Psalm 72
BSB
Endow the King with Your Justice
(1 Kings 3:1–15; 2 Chronicles 1:1–13; Psalms 45:1–17)
Of Solomon.
1Endow the king with Your justice, O God,
and the son of the king with Your righteousness.
2May he judge Your people with righteousness
and Your afflicted with justice.
3May the mountains bring peace to the people,
and the hills bring righteousness.
4May he vindicate the afflicted among the people;
may he save the children of the needy
and crush the oppressor.
5May they fear him as long as the sun shines,
as long as the moon remains,
through all generations.
6May he be like rain that falls on freshly cut grass,
like spring showers that water the earth.
7May the righteous flourish in his days
and prosperity abound,
until the moon is no more.
8May he rule from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
9May the nomads bow before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
10May the kings of Tarshish and distant shores bring tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11May all kings bow down to him
and all nations serve him.
12For he will deliver the needy who cry out
and the afflicted who have no helper.
13He will take pity on the poor and needy
and save the lives of the oppressed.
14He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their blood is precious in his sight.
15Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him;
may they bless him all day long.
16May there be an abundance of grain in the land;
may it sway atop the hills.
May its fruit trees flourish like the forests of Lebanon,
and its people like the grass of the field.
17May his name endure forever;
may his name continue as long as the sun shines.
In him may all nations be blessed;
may they call him blessed.
18Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
19And blessed be His glorious name forever;
may all the earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and amen.
20Thus conclude the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Introduction
Psalms 72
This psalm, and the ten that next follow it, carry the name of Asaph in the titles of them. If he was the penman of them (as many think), we rightly call them psalms of Asaph. If he was only the chief musician, to whom they were delivered, our marginal reading is right, which calls them psalms for Asaph. It is probable that he penned them; for we read of the words of David and of Asaph the seer, which were used in praising God in Hezekiah's time, Ch2 29:30. Though the Spirit of prophecy by sacred songs descended chiefly on David, who is therefore styled "the sweet psalmist of Israel," yet God put some of that Spirit upon those about him. This is a psalm of great use; it gives us an account of the conflict which the psalmist had with a strong temptation to envy the prosperity of wicked people. He begins his account with a sacred principle, which he held fast, and by the help of which he kept his ground and carried his point (Psa 73:1). He then tells us, I. How he got into the temptation (Psa 73:2-14). II. How he got out of the temptation and gained a victory over it (Psa 73:15-20). III. How he got by the temptation and was the better for it (Psa 73:21-23). If, in singing this psalm, we fortify ourselves against the life temptation, we do not use it in vain. The experiences of others should be our instructions.
A psalm of Asaph.
Cross-references: 2Chr 29:30 · Ps 73:1 · Ps 73:2 · Ps 73:15 · Ps 73:21