1 [[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm H4210 of David.]] H1732 The king H4428 shall joy H8055 in thy strength, H5797 O LORD; H3068 and in thy salvation H3444 how greatly H3966 shall he rejoice! H1523
2 Thou hast given H5414 him his heart's H3820 desire, H8378 and hast not withholden H4513 the request H782 of his lips. H8193 Selah. H5542
3 For thou preventest H6923 him with the blessings H1293 of goodness: H2896 thou settest H7896 a crown H5850 of pure gold H6337 on his head. H7218
4 He asked H7592 life H2416 of thee, and thou gavest H5414 it him, even length H753 of days H3117 for ever H5769 and ever. H5703
5 His glory H3519 is great H1419 in thy salvation: H3444 honour H1935 and majesty H1926 hast thou laid H7737 upon him.
6 For thou hast made H7896 him most blessed H1293 for ever: H5703 thou hast made H2302 him exceeding glad H8057 with thy countenance. H6440
7 For the king H4428 trusteth H982 in the LORD, H3068 and through the mercy H2617 of the most High H5945 he shall not be moved. H4131
8 Thine hand H3027 shall find out H4672 all thine enemies: H341 thy right hand H3225 shall find out H4672 those that hate H8130 thee.
9 Thou shalt make H7896 them as a fiery H784 oven H8574 in the time H6256 of thine anger: H6440 the LORD H3068 shall swallow them up H1104 in his wrath, H639 and the fire H784 shall devour H398 them.
10 Their fruit H6529 shalt thou destroy H6 from the earth, H776 and their seed H2233 from among the children H1121 of men. H120
11 For they intended H5186 evil H7451 against thee: they imagined H2803 a mischievous device, H4209 which they are not able H3201 to perform.
12 Therefore shalt thou make H7896 them turn their back, H7926 when thou shalt make ready H3559 thine arrows upon thy strings H4340 against the face H6440 of them.
13 Be thou exalted, H7311 LORD, H3068 in thine own strength: H5797 so will we sing H7891 and praise H2167 thy power. H1369
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 21
Commentary on Psalms 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 21
Ps 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.
2. The sentiment affirmed in the first clause is reaffirmed by the negation of its opposite in the second.
3. preventest—literally, "to meet here in good sense," or "friendship" (Ps 59:10; compare opposite, Ps 17:13).
blessings of goodness—which confer happiness.
crown of pure gold—a figure for the highest royal prosperity.
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.
6. made him most blessed—or set him "to be blessings," as Abraham (Ge 12:2).
with thy countenance—by sight of thee (Ps 16:11), or by Thy favor expressed by the light of Thy countenance (Nu 6:25), or both.
7. The mediate cause is the king's faith, the efficient, God's mercy.
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.
9. The king is only God's agent.
anger—literally, "face," as appearing against them.
as a fiery oven—as in it.
10. fruit—children (Ps 37:25; Ho 9:16).
11. This terrible overthrow, reaching to posterity, is due to their crimes (Ex 20:5, 6).
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.
13. The glory of all is ascribable to God alone.