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1 Kings 2:13-3:15
New English Translation

13 Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.”[a] 14 He added,[b] “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom[c] was mine and all Israel considered me king.[d] But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the Lord decided it should be his.[e] 16 Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.”[f] She said, “Go ahead and ask.”[g] 17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.”[h] 18 Bathsheba replied, “That’s fine;[i] I’ll speak to the king on your behalf.”

19 So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to greet[j] her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king’s mother,[k] and she sat at his right hand. 20 She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor.[l] Please don’t refuse me.”[m] He said,[n] “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him?[o] Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

23 King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely,[p] if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life![q] 24 Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty[r] for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!” 25 King Solomon then sent[s] Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah.[t]

26 The king then told Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your property[u] in Anathoth. You deserve to die,[v] but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.”[w] 27 Solomon removed Abiathar from being a priest for the Lord, fulfilling the Lord’s message that he had pronounced against the family of Eli in Shiloh.

28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported[x] Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he[y] ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar.[z] 29 When King Solomon heard[aa] that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada,[ab] “Go, strike him down.” 30 When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply.[ac] 31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s family[ad] the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds.[ae] 32 May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed;[af] behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he[ag]—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 33 May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family,[ah] and his dynasty.”[ai] 34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab;[aj] he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head of[ak] the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar’s place.[al]

36 Next the king summoned[am] Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but you may not leave there to go anywhere.[an] 37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die. You will be responsible for your own death.”[ao] 38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable.[ap] Your servant will do as you say.”[aq] So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.[ar]

39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.” 40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. 41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, 42 the king summoned[as] Shimei and said to him, “You will recall[at] that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere,[au] know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’[av] 43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?”[aw] 44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David.[ax] The Lord will punish you for what you did.[ay] 45 But King Solomon will be empowered,[az] and David’s dynasty[ba] will endure permanently before the Lord.” 46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei.[bb]

So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom.[bc]

The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom

3 Solomon made an alliance by marriage with Pharaoh, king of Egypt; he married Pharaoh’s daughter. He brought her to the City of David[bd] until he could finish building his residence and the temple of the Lord and the wall around Jerusalem. 2 Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places,[be] because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord.[bf] 3 Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following[bg] the practices[bh] of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.

