Midrash su Salmi 110:1

R. Zechariah said in the name of R. Ishmael: "The Holy One, praised be He! desired to bring forth priesthood from Shem (son of Noah), as it is said (Gen. 14, 18) And Malkizedek, king of Salem, brought bread, and wine, and he was a priest of the most high God, but since he preceded the blessing of Abraham to that of the most Holy One, the Lord [decided] to bring it forht from Abraham, as it is said (Ib., ib., 19) and blessed be the most high God; i.e., Abraham said to Shem: 'Is it proper to utter the blessing of a servant before the blessing of his master?' Therefore it (priesthood) was brought forth from Abraham, as it is said (Ps. 110, 1) By David a psalm. The Eternal said unto my Lord, etc.; and immediately after this is written. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent of it, thou shalt be a priest forever after the words of Malkizedek, i.e., on account of the words of Malkizedek. And this is the meaning of the passage (Gen. 14, 18) And he was a priest of the most high God; i.e., he was a priest, but not his children."

Another interpretation (of Cant. 4:6): UNTIL THE DAY BECOMES COOL. Until the kingdom of the Holy One appears in this world. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THE SHADOWS FLEE, i.e., the shadows of the kingdom. (Ibid., cont.:) I WILL GO UNTO THE MOUNTAIN OF MYRRH, i.e., Jerusalem. Thus it is stated (in Cant. 5:1): WHEN I COME TO MY GARDEN, MY SISTER, MY BRIDE, I HAVE PLUCKED MY MYRRH ALONG WITH MY SPICE. (Josh. 5:3:) UNTO THE MOUND OF FORESKINS,²⁰Buber again suggests emending to fit Cant. 4:6: UNTO THE MOUND OF FRANKINCENSE. since he took the foreskins and made a mound of them. For that reason the Holy One was revealed to him, as stated (in Gen. 18:1): THEN < THE LORD > APPEARED UNTO HIM. Now when the angels saw this, they also came along with the Holy One, as stated (in Gen. 18:2): WHEN HE LIFTED HIS EYES AND LOOKED, BEHOLD, THERE WERE THREE MEN < STANDING NEAR HIM >. And so David gives praise (in Ps. 25:10): ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH. What is the meaning of ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH? < With reference to > the Torah, its beginning is steadfast love,²¹See above, 4:1; below, 5:2. its end is steadfast love, and its middle is steadfast love. Its beginning is steadfast love. Where is it shown? You find that when the Holy One formed Eve, he adorned her and brought her to Adam, as stated (in Gen. 2:22): THEN THE LORD GOD BUILT THE RIB < WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM THE HUMAN INTO A WOMAN >. What is the meaning of BUILT? R. Abbahu said: In Arabia they call the plaited coiffure a "building."²²Cf. Ber. 61a; Shab. 95a; ‘Eruv. 18a; Nid. 45b; ARN, A, 4; Gen. R. 18:1; M. Pss. 25:11; above 4:1; below 5:2. Its end is steadfast love, < i.e., > at Moses' death when the Holy One attended him in his glory,²³BKBWDW: perhaps a misprint for BKBWRW, “at his burial.” as stated (in Deut. 34:6): AND HE BURIED HIM IN THE VALLEY. At the middle there is steadfast love in the case of Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 17:2): AND LET ME PUT MY COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU. When the Holy One was revealed to him, he was sitting, as stated (in Gen. 18:1): < THEN THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM > … AS HE WAS SITTING AT THE TENT DOOR IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY.²⁴Below, 8:28. Abraham went to stand up. The Holy One said to him: Do not trouble yourself to stand up. Sit down! It is so stated (in Ps. 110:1): THE LORD (God) SAID TO MY LORD (Abraham): SIT DOWN AT MY RIGHT HAND. Abraham said to him: Is this good manners for me to be sitting while you are standing? The Holy One said to him: Do not trouble yourself. You are an old man of a hundred years. Sit down! The Holy One said to him: By your life, because you are sitting while I stand, your children at the age of three years, at the age of four years, are going to be sitting in the academies and in the synagogues with me standing over them. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 82:1): GOD STANDS IN THE DIVINE CONGREGATION. Abraham began to praise²⁵Rt.: QLS, possibly related to the Gk.: kalos, which means “beautifully.” God (according to Ps. 18:36 [35]): YOU ALSO GAVE ME THE SHIELD OF YOUR SALVATION, when the kings had pursued < me >. It is so stated (in Gen. 15:1): FEAR NOT, ABRAM, I AM YOUR SHIELD. (Ps. 18:36 [35], cont.:) YOUR RIGHT HAND SUSTAINED ME, when you grasped the foreskin along with me as I was cutting. (Ibid., cont.:) AND YOUR CONDESCENSION MAGNIFIED ME, in that I was sitting while you were standing.

