Do You Know The Most Quoted OT Passage in the NT

This passage stands out as a uniquely Christological text in the Hebrew Bible.  It begins with God (Yahweh) addressing “my Lord” – a dialogue David reports hearing – and goes on to promise the king a perpetual priesthood “in the order of Melchizedek”.  In Christological terms, this psalm combines royal and priestly titles for the coming Messiah.  Reformed commentators emphasize that David himself, by the Spirit, speaks of Christ here.  As John Calvin notes, in this psalm David “sets forth the perpetuity of Christ’s reign, and the eternity of his priesthood” .  Similarly, Matthew Henry calls it “pure gospel… wholly concerning Christ,” pointing out that the ancient Jews (even the “worst” of them) understood it messianically .  The psalm’s language – an enthroned “Lord” who conquers enemies and serves as priest forever – cannot fully fit any mere historical king, but finds complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 110 can be viewed as two linked “oracles.”  In verse 1–3, Yahweh exalts the Messiah to sit at God’s right hand “until I make your enemies your footstool” (Ps 110:1).  This enthronement language implies the Messiah’s ultimate victory.  New Testament writers infer from the phrase “sit at my right hand” that “He is greater than David” – since David himself “did not ascend to the heavens” (Acts 2:34–35) – and “greater than the angels” (Hebrews 1:13), for no angel has been told to sit beside God .  It also conveys Christ’s exaltation after His atoning work: Hebrews 10 says that by sitting down at God’s right hand the finished sacrifice is proclaimed as complete .  Verses 2–3 speak of a mighty scepter from Zion and troops willing on the day of battle.  As Don Carson observes, this anticipates the transformed Messiah’s “army”: God’s people, empowered by grace, “serve willingly in Messiah’s army” on the day of His power .  In short, Psalm 110 paints a portrait of the risen Messiah as divine king and eternal priest, themes which echo in the NT.

In the psalm’s final oracle (Ps 110:4–7), God swears an oath: the Lord (Messiah) is “a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek” (v.4).  Here Christ’s priesthood is foreshadowed.  Levitical priests descended from Aaron had a temporary office, but Melchizedek (king of Salem and priest of God Most High in Gen 14) was a priest of a different order.  Calvin explains that no human king could have a “new and unusual” priestly dignity forever; the perpetual priesthood belongs uniquely to Christ .  The New Testament book of Hebrews uses Psalm 110:4 extensively (Hebrews 5–7), arguing that Christ, unlike the Levitical priests, is both king and priest in this eternal Melchizedekian order.

Historical Context: Davidic Psalms and Messianic Expectation

Psalm 110’s superscription reads “A Psalm of David,” anchoring it in the Davidic tradition .  If David himself wrote it (as the New Testament and early church universally assume), then the figure he calls “my Lord” must be greater than the psalmist.  Jesus drives this point home: when He asks the Pharisees about Psalm 110:1, He quotes, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand…” and then asks how the Messiah could be David’s son if David calls Him “Lord” .  The Pharisees, unable to refute the logic, fell silent.  Jesus thus affirms Davidic authorship and messianic content: David, “speaking by the Holy Spirit,” prophesied of the Messiah .

In Second Temple Judaism, expectations about the Messiah varied, but many looked for a new David-like king to defeat Israel’s foes (cf. 2 Sam 7; Isa 9) and restore Israel.  Psalm 110 fits that royal motif but adds a divine twist.  In fact, the psalm’s wording puzzled Jesus’ hearers precisely because it elevated the Messiah above David.  The language “my Lord” suggested the Messiah’s preexistence or divinity, an idea that Jesus took for granted.  As Henry notes, even “the Jews of old… so understood [the psalm]” as referring to the Messiah .  By contrast, modern critical scholarship often reads Psalm 110 as a royal psalm (like Ps 2) attributed to a Davidic courtier.  But for Jesus and the apostles, the messianic interpretation was plain.  Psalm 110 thus became a lens through which the early church viewed David’s line and its fulfillment in Christ.

New Testament Fulfillment and Allusions

Because of its rich Christological imagery, Psalm 110 is frequently cited in the New Testament – more than any other psalm.  Don Carson observes, “Psalm 110…the chapter…quoted most often in the New Testament” .  Indeed, the Gospels, Acts, and Epistles draw explicitly on it:

• In the Gospels:  Jesus Himself quotes Ps 110:1.  In Matthew 22:41–46 (Mark 12:35–37; Luke 20:41–44), after the question about David’s son, Jesus asks, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” When they say “David’s,” He answers by quoting, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand…’ ” (Matt 22:44) .  He then points out that David calls the Messiah “Lord,” implying His superiority.  In these exchanges, Jesus treats Psalm 110 as Scripture (calling it “Scripture” or “David’s own words”) and applies it to Himself .

• At Pentecost (Acts 2):  Peter applies Psalm 110:1–2 to Jesus’ exaltation.  In Acts 2:34–35 he says, “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand…’ ” , thus proclaiming that Jesus (not David) is the one enthroned at God’s right hand.  This shows the apostles read Psalm 110 as prophetic of Christ’s resurrection and ascension.

• Epistle to the Hebrews:  Psalm 110 permeates Hebrews.  In 1:13 the author asks, “To which of the angels has he ever said, ‘Sit at my right hand…until I make your enemies your footstool’?” – clearly alluding to Ps 110:1 to underline that the Son is greater than angels.  Chapters 5–7 repeatedly quote or reference Psalm 110:4 (“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek”) to establish Christ’s eternal priesthood.  Other letters likewise echo the theme: 1 Corinthians 15:25 (“he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet”) recalls Ps 110:1, and 1 Peter 3:22’s picture of Christ at God’s right hand reflects it implicitly.

