Psalm 21 Bible Commentary

21:1 «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.» The king shall ^a joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

(a) When he will overcome his enemies, and so be assured of his calling.

21:3 For thou ^b preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

(b) You declared your liberal favour toward him before he prayed.

21:4 ^c He asked life of thee, [and] thou gavest [it] him, [even] length of days for ever and ever.

(c) David not only obtained life, but also assurance that his posterity would reign forever.

21:6 For thou hast made him most ^d blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

(d) You have made him your blessings to others, and a perpetual example of your favour forever.

21:8 ^e Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

(e) Here he describes the power of Christ's kingdom against the enemies of it.

21:9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his ^f wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

(f) This teaches us patiently to endure the cross till God destroys the adversary.

21:11 For they ^g intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, [which] they are not able [to perform].

(g) They laid as it were their nets to make God's power bend to their wicked enterprises.

21:12 Therefore shalt thou make them ^h turn their back, [when] thou shalt make ready [thine arrows] upon thy strings against the face of them.

(h) As a mark to shoot at.

21:13 ⁱ Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: [so] will we sing and praise thy power.

(i) Maintain your Church against your adversaries that we may have ample opportunity to praise your Name.