7 Flourish in his days doth the righteous, And abundance of peace till the moon is not.
And He hath judged between the nations, And hath given a decision to many peoples, And they have beat their swords to ploughshares, And their spears to pruning-hooks, Nation doth not lift up sword unto nation, Nor do they learn any more -- war.
for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down, the enmity in his flesh, the law of the commands in ordinances having done away, that the two he might create in himself into one new man, making peace, and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in it, and having come, he did proclaim good news -- peace to you -- the far-off and the nigh,
The little one doth become a chief, And the small one a mighty nation, I, Jehovah, in its own time do hasten it!
and of the multitude of those who did believe the heart and the soul was one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were to them in common.
and he shall reign over the house of Jacob to the ages; and of his reign there shall be no end.'
And risen to you, ye who fear My name, Hath the sun of righteousness -- and healing in its wings, And ye have gone forth, and have increased as calves of a stall.
I greatly rejoice in Jehovah, Joy doth my soul in my God, For He clothed me with garments of salvation, With a robe of righteousness covereth Me, As a bridegroom prepareth ornaments, And as a bride putteth on her jewels. For, as the earth bringeth forth her shoots, And as a garden causeth its sown things to shoot up, So the Lord Jehovah causeth righteousness and praise To shoot up before all the nations!
To appoint to mourners in Zion, To give to them beauty instead of ashes, The oil of joy instead of mourning, A covering of praise for a spirit of weakness, And He is calling to them, `Trees of righteousness, The planting of Jehovah -- to be beautified.' And they have built the wastes of old, The desolations of the ancients they raise up, And they have renewed waste cities, The desolations of generation and generation. And strangers have stood and fed your flock, Sons of a foreigner `are' your husbandmen, And your vine-dressers. And ye are called `Priests of Jehovah,' `Ministers of our God,' is said of you, The strength of nations ye consume, And in their honour ye do boast yourselves.
Arise, be bright, for come hath thy light, And the honour of Jehovah hath risen on thee.
For, as come down doth the shower, And the snow from the heavens, And thither returneth not, But hath watered the earth, And hath caused it to yield, and to spring up, And hath given seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, So is My word that goeth out of My mouth, It turneth not back unto Me empty, But hath done that which I desired, And prosperously effected that `for' which I sent it. For with joy ye go forth, And with peace ye are brought in, The mountains and the hills Break forth before you `with' singing, And all trees of the field clap the hand. Instead of the thorn come up doth fir, Instead of the brier come up doth myrtle, And it hath been to Jehovah for a name, For a sign age-during -- it is not cut off!
O afflicted, storm-tossed, not comforted, Lo, I am laying with cement thy stones, And have founded thee with sapphires, And have made of agate thy pinnacles, And thy gates of carbuncle stones, And all thy border of stones of delight, And all thy sons are taught of Jehovah, And abundant `is' the peace of thy sons. In righteousness thou establishest thyself, Be far from oppression, for thou fearest not, And from ruin, for it cometh not near unto thee. Lo, he doth diligently assemble without My desire, Who hath assembled near thee? By thee he falleth! Lo, I -- I have prepared an artizan, Blowing on a fire of coals, And bringing out an instrument for his work, And I have prepared a destroyer to destroy. No weapon formed against thee prospereth, And every tongue rising against thee, In judgment thou condemnest. This `is' the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah, And their righteousness from me, an affirmation of Jehovah!
They joy from the wilderness and dry place, And rejoice doth the desert, and flourish as the rose, Flourishing it doth flourish, and rejoice, Yea, `with' joy and singing, The honour of Lebanon hath been given to it, The beauty of Carmel and Sharon, They -- they see the honour of Jehovah, The majesty of our God. Strengthen ye the feeble hands, Yea, the stumbling knees strengthen. Say to the hastened of heart, `Be strong, Fear not, lo, your God; vengeance cometh, The recompence of God, He Himself doth come and save you.' Then opened are eyes of the blind, And ears of the deaf are unstopped, Then leap as a hart doth the lame, And sing doth the tongue of the dumb, For broken up in a wilderness have been waters, And streams in a desert. And the mirage hath become a pond, And the thirsty land fountains of waters, In the habitation of dragons, Its place of couching down, a court for reed and rush. And a highway hath been there, and a way, And the `way of holiness' is called to it, Not pass over it doth the unclean, And He Himself `is' by them, Whoso is going in the way -- even fools err not. No lion is there, yea, a destructive beast Ascendeth it not, it is not found there, And walked have the redeemed, And the ransomed of Jehovah return, And have entered Zion with singing. And joy age-during on their head, Joy and gladness they attain, And fled away have sorrow and sighing!
Till emptied out on us is the Spirit from on high, And a wilderness hath become a fruitful field, And the fruitful field for a forest is reckoned. And dwelt in the wilderness hath judgment, And righteousness in the fruitful field remaineth. And a work of the righteousness hath been peace, And a service of the righteousness -- Keeping quiet and confidence unto the age. And dwelt hath My people in a peaceful habitation, And in stedfast tabernacles, And in quiet resting-places. And it hath hailed in the going down of the forest, And in the valley is the city low. Happy `are' ye sowing by all waters, Sending forth the foot of the ox and the ass!
And not dazzled are the eyes of beholders, And the ears of hearers do attend. And the heart of those hastened Understandeth to know, And the tongue of stammerers hasteth to speak clearly. A fool is no more called `noble,' And to a miser it is not said, `rich;' For a fool speaketh folly, And his heart doth iniquity, to do profanity, And to speak concerning Jehovah error, To empty the soul of the hungry, Yea, drink of the thirsty he causeth to lack. And the miser -- his instruments `are' evil, He hath counselled wicked devices, To corrupt the poor with lying sayings, Even when the needy speaketh justly. And the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.
