Psalms 72:1
in Psalms 72Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Give the king thy judgments, O God, And thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
KJV
Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
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This verse in Psalms 72
Commentary
5 notes on this verseon Psalms 72:1-2
And I support this from Psalm 71 [LXX], which says, "Give to the king your judgment, O God; and your justice to the king's son, to judge your people with justice, and your poor with judgment." For clearly the psalm, which has been ascribed to Solomon, prophesies of Christ.
This site's exposition
Endow the king with Your justice
on Psalms 72:1-2
The request is that God hand his own justice and righteousness to a king, and to the king's son after him. A throne gets these by gift. Verse 2 says what the gift is for, judging God's people with righteousness and the afflicted among them with justice.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Give the King thy judgments, O God,.... A prayer of David, or of the church he represents, to God the Father concerning Christ; for he is "the King" meant; which is the sense of the old Jewish synagogue: the Targum is, "give the constitutions of thy judgments to the King Messiah;'' and so their Midrash (m) interprets it.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Give the king thy judgments, O God. The right to reign was transmitted by descent from David to Solomon, but not by that means alone: Israel was a theocracy, and the kings were but the viceroys of the greater King; hence the prayer that the new king might be enthroned by divine right, and then endowed with divine wisdom. Our glorious King in Zion hath all judgment committed unto him. He rules in the name of God over all lands. He is king "Dei Gratia" as well as by right of inheritance. And thy righteousness unto the king's son.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Give the king, &c.--a prayer which is equivalent to a prediction. judgments--the acts, and (figuratively) the principles of a right government (Joh 5:22; 9:39). righteousness--qualifications for conducting such a government. king's son--same person as a king--a very proper title for Christ, as such in both natures.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Concerning Solomon He prayed this prayer on behalf of his son Solomon, for he foresaw with the holy spirit that he [Solomon] was destined to request of the Holy One, blessed be He, “a heart to understand, to hear judgment.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים | ʾelohim | O God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ | mishpateikha | judgments your | H4941 → | 422 times |
| לְמֶ֣לֶךְ | lemelekh | to [the] king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| תֵּ֑ן | ten | give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥ | vetzidkatecha | and righteousness your | H6666 → | 157 times |
| לְבֶן־ | leven- | to [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מֶֽלֶךְ׃ | melekh | [the] king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
אֱֽלֹהִ֗יםO God
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָjudgments your
mishpateikhaH4941 →422 times
לְמֶ֣לֶךְto [the] king
lemelekhH4428 →2525 times
תֵּ֑ןgive
tenH5414 →2011 times
וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥and righteousness your
vetzidkatechaH6666 →157 times
לְבֶן־to [the] son of
leven-H1121 →4930 times
מֶֽלֶךְ׃[the] king
melekhH4428 →2525 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Chronicles 1:10Now grant me wisdom and knowledge, so that I may lead this people. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
it leads to
- 1 Kings 3:9
Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
- Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
- Proverbs 2:2–6
if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,
- Psalms 119:34
Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart.
- James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
- 1 Kings 3:9
Through
1 Kings 1:39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!”
it leads to
- Psalms 89:20
I have found My servant David; with My sacred oil I have anointed him.
- 1 Kings 1:34
There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. You are to blow the ram’s horn and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
- Psalms 89:20
Through
1 Chronicles 29:19And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision.”
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 28:9
As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought.…
- 1 Chronicles 28:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
This page draws on Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 1:193.