4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places.[bi] Solomon would offer up[bj] 1,000 burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared[bk] to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell[bl] me what I should give you.” 6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated[bm] great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served[bn] you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.[bo] You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.[bp] 7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.[bq] 8 Your servant stands[br] among your chosen people;[bs] they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning mind[bt] so he can make judicial decisions for[bu] your people and distinguish right from wrong.[bv] Otherwise[bw] no one is able[bx] to make judicial decisions for[by] this great nation of yours.”[bz] 10 The Lord[ca] was pleased that Solomon made this request.[cb] 11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies,[cc] 12 I[cd] grant your request[ce] and give[cf] you a wise and discerning mind[cg] superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.[ch] 13 Furthermore, I am giving[ci] you what you did not request—riches and honor so that you will be the greatest king of your generation.[cj] 14 If you follow my instructions[ck] by obeying[cl] my rules and regulations, just as your father David did,[cm] then I will grant you long life.”[cn] 15 Solomon then woke up and realized it was a dream.[co] He went to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant, offered up burnt sacrifices, presented peace offerings,[cp] and held a feast for all his servants.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 2:13 tn Heb “[in] peace.”
  2. 1 Kings 2:14 tn Heb “and he said.”
  3. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Or “kingship.”
  4. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “set their face to me to be king.”
  5. 1 Kings 2:15 tn Heb “and the kingdom turned about and became my brother’s, for from the Lord it became his.”
  6. 1 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
  7. 1 Kings 2:16 tn Heb “She said, ‘Speak!’”
  8. 1 Kings 2:17 tn Heb “Say to Solomon the king, for he will not turn back your face, that he might give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.”
  9. 1 Kings 2:18 tn Heb “[It is] good!”
  10. 1 Kings 2:19 tn Or “meet.”
  11. 1 Kings 2:19 tn Heb “he set up a throne for the mother of the king.”
  12. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Or “I’d like to make just one request of you.”
  13. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Heb “Do not turn back my face.”
  14. 1 Kings 2:20 tn Heb “and the king said to her.”
  15. 1 Kings 2:22 tn Heb “for Adonijah.”
  16. 1 Kings 2:23 tn Heb “So may God do to me, and so may he add.”
  17. 1 Kings 2:23 tn Heb “if with his life Adonijah has not spoken this word.”
  18. 1 Kings 2:24 tn Heb “house.”
  19. 1 Kings 2:25 tn The Hebrew text adds, “by the hand of.”
  20. 1 Kings 2:25 tn Heb “and he struck him and he died.”
  21. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Or “field.”
  22. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Heb “you are a man of death,” an idiom.
  23. 1 Kings 2:26 tn Heb “and because you suffered through all which my father suffered.”
  24. 1 Kings 2:28 tn Heb “turned after” (also later in this verse).
  25. 1 Kings 2:28 tn Heb “Joab.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  26. 1 Kings 2:28 sn Grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. The “horns” of the altar were the horn-shaped projections on the four corners of the altar (see Exod 27:2). By going to the holy place and grabbing hold of the horns of the altar, Joab was seeking asylum from Solomon.
  27. 1 Kings 2:29 tn Heb “and it was related to King Solomon.”
  28. 1 Kings 2:29 tn Heb “so Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying.”
  29. 1 Kings 2:30 tn Heb “saying, “In this way Joab spoke and in this way he answered me.”
  30. 1 Kings 2:31 tn Heb “house.”
  31. 1 Kings 2:31 tn Heb “take away the undeserved bloodshed which Joab spilled from upon me and from upon the house of my father.”
  32. 1 Kings 2:32 tn Heb “The Lord will cause his blood to return upon his head.”
  33. 1 Kings 2:32 tn Heb “because he struck down two men more innocent and better than he and he killed them with the sword, and my father David did not know.”
  34. 1 Kings 2:33 tn Heb “house.”
  35. 1 Kings 2:33 tn Heb “his throne.”
  36. 1 Kings 2:34 tn Heb “struck him and killed him.” The referent (Joab) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. 1 Kings 2:35 tn Heb “over.”
  38. 1 Kings 2:35 tc The Old Greek translation includes after v. 35 some fourteen verses that are absent from the MT.
  39. 1 Kings 2:36 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
  40. 1 Kings 2:36 tn Heb “and you may not go out from there here or there.”
  41. 1 Kings 2:37 tn Heb “your blood will be upon your head.”
  42. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “Good is the word, as my master the king has spoken.”
  43. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “so your servant will do.”
