Psalm 21:5
Great is his glory in Your salvation; You bestow on him splendor and majesty.
Great is his glory
The word "glory" in Hebrew is "kavod," which signifies weightiness, honor, and splendor. In the context of this verse, it reflects the immense honor and recognition that the king receives as a result of God's intervention and deliverance. Historically, kings were often seen as representatives of divine authority on earth, and their victories were attributed to divine favor. This phrase emphasizes the magnitude of the king's honor, which is not self-derived but is a direct result of God's saving power. The glory here is not just personal but reflects the glory of God Himself, as the king's success is a testament to God's faithfulness and power.

in Your salvation
The Hebrew word for "salvation" is "yeshuah," which means deliverance, rescue, or safety. This term is deeply rooted in the history of Israel, where God's acts of salvation were central to their identity as His chosen people. The phrase "in Your salvation" underscores that the source of the king's glory is not his own might or wisdom but the deliverance provided by God. This salvation is comprehensive, encompassing both physical deliverance from enemies and spiritual redemption. It serves as a reminder that true glory and honor come from reliance on God's saving grace, not human effort.

You bestow on him
The act of bestowing implies a gift or blessing given by a superior to an inferior. In this context, it highlights God's sovereign grace and generosity. The king's splendor and majesty are not earned but are gifts from God. This reflects the biblical principle that every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17). The king's role and success are seen as part of God's divine plan, and his attributes of splendor and majesty are a reflection of God's own nature.

splendor and majesty
The words "splendor" and "majesty" in Hebrew are "hod" and "hadar," respectively. "Hod" refers to beauty, grandeur, and magnificence, while "hadar" denotes majesty, honor, and glory. These terms are often used in the Old Testament to describe God's own attributes, indicating that the king, as God's anointed, shares in these divine qualities. The use of these words suggests a royal dignity and a reflection of God's own majestic nature. In a historical context, these attributes would be visible in the king's appearance, his court, and his reign, serving as a testament to God's blessing and favor. This phrase inspires believers to recognize that any honor or dignity they possess is a reflection of God's own glory and should be used to further His kingdom.

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
Traditionally attributed as the author of this psalm, David is the king of Israel who often expresses his reliance on God for victory and salvation.

2. God
The ultimate source of salvation and glory, God is the one who bestows splendor and majesty upon the king.

3. Israel
The nation over which David reigns, often the recipient of God’s blessings through the king’s leadership.

4. Salvation
The deliverance and victory granted by God, which is a central theme in this psalm.

5. Majesty and Splendor
Attributes given by God to the king, symbolizing honor and divine favor.
Teaching Points
Divine Source of Glory
Recognize that true glory and honor come from God alone. Human achievements are ultimately gifts from Him.

Role of Salvation
Understand that salvation is not just deliverance from enemies but also a means through which God bestows glory and majesty.

Reflecting God’s Majesty
As believers, we are called to reflect God’s splendor and majesty in our lives, pointing others to His greatness.

Gratitude for God’s Gifts
Cultivate a heart of gratitude for the splendor and majesty God bestows upon us, acknowledging His role in our successes.

Christ as the Fulfillment
See Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of this verse, as He embodies the glory and majesty bestowed by God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding that God is the source of glory and majesty change your perspective on personal achievements?

2. In what ways can you reflect God’s splendor and majesty in your daily life?

3. How does the concept of salvation in Psalm 21:5 relate to the New Testament understanding of salvation through Christ?

4. What are some practical ways to express gratitude for the gifts and honors God has bestowed upon you?

5. How can the themes of glory and majesty in Psalm 21:5 deepen your worship and relationship with God?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 3:3
This verse speaks of God as a shield and the one who bestows glory, similar to how God bestows splendor and majesty in Psalm 21:5.

1 Chronicles 29:11
This passage acknowledges God’s greatness, power, and glory, paralleling the themes of divine majesty and splendor.

Philippians 2:9-11
In the New Testament, Christ is exalted and given a name above every name, reflecting the divine bestowal of glory and majesty.

