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Psalms

About this book
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 Psalm 41:13 and Psalm 72:18 and Psalm 89:52 and Psalm 106:48

Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Several psalms end with the same praise formula that marks clear divisions, used at the end of Psalms 41, 72, 89, and 106. These recurring lines help shape the Psalms into five sections, a structure that mirrors the five books of the Torah.

Passages

Psalm 41:13

Hebrew Bible
11 By this I know that you are pleased with me, for my enemy does not triumph over me. 12 As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity; you allow me permanent access to your presence. 13 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise in the future and forevermore. We agree! We agree!
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Psalm 72:18

Hebrew Bible
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!
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Psalm 89:52

Hebrew Bible
50 Take note, O Lord, of the way your servants are taunted and of how I must bear so many insults from people. 51 Your enemies, O Lord, hurl insults; they insult your chosen king as they dog his footsteps. 52 The Lord deserves praise forevermore! We agree! We agree!
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Psalm 106:48

Hebrew Bible
46 He caused all their conquerors to have pity on them. 47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God. Gather us from among the nations. Then we will give thanks to your holy name, and boast about your praiseworthy deeds. 48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise, in the future and forevermore. Let all the people say, “We agree! Praise the Lord!”
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... In the course of its literary history, the Psalms underwent various stages of formation. Its present shape is marked by a division into five parts—it is probable that the Psalter is seen in analogy to the Torah. The five-part structure is established by the four doxologies in Psalm 41:14; 72:18–19; 89:53; 106:48. This “Torah shape” of the Psalter is also underlined by the introductory Psalm 1, which qualifies the study of the Psalter as Torah study, as well as Psalm 119. In light of the strongly divergent order of the Psalter in Qumran and the theological similarity of the framework of the Psalter as a whole in Psalms 1–2 and 146–50 with the contemporary non-Essene wisdom texts (Book of Mysteries [1Q27; 4Q299–301]; 1Q/4QInstruction), this five-part division hardly arose before the second century B.C.E. It is striking that the liturgical tradition in the Psalter was aligned with the form and content of the Torah ..."
Konrad Schmid, Is There Theology in the Hebrew Bible?, CSHB 4 (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015), 97.

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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Psalm 41:13 and Psalm 72:18 and Psalm 89:52 and Psalm 106:48

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