Psalm 21:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

NIV: For the director of music. A psalm of David. The king rejoices in your strength, LORD. How great is his joy in the victories you give!

NASB: Lord, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice!

CSB: Lord, the king finds joy in your strength. How greatly he rejoices in your victory!

NLT: How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because you give him victory.

KJV: {To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.} The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

NKJV: {To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.} The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord; And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

This may contain David's words spoken in the third person, or the statement of the assembled people. In either case, they express David's joy over the Lord's power on his behalf. He rejoices in the Lord's deliverance of him from his enemies. In the previous psalm he had prayed to be delivered, and now he thanks the Lord for answering his prayer.

Believers ought to pray and then thank the Lord for answering their prayers. David credits the Lord's strength for the deliverance and rejoices because of the Lord's strength. We, too, can rejoice in the Lord's strength that delivers us in our time of need. Jesus said we will have joy if we keep His commandments (John 15:10–11). If we obey our Lord and place our confidence in His strength and not in our own strength, we can be strong. Paul attributed his victories to the Lord's strength. He wrote: "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds" (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Psalm 21:1–7, much like the first part of Psalm 20, records the praise David and the congregation offer to the Lord for granting David victory over his enemy. This section precedes the congregation's confidence in what the Lord will do through David. Second Samuel 7:1–17 provides a background to these verses by reporting the covenant God made with David. Part of the covenant was an assurance that God would subdue David's enemies.

Psalm 21 opens and closes with praise to the Lord for the strength He gave David and his army for gaining a victory over the enemy. In verses 1–7 David and the people extol God for answering their prayer and for giving David rich blessings. They rejoice in knowing the Lord is present, and they express their trust in the Lord. They feel safe knowing the Lord's love is unfailing. The people of the congregation voice their assurance that King David will defeat his enemies. David's enemies may plan evil and devise mischief against him, but they will not succeed. David will rout them, and his arrows will strike them. The closing verse of Psalm 21 is a prayer by David and the congregation—it is also a pledge to sing and praise the Lord God for His power.

This psalm is likely a follow-up to Psalm 20. In Psalm 20 the congregation of Israel and David prayed for victory in an upcoming battle. Psalm 21 offers thanks for the victory and expresses David's joy over the strength from the Lord that secured the victory. David also anticipates victory in future encounters. Second Samuel 7:4–16 contains the covenant God made with David.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 5/3/2024 7:23:29 PM