THE BOOK OF PSALMS - PSALM 72 GIVE THE KING YOUR JUSTICE (ROYAL PSALM)

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 Psalm 72 is a coronation hymn for a king.













Verse 1
  • “king” = David; “king’s son” = Solomon (because of Solomonic attribution)
  • “righteousness” (tzedaqah 159x; tzedeq 160x) (righteous person = tzaddiq 206x) means behaviour that conforms to some standard (e.g. interpersonal agreement, rules/regulations/laws, covenant)



Verses 2-4
  • “he” = the king or the king’s son, i.e. every leader of the people
  • Vv. 2 and 4: the king maintains and restores justice
  • V. 3: the mountains and hills, representing creation, bring peace and righteousness
  • “peace” [Hebrew: shalom = wholeness, completeness, integrity]
  • “lowly” [Hebrew: ani = socially dependent]
  • “needy” [Hebrew: evyon = destitute]
King Soloman was confronted with 2 women, each with a child, one dead and one living.  Both women wanted claim on the living child, Soloman wisely gave an option - to cut the child into two.... one woman said yes do that, the other woman said no let the child live, and she was prepared to give the child away so long as the child lives.  In this way, Solomon was able to identify who is the mother.

Poor - not just physically poor, but socially dependent (intellectual, mental etc unable to progress in society).

the Lowly - people who are expolited, lack of education, social status.....
'
the needy - the destitutes
Deut 15:4-5 - God's commandment to share with the poor
God blesses us, and we are supposed to help others.



Verses 5-7
  • “May they fear you” → Septuagint: “He shall endure” [/remain]
  • “as long as the sun” and “till the moon is no more” → dominion across time → long life is associated with the new creation that God promised (Isaiah 65:17-25)


Verses 8-11
  • “from sea to sea […] to the ends of the earth” → dominion across space
  • “his enemies lick the dust” and “may all kings bow to him” → Isaiah 49:23 ESV (regarding the Servant of the Lord / Messiah): “With their faces to the ground they [kings] shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet”
  • Vv.10-11 are fulfilled in Matthew 2:1,11: wise men/magi who “saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh” → that’s why the three magi are sometimes depicted as three kings (e.g. hymn “We Three Kings”)
  • “all nations serve him” → serve (Hebrew: Ężabad) includes worship → “Let my people go, that they may serve me” (Exodus 4:23; 7:16; 8:1,20; 9:1,13; 10:3,26)

Verses 12-14
  • “poor” [Hebrew: dal = poor, vulnerable and exposed to exploitation]
  • “saves”, [“pities”], “rescues”, “redeems” → verbs usually associated with God are now applied to the king, who is the Messiah
  • The reasons/criteria for achieving dominion across time and space: to show mercy, i.e. to provide what is lacking (which can only be done by someone with power and resources)
  • Fr Daniel Moloney, Mercy: What Every Catholic Should Know (Apr 2020)

Verses 15-17
  • Vv. 15-16 → poetic way of expressing abundant prosperity
  • V. 17: “all nations be blessed through him” → Gen 12:3 ESV: “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” → God’s promise to Abraham is fulfilled through the king (ultimately Jesus Christ, who establishes the Kingdom of God)
  • “happy”/blessed → inclusion with Psalm 1:1 to tie Books 1 and 2 together



God's blessing: great nation (moses), great name (royal title, king david), blessings for all families of the earth (fulfilled in Jesus)


Verses 18-20
  • Editorial addition to close Book 2 of the Psalter
  • “God, performing wonders alone” → ultimately, it is God alone who establishes and restores justice, righteousness and peace, who recreates heaven and earth
  • V.20 → David’s life ends and Solomon assumes the throne (cf. v. 1; 1Kings 2:1-4)

Lesson

  • Knowing that Psalm 72 is a coronation hymn, modern readers may be tempted to look at it as merely an interesting piece of history. But this hymn offers so much more. It defines the kingdom of God, be that kingdom the historical one of ancient Israel or the kingdom of God for which we pray, “thy kingdom come.”
  • This prayer teaches us what righteous leadership should be. Every leader of the people must use the power and resources entrusted to him/her in order to establish and restore justice, righteousness and peace according to God’s standard, which includes the protection and redemption of the lowly, needy and poor (those who are easily or actually exploited). A leader who cares for the lowliest people is more similar to God, who establishes and restores justice, righteousness and peace

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