Psalms 72
BSASBThis is a prayer for the king, asking that God’s own justice and righteousness would mark his reign. It pictures a ruler who rescues the poor, whose rule brings peace and plenty, and whose blessing reaches every nation. Christians have long seen in it a shadow of the perfect King, Jesus Christ. The psalm closes with praise to God alone.
Psalms 72:1
The prayer begins by admitting that a king cannot be just on his own. Only God can give him true justice. The request covers the reigning king and his son, so that righteous rule would pass from one generation to the next.
BSA: Endow (“give, grant, bestow upon”): Justice is a gift from God, not something a ruler produces himself. justice (“righteous judgment, fairness”): The king is asked to judge as God judges, with fairness.
Hebrew: מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ (mishpatekha, H4941) — “your judgments.” The Hebrew word is about the decisions a judge makes. The king is asked to rule on cases the way God would, not by his own opinion.
See also: 1 Kings 3:9.
Psalms 72:2
The king is asked to judge God’s people rightly, and especially the afflicted. The people are called God’s, not his. A good king rules as a steward of another’s flock, and the weak are his first concern.
BSA: afflicted (“poor, humble, weak ones”): These are people with no power or influence, whom the king is to protect.
Psalms 72:3
The land itself is pictured as sharing in the blessing of a just reign. Mountains and hills, usually thought of as strong and silent, seem to carry peace and righteousness to the people. Where justice rules, the whole community is at rest.
BSA: peace (“shalom, completeness and wellness”): This is more than the absence of war. It means wholeness and well-being in every part of life.
See also: Isaiah 9:6-7.
Psalms 72:4
The king’s work has two sides. He defends the weak and he breaks the one who preys on them. Mercy to the needy and firmness against the oppressor go together in a righteous reign.
BSA: vindicate (“judge, avenge”): He gives the wronged a fair hearing and puts their case right. crush (“break, bruise”): The oppressor’s power to harm is broken.
Psalms 72:5
The prayer looks far ahead, asking for a reign as lasting as the sun and moon. No ordinary king lives that long. These words stretch beyond any single ruler, and many Christians hear in them a pointer to Christ’s everlasting kingdom.
BSA: fear (“revere, stand in awe of”): The people’s response is respectful awe, not terror.
See also: Luke 1:32-33.
Psalms 72:6
The king’s rule is compared to rain falling on a field just mown, when the new growth most needs water. His reign is meant to refresh people and bring life, not to press down on them.
BSA: rain (“refreshing and life-giving”): A good ruler gives life to his people as rain does to the ground.
See also: 2 Samuel 23:3-4.
Psalms 72:7
Under this king the righteous grow like plants, and peace is plentiful. Good government lets good people thrive. The blessing is again said to last until the moon is no more, which means without end.
BSA: flourish (“bloom, sprout, break forth”): Righteousness is pictured as something that sprouts and blossoms in the setting of his rule.
Psalms 72:8
The prayer asks for a rule reaching from sea to sea and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth. This is far wider than Israel’s borders. It looks toward a worldwide kingdom under God’s chosen king.
BSA: rule (“have dominion, be in control”): This is real authority over a wide territory, not just honor.
See also: Zechariah 9:9-10.
Psalms 72:9
Even the people of the dry wilderness, who are hard to govern, are pictured bowing to him. His enemies are brought low. These are images of complete submission, such as ancient kings expected from the people they defeated.
BSA: nomads (“wild beast, desert-dwellers, inhabitants of the dry places”): These are the people of the desert, far from any city or court.
Psalms 72:10
Distant kings come bringing gifts. Tarshish was far to the west, while Sheba and Seba were to the south. Gifts from the farthest places show that the king’s greatness is recognized everywhere.
BSA: tribute (“presents, gifts”): These are offerings of honor and loyalty from other rulers. distant shores (“coastlands, islands”): These are the far-off lands across the sea.
See also: 1 Kings 10:1-2; Matthew 2:11.
Psalms 72:11
The scope grows to every king and every nation. The psalm does not picture a small kingdom but one that draws the whole world into its service. Christians read this as fulfilled when the nations come to Christ.
BSA: bow down (“prostrate themselves, worship”): The word carries the sense of lying flat in homage.
See also: Philippians 2:10-11; Revelation 21:24.
Psalms 72:12
Here is the reason such a king deserves the world’s honor. He hears the cry of the needy. The ones with no helper find that he answers. His greatness is shown in his care for the weakest.
BSA: deliver (“rescue, save”): He pulls the helpless out of danger.
Psalms 72:13
The king does not merely act, he feels. He takes pity on the poor. His rescue comes from compassion. He saves their very lives, which people with no power could never defend for themselves.
BSA: take pity (“have compassion, show kindness”): His help comes from a heart that is moved by their need. lives (“souls, living beings”): He saves the whole person, not only their circumstances.
See also: Matthew 9:36.
Psalms 72:14
He redeems the oppressed, as one would buy back something that was lost or enslaved. Their blood is precious to him. The poor may be cheap to others, but he counts every life as having great worth.
BSA: redeem (“save, rescue, or buy back”): The word suggests paying to win someone back from a hard master. precious (“valuable, rare, or of great worth”): Their lives are valued highly by the king.
Hebrew: יִגְאַל (yig’al, H1350) — “he will redeem.” This is the word for a family protector who steps in to rescue a relative in trouble. The king acts as the near kinsman of the poor.
See also: Ruth 4:4.
Psalms 72:15
The people respond with good wishes and prayers for their king. Gold comes from Sheba, and constant blessing is spoken over him. A king who serves the weak earns the loyal love of his people.
BSA: pray (“intercede, ask for guidance”): The people bring their king before God in prayer. bless (“praise, honor”): They speak good of him continually.
Psalms 72:16
The land is pictured as overflowing. Grain waves even on the hilltops, where it seldom grows well. The people are as many as the grass. Righteous rule brings out the best in the land and in its people.
BSA: abundance (“a plentiful harvest, a wide-stretching field”): The harvest is far more than enough. Lebanon (“a mountain range”): Lebanon was known for its tall, lush forests.
See also: Leviticus 26:3-5.
Psalms 72:17
The king’s name is asked to last forever. The close of the verse echoes God’s promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed. Christians see this fulfilled in Jesus, through whom blessing reaches every people.
BSA: name (“identity, honor, and character”): A name stands for the whole person and reputation. blessed (“praised, honored”): The nations will find blessing in him and will speak well of him.
See also: Genesis 12:3; Galatians 3:8.
Psalms 72:18
The psalm turns from the king to the One who gives every good reign. God alone does wonders. However great the king is, the praise belongs to the LORD, the God of Israel.
BSA: marvelous (“wondrous, wonderful”): These are deeds that no human power could do.
See also: Psalm 136:4.
Psalms 72:19
The closing prayer asks that God’s glory fill all the earth. This is the final aim of everything asked for the king. The double Amen is a heartfelt agreement: may it truly be so.
BSA: glory (“great honor, majesty”): It is the weighty splendor of God that is asked to fill the earth.
See also: Numbers 14:21; Habakkuk 2:14.
Psalms 72:20
This line marks the end of the second of the five books of the Psalms. It calls these David’s prayers. The psalm itself is a prayer, a request offered to God rather than a prediction.
BSA: prayers (“supplications, requests to God”): The whole psalm is a petition, asking God to do what only he can.