Give the King Your Justice

20 versesRoyal and PrayerThe heading attributes it to Solomon

Psalm 72 summary: what it means

Psalm 72 is a prayer for a king. It asks God to give the king his justice and the royal son his righteousness. What follows is a picture of good rule. The king judges the poor fairly, saves the children of the needy and breaks the oppressor. His reign is compared to rain on mown grass. Peace lasts until the moon is no more, and his rule reaches from sea to sea.

Kings from Tarshish, Sheba and Seba bring gifts, but the reason the psalm gives for the king's greatness is his care for the poor. Verses 12 to 14 say he hears the needy and treats their blood as precious. The psalm ends with praise to the God of Israel, a double amen, and a note that the prayers by David end here.

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Psalm 72: Give the King Your Justice

World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-72

Psalm 72 commentary: explained verse by verse

God, give the king your justice;your righteousness to the royal son.

The psalm opens as a prayer. It asks God to give the king his justice and the royal son his righteousness. Everything good in the king's reign is traced back to God's gift.

Also read Psalm 127:1, John 3:34, 1 Chronicles 29:19, 2 Chronicles 1:10

He will judge your people with righteousness,and your poor with justice.

Also read 1 Kings 3:5-10, Isaiah 9:7, Jeremiah 33:15, Job 34:19

The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people.The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.

The land itself responds to good rule. The mountains bring prosperity to the people and the hills bring the fruit of righteousness. Justice and a flourishing land go together in this psalm.

Also read Isaiah 52:7, Psalm 85:10-11, Psalm 98:8-9, 2 Corinthians 5:19-21

He will judge the poor of the people.He will save the children of the needy,and will break the oppressor in pieces.

This verse names the king's main work. He judges the poor, saves the children of the needy and breaks the oppressor in pieces. Protection of the weak comes before any mention of tribute or conquest.

Also read Proverbs 20:26, Psalm 109:31, Zechariah 9:8-10, Revelation 19:2

They shall fear you while the sun endures;and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.

Also read Isaiah 9:7, Ephesians 3:21, Daniel 7:27, 1 Samuel 12:18

He will come down like rain on the mown grass,as showers that water the earth.

The king's reign is compared to weather. He comes down like rain on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. His rule is pictured as refreshing rather than crushing.

Also read Hosea 6:3, 2 Samuel 23:4, Isaiah 5:6, Isaiah 14:3-5

In his days, the righteous shall flourish,and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.

Under this king the righteous flourish. Peace is abundant and lasts until the moon is no more. The psalm uses the sun and moon again in verses 5 and 17 to speak of lasting rule.

Also read Isaiah 60:1, Isaiah 60:22, Isaiah 61:3-6, Luke 2:14

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,from the River to the ends of the earth.

The reach of the king's rule is described. He has dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. The psalm pictures a kingdom with no edge.

Also read 1 Kings 4:21-24, Psalm 2:8, Psalm 22:27-28, Psalm 80:11

Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him.His enemies shall lick the dust.

Also read 1 Kings 9:20-21, Micah 7:17, Isaiah 49:23, 1 Kings 9:18

The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute.The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Kings from far away bring tribute and gifts. The psalm names Tarshish, the islands, Sheba and Seba to show how widely the king is honoured.

Also read Isaiah 43:6, Isaiah 49:7, Isaiah 43:3, 1 Kings 10:1

Yes, all kings shall fall down before him.All nations shall serve him.

The picture widens to all rulers. All kings fall down before him and all nations serve him. The next verse gives the reason.

Also read Revelation 21:26, Romans 11:25, Isaiah 54:5, Psalm 86:9

For he will deliver the needy when he cries;the poor, who has no helper.

This is the reason for the king's honour. He delivers the needy when he cries out, and the poor person who has no helper. His greatness is measured by who he rescues.

Also read Isaiah 63:4-5, Psalm 72:4, Revelation 3:17-18, Psalm 10:17

He will have pity on the poor and needy.He will save the souls of the needy.