(Exodus 15:7) "And in the greatness of Your grandeur You break those who rise up against You": You have magnified Your grandeur against those who rise up against You. And who are those? Those who rise up against Your children. It is not written "those who rise up against us," but "those who rise up against You," whereby we are apprised that all who rise up against Israel are rising up, as it were, against the Holy One Blessed be He. Similarly, (Psalms 74:23) "Do not forget the vice of Your foes, the roar of those who rise against You always." Why? (Ibid. 83:4) "They have been subtle in counsel against Your people, etc." (Ibid. 139:21) "Will I not hate Your haters, O L rd, and battle with those who rise up against You?" Why? (Ibid. 22) (For) "I have hated them to the heights of hatred. I have deemed them my (own) enemies." Similarly, (Zechariah 2:12) "for whoever touches you touches the pupil of His eye." R. Yehudah says: It is not written "the pupil of the eye, but "the pupil of His eye" — the "eye" of the Holy One, as it were. Similarly, (Malachi 1:13) "And you say (of an offering) 'What a burden it is!' and you (thereby) sully it." It is actually written "Him," but Scripture here is euphemistic. Similarly, (I Samuel 3:13) "because of his knowing that his sons were blaspheming them and his not censuring them" — a euphemism (for "Me"). Similarly, (Iyyov 7:20) "Why did You make me a target for Yourself and a burden to myself" — a euphemism (for "You"). Similarly (Habakkuk 1:12) "Are You not of yore, O L rd my G d, my Holy one — we shall not die" — a euphemism (for "You"). Similarly, (Jeremiah 2:11) "Has a nation ever exchanged (its) god though they be no god? Yet My people has exchanged its glory" — a euphemism (for "My"). Similarly, (Psalms 106:20) "And they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox, etc." — a euphemism (for "Your"). (Numbers 11:15) "and let me not see my misfortune" — a euphemism (for "their"). Similarly, (II Samuel 20:1) "We have no portion in David … Each man to his tent ("ohalav"), O Israel" — a euphemism (for "god" ["elohav"]). (Ezekiel 8:17) "And, behold, they thrust the branch to their nostrils" — a euphemism (for "My"). (Numbers 12:13) "who leaves his mother's womb" — a euphemism (for "our"). Here, (Zechariah 2:12) likewise, "One who touches him (a Jew) touches the pupil of his eye" — a euphemism (for "G d's") eye. And all who help Israel, help, as it were, the Holy One Blessed be He, viz. (Judges 5:23) "Curse Meroz, said the angel of the L rd. Curse bitterly its dwellers. For they came not to the aid of the L rd, to the aid of the L rd among the warriors." He who rises up against Your children rises up against You. And who were they (who rose up against Him?) (Genesis 14:9) "Kedarlaomer and Tidal king of Goyim, etc." (Ibid. 15) "And he (Avram) deployed against them at night, he and his servants, and he smote them." And thus is it written (Isaiah 41:2-3) "Who roused (the exemplar of) righteousness, (i.e., Avram) from the east, summoned him to His service? … He pursues them. He passes on, unscathed." And thus is it written (Psalms 110:1-5) "This is the word of the L rd to my master (David). Sit at My right hand until I make your foes your footstool. The sceptre of your strength will the L rd send from Zion. Your people will offer themselves on the day of (the gathering of) your army. The L rd has sworn and He will not retract … The L rd is at your right hand, etc." You magnified Yourself greatly against Pharaoh and his army, viz. (Exodus 14:7) "And he (Pharaoh) took six hundred choice chariots, etc." — (Ibid. 15:4) "The chariots of Pharaoh and his host He cast into the sea." And thus Sisra and all his chariots, viz. (Judges 4:13) "And Sisra called up all his chariots" — (Ibid. 5:20) "From the heavens they warred" (against Sisra). Sancheriv and all of his ranks, viz. (Isaiah 37:24) "Through your servants you have blasphemed my L rd, etc.) — (II Chronicles 32:21) "and the L rd sent an angel who annihilated every warrior, etc." Nevuchadnezzar and all his hosts," viz. (Isaiah 14:83) "You said in your hearts: I will climb to the heavens, etc." Nevuchadnezzar said: I will make myself a little cloud and I will live within it, viz. (Ibid. 14) "I will mount the heights of a cloud, etc." The Holy One Blessed be He said: You wished to separate yourself from men. In the end, they will separate themselves from you, viz. (Daniel 4:25-30) "All this befell King Nevuchadnezzar, etc." (Ibid. 8:1-6) "King Belshazzar made a great banquet, etc." About this it is written (Habakkuk 2:15) "Woe unto him who makes his neighbor drink! You pour out your wrath even unto intoxication," and (Ibid. 16) "You will be sated with shame rather than glory." (Daniel 5:30) "That very night King Belshazzar was killed."