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[1] Righteousness and justice are one of the central aspects of the covenants: Abrahamic (Gen.18:19), Mosaic (Ex.23:6-9; Deut.4:8-9; 16:18-20; 24:10-22) Davidic (2 Sam.8:15 = 1 Chron.18:14; 1 Kings 10:9=2 Chron.9:8; cf. 2 Samuel 23:3-5) and New Covenant (Isaiah 9:7; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15). Righteousness and justice are often paired in Scripture with reference to social justice: helping the alien, the poor, the widow, not taking the pledge of your neighbor to whom you have given a loan, paying workers fair wages, not perverting justice, leaving crops in the field for the alien, orphan, and widow (Ex.23:6-9 with Isaiah 53; Deut.16:18-20; 24:10-22; Job 29:12-17; Psalm 72:1-4; Ezek.18:5-9; Amos 5). See Moshe Weinfeld, Social Justice in Ancient Israel and in the Ancient Near East, Jerusalem/Minneapolis: Magnes/Fortress, 1995. |
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[2] Verses 1-2 are chiastic: (A) Give the king Your judgments (mishpat),
O God, (B) And Your righteousness (tsâdaqah) to the king’s son. (B’) May he judge Your people with righteousness (tsâdaqah) (A’) And Your afflicted with justice (mishpat). |
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[3]
The word ebyon (needy) appears
23 times in the Psalms [4x in Psalm 72], most often in Psalms of Lament. (J.
David Pleins, “Poor, Poverty: Old Testament”; The Anchor Bible Dictionary;
5:402). |
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[4] “Rainfall on grass is a metaphor designed to describe the bounty bestowed by the king upon his subjects” (Moshe Weinfeld, Social Justice in Ancient Israel and in the Ancient Near East, [Jerusalem/Minneapolis: Magnes/Fortress, 1995], 53). See Proverbs 16:10-15; 19:12. |
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[5]
This is the national motto of Canada, A mari usque ad mare (Latin, “From sea to sea”). |
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[6] The expression “ends of the earth” occurs 16x in the Old Testament. It often emphasizes the worldwide rule (cf. Psalm 135:7) and or salvation of Yahweh through His anointed. See 1 Samuel 2:10; Psalm 2:8; 22:27; 46:9; 59:13; 61:2,6-7; 67:7; 72:8; 98:3; Isa.45:22; 49:6; 52:10; Micah 5:2-4; Zech.9:9-10; cf. Psalm 65:5,8; Acts 1:8. |
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[7] The nomadic tribes of v.9 would have included the descendants of Ishmael such as the Kedarites (Genesis 25:13; 1 Chronicles 1:29) and Nabataeans (Genesis 25:13; 28:9). See also Isaiah 42:10-12; 60:1-7. |
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[8]
The NASB95 misses the Hebrew chiastic
parallelism of v.9: (A) before him let bow down (B) the nomads of the desert (B’) And his enemies (A’) lick the dust. |
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[9]
The NASB95 misses the Hebrew chiastic
parallelism of v.11: (A) bow down before him
let (B) all kings (B’) all nations (A’) serve him |
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[10] This is an allusion to the Abrahamic covenant which is more explicit in the LXX. When God called Abram, one of the promises He gave him was, And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3; emphasis added) As Jacob was fleeing from his brother Esau he stopped one night and had a dream in which he saw a stairway reaching to heaven. Above the stairway stood Yahweh who reiterated the promise He gave to Abram, Your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 28:14; emphasis added) This same hope given to Abram and Jacob was also given to Solomon, May his name endure forever; May his name increase as long as the sun shines; And let men (all the families of the earth in the LXX) bless themselves by him; Let all nations call him blessed. (Psalm 72:17; emphasis added) This universal salvation is celebrated in Revelation as “all the tribes of the earth” serving Jesus Christ (cf. Revelation 1:7; 5:9; 7:9; 11:9). |
