Psalms 21:4
Psalms 21:4 in Multiple Translations
He asked You for life, and You granted it— length of days, forever and ever.
He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him, Even length of days for ever and ever.
He made request to you for life, and you gave it to him, long life for ever and ever.
He asked you to give him a good life, and you gave him a long life, forever and ever.
He asked life of thee, and thou gauest him a long life for euer and euer.
Life he hath asked from Thee, Thou hast given to him — length of days, Age-during — and for ever.
He asked life of you and you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.
He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it to him, even length of days for ever and ever.
But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel.
I/He asked you to enable me/him to live for a long time, and that is what you gave me/him, a very long [HYP] life.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 21:4
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 21:4 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כִּֽי
תְ֭קַדְּמֶ/נּוּ
בִּרְכ֣וֹת
ט֑וֹב
תָּשִׁ֥ית
לְ֝/רֹאשׁ֗/וֹ
עֲטֶ֣רֶת
פָּֽז
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
תְ֭קַדְּמֶ/נּוּ
qâdam
H6923
to meet
V-Piel-Imperf-2ms | Suff
בִּרְכ֣וֹת
Bᵉrâkâh
H1293
blessing
N-fp
ט֑וֹב
ṭôwb
H2896
pleasant
Adj
תָּשִׁ֥ית
shîyth
H7896
to set
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
לְ֝/רֹאשׁ֗/וֹ
rôʼsh
H7218
head
Prep | N-ms | Suff
עֲטֶ֣רֶת
ʻăṭârâh
H5850
crown
N-fs
פָּֽז
pâz
H6337
pure gold
N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 21:4
כִּֽי
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
תְ֭קַדְּמֶ/נּוּ
qâdam
H6923
"to meet"
V-Piel-Imperf-2ms | Suff
To meet or go before someone, often for help, as seen in the Bible when God meets his people in Exodus. This word can also mean to anticipate or hasten something. In the book of Psalms, it is used to describe God coming to the aid of his people.
Definition: 1) to meet, come or be in front, confront, go before 1a) (Piel) 1a1) to meet, confront, come to meet, receive 1a2) to go before, go in front, be in front 1a3) to lead, be beforehand, anticipate, forestall 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to come in front 1b2) to confront, anticipate
Usage: Occurs in 25 OT verses. KJV: come (go, (flee)) before, [phrase] disappoint, meet, prevent. See also: Deuteronomy 23:5; Psalms 59:11; Psalms 17:13.
בִּרְכ֣וֹת
Bᵉrâkâh
H1293
"blessing"
N-fp
In the Bible, a blessing is a gift from God, bringing prosperity and praise. It appears in Genesis and Psalms, where people bless God and each other. This concept is central to Jewish and Christian traditions.
Definition: 1) blessing 2) (source of) blessing 3) blessing, prosperity 4) blessing, praise of God 5) a gift, present 6) treaty of peace
Usage: Occurs in 64 OT verses. KJV: blessing, liberal, pool, present. See also: Genesis 12:2; 2 Kings 5:15; Psalms 3:9.
ט֑וֹב
ṭôwb
H2896
"pleasant"
Adj
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means good or welfare, describing something that is beneficial or pleasing, like a good deed or a happy time. It is used in many contexts, including Genesis and Psalms. This word is often translated as 'good' or 'beautiful'.
Definition: adj 1) good, pleasant, agreeable 1a) pleasant, agreeable (to the senses) 1b) pleasant (to the higher nature) 1c) good, excellent (of its kind) 1d) good, rich, valuable in estimation 1e) good, appropriate, becoming 1f) better (comparative) 1g) glad, happy, prosperous (of man's sensuous nature) 1h) good understanding (of man's intellectual nature) 1i) good, kind, benign 1j) good, right (ethical) Aramaic equivalent: tav (טָב "fine" H2869)
Usage: Occurs in 521 OT verses. KJV: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, at ease, [idiom] fair (word), (be in) favour, fine, glad, good (deed, -lier, -liest, -ly, -ness, -s), graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, liketh (best), loving, merry, [idiom] most, pleasant, [phrase] pleaseth, pleasure, precious, prosperity, ready, sweet, wealth, welfare, (be) well(-favoured). See also: Genesis 1:4; Ruth 2:22; 2 Chronicles 3:8.
תָּשִׁ֥ית
shîyth
H7896
"to set"
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
This Hebrew word means to place or set something, and it's used in many different ways, like appointing someone to a job or setting your mind to do something. It appears in books like Genesis and Exodus. It can also mean to lay hands on someone or make something happen.
Definition: : make/establish 1) to put, set 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to put, lay (hand upon) 1a2) to set, station, appoint, fix, set mind to 1a3) to constitute, make (one something), make like, perform 1a4) to take one's stand 1a5) to lay waste 1b) (Hophal) to be imposed, be set upon
Usage: Occurs in 80 OT verses. KJV: apply, appoint, array, bring, consider, lay (up), let alone, [idiom] look, make, mark, put (on), [phrase] regard, set, shew, be stayed, [idiom] take. See also: Genesis 3:15; Psalms 21:7; Psalms 3:7.
