Psalm 72 explained: A Prayer for a Good King

Justice for the poor (vv. 1-4)

The old Hebrew heading links this psalm to Solomon, David's son, and it asks God to give the king God's own sense of what is right. The test of a good reign here is how it treats the poor and powerless, and whether it stops those who crush them.

Long life and good rain (vv. 5-7)

Translations differ on verse 5: some read it as a wish that the king last as long as the sun and moon, others as people honoring God that long. His rule is then compared to rain on a freshly cut field, and in a land that depended mostly on rain, this pictures a king the whole land relies on.

Rule reaching distant lands (vv. 8-11)

"The River" is the Euphrates, and Tarshish, Sheba, and Seba were far-off places to the west and south (Seba's exact location is uncertain). Kings bringing gifts from such distances was the ancient picture of a ruler honored everywhere.

Why he deserves this (vv. 12-14)

The word "for" gives the reason for all the praise: this king rescues people who have no one else to help them. Saying their blood is "precious" in his sight means their lives matter to him and he will not let them be thrown away.

Blessing that spreads (vv. 15-17)

The psalm asks for gold, constant prayer, and harvests so rich that grain sways even on the hilltops, and it ends with all nations blessed through him, an echo of God's promise to Abraham in Genesis. Jewish tradition came to read this as pointing to a future ideal king, and Christians read it as fulfilled in Jesus.

Closing praise (vv. 18-20)

These verses praise God and close the second of the five sections the book of Psalms is divided into. The note about David's prayers ending is an editor's marker, since a few psalms credited to David still appear later in the book.

Key verse: Psalm 72:12

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on whether this psalm is mainly a prayer for Solomon or any human king that later came to be read as pointing to Jesus, or whether it was from the start a direct prophecy of the Messiah, the promised king.

Something to think about

If you could ask one thing of the people who hold power over your life, what would it be, and how would you know whether they were using that power well?