Psalms 45:6 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. — This is the rendering of the LXX., Vulg., and of the versions generally. But whether they supposed the words to be addressed to the Divine Being, or that the theocratic king is thus styled, is uncertain. The Christian use of the verse as applied to the Messiah (Hebrews 1:8, Note, New Testament Commentary) does not help us to explain how the monarch, who is the poet’s theme here, could be addressed as God. The use of Elohîm in Psalms 82:6; Psalms 97:7; Exodus 22:28, hardly offers a satisfactory parallel, and even 1 Samuel 28:13 (where we should render, “I saw a god, &c) hardly prepares us to find such an emphatic ascription to an earthly king, especially in an Elohistic psalm. Two alternative renderings present themselves — (1) Thy throne of God is for ever ... i.e., thy divine throne. (Comp. Psalms 31:2, “thy refuge of strength.”) (2) Thy throne is of God for ever, which is grammatically preferable, and with which may be compared 1 Chronicles 29:23, “the throne of the Lord.”