Psalm 72:1-14

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Psalm 72:1 sn Psalm 72. This royal psalm contains a prayer for the Davidic king (note the imperatival form in v. 1 and the jussive forms in vv. 16-17). It is not entirely clear if vv. 2-15 express a prayer or anticipate a future reign. The translation assumes a blend of petition and vision: (I) opening prayer (v. 1), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 2-7); (II) prayer (v. 8), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 9-14); (III) closing prayer (vv. 15-17). Whether a prayer, vision, or combination of the two, the psalm depicts the king’s universal rule of peace and prosperity. As such it is indirectly messianic, for the ideal it expresses will only be fully realized during the Messiah’s earthly reign. Verses 18-19 are a conclusion for Book 2 of the Psalter (Pss 42-72; cf. Ps 41:13, which contains a similar conclusion for Book 1), while v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter.
2. Psalm 72:1 tn The preposition could be understood as indicating authorship (“Of Solomon”), but since the psalm is a prayer for a king, it may be that the superscription reflects a tradition that understood this as a prayer for Solomon.
3. Psalm 72:1 tn Heb “O God, your judgments to [the] king give.”
4. Psalm 72:1 sn Grant the king…Grant the king’s son. It is not entirely clear whether v. 1 envisions one individual or two. The phrase “the king’s son” in the second line may simply refer to “the king” of the first line, drawing attention to the fact that he has inherited his dynastic rule. Another option is that v. 1 envisions a co-regency between father and son (a common phenomenon in ancient Israel) or simply expresses a hope for a dynasty that champions justice.
5. Psalm 72:1 tn Heb “and your justice to [the] son of [the] king.”
6. Psalm 72:2 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
7. Psalm 72:2 sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).
8. Psalm 72:3 tn Heb “[the] mountains will bear peace to the people, and [the] hills with justice.” The personified mountains and hills probably represent messengers who will sweep over the land announcing the king’s just decrees and policies. See Isa 52:7 and C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:133.
9. Psalm 72:4 tn Heb “judge [for].”
10. Psalm 72:4 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
11. Psalm 72:4 tn Heb “sons.”
12. Psalm 72:5 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the Lord’s power and authority by worshiping him and obeying his commandments.” See Ps 33:8. Some interpreters, with the support of the LXX, prefer to read וְיַאֲרִיךְ (v^eyaʾarikh, “and he [the king in this case] will prolong [days]”), that is, “will live a long time” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
13. Psalm 72:5 tn God is the addressee (see vv. 1-2).
14. Psalm 72:5 tn Heb “with [the] sun, and before [the] moon [for] a generation, generations.” The rare expression דּוֹר דּוֹרִים (dor dorim, “generation, generations”) occurs only here, in Ps 102:24, and in Isa 51:8.
15. Psalm 72:6 tn That is, the king (see vv. 2, 4).
16. Psalm 72:6 tn The rare term גֵּז (gez) refers to a sheep’s fleece in Deut 18:4 and Job 31:20, but to “mown” grass or crops here and in Amos 7:1.
17. Psalm 72:6 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to be an otherwise unattested noun. Many prefer to emend the form to a verb from the root זָרַף (zaraf). BHS suggests a Hiphil imperfect, third masculine plural יַזְרִיפוּ (yazrifu), while HALOT 283 s.v. *זרף prefers a Pilpel perfect, third masculine plural זִרְזְפוּ (zirz^efu). The translation assumes the latter.
18. Psalm 72:6 sn The imagery of this verse compares the blessings produced by the king’s reign to fructifying rains that cause the crops to grow.
19. Psalm 72:7 tn Heb “sprout up,” like crops. This verse continues the metaphor of rain utilized in v. 6.
20. Psalm 72:7 tn Heb “and [there will be an] abundance of peace until there is no more moon.”
21. Psalm 72:8 tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.
22. Psalm 72:8 sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.
23. Psalm 72:8 tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.
24. Psalm 72:9 tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.
25. Psalm 72:9 sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.
26. Psalm 72:10 sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.
27. Psalm 72:10 sn Sheba was located in Arabia.
28. Psalm 72:10 sn Seba was located in Africa.
29. Psalm 72:12 tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.
30. Psalm 72:12 tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.
31. Psalm 72:13 tn The prefixed verb form is best understood as a defectively written imperfect (see Deut 7:16).
32. Psalm 72:14 tn Or “redeem their lives.” The verb “redeem” casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Pss 19:14; 69:18).
33. Psalm 72:14 tn Heb “their blood will be precious in his eyes.”