John Calvin Commentary Psalms 45:1

"My heart overfloweth with a goodly matter; I speak the things which I have made touching the king: My tongue is the pen of a ready writer." — Psalms 45:1 (ASV)

My heart is boiling over with a good matter. This preface shows sufficiently that the subject of the psalm is no common one; for whoever its author may have been, he here intimates, at the very outset, that he will treat of great and glorious things.

The Holy Spirit is not accustomed to inspire the servants of God to utter great swelling words and to pour forth empty sounds into the air; and, therefore, we may naturally conclude that the subject treated here is not merely a transitory and earthly kingdom, but something more excellent.

If this were not the case, what purpose would it serve to announce, as the prophet does in such a magnificent style, that his heart was boiling over, from his ardent desire to be employed in rehearsing the praises of the king? Some prefer to translate the word to utter; but the other meaning of the word seems more appropriate to me; and it is confirmed by this, that from this verb is derived the noun מרהשת, marchesheth, a word found once or twice in Moses, and means a frying-pan, in which sweetmeats are baked.

It then has the same meaning as if the inspired writer had said, My heart is ready to breathe forth something excellent and worthy of being remembered. He afterwards expresses the harmony between the tongue and the heart, when he compares his tongue to the pen of a swift and ready writer.