Psalm 72:1
New International Version
Of Solomon. Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness.

New Living Translation
Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son.

English Standard Version
Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!

Berean Standard Bible
Of Solomon. Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.

King James Bible
A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

New King James Version
A Psalm of Solomon. Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.

New American Standard Bible
A Psalm of Solomon. Give the king Your judgments, God, And Your righteousness to the king’s son.

NASB 1995
A Psalm of Solomon. Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s son.

NASB 1977
Give the king Thy judgments, O God, And Thy righteousness to the king’s son.

Legacy Standard Bible
Of Solomon. O God, give the king Your judgments, And Your righteousness to the king’s son.

Amplified Bible
A Psalm of Solomon. Give the king [knowledge of] Your judgments, O God, And [the spirit of] Your righteousness to the king’s son [to guide all his ways].

Christian Standard Bible
Of Solomon. † God, give your justice to the king and your righteousness to the king’s son.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Solomonic. God, give Your justice to the king and Your righteousness to the king’s son.

American Standard Version
A Psalm of Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, And thy righteousness unto the king's son.

Contemporary English Version
Please help the king to be honest and fair just like you, our God.

English Revised Version
A Psalm of Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[By Solomon.] O God, give the king your justice and the king's son your righteousness

Good News Translation
Teach the king to judge with your righteousness, O God; share with him your own justice,

International Standard Version
God, endow the king with ability to render your justice, and the king's son to render your right decisions.

Majority Standard Bible
Of Solomon. Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.

NET Bible
For Solomon. O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions! Grant the king's son the ability to make fair decisions!

New Heart English Bible
[By Solomon.] God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son.

Webster's Bible Translation
A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness to the king's son.

World English Bible
By Solomon. God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
BY SOLOMON. O God, give Your judgments to the king, "" And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.

Young's Literal Translation
By Solomon. O God, Thy judgments to the king give, And Thy righteousness to the king's son.

Smith's Literal Translation
To Solomon. O God, thou wilt give thy judgments to the king, and thy justice to the king's son.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
A psalm on Solomon.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A Psalm according to Solomon.

New American Bible
Of Solomon.

New Revised Standard Version
Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
GIVE the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness to the king's son,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
God, give your judgment to the King and your righteousness to the King's son
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
[A Psalm] of Solomon. Give the king Thy judgments, O God, And Thy righteousness unto the king's son;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For Solomon. O God, give thy judgment to the king, and thy righteousness to the king's son;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Endow the King with Your Justice
1Of Solomon. Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness. 2May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice.…

Cross References
1 Kings 3:9
Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?”

Proverbs 8:15-16
By me kings reign, and rulers enact just laws; / By me princes rule, and all nobles who govern justly.

Isaiah 11:2-4
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD. / And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear, / but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips.

1 Kings 10:9
Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.”

2 Chronicles 1:10-12
Now grant me wisdom and knowledge, so that I may lead this people. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” / God said to Solomon, “Since this was in your heart instead of requesting riches or wealth or honor for yourself or death for your enemies—and since you have not even requested long life but have asked for wisdom and knowledge to govern My people over whom I have made you king— / therefore wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will also give you riches and wealth and honor unlike anything given to the kings before you or after you.”

Isaiah 32:1
Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice.

Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.

1 Kings 3:28
When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. / Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

2 Samuel 23:3-4
The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God, / is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’

Romans 13:1-4
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. / Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. / For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. ...

James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Matthew 12:18
“Here is My Servant, whom I have chosen, My beloved, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will proclaim justice to the nations.

Hebrews 1:8-9
But about the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever, and justice is the scepter of Your kingdom. / You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.”

Luke 1:32-33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, / and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!”


Treasury of Scripture

Give the king your judgments, O God, and your righteousness to the king's son.

A.

