Psalms 21:8-13

8 Thy hand cometh to all Thine enemies, Thy right hand doth find Thy haters.

9 Thou makest them as a furnace of fire, At the time of Thy presence. Jehovah in His anger doth swallow them, And fire doth devour them.

10 Their fruit from earth Thou destroyest, And their seed from the sons of men.

11 For they stretched out against Thee evil, They devised a wicked device, they prevail not,

12 For Thou makest them a butt, When Thy strings Thou preparest against their faces.

13 Be Thou exalted, O Jehovah in, Thy strength, We sing and we praise Thy might!

Psalms 21:8-13 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.