  44. 1 Kings 2:38 tn Heb “many days.”
  45. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “sent and summoned.”
  46. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “Is it not [true]…?” In the Hebrew text the statement is interrogative; the rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course it is.”
  47. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “here or there.”
  48. 1 Kings 2:42 tn Heb “good is the word; I have heard.”
  49. 1 Kings 2:43 tn Heb “Why have you not kept the oath [to] the Lord and the commandment I commanded you?”
  50. 1 Kings 2:44 tn Heb “You know all the evil, for your heart knows, which you did to David my father.”
  51. 1 Kings 2:44 tn Heb “The Lord will cause your evil to return upon your head.”
  52. 1 Kings 2:45 tn Or “blessed.”
  53. 1 Kings 2:45 tn Heb “throne.”
  54. 1 Kings 2:46 tn “The king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada and he went out and struck him down and he died.”
  55. 1 Kings 2:46 tn “And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.”
  56. 1 Kings 3:1 sn The phrase City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
  57. 1 Kings 3:2 sn Offering sacrifices at the high places. The “high places” were places of worship that were naturally or artificially elevated.
  58. 1 Kings 3:2 tn Heb “for the name of the Lord.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “to honor the Lord”). The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.
  59. 1 Kings 3:3 tn Heb “by walking in.”
  60. 1 Kings 3:3 tn Or “policies, rules.”
  61. 1 Kings 3:4 tn Heb “for it was the great high place.”
  62. 1 Kings 3:4 tn Or, “customarily offered up.” The verb form is an imperfect, which is probably used here in a customary sense to indicate continued or repeated action in past time. See GKC 314 §107.b.
  63. 1 Kings 3:5 tn Or “revealed himself.”
  64. 1 Kings 3:5 tn Heb “ask.”
  65. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “did.”
  66. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “walked before.”
  67. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “in faithfulness and in innocence and in uprightness of heart with you.”
  68. 1 Kings 3:6 tn Heb “and you have kept to him this great loyalty and you gave to him a son [who] sits on his throne as this day.”
  69. 1 Kings 3:7 tn Heb “and I do not know going out or coming in.”
  70. 1 Kings 3:8 tn There is no verb expressed in the Hebrew text; “stands” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
  71. 1 Kings 3:8 tn Heb “your people whom you have chosen.”
  72. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “a hearing heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
  73. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to judge.”
  74. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to understand between good and evil.”
  75. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “for”; the word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
  76. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
  77. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “to judge.”
  78. 1 Kings 3:9 tn Heb “your numerous people.”
  79. 1 Kings 3:10 tn The Hebrew term translated “Lord” here and in v.15 is אֲדֹנָי (ʾadonay).
  80. 1 Kings 3:10 tn Heb “And the thing was good in the eyes of the Lord, for Solomon asked for this thing.”
  81. 1 Kings 3:11 tn Heb “because you asked for this thing, and did not ask for yourself many days and did not ask for yourself riches and did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you asked for yourself understanding to hear judgment.”
  82. 1 Kings 3:12 tn This statement is introduced in the Hebrew text by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows.
  83. 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “I am doing according to your words.” The perfect tense is sometimes used of actions occurring at the same time a statement is made.
  84. 1 Kings 3:12 tn This statement is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) which draws attention to and emphasizes what follows. The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made (i.e., “right now I give you”).
  85. 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “heart.” (The Hebrew term translated “heart” often refers to the mental faculties.)
  86. 1 Kings 3:12 tn Heb “so that there has not been one like you prior to you, and after you one will not arise like you.”
  87. 1 Kings 3:13 tn The translation assumes that the perfect tense here indicates that the action occurs as the statement is made.
  88. 1 Kings 3:13 tn Heb “so that there is not one among the kings like you all your days.” The LXX lacks the words “all your days.”
  89. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “walk in my ways.”
  90. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Or “keeping.”
  91. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “walked.”
  92. 1 Kings 3:14 tn Heb “I will lengthen your days.”
  93. 1 Kings 3:15 tn Heb “and look, a dream.”
  94. 1 Kings 3:15 tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”
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2 Chronicles 1:1-13
New English Translation

