Psalm 110:3

Psalm 110:3

Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

a. ASV: Thy people offer themselves willingly In the day of thy power, in holy array: Out of the womb of the morning Thou hast the dew of thy youth. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT:  Thy people are free-will gifts in the day of Thy strength, in the honours of holiness, From the womb, from the morning, Thou hast the dew of thy youth.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Amplified Bible Classic:  Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness and in holy array out of the womb of the morning; to You [will spring forth] Your young men, who are as the dew.  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Septuagint [Psalm 110:3 in our Bible is Psalm 109:3 in the Septuagint]: With thee is dominion in the day of thy power, in the splendours of thy saints: I have begotten thee from the womb before the morning.

e. Tehillim/Psalms: Your nation volunteered on the day of your campaign, because of your majestic sanctity, from the womb, from emergence; you possess youthful innocence.  [THE ARTSCROLL TANACH SERIES TEHILLIM / PSALMS PERSONAL SIZE EDITION VOL.1 Ⓒ Copyright 1977, 1985, 1996 by MESORAH PUBLICATIONS, Ltd.]

1. “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power…”

a. [Thy] people [Strong: 5971 `am am ; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation, people.]

b. [shall be] willing [Strong: 5071 ndabah ned-aw-baw';  properly (abstractly) spontaneity, or (adjectively) spontaneous; also (concretely) a spontaneous or (by inference, in plural) abundant gift:--free(-will) offering, freely, plentiful, voluntary(-ily, offering), willing(-ly), offering).]

c. [in the] day [Strong: 3117 yowm yome from an unused root meaning; to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, + chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.]

d. [of thy] power [Strong: 2428 chayil khah'-yil from 2342; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength:--able, activity, (+) army, band of men (soldiers), company, (great) forces, goods, host, might, power, riches, strength, strong, substance, train, (+)valiant(-ly), valour, virtuous(-ly), war, worthy(-ily).]

1). This is a hard verse to nail down exactly, it is definitely about the people of God, perhaps in both covenants. The context may favor the Gospel dispensation, a few verses that have been cited in the notes on Psalm 110:1 & 2 can be applied here in reference to the phrase “the day of thy power.”

a). Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

2. “…in the beauties of holiness…”

 

a. beauties [Strong: 1926 hadar haw-dawr' from 1921; magnificence, i.e. ornament or splendor:--beauty, comeliness, excellency, glorious, glory, goodly, honour, majesty.] [Gesenius: ornament, adorning, decoration, majesty.]

b. holiness [Strong: 6944 qodesh ko'-desh from 6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity:--consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary.] 

1). God ascribes a very high value to holiness. To Him it is a decoration, an ornament that is beautiful to Him. It appears to me that His people are not only “willing” in the day of His power, but their lives are decorated with holiness, they are living pure clean holy lives. Their holy lives are beautiful. Perhaps we can glean something from other uses of these words and phrases.

a). Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

b). Psalm 96:9 O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

c). 2 Chronicles 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

2). The phrase “beauty of holiness” is only used four times in Scripture. Given the initial subject of the verse is God’s people, I believe that subject is also for the rest of the verse, that is God’s people. The lives of God’s people are decorated with holiness, they are living pure clean holy lives. Their holy lives are beautiful to the LORD. 

3. “…from the womb of the morning…”

 

a. [form the] womb [Strong: 7358 rechem rekh'-em from 7355; the womb (Compare 7356):--matrix, womb.]

b. [of the] morning [Strong:  4891 mishchar mish-khawr' from 7836 in the sense of day breaking; dawn:--morning.] 

1). In an attempt to clear up a cloudiness to understand this verse I will cite other translations

a). [New Living Translation] “…and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.”

b). Note Lamentations 3:22, 23

c). [NIV] “…from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.”

d). [NASB] “…from the womb of the dawn, *Your youth are to You as the dew.”

e). [RSV] “…From the womb of the morning like dew your youth will come to you.”

2). Let us not forget the context of this Psalm is a New Covenant context, the notes under the study of Psalm 110:1 prove that truth. Again, the subject is God’s people, so the verse continues to describe them. The “womb of the morning” I believe is speaking of the born again experience. Notice the wording of the following Scriptures. We are born of God.

a). John 1:12, 13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

b). 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

3). The translation of Psalm 110:3 from the Septuagint perhaps sheds the most light towards this.

a). Psalm 110:3 [Septuagint] With thee is is dominion in the day of thy power, in the splendors of thy saints

4). Our spirits are recreated by the Holy Ghost, we have become new creations in Christ.

a). Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

b). 2 Corinthians 5:17 [Amplified Bible] Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

4. “…thou hast the dew of thy youth.”

a. [thou hast the] dew [Strong: 2919 tal tal from 2926; dew (as covering vegetation):--dew.]

b. [of thy] youth [Strong: 3208 yalduwth yal-dooth' abstractly from 3206; boyhood (or girlhood):--childhood, youth.]

1). Just as in the rest of the verse I believe this is speaking of supernatural power, which His people are walking in. 

a). Pro.19:12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. 

b). Hosea 14:5 I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.