לְ֝/רֹאשׁ֗/וֹ
rôʼsh
H7218
"head"
Prep | N-ms | Suff
This Hebrew word means chief or prince, and is used to describe leaders in the Bible, such as in the book of 1 Samuel. It signifies a position of authority and importance.
Definition: : head 1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning 1a) head (of man, animals) 1b) top, tip (of mountain) 1c) height (of stars) 1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest) 1e) head, front, beginning 1f) chief, choicest, best 1g) head, division, company, band 1h) sum
Usage: Occurs in 547 OT verses. KJV: band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top. See also: Genesis 2:10; Numbers 17:18; 2 Samuel 4:7.
עֲטֶ֣רֶת
ʻăṭârâh
H5850
"crown"
N-fs
A crown is a symbol of power and honor, and this word is used in the Bible to describe a royal crown. It appears in 2 Samuel 12:30, where King David takes a crown from a defeated king.
Definition: crown, wreath
Usage: Occurs in 23 OT verses. KJV: crown. See also: 2 Samuel 12:30; Song of Solomon 3:11; Psalms 21:4.
פָּֽז
pâz
H6337
"pure gold"
N-ms
Pure gold, or refined gold, is a valuable metal used in the Bible. It is translated as fine gold in the KJV.
Definition: refined or pure gold
Usage: Occurs in 9 OT verses. KJV: fine (pure) gold. See also: Job 28:17; Proverbs 8:19; Psalms 19:11.
Study Notes — Psalms 21:4
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 21:4 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 21:4
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 21:4
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 21:4
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 21:4
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
- Sermons on Psalms 21:4
Context — After the Battle
2You have granted his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
4He asked You for life, and You granted it— length of days, forever and ever.
5Great is his glory in Your salvation; You bestow on him splendor and majesty. 6For You grant him blessings forever; You cheer him with joy in Your presence.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 91:16 | With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.” |
| 2 | Revelation 1:18 | the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades. |
| 3 | Psalms 119:77 | May Your compassion come to me, that I may live, for Your law is my delight. |
| 4 | Psalms 133:3 | It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore. |
| 5 | Psalms 61:5–6 | For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance reserved for those who fear Your name. Increase the days of the king’s life; may his years span many generations. |
| 6 | Psalms 89:36–37 | his offspring shall endure forever, and his throne before Me like the sun, like the moon, established forever, a faithful witness in the sky.” Selah |
| 7 | Psalms 89:29 | I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure. |
| 8 | Psalms 13:3 | Consider me and respond, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death, |
| 9 | Psalms 119:175 | Let me live to praise You; may Your judgments sustain me. |
| 10 | Psalms 16:10–11 | For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. |
Psalms 21:4 Summary
This verse is saying that the king asked God for life, and God gave it to him - not just a long life, but a life that lasts forever. This is a promise that God makes to all of His people, as we see in Psalms 16:11 and John 3:16. It means that when we put our trust in God, we can know that we have eternal life, and that gives us hope and joy, even in the midst of hard times. It's a reminder that our life with God is not limited to our time on this earth, but extends into eternity, as seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of life is being referred to in Psalms 21:4?
The life being referred to in Psalms 21:4 is eternal life, as indicated by the phrase 'length of days, forever and ever', which is a promise from God to those who trust in Him, as seen in Psalms 23:6 and John 10:28.
Is this verse only talking about the king's physical life?
No, while the verse does mention 'length of days', it is also referring to a deeper, spiritual life, as indicated by the phrase 'forever and ever', which points to the eternal nature of God's relationship with His people, as seen in Romans 6:23.
How does this verse relate to our everyday lives as Christians?
This verse reminds us that, as children of God, we have been given the gift of eternal life, and we can trust in God's promise to give us life 'forever and ever', just like the king in Psalms 21:4, as Jesus said in John 17:3.
What is the significance of the phrase 'length of days, forever and ever'?
The phrase 'length of days, forever and ever' is a poetic way of saying that God's gift of life is not limited to our physical existence, but extends into eternity, as seen in Psalms 90:2 and Revelation 22:5.
Reflection Questions
- What does it mean to you that God has granted you 'life, length of days, forever and ever'?
- How can you, like the king in Psalms 21:4, ask God for life and trust in His promise to give it to you?
- In what ways can you live out the reality of eternal life in your everyday life, and what difference does it make to know that you have 'life, forever and ever'?
- How does the promise of eternal life shape your perspective on the challenges and struggles of this life, and how can you find comfort in it, as seen in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 21:4
He asked life of thee, [and] thou gavest [it] him,.... Both for himself, as man, when he was about to die, that he might be raised to life again, which was granted him; and for his people, that they
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 21:4
He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. Life of thee ... for ever and ever - in the person of his seed (cf. 2 Samuel 7:13; also 16; Psalms 89:4).
