Psalm 21

1The king rejoices in your strength, Yahweh! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation! 2You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. 3For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head. 4He asked life of you and you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever. 5His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him. 6For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence. 7For the king trusts in Yahweh. Through the loving kindness of the Most High, he shall not be moved. 8Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you. 9You will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of your anger. Yahweh will swallow them up in his wrath. The fire shall devour them. 10You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from among the children of men. 11For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed. 12For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face. 13Be exalted, Yahweh, in your strength, so we will sing and praise your power.

As the foregoing psalm was a prayer for the king that God would protect and prosper him, so this is a thanksgiving for the success God had blessed him with. Those whom we have prayed for we ought to give thanks for, and particularly for kings, in whose prosperity we share. They are here taught, I. To congratulate him on his victories, and the honour he had achieved (Psa 21:1-6). II. To confide in the power of God for the completing of the ruin of the enemies of his kingdom (Psa 21:7-13). In this there is an eye to Messiah the Prince, and the glory of his kingdom; for to him divers passages in this psalm are more applicable than to David himself.

To the chief musician. A psalm of David.

Cross-references: Ps 21:1 · Ps 21:7

Introduction