Overall, Psalm 110 is woven throughout the NT.  One commentator lists direct quotations in Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42–43; Acts 2:33–34; and Hebrews 1:13, along with indirect allusions in places like Matthew 26:64; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Hebrews 5:6; 7:17,21 .  These citations consistently identify the “my Lord” of Ps 110 with Jesus.  Each use reinforces core New Testament teachings: Christ’s divine sonship, His eternal kingship and priesthood, and the climax of history in His victory.

Reformed Presuppositions: Scripture’s Authority and Christ’s Centrality

From a Reformed, presuppositional standpoint, Psalm 110 exemplifies the unity and authority of the Bible.  Sola Scriptura means the Old Testament and New Testament together present one divine message centered on Christ.  Jesus Himself modeled this view: He treats David as a true prophet, declaring that David wrote Psalm 110 “in the Spirit” (Matt 22:43–44; Mark 12:36) .  He assumes Scripture’s inerrancy and sees its coherence, using the law and the prophets to validate His mission (e.g. Matt 5:17–18).  As one Reformed scholar notes, Jesus’ handling of Scripture “is consistent with the prevailing Jewish view… that Scripture [all of it] is God’s unerring word” .

Reformed expositors hold that Psalm 110’s meaning cannot be grasped apart from Christ.  Calvin insists we “need not apply to any other quarter” for confirmation, since “Christ applies this portion of Scripture to himself” (Matt 22:42–45) .  The NT’s unanimous use of the psalm “beyond all controversy” proves its messianic intent .  In line with Van Til’s emphasis on Scripture’s Christocentricity, Psalm 110 is seen as one of many texts that the Holy Spirit uses to declare “the divinity, priesthood, victories, and triumph of the Messiah” .  Thus, for the presuppositional Reformed Christian, there is no neutral reading of Psalm 110 – one presupposes Christ’s identity as the key to understanding it.

Moreover, Psalm 110 reinforces the sufficiency and potency of God’s word.  It begins with “The LORD said…,” which the Puritan Edward Reynolds calls a “special word from the Lord,” intrinsically powerful and authoritative .  As Reynolds explains, God’s spoken word carries blessing and command: “God’s saying is ever doing something; his words are operative, and carry… authority along with them” .  Preachers and teachers draw from this: proclaiming Psalm 110 is not telling nice poetry, but declaring God’s own promise about Christ’s rule.

Practical Implications for Ministry and Theology

For pastoral ministry and biblical theology, Psalm 110 offers rich applications.  First, it directs worship toward Christ’s ascension and current reign.  Preachers can use it to encourage believers that “He who promised is faithful”(Heb 10:23) – Christ is seated at God’s right hand interceding for us, a truth summarized in Ps 110:1 and expanded in Acts 5:30–31 and Romans 8:34 .  The psalm also reminds us that the church’s mission is divine-empowered warfare: Christ’s “troops…will come to you willingly on the day of your battle” (Ps 110:3).  Carson links this to regeneration, noting that God makes His people willing at Christ’s call .  Thus, Psalm 110 becomes a sermon text about joyful service: we trust that the King’s Spirit energizes His army.

Second, Psalm 110 is a treasure for biblical theology.  It beautifully unites covenant themes: the Davidic kingship (Zion, scepter), the Abrahamic promise (Melchizedek blessing Abraham, now fulfilled in Christ), and the everlasting priesthood replacing the temporary Levitical order.  Teachers might highlight how the “day of battle” and “enemies as footstool” language foreshadows Christ’s final judgment and kingdom (cf. 1 Cor 15:24–25).  For catechesis, the psalm reinforces Christ’s threefold office – prophet, priest, and king – across the Testaments, as Henry outlines (v.2 prophet, v.4 priest, v.1,3,5–6 king) .

Finally, this text underscores Scripture’s Christ-centred authority.  In preaching, quoting Psalm 110 demonstrates the continuity of God’s word: the One who spoke through David now speaks through Christ.  As Henry exhorts, hearing (or singing) this psalm should lead us to “act faith upon Christ, submit ourselves entirely to him… and triumph in him as our prophet, priest, and king” .  In teaching, it models reading the Old Testament through Christ’s lens.  Just as Jesus rebuked the Sadducees with Scripture (Matt 22) and Peter preached from the psalms (Acts 2), so Reformed preachers see Psalm 110 as mission-critical text – one that must be entrusted with confidence, since “all Scripture is breathed out by God” and “useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16).

In sum, Psalm 110’s prominence in the New Testament attests to its centrality in the Christian Gospel.  It portrays the exalted Messiah in terms that the earliest Christians found indispensable.  For a seminary-trained (and Reformed) audience, its study affirms the unity of God’s plan: from David’s harp to the early church’s pulpits, “God has put these things together in the Bible” to reveal “who Jesus is” .  This majestic psalm remains a lens through which the church beholds Christ’s kingly and priestly reign, and a reminder that Scripture — rightly understood — leads us inevitably to Him.

Sources: Reformed theological commentaries and articles (Calvin, Matthew Henry, Don Carson, etc.) and Scripture (Ps 110; Matt 22; Acts 2; Heb 1–7) are cited above for all arguments.