Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary < PSALM 21
Ps 21:1-13. The pious are led by the Psalmist to celebrate God's favor to the king in the already conferred and in prospective victories. The doxology added may relate to both Psalms; the preceding of petition, chiefly this of thanksgiving, ascribing honor to God for His display of grace and power to His Church in all ages, not only under David, but also under his last greatest successor, "the King of the Jews." 1. thy strength … thy salvation—as supplied by Thee. Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. 2. The sentiment affirmed in the first clause is reaffirmed by the negation of its opposite in the second.
For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. 3. preventest—literally, "to meet here in good sense," or "friendship" (Ps 59:10; compare opposite, Ps 17:13).
blessings of goodness—which confer happiness. crown of pure gold—a figure for the highest royal prosperity. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. 4-6. (Compare 2Sa 7:13-16). The glory and blessedness of the king as head of his line, including Christ, as well as in being God's specially selected servant, exceeded that of all others.
His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.
For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance. 6. made him most blessed—or set him "to be blessings," as Abraham (Ge 12:2).
with thy countenance—by sight of thee (Ps 16:11), or by Thy favor expressed by the light of Thy countenance (Nu 6:25), or both. For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved. 7. The mediate cause is the king's faith, the efficient, God's mercy.
Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 8. The address is now made to the king.
hand—denotes power, and right hand—a more active and efficient degree of its exercise. find out—reach, lay hold of, indicating success in pursuit of his enemies. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. 9. The king is only God's agent.
anger—literally, "face," as appearing against them. as a fiery oven—as in it. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men. 10. fruit—children (Ps 37:25; Ho 9:16).
For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform. 11. This terrible overthrow, reaching to posterity, is due to their crimes (Ex 20:5, 6).
Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them. 12. turn their back—literally, "place them [as to the] shoulder."
against the face of them—The shooting against their faces would cause them to turn their backs in flight. Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power. 13. The glory of all is ascribable to God alone. |
