Bible Commentary

Psalms 72:1

Psalms 72:1

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public Domain

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. God had established in Israel, in the person of David, hereditary monarchy (2 Samuel 7:12-16), such as was usual in the East, and suited to Oriental notions.

In speaking of himself, not only as "the king," but also as "the king's son," Solomon makes appeal to the sentiment of respect for hereditary royalty. Compare the inscription of Mesha, "My father was king over Moab thirty years, and I became king after my father" (line 1).

In praying God to give him "his judgments," he is desiring a "spirit of judgment" which will enable him to deliver decisions as righteous as God's.

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Psalms 72 — OverviewPsalms 72 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleThe foregoing psalm was penned by David when he was old, and, it should seem, so was this too; for Solomon was now standing fair for the crown; that was his prayer for himself, this for his son and successor, and…Psalms 72 — OverviewPsalms 72 · Treasury of Scripture KnowledgePsalms 72:1, David, praying for Solomon, shews the goodness and glory of his kingdom, and in type of Christ’s kingdom Psalms 72:18, He blesses God. This Psalm seems to have been composed by David in his last days, when…Psalms 72 — OverviewPsalms 72 · John Gill's Exposition of the Entire BiblePSALM 72[A Psalm] for Solomon. The title of this psalm is by some rendered, "a psalm of Solomon" ; as a psalm dwdl, "for David", is often rendered "a psalm of David"; and so make Solomon to be the writer of it: to which…Psalms 72:1Psalms 72:1 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleThis verse is a prayer for the king, even the king's son. I. We may apply it to Solomon: Give him thy judgments, O God! and thy righteousness; make him a man, a king; make him a good man, a good king. 1. It is…Psalms 72:1-7Psalms 72:1-7 · The Pulpit CommentaryThe effect of the anger of a perfectly righteous King. Most probably put into form by Solomon, even if David suggested the substance of it. It is the portrait of an ideal King, never yet realized completely by any…Psalms 72:1-20Psalms 72:1-20 · The Pulpit CommentaryEXPOSITION THE "title" attributes this psalm to Solomon, and the contents of the psalm are very favourable to his authorship. The prayer in Psalms 72:1-4 is an echo of that recorded in 1 Kings 3:9. The stress laid upon…