The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom

1 Solomon son of David solidified his royal authority,[a] for[b] the Lord his God was with him and magnified him greatly.

2 Solomon addressed all Israel, including those who commanded units of a thousand and a hundred, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel who were heads of families. 3 Solomon and the entire assembly went to the worship center[c] in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God[d] was located there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. 4 (Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, was in front of the Lord’s tabernacle.[e] Solomon and the entire assembly prayed to him[f] there.) 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up 1,000 burnt sacrifices.

7 That night God appeared[g] to Solomon and said to him, “Tell me[h] what I should give you.” 8 Solomon replied to God, “You demonstrated[i] great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, may your promise[j] to my father David be realized,[k] for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Now give me wisdom and discernment so[l] I can effectively lead this nation.[m] Otherwise[n] no one is able[o] to make judicial decisions for[p] this great nation of yours.”[q]

11 God said to Solomon, “Because you desire this,[r] and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies,[s] and because you did not ask for long life,[t] but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, 12 you are granted wisdom and discernment.[u] Furthermore I am giving you riches, wealth, and honor surpassing that of any king before or after you.”[v]

13 Solomon left the meeting tent at the worship center in Gibeon and went to Jerusalem, where he reigned over Israel.[w]

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:1 tn Heb “and Solomon son of David strengthened himself over his kingdom.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:1 tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav [ו] + subject pattern) probably has a causal nuance here.
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:3 tn Or “high place.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:3 tn Heb “the tent of meeting of God.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 1:5 sn The tabernacle was located in Gibeon; see 1 Chr 21:29.
  6. 2 Chronicles 1:5 tn Heb “sought [or “inquired of”] him.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 1:7 tn Or “revealed himself.”
  8. 2 Chronicles 1:7 tn Heb “ask.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 1:8 tn Heb “did.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 1:9 tn Heb “your word.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 1:9 tn Or “be firm, established.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn The cohortative with prefixed vav (ו) following the imperative here indicates purpose/result.
  13. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “so I may go out before this nation and come in.” The expression “go out…and come in” here means “to lead” (see HALOT 425 s.v. יצא qal.4).
  14. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “for.” The word “otherwise” is used to reflect the logical sense of the statement.
  15. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “who is able?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “no one.”
  16. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “to judge.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 1:10 tn Heb “these numerous people of yours.”
  18. 2 Chronicles 1:11 tn Heb “because this was in your heart.”
  19. 2 Chronicles 1:11 tn Heb “the life of those who hate you.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 1:11 tn Heb “many days.”
  21. 2 Chronicles 1:12 tn Heb “wisdom and discernment are given to you.”
  22. 2 Chronicles 1:12 tn Heb “which was not so for the kings who were before you, and after you there will not be so.”
  23. 2 Chronicles 1:13 tn Heb “and Solomon came from the high place which was in Gibeon [to] Jerusalem, from before the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.”
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2 Chronicles 2
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1 Kings 3:16-28
New English Translation

Solomon Demonstrates His Wisdom

16 Then two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of the women said, “My master, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was with me in the house. 18 Then three days after I had my baby, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one else in the house except the two of us.[a] 19 This woman’s child suffocated[b] during the night when she rolled[c] on top of him. 20 She got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your servant was sleeping. She put him in her arms, and put her dead son in my arms. 21 I got up in the morning to nurse my son, and there[d] he was, dead! But when I examined him carefully in the morning, I realized it was not my baby.”[e] 22 The other woman said, “No! My son is alive; your son is dead!” But the first woman replied, “No, your son is dead; my son is alive.” Each presented her case before the king.[f]

23 The king said, “One says, ‘My son is alive; your son is dead,’ while the other says, ‘No, your son is dead; my son is alive.’” 24 The king ordered, “Get me a sword.” So they placed a sword before the king. 25 The king then said, “Cut the living child in two, and give half to one and half to the other!” 26 The real mother[g] spoke up to the king, for her motherly instincts were awakened.[h] She said, “My master, give her the living child! Whatever you do, don’t kill him!”[i] But the other woman said, “Neither one of us will have him. Let them cut him in two!” 27 The king responded, “Give the first woman the living child; don’t kill him. She is the mother.” 28 When all Israel heard about the judicial decision which the king had rendered, they respected[j] the king, for they realized[k] that he possessed divine wisdom[l] to make judicial decisions.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 3:18 sn There was no one else in the house except the two of us. In other words, there were no other witnesses to the births who could identify which child belonged to which mother.
  2. 1 Kings 3:19 tn Heb “died.”
  3. 1 Kings 3:19 tn Heb “lay, slept.”
  4. 1 Kings 3:21 tn Heb “look.”
  5. 1 Kings 3:21 tn Heb “look, it was not my son to whom I had given birth.”
  6. 1 Kings 3:22 tn Heb “they spoke before the king.” Another option is to translate, “they argued before the king.”
  7. 1 Kings 3:26 tn Heb “the woman whose son was alive.”
  8. 1 Kings 3:26 tn Heb “for her compassions grew warm for her son.”
  9. 1 Kings 3:26 tn The infinitive absolute before the negated jussive emphasizes the main verb.
  10. 1 Kings 3:28 tn Heb “feared,” perhaps in the sense, “stood in awe of.”
  11. 1 Kings 3:28 tn Heb “saw.”
  12. 1 Kings 3:28 tn Heb “the wisdom of God was in his midst for performing justice.” The phrase “wisdom of God” may be taken as an attributive genitive, “divine wisdom,” or as a genitive of source, “wisdom from God.” Even in English they are basically the same, since wisdom from God is divine in character.
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Psalm 72
New English Translation

Psalm 72[a]

For[b] Solomon.

