Psalms 72:7-9

72:7 During his days the godly will flourish;

peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky.

72:8 May he rule from sea to sea,

and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth!

72:9 Before him the coastlands will bow down,

and his enemies will lick the dust.


tn Heb “sprout up,” like crops. This verse continues the metaphor of rain utilized in v. 6.

tn Heb “and [there will be an] abundance of peace until there is no more moon.”

tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.

sn From sea to sea. This may mean from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. See Amos 8:12. The language of this and the following line also appears in Zech 9:10.

tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.

tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.

sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.