The big picture
Psalms 21 opens in verse 1 with “The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD ; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 7 with “For the king trusteth in the LORD , and through the mercy of the most High he shall not…”, and closes in verse 13 with “Be thou exalted, LORD , in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, find, hand, king, salvation. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 13Psalms 21:1-7
1–7: The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD ; and in thy salvation how…
Psalms 21:1–7 opens with “The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD ; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!” and reaches “For the king trusteth in the LORD , and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by king, LORD, salvation.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD ; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Psalms 21:1-7
King James Version1The 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.
Psalms 21:8-13
8–13: Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find…
Psalms 21:8–13 opens with “Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.” and reaches “Be thou exalted, LORD , in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by find, hand, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Psalms 21:8-13
King James Version8Thine 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 21:1 begins with “The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD ; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 21:12 forms a natural hinge: “Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.”
The final note
Psalms 21:13 leaves the reader with “Be thou exalted, LORD , in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, find, hand, king, salvation, strength help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How is God's faithfulness shown in both halves of the family?
Isaac is born as promised, and Ishmael is heard and preserved with a future of his own.
Why does a well deserve narrative space?
Water sustains life and makes residence possible in a land Abraham does not yet own.
KJV words made clear
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.