Psalm 21

Psalm 21 belongs to Book One of the Psalms (Psalms 1–41), and its superscription identifies it as a psalm of David. The preceding psalm, Psalm 20, is the people's prayer for a king going out to battle. Psalm 21 reads as a thanksgiving offered after that prayer has been answered, and the two psalms are often treated as a pair.

Structure

• Verses 1–7 The king rejoices in God's strength and salvation. God has given the king his heart's desire (verse 2 ends with Selah), set a crown of pure gold on his head, and granted the king, who asked for life, "length of days for ever and ever." Verse 7 declares that because the king trusts in the LORD, he shall not be moved.
• Verses 8–12 The address shifts to "thou." This section anticipates that "thine" hand will find out the enemies, make them as a fiery oven, and cut off even their offspring. The enemies devised mischief but were not able to carry it out.
• Verse 13 The psalm closes with a prayer that the LORD be exalted in His strength and a pledge to sing of His power.

Key Verses

• Psalm 21:4 "He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever." This verse marks the high point of the blessings the king has received and is frequently cited in messianic interpretation.
• Psalm 21:7 "For the king trusteth in the LORD, … he shall not be moved." This central confession links the first and second sections of the psalm.
• Psalm 21:13 "Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength." The psalm ends by exalting God rather than the king.

People and Places

• David — King of Israel. He is named only in the superscription; in the body of the psalm he is called "the king."
• The enemies — Those who plotted to harm the king. They are not named.

Points for Reflection

• Interpreters differ on who is addressed as "thou" in verses 8–12. Because verse 9 refers to the LORD in the third person, many take "thou" to be the king, though some read these verses as addressed to God.
• The text is a thanksgiving for the victory of Israel's king. Some strands of Jewish tradition, as well as Christian tradition, are nevertheless known to have read this king as the Messiah. Christian interpretation sometimes connects the "length of days for ever and ever" in verse 4 with the eternal life of the risen Christ. The New Testament does not quote this psalm directly.
• The language of verses 9–10 about cutting off even the enemies' offspring is difficult for modern readers. It is often explained as an expression, set in the context of ancient warfare, that attributes the king's victory to God.