Psalm 110. God's Right-Hand-Man. David or Messiah? Potential blasphemy

Question

Ok whoever this passage is about is shown sitting at the right hand of God in verse 1. Being someone's right hand man means one's primary or most trusted assistant. Unless this meant something different in the ancient Hebrew (which I doubt), my question is that if this passage is about David, and that makes David, God's most trusted or primary assistant, then what does that mean to the Messiah? Will the Messiah be the second most trusted assistant?

My second question is, that in verse 5, we see God at the right hand of this person. Now that seems like a blasphemy to me because it's like saying a King is your right hand man as opposed to you being the King's right hand man. How do you guys resolve this to not become a blasphemy?

Answer 1

As far as your first question it is worth noting the Malbim who writes that this terminology of Dovid sitting on His right is not a reference to him being Hashem's second in command but rather it is Hashem attesting to the fact that it is only really G-d who sits on the throne of Israel and controls the Jewish peoples' destiny. He therefore asks Dovid to sit on His right so that he can truly recognise that Dovid is a mere mortal king and only serves as Hashem's assistant.

שב לימיני, יצייר שכסא דוד הוא כסא ה' כמ"ש וישב שלמה על כסא ה' למלך, כאלו ה' יושב על כסא ההנהגה להנהיג את ישראל בהשגחה מיוחדת, כמלך המנהיג את עמו, ודוד יושב על כסא המלוכה לימינו, ובאשר היושב על הכסא צריך הדום לרגליו

Sit at my right: Hashem is delineating that the throne of Dovid is really the throne of Hashem. Like it writes "And Shlomo sat on the throne of G-d as king" (Divrei HaYamim I 29:23). It is as if Hashem sits on the throne of leadership to lead Israel under its special supervision like a king who leads his people. And Dovid is sitting on the throne to the right, and as for him who sits on the throne he needs the footstool at his feet.

Answer 2

The verse is not saying that G-d is his "right-hand man", which is not an expression found in Biblical Hebrew. The verse is saying G-d is assisting him in his endeavors, carried out through his right hand.

In Jewish thought, no one can accomplish anything without G-d's help. If someone merits that G-d helps them regularly, we say G-d's presence is "with" them, metaphorically speaking. So G-d's presence is at David's right hand, assisting him. But the way you merit G-d's assistance is trying to fulfill his will.