Psalms 72
72
A Prayer for the King
1Of Solomon.
I
2O God, give your judgment to the king;
your justice to the king’s son;#The king…the king’s son: the crown prince is the king’s son; the prayer envisages the dynasty. #Ps 99:4; Jer 23:5.
That he may govern your people with justice,
your oppressed with right judgment,#Prv 31:8–9.
3That the mountains may yield their bounty for the people,
and the hills great abundance,#Is 52:7; 55:12.
4That he may defend the oppressed among the people,
save the children of the poor and crush the oppressor.
II
5May they fear you with the sun,
and before the moon, through all generations.#Ps 89:37–38; Jer 31:35.
6May he be like rain coming down upon the fields,
like showers watering the earth,#Dt 32:2; Is 45:8; Hos 6:3.
7That abundance may flourish in his days,
great bounty, till the moon be no more.
III
8#From sea to sea…the ends of the earth: the boundaries of the civilized world known at the time: from the Mediterranean Sea (the western sea) to the Persian Gulf (the eastern sea), and from the Euphrates (the river) to the islands and lands of southwestern Europe, “the ends of the earth.” The words may also have a mythic nuance—the earth surrounded by cosmic waters, hence everywhere.May he rule from sea to sea,
from the river to the ends of the earth.#Dt 11:24; Zec 9:10.
9May his foes kneel before him,
his enemies lick the dust.#Is 49:23; Mi 7:17.
10May the kings of Tarshish and the islands#Tarshish and the islands: the far west (Ps 48:6); Arabia and Seba: the far south (1 Kgs 10:1). bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.#Ps 68:30; Is 60:5–6; 1 Kgs 10:1ff.
11May all kings bow before him,
all nations serve him.#Ps 47:8.
12For he rescues the poor when they cry out,
the oppressed who have no one to help.
13He shows pity to the needy and the poor#Prv 31:9.
and saves the lives of the poor.
14From extortion and violence he redeems them,
for precious is their blood#Their blood: cf. Ps 116:15. in his sight.
IV
15Long may he live, receiving gold from Sheba,
prayed for without cease, blessed day by day.
16#The translation of the difficult Hebrew is tentative.May wheat abound in the land,
flourish even on the mountain heights.
May his fruit be like that of Lebanon,
and flourish in the city like the grasses of the land.#Is 27:6; Hos 14:6–8; Am 9:13.
17May his name be forever;
as long as the sun, may his name endure.#Ps 21:7.
May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name;#May the tribes of the earth give blessings with his name: an echo of the promise to the ancestors (Gn 12:3; 26:4; 28:14), suggesting that the monarchy in Israel fulfilled the promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
may all the nations regard him as favored.#Gn 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; Zec 8:13.
18#A doxology marking the end of Book II of the Psalter.Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonderful deeds.#Ps 41:14; 89:53; 106:48; 136:4.
19Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may he fill all the earth with his glory.#Ps 57:5; Nm 14:21.
Amen and amen.
20The end of the psalms of David, son of Jesse.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Psalms 72
72
Psalm 72
By Solomon.
1O God, give the king your justice
and the king’s son #72:1 According to ancient Jewish and Christian tradition, “king” and “king’s son” refer to the Messiah. your righteousness
2so that he may judge your people with righteousness
and your oppressed ⌞people⌟ with justice.
3May the mountains bring peace to the people
and the hills bring righteousness.
4May he grant justice to the people who are oppressed.
May he save the children of needy people
and crush their oppressor.
5May they fear you as long as the sun and moon ⌞shine⌟—
throughout every generation.
6May he be like rain that falls on ⌞freshly⌟ cut grass,
like showers that water the land.
7May righteous people blossom in his day.
May there be unlimited peace until the moon no longer ⌞shines⌟.
8May he rule from sea to sea,
from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
9May the people of the desert kneel in front of him.
May his enemies lick the dust.
10May the kings from Tarshish and the islands bring presents.
May the kings from Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
11May all kings worship him.
May all nations serve him.
12He will rescue the needy person who cries for help
and the oppressed person who has no one’s help.
13He will have pity on the poor and needy
and will save the lives of the needy.
14He will rescue them from oppression and violence.
Their blood will be precious in his sight.
15May he live long.
May the gold from Sheba be given to him.
May ⌞the people⌟ pray for him continually.
May ⌞they⌟ praise him all day long.
16May there be plenty of grain in the land.
May it wave ⌞in the breeze⌟ on the mountaintops,
its fruit like ⌞the treetops of⌟ Lebanon.
May those from the city flourish like the grass on the ground.
17May his name endure forever.
May his name continue as long as the sun ⌞shines⌟.
May all nations be blessed through him and call him blessed.
18Thank the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does miracles.
19Thanks be to his glorious name forever.
May the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and amen!
20The prayers by David, son of Jesse, end here.
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