Of Solomon. Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.
Parallel translations
- WEB By Solomon. God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son.
- KJV Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
- NKJV Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
- NASB Give the king Your judgments, God, And Your righteousness to the king’s son.
- NLT Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son.
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
The psalm prays that God would grant the king his own justice and righteousness, so that the king might rule as God does.
Overview
This royal psalm, associated with Solomon, asks God to endow the king with divine justice. A righteous reign depends on God-given justice, not mere human wisdom. While Solomon partly fulfilled this, its ideal points beyond any earthly king to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the truly righteous King whose reign perfectly embodies God's justice (Isaiah 9:6-7).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Jer 23:5–6Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- 1 Chr 22:12–13Above all, may the LORD give you insight and understanding when He puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the Law of the LORD your God.
- 2 Chr 1:10Now grant me wisdom and knowledge, so that I may lead this people. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”
- 1 Chr 29:19And give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and carry out all Your commandments, decrees, and statutes, and to build Your palace for which I have made provision.”
- 1 Kgs 1:39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!”
- Isa 11:2The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.
- Ps 127:1A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.
- John 3:34For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
- Heb 1:8–9But about the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 72:1 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.