Christianity
Psalms 72The Righteous King's Reign
Summary
Psalm 72 is a prayer for the king, headed for or of Solomon. It asks that he judge the poor with justice, defend the needy and crush the oppressor, and that his reign be like rain on mown grass. It pictures his dominion from sea to sea, with kings of Tarshish, Sheba and Seba bringing gifts. It closes Book Two with a doxology and the note that the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Key verse
“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.”
Psalms 72:8
Themes
- Just Rule
- Care for the Poor
- Universal Dominion
- Blessing of Nations
Text
Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.
He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
And 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.
There 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.
His 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.
Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.
Across traditions
Christianity
Matthew 2: Gifts for the KingChristian tradition links the kings bringing gifts in Psalm 72:10 to 11 with the wise men who bring gold, frankincense and myrrh in Matthew 2:11, and reads the psalm at Epiphany.
Christianity
1 Kings 10: The Queen of ShebaThe visit of the Queen of Sheba with gold and spices to Solomon in 1 Kings 10 matches the psalm's picture of rulers from Sheba bringing gifts.
Judaism
Tehillim 72 in the JPS 1917 TanakhRabbinic and medieval Jewish commentators read this psalm both as a prayer for Solomon and as a portrait of the messianic king.
Questions about Psalms 72
Did Solomon write Psalm 72?
The Hebrew heading can mean of Solomon or for Solomon. Jewish tradition often reads it as David's prayer for his son, matching verse 20, while others attribute it to Solomon.
What does The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended mean?
Psalm 72:20 marks the end of an earlier collection of David's prayers. Several psalms of David appear later, so the note reflects how the Psalter was gathered.
Where does the motto from sea to sea come from?
The phrase in Psalm 72:8 inspired Canada's national motto, A mari usque ad mare, taken from the Latin translation of the verse.