Psalms

Chapter 21

After the Battle

This psalm answers the prayer of Psalm 20 with thanksgiving: the king rejoices not in his own strength, but in the LORD's salvation and in blessings that have exceeded his requests. The song then turns from gratitude to confidence, declaring that the God who established the king in steadfast love will also find out and judge every enemy, before ending in praise for the LORD's own strength.

Psalm 21 stands beside Psalm 20 as its answered counterpart, moving from intercession before battle to thanksgiving after deliverance. It reinforces the Psalter's royal theology by showing that the king's life, honor, stability, and victory are gifts of God, and that divine favor toward the anointed also means certain judgment on those who resist the LORD's rule.

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Psalms 21

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vv. 1-13

After the Battle

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F¹or the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. ²You have granted his heart’s desire ³For You welcomed him with rich blessings; ⁴He asked You for life, and You granted it— ⁵Great is his glory in Your salvation; ⁶For You grant him blessings forever; ⁷For the king trusts in the LORD;

⁸Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; ⁹You will place them in a fiery furnace ¹⁰You will wipe their descendants from the earth, ¹¹Though they intend You harm, ¹²For You will put them to flight ¹³Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength;

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01vv. 1-13After the BattleThe king rejoices in the LORD's strength because God has granted his heart's desire, enriched him with blessing, and crowned him with enduring favor, honor, and joy. From there the psalm declares that because the king trusts in the LORD he will not be shaken, and it confidently announces the downfall of hostile enemies before closing with a call to exalt the LORD in his power.