Endnote 19 – Is Psalm 45 an Erotic Poem?

A colleague with whom I shared this work puckishly raised the example of Psalm 23: “He makes me lie down, he restores my spirit … Your rod and your staff, they comfort me … You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” A Freudian die-hard would find erotic imagery here, too, where others might be skeptical. The difference is that Psalm 45, unlike Psalm 23, describes the beauty of a bridegroom and bride.