Read Psalm 72 at Bible Gateway.
Hebrew paragraph divisions
Introduction: A psalm of Solomon.
1 Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
2 He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice.
3 Let the mountains bear peace to the people, And the hills, through righteousness.
4 He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.
5 They shall fear You As long as the sun and moon endure, Throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth.
7 In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, And His enemies will lick the dust.
10a The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render tribute; {n}
10b The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts.
11 Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.
12 For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will spare the poor and needy, And the souls of the needy He will save.
14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight.
15a That they may live, and that He may give them of the gold of Sheba; {n}
15b Prayer also will be made for Him continually, And daily He shall be praised.
16a May He be as a rich cornfield in the land, On the top of the mountains; {n}
16b Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon; And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17a May His name endure forever; May His name be continued as long as the sun. {n}
17b And may men also bless themselves by Him; and may all nations call Him blessed.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things!
19a And blessed be His glorious name forever! {n}
19b And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. {p}
The chiastic structure
1a) Psa 72 Introduction, A psalm of Solomon;
1b) Psa 72:1, Give the King Your judgments and Your righteousness to the King’s Son;
1c) Psa 72:2-4, He will judge Your people with righteousness and Your poor with justice;
1d) Psa 72:5-7, He shall come down like rain on the grass/ The righteous shall flourish until the moon is no more;
1e) Psa 72:8-11, He shall have dominion from sea to sea, the kings of the earth will bring presents; {n}
central axis) Psa 72:12-14, For He will deliver the needy and redeem their life;
2e) Psa 72:15, That they may live, and that He may give them of the gold of Sheba; {n}
2d) Psa 72:16-17a, There will be an abundance of grain on the earth {n}/ His name shall continue as long as the sun; {n}
2c) Psa 72:17b, Men shall be blessed in Him;
2b) Psa 72:18-19, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, {n} Let the whole earth be filled with His glory;
2a) Psa 72:20, The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
This prophetic, messianic psalm concerns the King, Messiah Yeshua. in His glorious reign of blessing over the earth during the millennia following His return. The B pair reveals that the whole earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord, as the King executes His judgments, and establishes His righteousness. In fact, the body of believers is the King’s body, His hands and feet in the earth, today. What is to prevent us from establishing His judgments and His righteousness in the earth? At the very least, we can establish His judgments and righteousness within our own homes, and may each household of Yours, Father, be like a single drop of water in a vast sea, and may the ripples of Your righteousness spread throughout our churches, our workplaces, our communities, our states, our nations, and our world, and may we bless You in it, in the name of Yeshua, AMEN! The dictionary of His judgments and His righteousness is found in the first five books of Moses, the foundation of the entire Scriptures.
The C pair similarly reveals that as His righteous judgment and justice is established in the earth, it will bring blessing upon mankind (Deu 28:1-14). Our shalom – well-being, peace, happiness, satisfaction, prosperity, and completeness – shall increase, not decrease. Messiah Yeshua is after all, the Living embodiment of the written Law and Prophets – the word (judgment and righteousness) of God (Joh 1:1, 14)!
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