72 O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions.[c]
Grant the king’s son[d] the ability to make fair decisions.[e]
2 Then he will judge[f] your people fairly,
and your oppressed ones[g] equitably.
3 The mountains will bring news of peace to the people,
and the hills will announce justice.[h]
4 He will defend[i] the oppressed among the people;
he will deliver[j] the children[k] of the poor
and crush the oppressor.
5 People will fear[l] you[m] as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky,
for generation after generation.[n]
6 He[o] will descend like rain on the mown grass,[p]
like showers that drench[q] the earth.[r]
7 During his days the godly will flourish;[s]
peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky.[t]
8 May he rule[u] from sea to sea,[v]
and from the Euphrates River[w] to the ends of the earth.
9 Before him the coastlands[x] will bow down,
and his enemies will lick the dust.[y]
10 The kings of Tarshish[z] and the coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba[aa] and Seba[ab] will bring tribute.
11 All kings will bow down to him;
all nations will serve him.
12 For he will rescue the needy[ac] when they cry out for help,
and the oppressed[ad] who have no defender.
13 He will take pity[ae] on the poor and needy;
the lives of the needy he will save.
14 From harm and violence he will defend them;[af]
he will value their lives.[ag]
15 May he live![ah] May they offer him gold from Sheba.[ai]
May they continually pray for him.
May they pronounce blessings on him all day long.[aj]
16 May there be[ak] an abundance[al] of grain in the earth;
on the tops[am] of the mountains may it[an] sway.[ao]
May its[ap] fruit trees[aq] flourish[ar] like the forests of Lebanon.[as]
May its crops[at] be as abundant[au] as the grass of the earth.[av]
17 May his fame endure.[aw]
May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky.[ax]
May they use his name when they formulate their blessings.[ay]
May all nations consider him to be favored by God.[az]
18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise.[ba]
He alone accomplishes amazing things.[bb]
19 His glorious name deserves praise[bc] forevermore.
May his majestic splendor[bd] fill the whole earth.
We agree! We agree![be]
20 This collection of the prayers of David son of Jesse ends here.[bf]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 72:1 sn Psalm 72. This royal psalm contains a prayer for the Davidic king (note the imperatival form in v. 1 and the jussive forms in vv. 16-17). It is not entirely clear if vv. 2-15 express a prayer or anticipate a future reign. The translation assumes a blend of petition and vision: (I) opening prayer (v. 1), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 2-7); (II) prayer (v. 8), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 9-14); (III) closing prayer (vv. 15-17). Whether a prayer, vision, or combination of the two, the psalm depicts the king’s universal rule of peace and prosperity. As such it is indirectly messianic, for the ideal it expresses will only be fully realized during the Messiah’s earthly reign. Verses 18-19 are a conclusion for Book 2 of the Psalter (Pss 42-72; cf. Ps 41:13, which contains a similar conclusion for Book 1), while v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter.
  2. Psalm 72:1 tn The preposition could be understood as indicating authorship (“Of Solomon”), but since the psalm is a prayer for a king, it may be that the superscription reflects a tradition that understood this as a prayer for Solomon.
  3. Psalm 72:1 tn Heb “O God, your judgments to [the] king give.”
  4. Psalm 72:1 sn Grant the king…Grant the king’s son. It is not entirely clear whether v. 1 envisions one individual or two. The phrase “the king’s son” in the second line may simply refer to “the king” of the first line, drawing attention to the fact that he has inherited his dynastic rule. Another option is that v. 1 envisions a co-regency between father and son (a common phenomenon in ancient Israel) or simply expresses a hope for a dynasty that champions justice.
  5. Psalm 72:1 tn Heb “and your justice to [the] son of [the] king.”
  6. Psalm 72:2 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
  7. Psalm 72:2 sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).
