Psalms 21

American Standard Version (1901) (ASV) · English

1 The king shall joy in thy strength, O Jehovah; And in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! 2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, And hast not withholden the request of his lips. [Selah 3 For thou meetest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of fine gold on his head. 4 He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him, Even length of days for ever and ever. 5 His glory is great in thy salvation: Honor and majesty dost thou lay upon him. 6 For thou makest him most blessed for ever: Thou makest him glad with joy in thy presence. 7 For the king trusteth in Jehovah; And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8 Thy hand will find out all thine enemies; Thy right hand will find out those that hate thee. 9 Thou wilt make them as a fiery furnace in the time of thine anger: Jehovah will swallow them up in his wrath, And the fire shall devour them. 10 Their fruit wilt thou destroy from the earth, And their seed from among the children of men. 11 For they intended evil against thee; They conceived a device which they are not able to perform. 12 For thou wilt make them turn their back; Thou wilt make ready with thy bowstrings against their face. 13 Be thou exalted, O Jehovah, in thy strength: So will we sing and praise thy power.

Commentary — not Bible text

Psalms 21:1

PSALM 21

Psa 21:1-13. The pious are led by the Psalmist to celebrate God's favor to the king in the already conferred and in prospective victories. The doxology added may relate to both Psalms; the preceding of petition, chiefly this of thanksgiving, ascribing honor to God for His display of grace and power to His Church in all ages, not only under David, but also under his last greatest successor, "the King of the Jews."

1. thy strength ... thy salvation--as supplied by Thee.

Psalms 21:2

2. The sentiment affirmed in the first clause is reaffirmed by the negation of its opposite in the second.

Psalms 21:3

3. preventest--literally, "to meet here in good sense," or "friendship" (Psa 59:10; compare opposite, Psa 17:13).

blessings of goodness--which confer happiness.

crown of pure gold--a figure for the highest royal prosperity.

Psalms 21:4-6

4-6. (Compare 2Sa 7:13-16). The glory and blessedness of the king as head of his line, including Christ, as well as in being God's specially selected servant, exceeded that of all others.

Psalms 21:7

7. The mediate cause is the king's faith, the efficient, God's mercy.

Psalms 21:8

8. The address is now made to the king.

hand--denotes power, and

right hand--a more active and efficient degree of its exercise.

find out--reach, lay hold of, indicating success in pursuit of his enemies.

Psalms 21:9

9. The king is only God's agent.

anger--literally, "face," as appearing against them.

as a fiery oven--as in it.

Psalms 21:11

11. This terrible overthrow, reaching to posterity, is due to their crimes (Ex 20:5, 6).

Psalms 21:12

12. turn their back--literally, "place them [as to the] shoulder."

against the face of them--The shooting against their faces would cause them to turn their backs in flight.

Psalms 21:13

13. The glory of all is ascribable to God alone.

Tip: tap a verse number to see the commentary for that verse.