Also read James 2:5-6, Matthew 18:10, Matthew 5:3, Job 5:15-16

He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence.Their blood will be precious in his sight.

The care for the poor becomes personal. He redeems their lives from oppression and violence, and their blood is precious in his sight. Lives that others treat as cheap are valued by the king.

Also read Revelation 17:6, Genesis 48:16, Psalm 116:15, Revelation 18:20-24

He will live; and Sheba’s gold will be given to him.Men will pray for him continually.They will bless him all day long.

Also read 1 Kings 10:14, 2 Chronicles 9:23-24, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Hebrews 10:19-22

Abundance of grain shall be throughout the land.Its fruit sways like Lebanon.Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field.

Also read Acts 4:4, Acts 1:15, Acts 2:41, 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

His name endures forever.His name continues as long as the sun.Men shall be blessed by him.All nations will call him blessed.

The king's name is to endure for ever, as long as the sun. People will be blessed by him, and all nations will call him blessed. The verse gathers up the psalm's language of lasting and blessing.

Also read Jeremiah 4:2, Revelation 15:4, Isaiah 7:14, Genesis 12:3

Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,who alone does marvelous deeds.

The praise turns from the king to God. Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvellous deeds. The king's greatness is placed under God's.

Also read Psalm 86:10, 1 Chronicles 29:20, Psalm 136:4, Psalm 106:48

Blessed be his glorious name forever!Let the whole earth be filled with his glory!Amen and amen.

The praise continues. The psalm blesses God's glorious name for ever and asks that the whole earth be filled with his glory. It closes with a double amen.

Also read Psalm 41:13, Zechariah 14:9, Revelation 1:18, Matthew 6:10

This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.

The final verse is a note, not a prayer. It says, this ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse. It stands after a psalm whose heading names Solomon, and the text does not explain the connection.

Also read Luke 24:51, Jeremiah 51:64, 2 Samuel 23:1, Job 31:40

A prayer from Psalm 72

God, give the king your justice, and your righteousness to the royal son. Let him judge your people with righteousness and your poor with justice. Let him save the children of the needy and hear the poor who have no helper. Let him come down like rain on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. In his days, let the righteous flourish and let peace abound. Let there be abundance of grain in the land. Praise be to you, LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Let the whole earth be filled with your glory. Amen.

Psalm 72 Bible study questions

In verses 2 and 4, whom does the psalm ask the king to judge fairly and to save?
In verse 6, what picture from the weather describes the king's rule?
Verses 12 to 14 put the needy at the centre of the king's work; what does that suggest about how the psalm measures a good ruler?
Verse 14 says their blood will be precious in his sight; how might that line shape the way you see people who are overlooked?
Psalm 82:3 calls on judges to defend the weak and the poor; how does it compare with the king's task in Psalm 72:4?

Questions about Psalm 72

What is Psalm 72 about?

It is a prayer for the king, asking God to give him justice so that he will defend the poor, save the needy and rule in peace. It pictures his rule reaching the ends of the earth and ends with praise to God.

Who wrote Psalm 72?

The heading attributes it to Solomon. The last verse adds that this ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.

What does Psalm 72:12 mean?

It gives the reason the king is honoured: he delivers the needy when they cry out, and the poor who have no helper.

What does Psalm 72:8 say in the KJV?

The King James Version reads "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth."

What does Psalm 72:19 mean?

It is the psalm's closing praise. It blesses God's glorious name for ever, prays that the whole earth will be filled with his glory, and ends with amen and amen.

What does Psalm 72:20 mean?

It is a closing note: this ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse. The psalm itself does not explain why the note stands here.

Psalm 72 KJV: the King James Version

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.1

He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.2

The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.3

He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.4

They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.5

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.6

In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.7

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.8

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.9

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.10

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.11

For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.12

He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.13

He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.14

And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.15

There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.16

His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.17

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.18

And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.19

The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.20

Psalm 72 in Hebrew

The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.