  8. Psalm 72:3 tn Heb “[the] mountains will bear peace to the people, and [the] hills with justice.” The personified mountains and hills probably represent messengers who will sweep over the land announcing the king’s just decrees and policies. See Isa 52:7 and C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:133.
  9. Psalm 72:4 tn Heb “judge [for].”
  10. Psalm 72:4 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
  11. Psalm 72:4 tn Heb “sons.”
  12. Psalm 72:5 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the Lord’s power and authority by worshiping him and obeying his commandments.” See Ps 33:8. Some interpreters, with the support of the LXX, prefer to read וְיַאֲרִיךְ (veyaʾarikh, “and he [the king in this case] will prolong [days]”), that is, “will live a long time” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
  13. Psalm 72:5 tn God is the addressee (see vv. 1-2).
  14. Psalm 72:5 tn Heb “with [the] sun, and before [the] moon [for] a generation, generations.” The rare expression דּוֹר דּוֹרִים (dor dorim, “generation, generations”) occurs only here, in Ps 102:24, and in Isa 51:8.
  15. Psalm 72:6 tn That is, the king (see vv. 2, 4).
  16. Psalm 72:6 tn The rare term גֵּז (gez) refers to a sheep’s fleece in Deut 18:4 and Job 31:20, but to “mown” grass or crops here and in Amos 7:1.
  17. Psalm 72:6 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to be an otherwise unattested noun. Many prefer to emend the form to a verb from the root זָרַף (zaraf). BHS suggests a Hiphil imperfect, third masculine plural יַזְרִיפוּ (yazrifu), while HALOT 283 s.v. *זרף prefers a Pilpel perfect, third masculine plural זִרְזְפוּ (zirzefu). The translation assumes the latter.
  18. Psalm 72:6 sn The imagery of this verse compares the blessings produced by the king’s reign to fructifying rains that cause the crops to grow.
  19. Psalm 72:7 tn Heb “sprout up,” like crops. This verse continues the metaphor of rain utilized in v. 6.
  20. Psalm 72:7 tn Heb “and [there will be an] abundance of peace until there is no more moon.”
  21. Psalm 72:8 tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.
  22. Psalm 72:8 sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.
  23. Psalm 72:8 tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.
  24. Psalm 72:9 tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.
  25. Psalm 72:9 sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.
  26. Psalm 72:10 sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.
  27. Psalm 72:10 sn Sheba was located in Arabia.
  28. Psalm 72:10 sn Seba was located in Africa.
  29. Psalm 72:12 tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.
  30. Psalm 72:12 tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.
  31. Psalm 72:13 tn The prefixed verb form is best understood as a defectively written imperfect (see Deut 7:16).
  32. Psalm 72:14 tn Or “redeem their lives.” The verb “redeem” casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Pss 19:14; 69:18).
  33. Psalm 72:14 tn Heb “their blood will be precious in his eyes.”
  34. Psalm 72:15 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. Because the form has the prefixed vav (ו), some subordinate it to what precedes as a purpose/result clause. In this case the representative poor individual might be the subject of this and the following verb, “so that he may live and give to him gold of Sheba.” But the idea of the poor offering gold is incongruous. It is better to take the jussive as a prayer with the king as subject of the verb. (Perhaps the initial vav is dittographic; note the vav at the end of the last form in v. 14.) The statement is probably an abbreviated version of the formula יְחִי הַמֶּלֶךְ (yekhi hammelekh, “may the king live”; see 1 Sam 10:24; 2 Sam 16:16; 1 Kgs 1:25, 34, 39; 2 Kgs 11:12).
  35. Psalm 72:15 tn Heb “and he will give to him some gold of Sheba.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive with a grammatically indefinite subject (“and may one give”). Of course, the king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are the tribute bearers in view here.
  36. Psalm 72:15 tn As in the preceding line, the prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives with a grammatically indefinite subject (“and may one pray…and may one bless”). Of course, the king’s subjects, mentioned in the preceding context, are in view here.
  37. Psalm 72:16 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect. The translation assumes the subject is impersonal (rather than the king).
