A psalm for Solomon
72:Title This could also be translated “of (or by) Solomon”. Verse 20 indicates that perhaps it was a prayer of David. It may be that David in his old age, having appointed Solomon as his successor, prayed for him some of the things we have in this psalm, and that Solomon put them in the poetic form we have here. So it could contain David’s prayer and be Solomon’s psalm. In any case, this psalm, however much Solomon may be in it, is about one greater than Solomon. This, like Psalms 2,21, and 45, is a prophetic psalm concerning God’s anointed King, the Lord Jesus Christ. His reign will be righteous and peaceful (vs 1-7), worldwide (vs 8-11), compassionate (vs 12-14), perpetual and prosperous (vs 15-17).⚜
72
📚Give the king your judgments,O God,
and your righteousness
to the king’s son.
72:1 As for Solomon, he was a king and the son of King David. As regards Christ, He is God’s anointed King and the Son of heaven’s eternal King. Solomon’s reign in some measure is a type or picture of Christ’s. The writer describes an ideal ruler and an ideal reign. The first essential for this is to know God’s just decisions, to have a God given sense of justice. Compare Solomon’s prayer for himself in 1 Kings 3:5-9.⚜
2 📚He will judge your people
with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
3 📚The mountains will bring peace
to the people, and the little hills,
through righteousness.
72:3 Isa 2:4; 9:5-6; Micah 4:3-4; Zech 9:10. Peace is a result of righteousness (Isa 32:17). One trouble with the world is that nations and individuals hope and seek for peace without righteousness. Observe the prominence given to righteousness in these opening verses. The great King’s compassionate heart is more fully described in vs 12-14.⚜
4 📚He will judge the poor
of the people.
He will save the children
of the needy,
and will break the oppressor
in pieces.
5 📚They will fear you as long
as the sun and moon endure,
throughout all generations.
72:5 This was not true of Solomon, but is eternally true of the Lord Jesus.⚜
6 📚He will come down like rain
on the mown grass,
like showers that water
the earth.
72:6 Blessings as refreshing showers will accompany Christ’s reign. But this verse speaks of more than blessings coming down. It speaks of the King Himself coming down. And come down He shall (1 Thess 4:16; Rev 19:11-16).⚜
7 📚In his days the righteous will
flourish,
and abundance of peace as long
as the moon endures.
72:7 A great promise to those who are righteous! Now in this world to be righteous is often to be an object of scorn, opposition, and persecution (John 15:18-21; Heb 11:36-38). When King Jesus takes up His reign on earth there will be vast changes made. Even so, come Lord Jesus.⚜
8 📚And he will rule from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends
of the earth.
9 📚Those who dwell in the wilderness
will bow before him,
and his enemies will lick the dust.
10 📚The kings of Tarshish and
of the islands 📖 will bring presents.
The kings of Sheba and
Seba will offer gifts.
11 📚Yes, all kings will fall down
before him,
all nations will serve him.
72:8-11 Solomon never reigned over all nations. The One who is far greater than Solomon will (Ps 2:8-9; Isa 2:2-4; Zech 9:9-10; 14:9; Rev 19:15). “River” (v 8) – the Euphrates.⚜
12 📚For he will rescue the needy
when he cries out,
also the poor and the one
who has no helper.
13 📚He will spare the poor and
needy and save the souls
of the needy.
14 📚He will redeem their soul
from deceit and violence,
and their blood will
be precious in his sight.
72:12-14 Here a reason is given why all will bring gifts to Him, bow before Him and serve Him. His character is surpassingly excellent, His deeds full of compassion. Though some rulers and leaders occasionally talk about helping the poor and needy, how many of them ever actually do so? The Lord Jesus will do more than talk about the poor and needy. He will stand up on their behalf and deliver them. He will truly abolish poverty from the earth, and destroy those who oppress the poor.⚜
15 📚And he will live on, and to him
the gold of Sheba will be given;
also prayer will be made for him 📖
continually,
and daily he will be praised.
16 📚There will be an abundance
of grain in the earth on the top
of the mountains;
its fruit will wave like the cedars
of Lebanon;
and those of the city will
flourish like the grass of the earth.
72:16 No famines will afflict mankind in Christ’s reign.⚜
17 📚His name will endure forever,
his name will go on as long as
the sun;
and men will be blessed
in him.
All nations will call him
blessed.
72:15-17 Then there will be no fear that some tyrant, some wicked ruler, will supplant the Lord Jesus. He will rule forever.⚜
72:17 In Christ’s reign at last the blessings God promised to Abraham will be fully manifested (Gen 12:1-3).⚜
18 📚Blessed be the LORD God,
the God of Israel,
who alone does wonderful things!
19 📚And blessed be his glorious name
forever!
And let the whole earth be filled
with his glory!
Amen, and Amen.
72:18-19 Surely the above revelation should stir the hearts of believers to joy and praise and prayer for its fulfillment.⚜
20 📚The prayers of David,
the son of Jesse, are ended.
72:20 Other psalms David wrote appear later on in the book of Psalms. But judging from this his last prayers before he died were concerning God’s kingdom.⚜