1-2 ). The result will be complete defeat for all who persist in fighting against Him. The psalm says He will wound the heads over many countries and fill places with dead bodies, pointing back to the promise that the Messiah would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15 ).For His people, Jesus also shows humility and brings comfort (Psalm 110:7 ). He drank from the brook in the way, meaning He suffered humiliation and hard times for our sake—He drank the “bitter cup” of God’s wrath so we could be saved (John 18:1 ). Because Jesus humbled Himself, God raised Him up. The verse says, therefore shall he lift up the head; after Jesus died and was buried, He rose again and triumphed over all His enemies (Philippians 2:9 ). His victory is also the victory of all who trust in Him—if we suffer with Him, we will also reign with Him.

The Messiah's Dominion This section describes the power and victory of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The psalmist speaks of Christ as a conqueror of His enemies and a comforter and savior to His people. The passage uses images of battle and judgment to show Christ’s authority over all rulers and nations. It also explains that Jesus’ suffering and humility are followed by His exaltation and triumph. The focus is both on the defeat of evil and the blessings for those who follow Him. v. 5: The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries (Psalms 110:5-6 ). Jesus, called “the Lord” here, will defeat all those who oppose Him and His people. He will be present with His church and act powerfully on their behalf. Even the strongest rulers will not be able to stand against Him. The day of His wrath is a set time for judgment, when evil and opposition will be punished. Christ’s victory will be complete and will reach even the highest and most powerful of His enemies, including kings, Satan, and all forces of evil (Psalms 2:2-5; Psalms 21:8; Revelation 6:16-17).

v. 6: He will also judge fairly. His actions are not out of uncontrolled anger, but out of justice. Before He destroys His enemies, He will show that they are guilty and deserve their fate (Revelation 19:1-2 ). The destruction will be so great that the land will be filled with the dead bodies of those who resisted Him (Isaiah 34:3; Ezekiel 39:12,14; Revelation 14:20; 19:17-18). This is also a fulfillment of the promise that the Messiah would crush the head of the serpent, Satan (Genesis 3:15; Psalms 68:21 ).

v. 7: He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head (Psalms 110:7 ). This verse shows both the suffering and the victory of Christ. To “drink of the brook in the way” means to experience hardship and humbling, like when Jesus drank the “bitter cup” of suffering and death (John 18:1; John 19:30 ). But because He submitted to this suffering, He is now exalted—He “lifts up His head.” Jesus rose from the dead and triumphed as a conqueror. His exaltation is the reward for His humility, and all His followers who suffer with Him will also share in His victory (Philippians 2:9; Colossians 2:15 ).