  38. Psalm 72:16 tn The Hebrew noun פִסַּה (pissah; which appears here in the construct form) occurs only here in the OT. Perhaps the noun is related to the verbal root פָּשָׂה (pasah, “to spread,” see BDB 832 s.v.; the root appears as פָּסָה [pasah] in postbiblical Hebrew), which is used in postbiblical Hebrew of the rising sun’s rays spreading over the horizon and a tree’s branches spreading out (see Jastrow 1194 s.v. פסי, פָּסָה, פָּשָׂה). In Ps 72:16 a “spreading of grain” would refer to grain fields extending out over the land. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:139) emend the form to סְפִיחַ (sefiakh, “second growth”).
  39. Psalm 72:16 tn Heb “top” (singular).
  40. Psalm 72:16 tn That is, the grain.
  41. Psalm 72:16 tn According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the translator’s note at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse.
  42. Psalm 72:16 tn The antecedent of the third masculine singular pronominal suffix is unclear. It is unlikely that the antecedent is אֶרֶץ (ʾerets, “earth”) because this noun is normally grammatically feminine. Perhaps רֹאשׁ (roʾsh, “top [of the mountains]”) is the antecedent. Another option is to understand the pronoun as referring to the king, who would then be viewed as an instrument of divine agricultural blessing (see v. 6).
  43. Psalm 72:16 tn Heb “fruit.”
  44. Psalm 72:16 tc According to the traditional accentuation of the MT, this verb belongs with what follows. See the note on the word “earth” at the end of the verse for a discussion of the poetic parallelism and interpretation of the verse. The present translation takes it with the preceding words, “like Lebanon its fruit” and emends the verb form from וְיָצִיצוּ (veyatsitsu; Qal imperfect third masculine plural with prefixed vav, [ו]) to יָצִיץ (yatsits; Qal imperfect third masculine singular). The initial vav is eliminated as dittographic (note the vav on the ending of the preceding form פִּרְיוֹ, piryo, “its/his fruit”) and the vav at the end of the form is placed on the following emended form (see the note on the word “crops”), yielding וַעֲמִיר (vaʿamir, “and [its] crops”).
  45. Psalm 72:16 tn Heb “like Lebanon.”
  46. Psalm 72:16 tc The MT has “from the city.” The translation assumes an emendation to עֲמִיר (ʿamir, “crops”).
  47. Psalm 72:16 tn The translation assumes that the verb צוּץ (tsuts, “flourish”) goes with the preceding line. The words “be as abundant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  48. Psalm 72:16 tc The traditional accentuation and vocalization of the MT differ from the text assumed by the present translation. The MT reads as follows: “May there be an abundance of grain in the earth, / and on the tops of the mountains! / May its [or “his”?] fruit [trees?] rustle like [the trees of] Lebanon! / May they flourish from the city, like the grass of the earth!” If one follows the MT, then it would appear that the “fruit” of the third line is a metaphorical reference to the king’s people, who flow out from the cities to populate the land (see line 4). Elsewhere in the OT people are sometimes compared to grass that sprouts up from the land (see v. 7, as well as Isa 27:6; Pss 92:7; 103:15). The translation understands a different poetic structural arrangement and, assuming the emendations mentioned in earlier notes, interprets each line of the verse to be a prayer for agricultural abundance.
  49. Psalm 72:17 tn Heb “may his name [be] permanent.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect.
  50. Psalm 72:17 tn Heb “before the sun may his name increase.” The Kethib (consonantal text) assumes יָנִין (yanin; a Hiphil of the verbal root נִין, nin) or יְנַיֵן (yenayen; a Piel form), while the Qere (marginal reading) assumes יִנּוֹן (yinnon; a Niphal form). The verb נִין occurs only here, though a derived noun, meaning “offspring,” appears elsewhere (see Isa 14:22). The verb appears to mean “propagate, increase” (BDB 630 s.v. נוּן, נִין) or “produce shoots, get descendants” (HALOT 696 s.v. נין). In this context this appears to be a prayer for a lasting dynasty that will keep the king’s name and memory alive.
