Psalms 21

KJV · Chapter 21/150

1The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

2Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.

3For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

4He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.

5His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.

6For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

7For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

8Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

9Thou 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.

10Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.

11For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

12Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.

13Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

In contrast with the previous psalm (a prayer before battle), this is a song of thanksgiving after victory, celebrating the blessings God granted the king and foreseeing the total defeat of his enemies.

Explanation

Forming a pair with Psalm 20, this text celebrates the fulfillment of the previous prayer: the king received long life, glory, and victory over his enemies. The mention of a 'crown of pure gold' and of 'length of days for ever and ever' suggests language that, over time, came to be read messianically — not only about an earthly king, but about an eternal reign that Christian tradition associates with Christ. The practical application: publicly celebrating God's answers is spiritually just as important as asking for them.

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