Bible Commentaries

Psalms 21

The King’s Glory Anticipated and Contemplated

1. The King’s power, glory and salvation (Psalms 21:1-6)

2. His victory over the enemies (Psalms 21:7-13)

Psalms 21:1-6. This is another Messianic Psalm in anticipation of the glory of the King. The prayers He offered up are all answered. (See Psalms 20:4) He shares the strength of Jehovah as the Risen and Exalted One. The desire of His heart is fulfilled, as it will be when the kingly crown of pure gold is set upon His head, the head which was once crowned with thorns. He had gone down into the jaws of death and then received life, yea, eternal life, as the head of the new creation, which shares this life He has received. And His glory is great in Jehovah’s salvation, the salvation which the Lord has planned and which He has accomplished, which is His glory.

Psalms 21:7-13. Here once more the downfall and complete overthrow of the enemies, when the King reigns, is prophetically anticipated. Then we hear in the last verse a prophetic prayer, that all this might be accomplished. “Be Thou exalted, LORD, in Thine own strength.” And when He is exalted, then Israel redeemed will sing--”So will we sing and praise Thy power.”

(How the critics have made havoc with all these Psalms, trying to find a solution, when the Lord Jesus is the only solution as He is the key to all the Scriptures! The Targum reads in Psalms 21:1 and Psalms 21:7 “King Messiah” and Jewish interpretation has mostly been on Messianic lines. Perowne writes on this kingly Psalm “Each Jewish monarch was but a feeble type of Israel’s true King; and all the hopes of pious hearts still looked beyond David or David’s children to Him who should be David’s Lord as well as David’s Son.”)