Psalms — Chapter 21

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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.

1The king shall joy in thy strength, O Jehovah; 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 meetest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of fine gold on his head.

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

5His glory is great in thy salvation: Honor and majesty dost thou lay upon him.

6For thou makest him most blessed for ever: Thou makest him glad with joy in thy presence.

7For the king trusteth in Jehovah; And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he shall not be moved.

8Thy hand will find out all thine enemies; Thy right hand will find out those that hate thee.

9Thou wilt make them as a fiery furnace in the time of thine anger: Jehovah will swallow them up in his wrath, And the fire shall devour them.

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

11For they intended evil against thee; They conceived a device which they are not able to perform.

12For thou wilt make them turn their back; Thou wilt make ready with thy bowstrings against their face.

13Be thou exalted, O Jehovah, in thy strength: So will we sing and praise thy power. Psalm 22 For the Chief Musician; set to Aijaleth hash-Shahar. A Psalm of David.

1For the music director, a psalm of David. O Lord, the king rejoices in the strength you give; he takes great delight in the deliverance you provide.

2You grant him his heart’s desire; you do not refuse his request. (Selah)

3For you bring him rich blessings; you place a golden crown on his head.

4He asked you to sustain his life, and you have granted him long life and an enduring dynasty.

5Your deliverance brings him great honor; you give him majestic splendor.

6For you grant him lasting blessings; you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence.

7For the king trusts in the Lord, and because of the Most High’s faithfulness he is not shaken.

8You prevail over all your enemies; your power is too great for those who hate you.

9You burn them up like a fiery furnace when you appear. The Lord angrily devours them; the fire consumes them.

10You destroy their offspring from the earth, their descendants from among the human race.

11Yes, they intend to do you harm; they dream up a scheme, but they do not succeed.

12For you make them retreat when you aim your arrows at them.

13Rise up, O Lord, in strength! We will sing and praise your power.

1The king rejoices in your strength, Yahweh! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation!

2You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

3For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head.

4He asked life of you, you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.

5His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him.

6For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence.

7For the king trusts in Yahweh. Through the loving kindness of the Most High, he shall not be moved.

8Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you.

9You will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of your anger. Yahweh will swallow them up in his wrath. The fire shall devour them.

10You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from among the children of men.

11For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed.

12For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face.

13Be exalted, Yahweh, in your strength, so we will sing and praise your power.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Videos
Reflection

Summary

A royal psalm — thanksgiving for the king's victory and God's blessings upon him; the king trusted in the LORD, and through the Most High's steadfast love he shall not be moved.

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses. Key themes: worship, lament, praise, trust, kingship, creation, wisdom, Messianic prophecy, and the full range of human emotion brought before God.
Classification: Royal Thanksgiving Psalm Attributed Author: David — "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David" Key Themes: King's joy in divine strength, answered prayer, blessings received, trust in God's steadfast love, judgment on enemies, divine exaltation
Historical Context: Psalm 21 is the post-battle companion to Psalm 20 (pre-battle prayer). What the people prayed for in Psalm 20, they celebrate in Psalm 21. The king has been victorious, and the congregation acknowledges that the victory came from God, not military might. The language is both Davidic and Messianic — "life" and "length of days forever and ever" (v.4) exceeds what any earthly king receives and points to the eternal Messianic King. The structure mirrors Psalm 20: the people speak about the king (vv.1-7), address God about judgment on enemies (vv.8-12), and close with praise (v.13).
Structure:
  • The King's Blessings Celebrated (vv.1-7)
  • God's Judgment on Enemies (vv.8-12)
  • Closing Praise (v.13)

Map & Geography

  • No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.

Reflection

  • 1. Answered prayer deserves public celebration (vv.1-5). What you prayed for in private (Psalm 20), celebrate publicly when granted (Psalm 21). Do not forget to return thanks for prayers answered.
  • 2. God's blessings often precede our asking (v.3). He "meets" us with blessings — arrives ahead of us. Grace is not always reactive to our requests; it is often proactive, preparing goodness before we know to ask.
  • 3. The king's joy is in God's strength, not his own (v.1). True leaders rejoice not in their own power but in God's. If your joy is in your own strength, every loss diminishes you. If your joy is in GOD'S strength, you are never diminished.
  • 4. Trust + steadfast love = stability (v.7). The equation for being unmoved: the king trusts; God is faithful. Your trust meeting God's chesed produces permanence nothing can shake.
  • 5. All glory returns to God (v.13). The psalm's final word is worship — not of the victorious king but of the God who gave the victory. Every human triumph finds its proper ending in divine praise.