Psalms 21

1 (20-1) <Unto the end. A psalm for David.> (20-2) In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.

2 (20-3) Thou hast given him his heart’s desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.

3 (20-4) For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.

4 (20-5) He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.

5 (20-6) His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.

6 (20-7) For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.

7 (20-8) For the king hopeth in the Lord: and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

8 (20-9) Let thy hand be found by all thy enemies: let thy right hand find out all them that hate thee.

9 (20-10) Thou shalt make them as an oven of fire, in the time of thy anger: the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them.

10 (20-11) Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth: and their seed from among the children of men.

11 (20-12) For they have intended evils against thee: they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish.

12 (20-13) For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face.

13 (20-14) Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength: we will sing and praise thy power.

Psalms 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

Thanksgiving for victory. (1-6) Confidence of further success. (7-13)

Verses 1-6 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.

Verses 7-13 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.

Chapter Summary

To the chief Musician, a Psalm of David. This psalm was either written by David; and therefore called a "psalm of David"; or it was written, as it may be rendered, "for David," by some other person, on account of his victories and triumphs; or rather "concerning David" {s}; that is, concerning the Messiah, the son of David, as Kimchi says some expound it; or concerning the Messiah, who is called David, Ezekiel 37:24; and Jarchi observes, that their Rabbins interpret it of the Messiah; but, says he, it is right to explain it, moreover, of David himself, for an answer to the heretics (Christians) who err in it; and various passages in this psalm are by the Jewish writers understood of the Messiah; as "the King," in Psalm 20:1 is in the Targum called the King Messiah; Psalm 21:4 is in the Talmud applied {t} to him; Psalm 21:3 are in Zohar {u}, and in the Midrashes {w}, interpreted of him; and many Christian writers understand the whole of him; which is right: though Theodoret thinks it was penned on the account of the health of King Hezekiah, and his restoration from his disease; which is not likely.

{s} dwdl "pro Davide, vel de Davide," Vatablus. {t} T. Bab. Succah, fol. 52. 1. Vid. Nachman. disput. "cum fratre Paulo," p. 36. Ed. Wagenseil. {u} In Numb. fol. 68. 3. 4. {w} Midrash Tillim apud Viccars. in loc. & in Galatin. l. 3. c. 9. Bemidbar Rabba, fol. 212. 4. & 218. 1.