1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
1 [[A Psalm for Solomon.]] H8010 Give H5414 the king H4428 thy judgments, H4941 O God, H430 and thy righteousness H6666 unto the king's H4428 son. H1121
2 He shall judge H1777 thy people H5971 with righteousness, H6664 and thy poor H6041 with judgment. H4941
3 The mountains H2022 shall bring H5375 peace H7965 to the people, H5971 and the little hills, H1389 by righteousness. H6666
4 He shall judge H8199 the poor H6041 of the people, H5971 he shall save H3467 the children H1121 of the needy, H34 and shall break in pieces H1792 the oppressor. H6231
5 They shall fear H3372 thee as long as H5973 the sun H8121 and moon H3394 endure, H6440 throughout all H1755 generations. H1755
6 He shall come down H3381 like rain H4306 upon the mown H1488 grass: as showers H7241 that water H2222 the earth. H776
7 In his days H3117 shall the righteous H6662 flourish; H6524 and abundance H7230 of peace H7965 so long as the moon H3394 endureth.
8 He shall have dominion H7287 also from sea H3220 to sea, H3220 and from the river H5104 unto the ends H657 of the earth. H776
1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, And thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2 He will judge thy people with righteousness, And thy poor with justice.
3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness.
4 He will judge the poor of the people, He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.
5 They shall fear thee while the sun endureth, And so long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 He will come down like rain upon the mown grass, As showers that water the earth.
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace, till the moon be no more.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River unto the ends of the earth.
1 By Solomon. O God, Thy judgments to the king give, And Thy righteousness to the king's son.
2 He judgeth Thy people with righteousness, And Thy poor with judgment.
3 The mountains bear peace to the people, And the heights by righteousness.
4 He judgeth the poor of the people, Giveth deliverance to the sons of the needy, And bruiseth the oppressor.
5 They fear Thee with the sun, and before the moon, Generation -- generations.
6 He cometh down as rain on mown grass, As showers -- sprinkling the earth.
7 Flourish in his days doth the righteous, And abundance of peace till the moon is not.
8 And he ruleth from sea unto sea, And from the river unto the ends of earth.
1 {For Solomon.} O God, give the king thy judgments, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2 He will judge thy people with righteousness, and thine afflicted with judgment.
3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills, by righteousness.
4 He will do justice to the afflicted of the people; he will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor.
5 They shall fear thee as long as sun and moon endure, from generation to generation.
6 He shall come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.
7 In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon be no more.
8 And he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
1 > God, give the king your justice; Your righteousness to the royal son.
2 He will judge your people with righteousness, And your poor with justice.
3 The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.
4 He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, And will break the oppressor in pieces.
5 They shall fear you while the sun endures; And as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 He will come down like rain on the mown grass, As showers that water the earth.
7 In his days, the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, From the River to the ends of the earth.
1 <Of Solomon.> Give the king your authority, O God, and your righteousness to the king's son.
2 May he be a judge of your people in righteousness, and make true decisions for the poor.
3 May the mountains give peace to the people, and the hills righteousness.
4 May he be a judge of the poor among the people, may he give salvation to the children of those who are in need; by him let the violent be crushed.
5 May his life go on as long as the sun and moon, through all generations.
6 May he come down like rain on the cut grass; like showers watering the earth.
7 In his days may the upright do well, living in peace as long as there is a moon in heaven.
8 Let his kingdom be from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 72
Commentary on Psalms 72 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 72
Ps 72:1-19. For, or literally, "of Solomon." The closing verse rather relates to the second book of Psalms, of which this is the last, and was perhaps added by some collector, to intimate that the collection, to which, as chief author, David's name was appended, was closed. In this view, these may consistently be the productions of others included, as of Asaph, sons of Korah, and Solomon; and a few of David's may be placed in the latter series. The fact that here the usual mode of denoting authorship is used, is strongly conclusive that Solomon was the author, especially as no stronger objection appears than what has been now set aside. The Psalm, in highly wrought figurative style, describes the reign of a king as "righteous, universal, beneficent, and perpetual." By the older Jewish and most modern Christian interpreters, it has been referred to Christ, whose reign, present and prospective, alone corresponds with its statements. As the imagery of the second Psalm was drawn from the martial character of David's reign, that of this is from the peaceful and prosperous state of Solomon's.
1. Give the king, &c.—a prayer which is equivalent to a prediction.
judgments—the acts, and (figuratively) the principles of a right government (Joh 5:22; 9:39).
righteousness—qualifications for conducting such a government.
king's son—same person as a king—a very proper title for Christ, as such in both natures.
2, &c. The effects of such a government by one thus endowed are detailed.
thy people … and thy poor—or, "meek," the pious subjects of his government.
3. As mountains and hills are not usually productive, they are here selected to show the abundance of peace, being represented as
bringing—or, literally, "bearing" it as a produce.
by righteousness—that is, by means of his eminently just and good methods of ruling.
4. That peace, including prosperity, as an eminent characteristic of Christ's reign (Isa 2:4; Isa 9:6; 11:9), will be illustrated in the security provided for the helpless and needy, and the punishment inflicted on oppressors, whose power to injure or mar the peace of others will be destroyed (compare Isa 65:25; Zec 9:10).
children of the needy—for the needy (compare sons of strangers, Ps 18:45 [Margin]).
5. as long as … endure—literally, "with the sun," coeval with its existence, and before, or, in presence of the moon, while it lasts (compare Ge 11:28, "before Terah," literally, "in presence of," while he lived).
6. A beautiful figure expresses the grateful nature of His influence;
7, and, carrying out the figure, the results are described in an abundant production.
the righteous—literally, "righteousness."
flourish—literally, "sprout," or, "spring forth."
8. The foreign nations mentioned (Ps 72:9, 10) could not be included in the limits, if designed to indicate the boundaries of Solomon's kingdom. The terms, though derived from those used (Ex 23:31; De 11:24) to denote the possessions of Israel, must have a wider sense. Thus, "ends of the earth" is never used of Palestine, but always of the world (compare Margin).
9-11. The extent of the conquests.
They that dwell in the wilderness—the wild, untutored tribes of deserts.
bow … dust—in profound submission. The remotest and wealthiest nations shall acknowledge Him (compare Ps 45:12).
12-14. They are not the conquests of arms, but the influences of humane and peaceful principles (compare Isa 9:7; 11:1-9; Zec 9:9, 10).
15. In his prolonged life he will continue to receive the honorable gifts of the rich, and the prayers of his people shall be made for him, and their praises given to him.
16. The spiritual blessings, as often in Scripture, are set forth by material, the abundance of which is described by a figure, in which a "handful" (or literally, "a piece," or small portion) of corn in the most unpropitious locality, shall produce a crop, waving in the wind in its luxuriant growth, like the forests of Lebanon.
they of the city … earth—This clause denotes the rapid and abundant increase of population—
of—or, "from"
the city—Jerusalem, the center and seat of the typical kingdom.
flourish—or, glitter as new grass—that is, bloom. This increase corresponds with the increased productiveness. So, as the gospel blessings are diffused, there shall arise increasing recipients of them, out of the Church in which Christ resides as head.
17. His name—or, "glorious perfections."
as long as the sun—(Compare Ps 72:5).
men shall be blessed—(Ge 12:3; 18:18).
18, 19. These words close the Psalm in terms consistent with the style of the context, while Ps 72:20 is evidently, from its prosaic style, an addition for the purpose above explained [see on Ps 72:1].
20. ended—literally, "finished," or completed; the word never denotes fulfilment, except in a very late usage, as in Ezr 1:1; Da 12:7.