Bible Commentary

There shall be a handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and [they] of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. 16. May there be abundance of corn in the land upon the top of the mountains: May the fruit thereof … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:16”

And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; [and] daily shall he be praised. 15. The connexion and meaning are uncertain. The R.V. connects the verse with Psa 72:14, placing a colon at the end of Psa 72:14 and rendering, … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:15”

He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. 14. deceit ] Oppression (R.V.) or fraud (R.V. marg.). The word occurs elsewhere only in Psa 10:7; Psa 55:11. and precious &c.] He will not suffer it to be shed with impunity. Cp. for the phrase Psa … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:14”

He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 13. He shall have pity on the weak and needy, And the souls of the needy shall he save. The weak may include the sick as well as the poor. Cp. Psa 40:1; Psa 82:3-4; Isa 10:1; Isa 11:4; Amo … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:13”

For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and [him] that hath no helper. 12. For he shall deliver ] His claim to this universal homage rests not on the strength of his armies but on the justice and mercifulness of his rule. Cp. Isa 16:4-5. The true victory of the … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:12”

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. 11. Yea, let all kings fall down before him, Let all nations serve him. The allusions to Solomon’s empire in this and the preceding verse are obvious. “All kingdoms brought presents and served Solomon.” “All the earth sought to Solomon, to hear … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:11”

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 10. Let the kings bring presents, or, as R.V. marg., render tribute, the word implying that they are rendering what is due to him. Tarshish was the wealthy Phoenician colony of Tartessus in southern Spain: … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:10”

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. 9. Let them that dwell in the wilderness bow down before him, And let his enemies lick the dust. Even the wild Bedouin tribes that roam at large through the desert, the freest of the free, submit to … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:9”

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 8. He shall have dominion also ] Render, And may he have dominion. The form of the verb here is decisive in favour of rendering as a wish or prayer, and governs the meaning of the … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:8”

In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. 7. flourish ] The metaphor follows naturally upon that of the preceding verse. Cp. Pro 11:28; Psa 92:12-13. For the righteous LXX, Jer., Syr. read righteousness, which suits the parallelism better. so long as the moon endureth ] … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 72:7”