1 To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. Jehovah, in Thy strength is the king joyful, In Thy salvation how greatly he rejoiceth.
2 The desire of his heart Thou gavest to him, And the request of his lips Thou hast not withheld. Selah.
3 For Thou puttest before him blessings of goodness, Thou settest on his head a crown of fine gold.
4 Life he hath asked from Thee, Thou hast given to him -- length of days, Age-during -- and for ever.
5 Great `is' his honour in Thy salvation, Honour and majesty Thou placest on him.
6 For Thou makest him blessings for ever, Thou dost cause him to rejoice with joy, By Thy countenance.
7 For the king is trusting in Jehovah, And in the kindness of the Most High He is not moved.
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!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 21
Commentary on Psalms 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 21
As the foregoing psalm was a prayer for the king that God would protect and prosper him, so this is a thanksgiving for the success God had blessed him with. Those whom we have prayed for we ought to give thanks for, and particularly for kings, in whose prosperity we share. They are here taught,
In this there is an eye to Messiah the Prince, and the glory of his kingdom; for to him divers passages in this psalm are more applicable than to David himself.
To the chief musician. A psalm of David.
Psa 21:1-6
David here speaks for himself in the first place, professing that his joy was in God's strength and in his salvation, and not in the strength or success of his armies. He also directs his subjects herein to rejoice with him, and to give God all the glory of the victories he had obtained; and all with an eye to Christ, of whose triumphs over the powers of darkness David's victories were but shadows.
In singing this we should rejoice in his joy and triumph in his exaltation.
Psa 21:7-13
The psalmist, having taught his people to look back with joy and praise on what God had done for him and them, here teaches them to look forward with faith, and hope, and prayer, upon what God would further do for them: The king rejoices in God (v. 1), and therefore we will be thankful; the king trusteth in God (v. 7), therefore will we be encouraged. The joy and confidence of Christ our King is the ground of all our joy and confidence.