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Psalm 72 Bible study: Give the king your justice
Speaking to God, Psalm 72 calls the poor "your poor" (72:2), and straight after "All nations shall serve him" (72:11) comes "For he will deliver the needy when he cries" (72:12). And its "Praise be" (72:18) and "Blessed be" (72:19) are one Hebrew word, barukh.
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“For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“Psalm 72:2, speaking to God, calls the poor "your poor".”
Is that in Psalm 72, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
"Give the king your justice"
The title says only "By Solomon" (72:1). Then the psalm speaks to God, and asks something for the king: "God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son" (72:1) (tap justice, righteousness). In Hebrew your justice is plural, mishpatim with your, and royal son is ben melekh, the words for son and king. The first thing the psalm says the king will do with what he is given is judge: "He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice" (72:2) (tap judge, poor). Here is what almost everyone misses: speaking to God, the psalm calls the poor his. It says your people and your poor in one verse (72:2). Two verses later the WEB has judge again, "He will judge the poor of the people" (72:4), but in Hebrew it is another verb (tap judge in each verse).
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Psalm 72
- Who is the king in Psalm 72: Solomon, or Jesus?
- "This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse" (72:20). Why does a psalm titled "By Solomon" end that way, when later psalms are titled by David?
- Kings bringing gifts, and Sheba’s gold (72:10, 72:15): is Psalm 72 about the wise men who brought gifts to Jesus?
That was a taste
The rest of Psalm 72 is waiting in Favor
- Kings, nations, and then the needy
- His name, and his glorious name
- "Blessed by him": words from the promises in Genesis
- From sea to sea, and the whole earth filled
- 8 questions as you read
- 14 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Psalm 72 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
מִשְׁפָּטmishpatsay mish-PAHT
Brown-Driver-Briggs gives "judgment", and among its senses "justice, right, rectitude". Strong's: "properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially". The psalm has it twice. First it is asked of God for the king: "God, give the king your justice" (72:1), where in Hebrew it is plural, mishpatim with your. Then it is how the king will judge: "your poor with justice" (72:2). The Psalms have it 65 times in Hebrew. Psalm 19 has it plural too: "The LORD’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether" (Psalm 19:9).
For your group
Psalm 72 Bible study questions
- 1The psalm asks for a king who "will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper" (72:12). Who around you has no one to help them right now?
- 2"Men will pray for him continually" (72:15). Who in a place of leadership do you pray for, and what does this psalm suggest you could ask for them?
- 3"Let the whole earth be filled with his glory!" (72:19). Where have you seen something of God's glory this week?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 72 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
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Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Psalm 72 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
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No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
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The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home