Psalm 21, Blessing After Battle

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Psalm 21: 1-7, A crown of pure gold placed on the king's head

O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. 

How great is his joy in the victories you give!

You have granted him the desire of his heart 

and have not withheld the request of his lips.

Selah.

You welcomed him with rich blessings 

and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.

He asked you for life, and you gave it to him-- 

length of days, for ever and ever.

Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; 

you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.

Surely you have granted him eternal blessings 

and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

For the king trusts in the LORD; 

through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.

This psalm, like psalm 2, could serve as a coronation psalm for David or another Davidic king.

Verse 2, on the "desires of the heart", echoes verse 4 of Psalm 20.  In Psalm 20, the request is made; in Psalm 21 it is answered.  Because of the similarities between these two psalms, Kidner suggests that Psalm 20 is a blessing/prayer before a king's battle and Psalm 21 is a thanksgiving prayer afterwards.  In Psalm 20, the king makes request, followed by a statement of praise and faith, then a climactic final verse.  In this psalm, the statement of faith and resolution comes first.

II Samuel 7:8-16 has God's covenant with David.  Verses 3-7 of this psalm echo that passage.

Psalm 21: 8-12, He consumes His enemies

Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; 

your right hand will seize your foes.

At the time of your appearing 

you will make them like a fiery furnace. 

In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, 

and his fire will consume them.

You will destroy their descendants from the earth, 

their posterity from mankind.

Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, 

they cannot succeed;

for you will make them turn their backs 

when you aim at them with drawn bow.

Verses 8-10 ("Your hand...") turns attention to the enemies of God and the end result of God's foes.  This passage contains more universal statements, independent of a specific historical event and so has a messianic flavor. A New Testament version of this occurs in II Thessalonians 1:5-10 where this event is described more fully.  (See also Revelation 20:11 – 21:8 for a similar end-time statement about the culmination of history.)

Psalm 21: 13, YHWH, be exalted!

Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; 

we will sing and praise your might.

Like the previous psalm, this psalm ends with one climatic statement of praise.