Give

1 Kings 1:39
And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

1 Chronicles 22:12,13
Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God…

1 Chronicles 29:19
And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.

the king's

1 Kings 1:47,48
And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed…

1 Kings 2:1-4
Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, …

Jeremiah 23:5,6
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth…

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Psalm 72
1. David, praying for Solomon, shows the goodness and glory of God's kingdom
18. He blessed God














Endow the king with Your justice
The word "endow" suggests a bestowal or granting of something valuable. In Hebrew, the root word is "nathan," which means to give or to set. This implies a divine impartation of qualities necessary for righteous governance. The "king" here is traditionally understood to be Solomon, but it also prophetically points to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who embodies perfect justice. The term "justice" in Hebrew is "mishpat," which refers to judgment, law, and the right order of things. In a historical context, kings were seen as God's representatives on earth, tasked with maintaining justice and order. This plea for divine justice underscores the belief that true justice originates from God and is essential for righteous leadership.

O God
The invocation of "O God" is a direct appeal to the divine, acknowledging God's sovereignty and ultimate authority. The Hebrew word used here is "Elohim," a plural form that denotes majesty and power. This reflects the understanding that God is the source of all wisdom and justice. In the context of ancient Israel, calling upon God was a recognition of His covenant relationship with His people and His role as the ultimate judge and king.

and the son of the king
This phrase refers to the royal lineage, specifically Solomon as the son of David, but it also has messianic implications, pointing to Jesus as the Son of David. The Hebrew word for "son" is "ben," which signifies not only a biological relationship but also a continuation of a legacy or promise. In the Davidic covenant, God promised that David's lineage would endure forever, culminating in the eternal reign of the Messiah. This highlights the importance of righteous succession and the hope for a future king who would perfectly embody God's justice and righteousness.

with Your righteousness
The term "righteousness" in Hebrew is "tsedaqah," which encompasses justice, rightness, and moral integrity. It is a divine attribute that reflects God's character and His standards for human conduct. In the biblical context, righteousness is not merely about legal correctness but involves a relational aspect of being in right standing with God and others. The prayer for the king to be endowed with God's righteousness emphasizes the need for leaders to reflect God's moral and ethical standards in their rule. Historically, the righteousness of a king was seen as crucial for the prosperity and well-being of the nation, as it ensured justice and equity for all people.

(1, 2) The order of the words should be noticed--"judgments," "righteousness," "righteousness," "judgment"--as offering a good instance of introverted parallelism. With regard to the meaning of the words we are placed on practical ground; they refer to the faculty of judging in affairs of government, of coming to a great and fair decision. In fact, whether Solomon be the intended subject of the poem or not, the prayer made in his dream at Gibeon (1Kings 3:9) is the best comment on these verses. (Comp. Isaiah 11:4; Isaiah 32:1.)

(1) The king . . . the king's son.--The article is wanting in the Hebrew.

Verse 1. - Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. God had established in Israel, in the person of David, hereditary monarchy (2 Samuel 7:12-16), such as was usual in the East, and suited to Oriental notions. In speaking of himself, not only as "the king," but also as "the king's son," Solomon makes appeal to the sentiment of respect for hereditary royalty. Compare the inscription of Mesha, "My father was king over Moab thirty years, and I became king after my father" (line 1). In praying God to give him "his judgments," he is desiring a "spirit of judgment" which will enable him to deliver decisions as righteous as God's.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Of Solomon.
לִשְׁלֹמֹ֨ה ׀ (liš·lō·mōh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8010: Solomon -- David's son and successor to his throne

Endow
תֵּ֑ן (tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

the king
לְמֶ֣לֶךְ (lə·me·leḵ)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

with Your justice,
מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ (miš·pā·ṭe·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

O God,
אֱ‍ֽלֹהִ֗ים (’ĕlō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

and the son
לְבֶן־ (lə·ḇen-)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of the king
מֶֽלֶךְ׃ (me·leḵ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

with Your righteousness.
וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥ (wə·ṣiḏ·qā·ṯə·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively


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OT Poetry: Psalm 72:1 By Solomon (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 71:24
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