Revelation 5:12
The Lamb is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise, echoing the themes of divine bestowal of majesty.
The Glory of GodJoseph Parker, D. D.Psalm 21:5
A Completed Salvation, Messiah's TriumphJoseph Irons.Psalm 21:1-13
A Royal Thanksgiving for Answers to PrayerC. Clemance Psalm 21:1-13
Let the Children of Zion be Joyful in Their KingW. Forsyth Psalm 21:1-13
Rejoicing in the Strength of GodLauncelot Andrews.Psalm 21:1-13
Thanksgiving for Prayer AnsweredC. Short Psalm 21:1-13
The Feelings of the Good in Relation to the Subjugation of EvilD. Thomas, D. D.Psalm 21:1-13
The Joy of the Heavenly KingHomiletic CommentaryPsalm 21:1-13
The Lord Protector of PrincesD. Featley, D. D.Psalm 21:1-13
People
David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Authority, Bestow, Bestowed, Glory, Hast, Honor, Honour, Laid, Lay, Majesty, Placest, Salvation, Splendor, Splendour
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 21:5

     1090   God, majesty of

Psalm 21:4-6

     6645   eternal life, nature of

Library
Epistle Lviii. To all the Bishops Throughout Helladia .
To all the Bishops throughout Helladia [1626] . Gregory to all bishops constituted in the province of Helladia. I return thanks with you, dearest brethren, to Almighty God, who has caused the hidden sore which the ancient enemy had introduced to come to the knowledge of all, and has cut it away by a wholesome incision from the body of His Church. Herein we have cause both to rejoice and to mourn; to rejoice, that is, for the correction of a crime, but to mourn for the fall of a brother. But, since
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

My Brethren.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ calls those for whom He died and who have believed on Him "My Brethren." What a word it is! The Brethren of the Man in Glory! Brethren of Him who is at the right hand of God, the upholder and heir of all things! Pause for a moment, dear reader. Let your heart lay hold anew of this wonderful message of God's Grace; Brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ! What depths of love and grace these words contain! What heights of glory they promise to us, who were bought by His own precious
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

The Poor in Spirit are Enriched with a Kingdom
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 Here is high preferment for the saints. They shall be advanced to a kingdom. There are some who, aspiring after earthly greatness, talk of a temporal reign here, but then God's church on earth would not be militant but triumphant. But sure it is the saints shall reign in a glorious manner: Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' A kingdom is held the acme and top of all worldly felicity, and this honour have all the saints'; so says our Saviour, Theirs is the
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Fourteenth Day for the Church of the Future
WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Church of the Future "That the children might not be as their fathers, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God."--PS. lxxviii. 8. "I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy offspring."--ISA. xliv. 3. Pray for the rising generation, who are to come after us. Think of the young men and young women and children of this age, and pray for all the agencies at work among them; that in association and societies
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

Of Deeper Matters, and God's Hidden Judgments which are not to be Inquired Into
"My Son, beware thou dispute not of high matters and of the hidden judgments of God; why this man is thus left, and that man is taken into so great favour; why also this man is so greatly afflicted, and that so highly exalted. These things pass all man's power of judging, neither may any reasoning or disputation have power to search out the divine judgments. When therefore the enemy suggesteth these things to thee, or when any curious people ask such questions, answer with that word of the Prophet,
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week - on the Mount of Olives: Discoures to the Disciples Concerning the Last Things.
THE last and most solemn denunciation of Jerusalem had been uttered, the last and most terrible prediction of judgment upon the Temple spoken, and Jesus was suiting the action to the word. It was as if He had cast the dust of His Shoes against the House' that was to be left desolate.' And so He quitted for ever the Temple and them that held office in it. They had left the Sanctuary and the City, had crossed black Kidron, and were slowly climbing the Mount of Olives. A sudden turn in the road, and
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Sermons of St. Bernard on the Passing of Malachy
Sermon I (November 2, 1148.)[1005] 1. A certain abundant blessing, dearly beloved, has been sent by the counsel of heaven to you this day; and if it were not faithfully divided, you would suffer loss, and I, to whom of a surety this office seems to have been committed, would incur danger. I fear therefore your loss, I fear my own damnation,[1006] if perchance it be said, The young children ask bread, and no man offereth it unto them.[1007] For I know how necessary for you is the consolation which
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
1. The most important point here is to keep in mind the organic unity of the Old Testament. Its predictions are not isolated, but features of one grand prophetic picture; its ritual and institutions parts of one great system; its history, not loosely connected events, but an organic development tending towards a definite end. Viewed in its innermost substance, the history of the Old Testament is not different from its typical institutions, nor yet these two from its predictions. The idea, underlying
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Letter Li to the virgin Sophia
To the Virgin Sophia He praises her for having despised the glory of the world: and, setting forth the praises, privileges, and rewards of Religious Virgins, exhorts her to persevere. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, to the Virgin Sophia, that she may keep the title of virginity and attain its reward. I. Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised (Prov. xxxi. 31). I rejoice with you, my daughter, in the glory of your virtue, whereby, as I hear, you
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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