72

Psalm 72 · Book Two · Solomon

Of Solomon.

The Hebrew title · Berean Standard Bible

About this psalm

Of Solomon, and it prays for the kind of king the world has never quite had: one who judges the poor, saves the children of the needy, and breaks the oppressor in pieces. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass. The prayer outgrows any actual king by the end, which is why the church has read it as being about Christ. A closing line says the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Read it when you want to know what good government would look like.

My psalms

One verse at a time, slowly

¹Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.²He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.³The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.⁴He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.⁵They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.⁶He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass:as showers that water the earth.⁷In his days shall the righteous flourish;and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.⁸He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.⁹They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him;and his enemies shall lick the dust.¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents:the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.¹¹Yea, all kings shall fall down before him:all nations shall serve him.¹²For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth;the poor also, and him that hath no helper.¹³He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.¹⁴He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence:and precious shall their blood be in his sight.¹⁵And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba:prayer also shall be made for him continually;and daily shall he be praised.¹⁶There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains;the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon:and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.¹⁷His name shall endure for ever:his name shall be continued as long as the sun:and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.¹⁸Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.¹⁹And blessed be his glorious name for ever:and let the whole earth be filled with his glory;Amen, and Amen.²⁰The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

A hymn built on this psalm

Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun Isaac Watts, 1719. Words, chords in any key, and the story. Free to sing.

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Open Psalm 72 in XA Daily for the Hebrew, the cross-references and the other translations.