Psalm 110 Catholic: The Lord Said to My Lord, Melchizedek

Psalm 110, the Dixit Dominus, “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand,” is the psalm most often quoted in the New Testament. Jesus used it to show that the Messiah is more than a son of David, and the Letter to the Hebrews built its teaching on Christ’s priesthood on its verse “Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.” In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 109. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.

Psalm 110 in the Douay-Rheims Bible

The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand: Until I make thy enemies thy footstool.
The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy enemies.
With thee is the principality in the day of thy strength: in the brightness of the saints: from the womb before the day star I begot thee.
The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech.
The Lord at thy right hand hath broken kings in the day of his wrath.
He shall judge among nations, he shall fill ruins: he shall crush the heads in the land of the many.
He shall drink of the torrent in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Psalm 110 or Psalm 109?

The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 109 is Psalm 110 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Dixit Dominus Domino meo. See how many psalms are there?

Jesus, Son and Lord of David

Jesus asked the Pharisees how David could call his own descendant “Lord”:

The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool?

The Apostles proclaimed that the risen Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:34–36), words we profess in the Creed.

A priest for ever

The mysterious king-priest Melchisedech met Abraham with an offering of bread and wine:

But Melchisedech the king of Salem, bringing forth bread and wine, for he was the priest of the most high God,
Blessed him, and said: Blessed be Abram by the most high God, who created heaven and earth.

The Letter to the Hebrews applies the psalm to Christ:

So Christ also did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high priest: but he that said unto him: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
As he saith also in another place: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.

The Church sees in Melchisedech’s bread and wine a figure of the Eucharist, and the Roman Canon of the Mass still remembers the offering of Melchisedech together with those of Abel and Abraham. See the prayer for priests.

What the psalm means

Enthroned at God’s right hand: the risen and ascended Christ shares the Father’s glory.
A kingdom from Sion: “The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion.”
Begotten before the dawn: the Latin “from the womb before the day star I begot thee” was read by the Fathers as the eternal birth of the Son.
An eternal priest: Christ’s priesthood does not pass away; he intercedes for us for ever.
Victory: the psalm ends with the King triumphant, drinking from the brook and lifting up his head.

How the Church uses Psalm 110

At Evening Prayer (Vespers) every Sunday, where it is the first psalm. See Vespers.
On Corpus Christi (Year C): “You are a priest for ever, in the line of Melchizedek.” See Corpus Christi.
In the traditional Vespers of Our Lady, it opened the five psalms. See Marian feast days.

A prayer with Psalm 110

Written for this page:

Lord Jesus, you sit at the right hand of the Father, a priest for ever.
You offered yourself for us, and you offer yourself in every Mass.
Bless and sanctify all priests, who share your priesthood,
and bring me to share your victory and your glory. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Melchizedek in Psalm 110?

The king of Salem and “priest of the most high God” who blessed Abraham and offered bread and wine (Genesis 14:18). Hebrews sees him as a figure of Christ.

Why is Psalm 110 so important?

It is the psalm most quoted in the New Testament, used to proclaim Christ as Lord at God’s right hand and as eternal High Priest.

More psalms and prayers

Texts and sources

Scripture: Psalm 109 (110); Matthew 22:44; Genesis 14:18–19; Hebrews 5:5–6, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The prayer was written for this page.