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1 לִשְׁלֹמֹ֨ה ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ תֵּ֑ן וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥ לְבֶן־מֶֽלֶךְ׃

2 יָדִ֣ין עַמְּךָ֣ בְצֶ֑דֶק וַעֲנִיֶּ֥יךָ בְמִשְׁפָּֽט׃

3 יִשְׂא֤וּ הָרִ֓ים שָׁ֘ל֥וֹם לָעָ֑ם וּ֝גְבָע֗וֹת בִּצְדָקָֽה׃

4 יִשְׁפֹּ֤ט ׀ עֲֽנִיֵּי־עָ֗ם י֭וֹשִׁיעַ לִבְנֵ֣י אֶבְי֑וֹן וִֽידַכֵּ֣א עוֹשֵֽׁק׃

5 יִֽירָא֥וּךָ עִם־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְלִפְנֵ֥י יָ֝רֵ֗חַ דּ֣וֹר דּוֹרִֽים׃

6 יֵ֭רֵד כְּמָטָ֣ר עַל־גֵּ֑ז כִּ֝רְבִיבִ֗ים זַרְזִ֥יף אָֽרֶץ׃

7 יִֽפְרַח־בְּיָמָ֥יו צַדִּ֑יק וְרֹ֥ב שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם עַד־בְּלִ֥י יָרֵֽחַ׃

8 וְ֭יֵרְדְּ מִיָּ֣ם עַד־יָ֑ם וּ֝מִנָּהָ֗ר עַד־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

9 לְ֭פָנָיו יִכְרְע֣וּ צִיִּ֑ים וְ֝אֹיְבָ֗יו עָפָ֥ר יְלַחֵֽכוּ׃

10 מַלְכֵ֬י תַרְשִׁ֣ישׁ וְ֭אִיִּים מִנְחָ֣ה יָשִׁ֑יבוּ מַלְכֵ֥י שְׁבָ֥א וּ֝סְבָ֗א אֶשְׁכָּ֥ר יַקְרִֽיבוּ׃

11 וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־ל֥וֹ כָל־מְלָכִ֑ים כָּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם יַֽעַבְדֽוּהוּ׃

12 כִּֽי־יַ֭צִּיל אֶבְי֣וֹן מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וְ֝עָנִ֗י וְֽאֵין־עֹזֵ֥ר לֽוֹ׃

13 יָ֭חֹס עַל־דַּ֣ל וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹת אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

14 מִתּ֣וֹךְ וּ֭מֵחָמָס יִגְאַ֣ל נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְיֵיקַ֖ר דָּמָ֣ם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃

15 וִיחִ֗י וְיִתֶּן־לוֹ֮ מִזְּהַ֪ב שְׁ֫בָ֥א וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל בַּעֲד֣וֹ תָמִ֑יד כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם יְבָרֲכֶֽנְהֽוּ׃

16 יְהִ֤י פִסַּת־בַּ֨ר ׀ בָּאָרֶץ֮ בְּרֹ֪אשׁ הָ֫רִ֥ים יִרְעַ֣שׁ כַּלְּבָנ֣וֹן פִּרְי֑וֹ וְיָצִ֥יצוּ מֵ֝עִ֗יר כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

17 יְהִ֤י שְׁמ֨וֹ לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם לִפְנֵי־שֶׁמֶשׁ֮ ינין שְׁ֫מ֥וֹ וְיִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ ב֑וֹ כָּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם יְאַשְּׁרֽוּהוּ׃

18 בָּר֤וּךְ ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עֹשֵׂ֖ה נִפְלָא֣וֹת לְבַדּֽוֹ׃

19 וּבָר֤וּךְ ׀ שֵׁ֥ם כְּבוֹד֗וֹ לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם וְיִמָּלֵ֣א כְ֭בוֹדוֹ אֶת־כֹּ֥ל הָאָ֗רֶץ אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן׃

20 כָּלּ֥וּ תְפִלּ֑וֹת דָּ֝וִ֗ד בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃

Psalm 72 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible

The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 71 there.

