Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

Psalm 72. The last psalm of Book 2 (see note on 41:13) is a royal psalm, praying that the heirs of David's line (beginning with Solomon) might have success in the task that God has assigned the king (namely, ruling God's people well, protecting the poor and needy, and bringing blessing to all nations of the earth). Like Psalm 2, this song looks forward to a worldwide rule that embraces in full what the Messiah will accomplish: the OT anticipates the ultimate heir of David, who will take the throne and bring the light of God to all nations (cf. Isa. 2:1-5; 11:1-10), and the NT is careful to explain that Jesus, by virtue of his resurrection, has begun to fulfill this task through the Christian mission (cf. Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 1:1-6). Therefore Christian hymns based on this psalm, such as "Jesus Shall Reign" and "Hail to the Lord's Anointed," have used the song according to its proper meaning. (This also explains why Christian witness, when it is true to the messianic picture of the Bible, goes beyond basic gospel proclamation and also fosters social justice and the moral transformation of whole societies.) The title, "of Solomon," can mean that Solomon was the author (just as "of David" normally means that David wrote the psalm). On the other hand, it could mean that someone (perhaps David) spoke these words of (i.e., about) Solomon, setting out the goal for his reign (and for the reigns of his heirs). The reference in Ps. 72:20 to the prayers of David may favor this view, although David did not author all the songs of Book 2 (cf. Psalms 42-50; 66-67; 71), and thus this reference is not decisive.

72:1-4 Let the King Judge Your People Justly. The ideal for the Davidic king is that he promote the well-being of the whole people of God by embodying true piety and by governing in such a way that justice prevails at all times (usually this means protecting the weaker members from the oppressive schemes of the stronger ones). Under such conditions, godliness should thrive among all the people, and thus they would experience the covenant blessings (Lev. 26:3-13; Deut. 28:1-14), where the land looks like a renewed Eden and the Gentiles are drawn to worship the true God. The psalm begins, then, with a prayer for the character and rule of the Davidic king, knowing that the people depend upon God to give him righteousness and justice by which to rule (judge).