The big picture
Psalms 72 opens in verse 1 with “Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 10 with “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba…”, and closes in verse 20 with “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” Repeated or prominent terms include earth, blessed, needy, poor, kings. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 20Psalms 72:1-7
1–7: Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the…
Psalms 72:1–7 opens with “Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.” and reaches “In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 72 develops its own movement around earth, blessed, needy, poor, kings, with particular weight carried by people, righteousness, judge.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.” Naming Give keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Psalms 72:1-7
King James Version1Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
2He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
3The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
4He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
5They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
6He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
7In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
Psalms 72:8-14
8–14: He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the…
Psalms 72:8–14 opens with “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” and reaches “He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 72 develops its own movement around earth, blessed, needy, poor, kings, with particular weight carried by kings, needy, poor.
Context that brings the passage to life
“He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Psalms 72:8-14
King James Version8He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
9They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
12For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
13He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.
14He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
Psalms 72:15-20
15–20: He shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer…
Psalms 72:15–20 opens with “And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for…” and reaches “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 72 develops its own movement around earth, blessed, needy, poor, kings, with particular weight carried by blessed, earth, name.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Psalms 72:15-20
King James Version15And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.
16There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.
18Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
19And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
20The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 72:1 begins with “Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 72:10 forms a natural hinge: “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.”
The final note
Psalms 72:20 leaves the reader with “The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words earth, blessed, needy, poor, kings, long help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- dominion
- responsibility or rule
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
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.