Psalms21
New Living Translation
1 How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because you give him victory.
2 For you have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested. Interlude
3 You welcomed him back with success and prosperity. You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
4 He asked you to preserve his life, and you granted his request. The days of his life stretch on forever.
5 Your victory brings him great honor, and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
6 You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord. The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.
8 You will capture all your enemies. Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.
9 You will throw them in a flaming furnace when you appear. The Lord will consume them in his anger; fire will devour them.
10 You will wipe their children from the face of the earth; they will never have descendants.
11 Although they plot against you, their evil schemes will never succeed.
12 For they will turn and run when they see your arrows aimed at them.
13 Rise up, O Lord, in all your power. With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
Study
Psalms 21Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Psalms 21. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Thanksgiving for victory. (1–6). Confidence of further success. (7–13).
vv1-6
Happy the people whose king makes God's strength his confidence, and God's salvation his joy; who is pleased with all the advancements of God kingdom, and trusts God to support him in all he does for the service of it. All our blessings are blessings of goodness, and are owing, not to any merit of ours, but only to God's goodness. But when God's blessings come sooner, and prove richer than we imagine; when they are given before we prayed for them, before we were ready for them, nay, when we feared the contrary; then it may be truly said that he prevented, or went before us, with them. Nothing indeed prevented, or went before Christ, but to mankind never was any favour more preventing than our redemption by Christ. Thou hast made him to be a universal, everlasting blessing to the world, in whom the families of the earth are, and shall be blessed; and so thou hast made him exceeding glad with the countenance thou hast given to his undertaking, and to him in the prosecution of it. The Spirit of prophecy rises from what related to the king, to that which is peculiar to Christ; none other is blessed for ever, much less a blessing for ever.
vv7-13
The psalmist teaches to look forward with faith, and hope, and prayer upon what God would further do. The success with which God blessed David, was a type of the total overthrow of all Christ's enemies. Those who might have had Christ to rule and save them, but rejected him and fought against him, shall find the remembrance of it a worm that dies not. God makes sinners willing by his grace, receives them to his favour, and delivers them from the wrath to come. May he exalt himself, by his all-powerful grace, in our hearts, destroying all the strong-holds of sin and Satan. How great should be our joy and praise to behold our Brother and Friend upon the throne, and for all the blessings we may expect from him! yet he delights in his exalted state, as enabling him to confer happiness and glory on poor sinners, who are taught to love and trust in him.
Key Words
נָצַח: properly, to glitter from afar, i.e. to be eminent (as a superintendent, especially of the Temple services and its music); to be permanent
מִזְמוֹר: properly, instrumental music; by implication, a poem set to notes
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
עֹז: strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise)
מֶלֶךְ: a king
שָׂמַח: probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesome
יְשׁוּעָה: something saved, i.e. (abstractly) deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity
מְאֹד: properly, vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication, wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative; especially when repeated)
גִּיל: properly, to spin round (under the influence of any violent emotion), i.e. usually rejoice, or (as cringing) fear
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
Cross References
Psalms 21The Davidic covenant promise of an eternal kingdom, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Christ asked for life in His agony and was answered with glorious resurrection life.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The king is made 'blessings' in the style of the Abrahamic covenant promise.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The petition of the preceding psalm is directly answered in the praise of this psalm.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Verbal link with 'prevent' (meet/anticipate), signifying God's initiating and spontaneous blessings of goodness.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The literal historical crowning of David with a heavy crown of gold at Rabbah.
Supported by John Calvin
Peter quotes Psalm 16:11, connecting the joy of God's countenance with Christ's resurrection.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The honor and majesty laid upon Christ at His exaltation to the Father's right hand.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Fullness of joy found in the presence and countenance of the Lord.
Supported by JFB
The wicked are made as a 'fiery oven' at the manifestation of the Lord's presence.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The enemies plot a mischievous device against Christ but are unable to perform it.
Supported by John Calvin
God granting His anointed King's request, giving Him the nations for His inheritance.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Believers are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, initiating from God's free grace.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The nations rage and imagine a vain thing against God and His Anointed.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The Aaronic blessing of making God's face/countenance shine upon His people.
Supported by JFB