The close connection between Jehovah and Messiah in the preceding sections, in each of which the dominion of the latter is treated as that of the former and rebellion as against both at once, renders it extremely improbable that there should be no reference to the King in this closing hortatory strophe. The view-point of the psalm, if consistently retained throughout, requires something equivalent to the exhortation to "kiss the Son" in token of fealty, to follow, "serve Jehovah." But the rendering "Son" is impossible. The word so translated is _Bar_, which is the Aramaic for _son_, but is not found in that sense in the Old Testament except in the Aramaic of Ezra and Daniel and in Prov. xxxi. 2, a chapter which has in other respects a distinct Aramaic tinge. No good reason appears for the supposition that the singer here went out of his way to employ a foreign word instead of the usual _Ben_. But it is probably impossible to make any good and certain rendering of the existing text. The LXX. and Targum agree in rendering, "Take hold of instruction," which probably implies another reading of Hebrew text. None of the various proposed translations--_e.g._, _Worship purely, Worship the chosen One_--are without objection; and, on the whole, the supposition of textual corruption seems best. The conjectural emendations of Grätz, _Hold fast by warning_, or reproof; Cheyne's alternative ones, _Seek ye His face_ ("Book of Psalms," adopted from Brüll) or _Put on [again] His bonds_ ("Orig. of Psalt.," p. 351, adopted from Lagarde), and Hupfeld's (in his translation) _Cleave to Him_, obliterate the reference to the King, which seems needful in this section, as has been pointed out, and depart from the well-established meaning of the verb--namely, "kiss." These two considerations seem to require that a noun referring to Messiah, and grammatically object of the verb, should stand in the place occupied by _Son_. The Messianic reference of the psalm remains undimmed by the uncertainty of the meaning of this clause. The transition from the representative of Jehovah to Jehovah Himself, which takes place in the next clause, is in accordance with the close union between them which has marked the whole psalm. It is henceforth Jehovah only who appears till the close. But the anger which is destructive, and which may easily flash out like flames from a furnace mouth, is excited by opposition to Messiah's kingdom, and the exclusive mention of Jehovah in these closing clauses makes the picture of the anger the more terrible.