  51. Psalm 72:17 tn Heb “may they bless one another by him,” that is, use the king’s name in their blessing formulae because he is a prime example of one blessed by God (for examples of such blessing formulae, see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11). There is some debate on whether the Hitpael form of בָּרַךְ (barakh, “bless”) is reflexive-reciprocal (as assumed in the present translation) or passive. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ occurs in five other passages, including the hotly debated Gen 22:18 and 26:4. In these two texts one could understand the verb form as passive and translate, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,” or one could take the Hitpael as reflexive or reciprocal and translate, “all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings [i.e., on themselves or one another] by your offspring.” In the first instance Abraham’s (or Isaac’s) offspring are viewed as a channel of divine blessing. In the second instance they are viewed as a prime example of blessing that will appear as part of the nations’ blessing formulae, but not necessarily as a channel of blessing to the nations. In Deut 29:18 one reads: “When one hears the words of this covenant [or “oath”] and invokes a blessing on himself (Hitpael of בָּרַךְ) in his heart, saying: ‘I will have peace, even though I walk with a rebellious heart.’” In this case the Hitpael is clearly reflexive, as the phrases “in his heart” and “I will have peace” indicate. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ appears twice in Isaiah 65:16: “The one who invokes a blessing on himself (see Deut 9:18) in the land will invoke that blessing by the God of truth; and the one who makes an oath in the land will make that oath by the God of truth.” A passive nuance does not fit here. The parallel line, which mentions making an oath, suggests that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. Both pronouncements of blessing and oaths will appeal to God as the one who rewards and judges, respectively. Jer 4:2 states: “If you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ with truth, integrity, and honesty, then the nations will pronounce blessings by him and boast in him.” A passive nuance might work (“the nations will be blessed”), but the context refers to verbal pronouncements (swearing an oath, boasting), suggesting that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. The logic of the verse seems to be as follows: If Israel conducts its affairs with integrity, the nation will be favored by the Lord, which will in turn attract the surrounding nations to Israel’s God. To summarize, while the evidence might leave the door open for a passive interpretation, there is no clear cut passive use. Usage favors a reflexive or reciprocal understanding of the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ. In Ps 72:17 the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ is followed by the prepositional phrase בוֹ (vo, “by him”). The verb could theoretically be taken as passive, “may all the nations be blessed through him” (cf. NIV, NRSV), because the preceding context describes the positive effects of this king’s rule on the inhabitants of the earth. But the parallel line, which employs the Piel of אָשַׁר (ʾashar) in a factitive/declarative sense, “regard as happy, fortunate,” suggests a reflexive or reciprocal nuance for the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ here. If the nations regard the ideal king as a prime example of one who is fortunate or blessed, it is understandable that they would use his name in their pronouncements of blessing.
  52. Psalm 72:17 tn Heb “all the nations, may they regard him as happy.” The Piel is used here in a delocutive sense (“regard as”).
  53. Psalm 72:18 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21; 41:13.
  54. Psalm 72:18 tn Heb “[the] one who does amazing things by himself.”
  55. Psalm 72:19 tn Heb “[be] blessed.”
  56. Psalm 72:19 tn Or “glory.”
  57. Psalm 72:19 tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [ʾamen veʾamen], i.e., “Amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response of agreement to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.
  58. Psalm 72:20 tn Heb “the prayers of David, son of Jesse, are concluded.” As noted earlier, v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter. In the present arrangement of the Book of Psalms, not all psalms prior to this are attributed to David (see Pss 1-2, 10, 33, 42-50, 66-67, 71-72) and several psalms attributed to David appear after this (see Pss 86, 101, 103, 108-110, 122, 124, 131, 138-145).
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