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Psalms

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Psalm 72

1 For Solomon. O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions. Grant the king’s son the ability to make fair decisions.⁠ 2 Then he will judge your people fairly and your oppressed ones equitably. 3 The mountains will bring news of peace to the people, and the hills will announce justice. 4 He will defend the oppressed among the people; he will deliver the children of the poor and crush the oppressor.⁠ 5 People will fear you as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky, for generation after generation.⁠ 6 He will descend like rain on the mown grass, like showers that drench the earth. 7 During his days the godly will flourish; peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky. 8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.⁠ 9 Before him the coastlands will bow down,⁠ and his enemies will lick the dust.⁠ 10 The kings of Tarshish and the coastlands will offer gifts; the kings of Sheba and Seba will bring tribute.⁠ 11 All kings will bow down to him; all nations will serve him. 12 For he will rescue the needy when they cry out for help, and the oppressed who have no defender.⁠ 13 He will take pity on the poor and needy; the lives of the needy he will save. 14 From harm and violence he will defend them; he will value their lives. 15 May he live! May they offer him gold from Sheba.⁠ May they continually pray for him. May they pronounce blessings on him all day long. 16 May there be an abundance of grain in the earth; on the tops of the mountains may it sway. May its fruit trees flourish like the forests of Lebanon. May its crops be as abundant as the grass of the earth. 17 May his fame endure. May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky. May they use his name when they formulate their blessings. May all nations consider him to be favored by God. 18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise. He alone accomplishes amazing things. 19 His glorious name deserves praise forevermore. May his majestic splendor fill the whole earth. We agree! We agree!⁠ 20 This collection of the prayers of David son of Jesse ends here.

Texts in conversation

Compare Isaiah 1:17 and Psalm 72:12

Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Psalm 72 shows the ideal king helping the needy and rescuing the oppressed, similar to Isaiah's call for defending orphans and widows. Both portray care for the vulnerable as the core of justice, shaped by ancient Near Eastern traditions.

Passages

Isaiah 1:17

Hebrew Bible
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I look the other way; when you offer your many prayers, I do not listen because your hands are covered with blood. 16 Wash! Cleanse yourselves! Remove your sinful deeds from my sight. Stop sinning. 17 Learn to do what is right. Promote justice. Give the oppressed reason to celebrate. Take up the cause of the orphan. Defend the rights of the widow. 18 “Come, let’s consider your options,” says the Lord. “Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white like wool. 19 If you have a willing attitude and obey, then you will again eat the good crops of the land.
740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

Psalm 72:12

Hebrew Bible
10 The kings of Tarshish and the coastlands will offer gifts; the kings of Sheba and Seba will bring tribute. 11 All kings will bow down to him; all nations will serve him. 12 For he will rescue the needy when they cry out for help, and the oppressed who have no defender. 13 He will take pity on the poor and needy; the lives of the needy he will save. 14 From harm and violence he will defend them; he will value their lives. 15 May he live! May they offer him gold from Sheba. May they continually pray for him. May they pronounce blessings on him all day long.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... Interpreters have long noted that the writer(s) of Isaiah share similar language, themes, and forms with the Psalmists. Isaiah’s style and contents are often lyric or psalm-like. The book of Isaiah even contains some complete psalms. Recent works have documented the extent of this convergence. Similar language appears in many Psalms and verses from Isaiah ... (Isaiah 2:8 / Psalm 115:4; Isaiah 5:5-6 / Psalm 80:12; Isaiah 12:1 / Psalm 9:1) ... Isaiah uses eschatological hymns of praise: 42:10-13; 44:23; 45:8; 49:13. J. Begrich compared these to the kingship and enthronement psalms: Psalms 93, 95-99. Creach cites parallels with the enthronement Psalms and Isaiah 40:10; 44:23; 49:13; 55:12 ..."
John D. W. Watts, Word Biblical Commentary: Isaiah 1-33 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2004), cviii.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Isaiah 1:17 and Psalm 72:12

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