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1 A psalm on Solomon.

2 Give to the king thy judgment, O God: and to the king’s son thy justice: To judge thy people with justice, and thy poor with judgment.

3 Let the mountains receive peace for the people: and the hills justice.

4 He shall judge the poor of the people, and he shall save the children of the poor: and he shall humble the oppressor.

5 And he shall continue with the sun, and before the moon, throughout all generations.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth.

7 In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken sway.

8 And he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

9 Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down: and his enemies shall lick the ground.

10 The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:

11 And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.

12 For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty: and the needy that had no helper.

13 He shall spare the poor and needy: and he shall save the souls of the poor.

14 He shall redeem their souls from usuries and iniquity: and their names shall be honourable in his sight.

15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, for him they shall always adore: they shall bless him all the day.

16 And there shall be a firmament on the earth on the tops of mountains, above Libanus shall the fruit thereof be exalted: and they of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth.

17 Let his name be blessed for evermore: his name continueth before the sun. And in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: all nations shall magnify him.

18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone doth wonderful things.

19 And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever: and the whole earth shall be filled with his majesty. So be it. So be it.

20 The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.

Psalm 72 in Latin

The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 71.

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1 Psalmus, in Salomonem.

2 Deus, judicium tuum regi da, et justitiam tuam filio regis; judicare populum tuum in justitia, et pauperes tuos in judicio.

3 Suscipiant montes pacem populo, et colles justitiam.

4 Judicabit pauperes populi, et salvos faciet filios pauperum, et humiliabit calumniatorem.

5 Et permanebit cum sole, et ante lunam, in generatione et generationem.

6 Descendet sicut pluvia in vellus, et sicut stillicidia stillantia super terram.

7 Orietur in diebus ejus justitia, et abundantia pacis, donec auferatur luna.

8 Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos orbis terrarum.

9 Coram illo procident Æthiopes, et inimici ejus terram lingent.

10 Reges Tharsis et insulæ munera offerent; reges Arabum et Saba dona adducent:

11 et adorabunt eum omnes reges terræ; omnes gentes servient ei.

12 Quia liberabit pauperem a potente, et pauperem cui non erat adjutor.

13 Parcet pauperi et inopi, et animas pauperum salvas faciet.

14 Ex usuris et iniquitate redimet animas eorum, et honorabile nomen eorum coram illo.

15 Et vivet, et dabitur ei de auro Arabiæ; et adorabunt de ipso semper, tota die benedicent ei.

16 Et erit firmamentum in terra in summis montium; superextolletur super Libanum fructus ejus, et florebunt de civitate sicut fœnum terræ.

17 Sit nomen ejus benedictum in sæcula; ante solem permanet nomen ejus. Et benedicentur in ipso omnes tribus terræ; omnes gentes magnificabunt eum.

18 Benedictus Dominus Deus Israël, qui facit mirabilia solus.

19 Et benedictum nomen majestatis ejus in æternum, et replebitur majestate ejus omnis terra. Fiat, fiat.

20 Defecerunt laudes David, filii Jesse.

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Psalm 72 at a glance

Verses	20
Heading in the text	By Solomon.
Attributed to	The heading attributes it to Solomon. Verse 20 then adds, "This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse."
Type	Royal and Prayer
Number in Greek and Latin Bibles	Psalm 71

Read Psalm 72 when you are facing

deliverance peace

Psalm 72 in other translations

This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 72 in those translations at Bible Gateway.

Where Psalm 72 belongs

Psalms of Solomon Book 2 of the Psalms

How this page was made

The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.

Sources

Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source

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Lucas Pradella

Last checked 25 September 2026 · How pages are checked

I built AllPsalms because I could not find one site that covered all 150 psalms properly. I am a Christian and a reader of the psalms, not a scholar or a minister. What I can do is the work: put every psalm in one place, in plain English, with the text unedited and every claim sourced.

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