Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 45:8

"All thy garments [smell of] myrrh, and aloes, [and] cassia; Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made thee glad." — Psalms 45:8 (ASV)

All thy garments smell of ... —Or, perhaps, from the last verse (and comparing Psalm 133:2, and the customs referred to there), are anointed with. The spices mentioned may have been ingredients of the “oil of gladness.”

Myrrh ... cassia. —These spices formed part of the sacred oil described in Exodus 30:23-24. On the other hand, for the custom of perfuming clothes, beds, etc., compare to Song of Solomon 5:5; Proverbs 7:17.

For myrrh, see Genesis 37:25.

Aloes. —Hebrew ahâlôth (sometimes ahâlîm), a word formed from the native name aghil (Cochin China and Siam are its homes), which also appears in eagle-wood (Aquilaria agallochum). The lign aloes of Numbers 24:6 was most probably a different tree from that whose resin forms the precious perfume mentioned here. (See Biblical Educator, volume 1, page 243.)

Cassia. —See Note on Exodus 30:24.

The Eastern love for these mixtures of many fragrant spices has been finely captured in some modern lines:
“Heap cassia, sandal-buds, and stripes
Of labdanum, and aloe-balls,
Smeared with dull nard an Indian wipes
From out her hair, such balsam falls
From seaside mountain pedestals,
From tree-tops where tired winds are fain—
Spent with the vast and howling main—
To treasure half their island gain.”

R. BROWNING: Paracelsus.

Out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. —Rather, out of the ivory palaces music (literally, strings) has made you glad.

Of the many conjectured explanations, this one, though somewhat grammatically doubtful, is in all other respects preferable.

Indeed, it would have been strange if a nuptial ode, depicting the splendor and pomp of the marriage, had omitted the mention of music.

At this verse, we can imagine the palace doors thrown open for the emergence of the bridal train (compare to the procession immediately after the bath in the weddings in the Arabian Nights).

This opening would not only allow the strains of music to float out but also offer a glimpse into the interior, where the queen-bride stands, surrounded by her train of ladies.

The word translated “palace” (generally “temple”) may, from its derivation, be only a spacious place and thus a receptacle. On the other hand, Amos 3:15 shows that ivory was frequently used as an ornament of the houses of the rich, and Ahab’s “ivory house” (1 Kings 22:39) is familiar.