72:8 May he rule 1 from sea to sea, 2
and from the Euphrates River 3 to the ends of the earth!
72:9 Before him the coastlands 4 will bow down,
and his enemies will lick the dust. 5
1 tn The prefixed verbal form is a (shortened) jussive form, indicating this is a prayer of blessing.
2 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.
3 tn Heb “the river,” a reference to the Euphrates.
4 tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.
5 sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.