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21. Psalm 21

¹ The king rejoices in your strength, LORD.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!

    ² You have granted him his heart’s desire
   and have not withheld the request of his lips. The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
³ You came to greet him with rich blessings
   and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
⁴ He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
   length of days, for ever and ever.
⁵ Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
   you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
⁶ Surely you have granted him unending blessings
   and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
⁷ For the king trusts in the LORD;
   through the unfailing love of the Most High
   he will not be shaken.

    ⁸ Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
   your right hand will seize your foes.
⁹ When you appear for battle,
   you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,
   and his fire will consume them.
¹⁰ You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
   their posterity from mankind.
¹¹ Though they plot evil against you
   and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.
¹² You will make them turn their backs
   when you aim at them with drawn bow.

¹³ Be exalted in your strength, LORD;
we will sing and praise your might.

5. His glory is great. By these words the people intimate that their king, through the protection which God afforded him, and the deliverances which he wrought for him, would become more renowned than if he had reigned in peace with the applause of all men, or had been defended by human wealth and human strength, or, finally, had continued invincible by his own power and policy; for thereby it appeared the more clearly that he had only attained to the royal dignity by the favor, conduct, and commandment of God. The believing Israelites, therefore, leave it to heathen kings to ennoble themselves by their own achievements, and to acquire fame by their own valor; and they set more value upon this, that God graciously showed himself favorable towards their king, ⁴⁸³⁴⁸³ “Que la grace de Dieu se monstre favorable envers leur Roy.” — Fr. than upon all the triumphs of the world. At the same time, they promise themselves such assistance from God as will suffice for adorning the king with majesty and honor.