And a wolf hath sojourned with a lamb, And a leopard with a kid doth lie down, And calf, and young lion, and fatling `are' together, And a little youth is leader over them. And cow and bear do feed, Together lie down their young ones, And a lion as an ox eateth straw. And played hath a suckling by the hole of an asp, And on the den of a cockatrice Hath the weaned one put his hand. Evil they do not, nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For full hath been the earth with the knowledge of Jehovah, As the waters are covering the sea.
For a Child hath been born to us, A Son hath been given to us, And the princely power is on his shoulder, And He doth call his name Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. To the increase of the princely power, And of peace, there is no end, On the throne of David, and on his kingdom, To establish it, and to support it, In judgment and in righteousness, Henceforth, even unto the age, The zeal of Jehovah of Hosts doth this.
Her provision I greatly bless, Her needy ones I satisfy `with' bread, And her priests I clothe `with' salvation, And her pious ones do sing aloud. There I cause to spring up a horn for David, I have arranged a lamp for Mine anointed. His enemies I do clothe `with' shame, And upon him doth his crown flourish!
and the word of Jehovah `is' against me, saying, Blood in abundance thou hast shed, and great wars thou hast made: thou dost not build a house to My name, for much blood thou hast shed to the earth before Me. `Lo, a son is born to thee; he is a man of rest, and I have given rest to him from all his enemies round about, for Solomon is his name, and peace and quietness I give unto Israel in his days;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 72
Commentary on Psalms 72 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 72
Ps 72:1-19. For, or literally, "of Solomon." The closing verse rather relates to the second book of Psalms, of which this is the last, and was perhaps added by some collector, to intimate that the collection, to which, as chief author, David's name was appended, was closed. In this view, these may consistently be the productions of others included, as of Asaph, sons of Korah, and Solomon; and a few of David's may be placed in the latter series. The fact that here the usual mode of denoting authorship is used, is strongly conclusive that Solomon was the author, especially as no stronger objection appears than what has been now set aside. The Psalm, in highly wrought figurative style, describes the reign of a king as "righteous, universal, beneficent, and perpetual." By the older Jewish and most modern Christian interpreters, it has been referred to Christ, whose reign, present and prospective, alone corresponds with its statements. As the imagery of the second Psalm was drawn from the martial character of David's reign, that of this is from the peaceful and prosperous state of Solomon's.
1. 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.
2, &c. The effects of such a government by one thus endowed are detailed.
thy people … and thy poor—or, "meek," the pious subjects of his government.
3. As mountains and hills are not usually productive, they are here selected to show the abundance of peace, being represented as
bringing—or, literally, "bearing" it as a produce.
by righteousness—that is, by means of his eminently just and good methods of ruling.
4. That peace, including prosperity, as an eminent characteristic of Christ's reign (Isa 2:4; Isa 9:6; 11:9), will be illustrated in the security provided for the helpless and needy, and the punishment inflicted on oppressors, whose power to injure or mar the peace of others will be destroyed (compare Isa 65:25; Zec 9:10).
children of the needy—for the needy (compare sons of strangers, Ps 18:45 [Margin]).
5. as long as … endure—literally, "with the sun," coeval with its existence, and before, or, in presence of the moon, while it lasts (compare Ge 11:28, "before Terah," literally, "in presence of," while he lived).
6. A beautiful figure expresses the grateful nature of His influence;
7, and, carrying out the figure, the results are described in an abundant production.
the righteous—literally, "righteousness."
flourish—literally, "sprout," or, "spring forth."
8. The foreign nations mentioned (Ps 72:9, 10) could not be included in the limits, if designed to indicate the boundaries of Solomon's kingdom. The terms, though derived from those used (Ex 23:31; De 11:24) to denote the possessions of Israel, must have a wider sense. Thus, "ends of the earth" is never used of Palestine, but always of the world (compare Margin).
9-11. The extent of the conquests.
They that dwell in the wilderness—the wild, untutored tribes of deserts.
bow … dust—in profound submission. The remotest and wealthiest nations shall acknowledge Him (compare Ps 45:12).
12-14. They are not the conquests of arms, but the influences of humane and peaceful principles (compare Isa 9:7; 11:1-9; Zec 9:9, 10).
15. In his prolonged life he will continue to receive the honorable gifts of the rich, and the prayers of his people shall be made for him, and their praises given to him.
16. The spiritual blessings, as often in Scripture, are set forth by material, the abundance of which is described by a figure, in which a "handful" (or literally, "a piece," or small portion) of corn in the most unpropitious locality, shall produce a crop, waving in the wind in its luxuriant growth, like the forests of Lebanon.
they of the city … earth—This clause denotes the rapid and abundant increase of population—
of—or, "from"
the city—Jerusalem, the center and seat of the typical kingdom.
flourish—or, glitter as new grass—that is, bloom. This increase corresponds with the increased productiveness. So, as the gospel blessings are diffused, there shall arise increasing recipients of them, out of the Church in which Christ resides as head.
17. His name—or, "glorious perfections."
as long as the sun—(Compare Ps 72:5).
men shall be blessed—(Ge 12:3; 18:18).
18, 19. These words close the Psalm in terms consistent with the style of the context, while Ps 72:20 is evidently, from its prosaic style, an addition for the purpose above explained [see on Ps 72:1].
20. ended—literally, "finished," or completed; the word never denotes fulfilment, except in a very late usage, as in Ezr 1:1; Da 12:7.