HolyStudy
Bible IndexRead BibleNotesChurchesMissionPrivacyTermsContact
© 2026 HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurchesSign in
HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurches
Sign in

Psalms 21

1

The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

2

Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.

3

For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

4

He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.

5

His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.

6

For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.

7

For the king trusteth in the Lord, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

8

Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.

9

Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

10

Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.

11

For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

12

Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them.

13

Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.

← Previous ChapterNext Chapter →

Psalms 21

Psalm 21 is a royal hymn celebrating the king's strength and military victory as evidence of God's favor and support, exemplifying the theological concerns of Book 1. The psalmist employs vivid imagery and direct address to God, establishing the intimate dialogue between worshiper and the divine that characterizes the psalmic tradition. The theological assertions center on God's character as both judge and redeemer, creating a comprehensive vision of divine justice and mercy integrated with human experience. The psalm reflects on both personal circumstance and communal identity, suggesting that individual faith finds validation through shared experience with the covenant community. The liturgical context indicates this psalm's function in worship where personal piety integrates with communal celebration of God's acts and attributes. The concluding movement typically affirms confidence in God's faithfulness, exemplifying the psalmic pattern of transformation through prayer and remembrance of divine acts throughout history.

Psalms 21:1

This thanksgiving for the king opens with affirmation that the king rejoices in God's strength and greatly exults in God's salvation. The joy language suggests comprehensive gratification and delight. The exultation emphasizes the intensity of celebration. This opening establishes the king's emotional response to God's aid.

Psalms 21:2

The statement that God has granted the king's heart's desire and not withheld the request of his lips establishes that divine aid fulfills the king's wishes. The desire of heart suggests the king's deepest aspirations. The requests of lips suggest articulated petitions. This verse confirms that God answered the king's prayer.

Psalms 21:3

The affirmation that the king meets the king with blessings of goodness and sets a crown of pure gold on his head establishes divine blessing and exaltation. The blessings suggest divine favor and provision. The crown imagery suggests elevation and authority. This verse depicts God's generous reward.

Psalms 21:4

The statement that the king asked life of God and God gave him length of days forever establishes eternal duration of the king's reign or eschatological blessing. The request for life suggests desire for continued existence and rule. The granting suggests divine favor and the transcendence of normal mortality. This verse introduces eschatological hope.

Psalms 21:5

The affirmation that the king's glory is great through God's salvation and majesty and honor God has bestowed establishes that divine aid produces the king's magnificence. The glory and majesty imagery emphasizes the king's exalted status. The bestowal by God suggests that the king's eminence is divinely granted. This verse celebrates the king's splendor.

Psalms 21:6

The statement that God has made the king exceedingly blessed and will make him glad with the presence of God establishes blessing and divine presence as the king's ultimate good. The exceeding blessedness suggests abundance. The gladness from divine presence suggests joy rooted in communion with God. This verse establishes that presence with God constitutes supreme reward.

Psalms 21:7

The affirmation that the king trusts in God and through the lovingkindness of the Most High will not be shaken establishes the king's confidence rooted in God's covenantal care. The trust language suggests reliance on God. The lovingkindness invokes divine commitment to the king. The unshakeable status suggests security. This verse grounds the king's stability in divine relationship.

Psalms 21:8

The statement that the king's hand will find all his enemies and his right hand those who hate him establishes that the king will defeat all opposition. The hand imagery suggests direct engagement and overwhelming force. The comprehensive nature all enemies and those who hate suggests total victory. This verse depicts the king's military triumph.

Psalms 21:9

The affirmation that God will make them as a fiery oven when the king confronts them and God will swallow them in wrath and fire devour them establishes cataclysmic enemy destruction. The fiery oven imagery suggests overwhelming destructive force. The swallowing suggests complete obliteration. The fire imagery emphasizes divine judgment. This verse depicts God's violent judgment of the king's enemies.

Psalms 21:10

The statement that God will destroy their fruit from the earth and their offspring from humanity establishes that the destruction extends to enemies' posterity. The mention of fruit and offspring suggests future generations. The destruction suggests complete elimination of the enemy line. This verse emphasizes that destruction is comprehensive and permanent.

Psalms 21:11

The assertion that though enemies intended evil against the king they cannot succeed in their plan establishes that opposition is futile. The intention of evil suggests deliberate malice. The inability to succeed suggests that divine protection makes the plot ineffectual. This verse affirms divine frustration of enemy designs.

Psalms 21:12

The affirmation that the king will make them turn their back and aim arrows at their face establishes the king's military success against enemies. The turning of backs suggests enemies fleeing or retreating. The arrows imagery suggests offensive weaponry. This verse depicts the king's decisive military action.

Psalms 21:13

The final exclamation be exalted O Lord in Your strength and we will sing and praise Your power concludes with doxological celebration. The exaltation of God addresses God as the ultimate recipient of honor. The singing and praise suggest communal worship. The power emphasis reiterates God's strength as the source of all blessing. This verse concludes by redirecting attention from the king's triumph to God's greatness.