Psalms 21:6-13

6 For thou shalt give him into blessing into the world of world; thou shalt make him glad in joy with thy cheer. (For thou shalt make him blessed forever and ever; thou shalt make him glad with joy before thee.)
7 For the king hopeth in the Lord; and in the mercy of the highest he shall not be moved. (For the king trusteth in the Lord; and by the love of the Most High, he shall not be moved, or shaken.)
8 Thine hand be found to all thine enemies; thy right hand find all them that hate thee. (Thy hand shall find all thy enemies; thy right hand shall find all those who hate thee.)
9 Thou shalt put them as a furnace of fire in the time of thy cheer; the Lord shall trouble them in his ire, and fire shall devour them. (Thou shalt put them into a fiery furnace at the time of thy coming; the Lord in his anger shall trouble them, and then fire shall devour them.)
10 Thou shalt lose the fruit of them from the earth; and the seed of them from the sons of men. (Thou shalt destroy their descendants from off the earth; yea, their children from among the sons and daughters of men.)
11 For they bowed evil against thee; they thought counsels, which they might not stablish. (For they brought in evil against thee; yea, they thought out evil plans, but they could not execute them.)
12 For thou shalt put them aback; in thy remnants thou shalt make ready the cheer of them. (For thou shalt make them turn, and run away, when thou shalt aim thy arrows at them.)
13 Lord, be thou enhanced in thy virtue; we shall sing, and say openly thy virtues. (Lord, be thou exalted in thy strength; we shall sing, and shall talk openly, about thy power.)

Psalms 21:6-13 Meaning and Commentary

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.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.