Fathers

Psalms 45

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My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

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What the Fathers say

Psalms 45:7

Eastern Fathers

Basil of Caesarea

Let no one be misled by the fact of the apostle's frequently omitting the name of the Father and of the Holy Spirit when making mention of baptism, or on this account imagine that the invocation of the names is not observed. "As many of you," he says, "as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ;" and again, "As many of you as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death." For the naming of Christ is the confession of the whole, shewing forth as it does the God who gave, the Son who received, and the Spirit who is, the …

On The Holy Spirit ↗

Athanasius of Alexandria

The word therefore does not imply the reward of virtue or conduct in the Word but the reason why he came down to us. It indicates that the Spirit's anointing took place in him for our sakes. For he does not say, "Therefore he anointed you so that you will be God or King or Son or Word," for he was already such before and is forever …; but rather, "Since you are God and King, therefore you were anointed, since none but you could unite humanity to the Holy Spirit, you the image of the Father, in which we were made in the beginning; for …

Discourses Against the Arians 1.49 ↗

Cyril of Jerusalem

Christ was not anointed by people with oil or material ointment, but the Father, having before appointed him to be the Savior of the whole world, anointed him with the Holy Spirit.… As he was anointed with an ideal oil of gladness, that is, with the Holy Spirit, called oil of gladness, because he is the author of spiritual gladness, so you were anointed with ointment, having been made partakers and "fellows of Christ."

Catechetical Lecture 21:2 ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity" [Psalm 45:7]. See there "the rod of direction" described. "You have loved righteousness, and hated iniquity." Draw near to that "rod;" let Christ be your King: let Him "rule" you with that rod, not crush you with it. For that rod is "a rod of iron;" an inflexible rod. …

Exposition on Psalm 45 ↗

Gregory the Dialogist

He was anointed above His fellows, because all we men first exist as sinners, and afterwards are sanctified through the unction of the Holy Spirit. But He Who, existing as God before the ages, was conceived as man through the Holy Spirit in the Virgin's womb at the end of the ages, was there anointed by the same Spirit, even where He was conceived. Nor was He first conceived and afterwards anointed; but to be conceived by the Holy Spirit of the flesh of the Virgin was itself to be anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Register of Epistles, Book 11, Epistle 67 ↗

Bede

God, his God, has anointed him with the oil of gladness above his companions in order that he may deign to make us also companions of that anointing of his, that is, sharers of spiritual grace.

Homilies on the Gospels 1:25 ↗