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
He asked only the preservation of that short and mortal life, which was oft exposed to utmost perils. For ever and ever; either, 1. In his posterity, in whom parents are commonly said to live. Thou gavest the kingdom not only to himself for a season, as thou didst to Saul; but to him and to his seed for ever. Or rather, 2. In his person; for this giving answers to David’ s asking. And the thing which David asked of God was not the kingdom, (wherein God had prevented his prayers, and granted what David durst not have presumed to ask,) but only life, or the saving and prolonging of his life, which his enemies designed to take away. Thou gavest him a long life and reign here, and after that thou didst translate him to thy heavenly kingdom, to live with thee for ever. But this was more eminently fulfilled in Christ, who asked of his Father life, or to be saved from death, , though with submission to his will. But his Father, though he saw it fit and necessary to take away his temporal life, yet he instantly gave him another, and that far more noble, instead of it, even the perfect possession of an everlasting and most glorious life, both in his soul and body, at his right hand.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
Psalms 21:4 He asked life of thee, [and] thou gavest [it] him, [even] length of days for ever and ever.Ver. 4. He asked life of thee] Quando fugiebat a Saule, saith R. Solomon, when he fled from Saul; rather when he went into the field against his enemies, carrying his life in his hand. His life we begged, Psalms 20:1-2, and thou hast not only given him his life, but a long continued series of lives in his successors, 2 Samuel 7:13 Psalms 72:15, yea, life everlasting in Christ, his Son according to the flesh. See Psalms 61:6. Thus God is better to his people than their prayers; and when they ask but one blessing he answereth them, as Naaman did Gehazi, with, Nay, take two. Hezekiah asked but one life, and God gave him fifteen years, which we reckon at two lives, and more. He giveth liberally, and like himself; as Great Alexander did when he gave the poor beggar a city; and when he sent his schoolmaster a ship full of frankincense, and bade him sacrifice freely.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
(4) For ever and ever.—This is merely a term for indefinite length. (Comp. the common salutation of a king: 1 Kings 1:31; Nehemiah 2:3; Daniel 3:9.) An allusion to the eternal kingdom of the Messiah is not to be forced on the passage.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
Verse 4. He asked life of thee] This verse has caused some interpreters to understand the Psalm of Hezekiah's sickness, recovery, and the promised addition to his life of fifteen years; but it may be more literally understood of the Messiah, of whom David was the type, and in several respects the representative.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 21:4
4. He asked … thou gavest] Cp. Psalms 2:8. Long life was one of Jehovah’s special blessings under the old covenant. It was a natural object of desire when the hope of a future life was all but a blank. See Exodus 23:26; 1 Kings 3:11; Proverbs 3:2. But how can length of days for ever and ever be said of a mortal king? Partly in the same way as the salutation “Let the king live for ever” was used (1 Kings 1:31; Nehemiah 2:3); partly because he was regarded as living on in his posterity (2 Samuel 7:29). Cp. Psalms 45:2; Psalms 45:6; Psalms 61:6; Psalms 72:5; Psalms 72:17.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 21:4
He asked life of thee - An expression similar to this occurs in Psalms 61:5-6, “For thou, O God, hast heard my vows;...Thou wilt prolong the king’s life, and his years to many generations.” The
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 21:4
4. He asked life—A reference to David’s sickness after his great sin. See Psalms 6:38, 39, 41. He had repented, (Psalms 51) and had been forgiven. Psalms 32, 40, 103.
Sermons on Psalms 21:4
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
No Real Death by D.L. Moody | D.L. Moody emphasizes that through Jesus Christ, death has been conquered, and believers can confidently proclaim that they will never truly die. He reflects on the promise of eter |
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The Grace of Longsuffering the Counterpart of "Gifts of healing." by Smith Wigglesworth | Smith Wigglesworth emphasizes the significance of longsuffering as a prerequisite for the gifts of healing, urging believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit to understand and ope |
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The Quality of Our Life Is More Important Than the Length of Our Life by Zac Poonen | Zac Poonen emphasizes that the quality of our life, defined by fulfilling God's will, is far more important than its length. He illustrates that some can accomplish God's tasks in |
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Of Contentedness. What It Is. the Grounds of Contentedness. by William Gouge | William Gouge preaches on the importance of contentedness, highlighting how it distinguishes between contentedness and covetousness, emphasizing that a contented mind is never unsa |
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Forget Not His Benefits by Vance Havner | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the verse 1 John 4:17, "as he is, so are we in this world." He emphasizes that John, as a New Testament writer, has a unique ability to conv |
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Revelation of Jesus Christ - Part 4 of 10 by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the book of Revelation and its role in revealing Jesus Christ. The book is seen as a culmination of all the events and prophecies in the Bible |
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Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow by Leonard Ravenhill | Leonard Ravenhill emphasizes the unchanging nature of Jesus Christ, who remains the same yesterday, today, and forever, as stated in Hebrews 13:8. He reflects on the glory of Chris |