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 60:6 and Psalm 72:9

Hebrew Bible

Summary

Isaiah 60 describes a future where wealth from nations, including gold from Sheba and ships from Tarshish, flows to Jerusalem as tribute. This is based on Psalm 72, which describes distant kings bringing tribute and all nations serving Israel.

Passages

Isaiah 60:6

Hebrew Bible

6 Camel caravans will cover your roads, young camels from Midian and Ephah. All the merchants of Sheba will come, bringing gold and incense and singing praises to the Lord. 7 All the sheep of Kedar will be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth will be available to you as sacrifices. They will go up on my altar acceptably, and I will bestow honor on my majestic temple. 8 Who are these who float along like a cloud, who fly like doves to their shelters? 9 Indeed, the coastlands look eagerly for me; the large ships are in the lead, bringing your sons from far away, along with their silver and gold, to honor the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has bestowed honor on you. 10 Foreigners will rebuild your walls; their kings will serve you. Even though I struck you down in my anger, I will restore my favor and have compassion on you.

740–450 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Isaiah

Psalm 72:9

Hebrew Bible

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.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... one can detect some embryonic echoes of Isaiah 60:5, 11 in Psalm 45:12; 68:29; 76:11, but Psalm 72 stands out for the sheer number of explicit similarities with Isaiah 60. The subservience of the Gentiles in Psalm 72:9, 11 finds a parallel in Isaiah 60:14. The coastlands and ships of Tarshish bearing tribute are mentioned in both Psalm 72:10 and Isaiah 60:9, while references to the gold of Sheba occur in Psalm 72:15 and Isaiah 60:6. As a royal psalm, the focus of Psalm 72 is squarely on the ideal king who would rule Israel, which adds to the strength of its relationship with Isaiah 60. The psalmist and Isaiah, therefore, express a kinship in their hope for Israel to have its day under the rule of the ideal king ..."

Charles E. Cruise, “The 'Weath of the Nations': A Study in the Intertextuality of Isaiah 60:5,11,” JETS 5.8 (2015): 283–297.

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

Psalms150 psalms

Compare Isaiah 60:6 and Psalm 72:9

Summary

Passages

Isaiah 60:6

Psalm 72:9

References

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