You will prolong the king’s life; His years will be like generations.
Parallel translations
- WEB You will prolong the king’s life; his years shall be for generations.
- KJV Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations.
- BSB Increase the days of the king’s life; may his years span many generations.
- NKJV You will prolong the king’s life, His years as many generations.
- NLT Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David prays for the king's life to be prolonged for generations. It looks beyond himself to the enduring royal line.
Overview
David, the king, prays for a reign that extends across generations, expressing hope for an enduring kingship. The language reaches beyond any single ruler's lifespan. This anticipates the everlasting King from David's line, Jesus Christ, whose reign truly endures forever.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Ps 21:4He asked life of you, you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.
- Ps 89:36–37His offspring will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me.
- Ps 21:6For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence.
- Isa 53:10Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days, and Yahweh’s pleasure will prosper in his hand.
- Ps 72:15–17They shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba. Men shall pray for him continually. They shall bless him all day long.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 61:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.