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Psalm 21 · a question people ask

Who is the king in Psalm 21?

In the text

The psalm doesn't name him. Its title says "For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David" (21:1), and nothing more about who the king is, or when. The psalm speaks of him and never lets him speak: "The king rejoices" (21:1), "He asked life of you" (21:4), "For the king trusts in the LORD" (21:7). Psalm 20 before it says, "Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed" (Psalm 20:6), and names no one either. Psalm 18 does name the king it speaks of: "He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more" (Psalm 18:50). Psalm 21 names no one. No New Testament verse quotes Psalm 21, so these notes don't say whom else it speaks of. How Christians read a psalm about the LORD's king as speaking of Christ is set out in the chapter on Psalm 2, in its question on whether Psalm 2 spoke first of David or a king of his line, or of Jesus directly, with the main readings and the New Testament verses each rests on.

The verses

“For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The king rejoices in your strength, LORD! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation!”
Psalm 21:1 · World English Bible
“He asked life of you and you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.”
Psalm 21:4 · World English Bible
“For the king trusts in the LORD. Through the loving kindness of the Most High, he shall not be moved.”
Psalm 21:7 · World English Bible
“Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand.”
Psalm 20:6 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 21

Psalm 21: In your strength

Psalm 21 begins and ends in the LORD's strength, "The king rejoices in your strength, LORD!" (21:1) and "Be exalted, LORD, in your strength" (21:13): one Hebrew word, oz, and only there. In between, the king never speaks, and everything he has is given. Even his standing is "Through the loving kindness of the Most High" (21:7).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions