Limitless Word
Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
Psalms 45:16 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Your sons will take the place of your fathers. You shall make them princes in all the earth.
  • BSB Your sons will succeed your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land.
  • NKJV Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons, Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
  • NASB ¶In place of your fathers will be your sons; You shall make them princes in all the earth.
  • NLT Your sons will become kings like their father. You will make them rulers over many lands.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The king's sons will succeed his fathers and be made princes throughout the earth. It matters because it promises an enduring royal line, fulfilled in Christ's universal reign.

Overview

Addressed to the king, this promises a flourishing dynasty whose offspring will rule widely. The dynastic hope reflects God's covenant with David. It finds its fulfillment in Christ, whose kingdom fills the earth and whose people are made a royal priesthood reigning under Him.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 12

  • Rev 5:10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
  • Rev 1:6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
  • 1 Pet 2:9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
  • Isa 60:1–5Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
  • Isa 49:21–22Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?
  • Isa 54:1–5Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
  • Rev 20:6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
  • Mark 10:29–30And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
  • Matt 19:29And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
  • Ps 22:30A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
  • Phil 3:7–8But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
  • Gal 4:26–27But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 45:16YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.

How Psalms 45:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.