Psalms 72:5
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72:5 People will fear you as long as the
 
sun and moon remain in the sky,
for generation after generation.
72:6 He will descend like rain on the
mown grass,
like showers that drench the earth.
72:7 During his days the godly will flourish;
peace will prevail as long as the moon
remains in the sky.
72:8 May he rule10 from sea to sea,11
and from the Euphrates River12 to the
ends of the earth!
72:9 Before him the coastlands13 will bow
down,
and his enemies will lick the dust.14
72:10 The kings of Tarshish15 and the
coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba16 and Seba17 will bring
tribute.
72:11 All kings will bow down to him;
all nations will serve him.
72:12 For he will rescue the needy18 when
they cry out for help,
and the oppressed19 who have no de-
 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate
respect for the Lord’s power and authority by worshiping him
and obeying his commandments.” See Ps 33:8. Some in-
terpreters, with the support of the LXX, prefer to read ‫יך‬ ְ ‫וְ יַאֲ ִר‬
(vÿ’a’arikh, “and he [the king in this case] will prolong [days]”),
that is, “will live a long time” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
 tn God is the addressee (see vv. 1-2).
 tn Heb “with [the] sun, and before [the] moon [for] a
generation, generations.” The rare expression ‫( ּדוֹר ּדו ִֹרים‬dor
dorim, “generation, generations”) occurs only here, in Ps
102:24, and in Isa 51:8.
 tn That is, the king (see vv. 2, 4).
 tn The rare term zg refers to a sheep’s fleece in Deut 18:4
and Job 31:20, but to “mown” grass or crops here and in
Amos 7:1.
 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to be an otherwise
unattested noun. Many prefer to emend the form to a verb
from the root ‫( זָרַ ף‬zaraf). BHS in textual note b on this verse
suggests a Hiphil imperfect, third masculine plural ּ‫ַזְריפו‬
ִ ‫( י‬yaz-
rifu), while HALOT 283 s.v. *‫ זרף‬prefers a Pilpel perfect, third
masculine plural ּ‫( ְזִרזְפו‬zirzÿfu). The translation assumes the
latter.
 sn The imagery of this verse compares the blessings pro-
duced by the king’s reign to fructifying rains that cause the
crops to grow.
 tn Heb “sprout up,” like crops. This verse continues the
metaphor of rain utilized in v. 6.
 tn Heb “and [there will be an] abundance of peace until
there is no more moon.”
10 tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form,
indicating this is a prayer of blessing.
11 sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterra-
nean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos
8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears
in Zech 9:10.
12 tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.
13 tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to
those people who dwell in these regions.
14 sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his
enemies are licking the dust.
15 sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise loca-
tion of which is uncertain.
16 sn Sheba was located in Arabia.
17 sn Seba was located in Africa.
18 tn The singular is representative. The typical needy indi-
vidual here represents the entire group.
19 tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed
fender.
72:13 He will take pity20 on the poor and
needy;
the lives of the needy he will save.
72:14 From harm and violence he will
defend them;21
he will value their lives.22
72:15 May he live!23 May they offer him
gold from Sheba!24
May they continually pray for him!
May they pronounce blessings on him all
day long!25
72:16 May there be26 an abundance27 of
grain in the earth;
on the tops28 of the mountains may it29
sway!30
individual here represents the entire group.
20 tn The prefixed verb form is best understood as a defec-
tively written imperfect (see Deut 7:16).
21 tn Or “redeem their lives.” The verb “redeem” casts the
Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his ex-
tended family in times of need and crisis (see Pss 19:14;
69:18).
22 tn Heb “their blood will be precious in his eyes.”
23 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. Be-
cause the form has the prefixed vav (‫)ו‬, some subordinate it
to what precedes as a purpose/result clause. In this case the
representative poor individual might be the subject of this
and the following verb, “so that he may live and give to him
gold of Sheba.” But the idea of the poor offering gold is in-
congruous. It is better to take the jussive as a prayer with the
king as subject of the verb. (Perhaps the initial vav is ditto-
graphic; note the vav at the end of the last form in v. 14.) The
statement is probably an abbreviated version of the formula
ִ (yÿkhiy hammelekh, “may the king live”; see 1 Sam
‫יְחי הַ ּ ֶמלֶ ְך‬
10:24; 2 Sam 16:16; 1 Kgs 1:25, 34, 39; 2 Kgs 11:12).
24 tn Heb “and he will give to him some gold of Sheba.” The
prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive with a gram-
matically indefinite subject (“and may one give”). Of course,
the king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are
the tribute bearers in view here.
25 tn As in the preceding line, the prefixed verbal forms are
understood as jussives with a grammatically indefinite sub-
ject (“and may one pray…and may one bless”). Of course, the
king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are in
view here.
26 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. The
translation assumes the subject is impersonal (rather than
the king).
27 tn The Hebrew noun ‫( ִפ ּ ַסה‬pissah; which appears here in
the construct form) occurs only here in the OT. Perhaps the
noun is related to the verbal root ‫( ּ ָפ ָׂשה‬pasah, “to spread,”
see BDB 832 s.v.; the root appears as ‫[ ּ ָפסָ ה‬pasah] in post-
biblical Hebrew), which is used in postbiblical Hebrew of
the rising sun’s rays spreading over the horizon and a tree’s
branches spreading out (see Jastrow 1194 s.v. ‫פסי‬, ‫ ּ ָפסָ ה‬, ‫) ּ ָפ ָׂשה‬.
In Ps 72:16 a “spreading of grain” would refer to grain fields
extending out over the land. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs
(Psalms [ICC], 2:139) emend the form to ‫יח‬ ַ ‫( ְס ִפ‬sÿfiakh, “sec-
ond growth”).
28 tn Heb “top” (singular).
29 tn That is, the grain.
30 tn According to the traditional accentuation of the MT,
this verb belongs with what follows. See the translator’s note
at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallel-
ism and interpretation of the verse.