Discovery BoxPsalms 72:9-14 
Context72:9 Before him the coastlands 1 will bow down,
and his enemies will lick the dust. 2
72:10 The kings of Tarshish 3 and the coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba 4 and Seba 5 will bring tribute.
72:11 All kings will bow down to him;
all nations will serve him.
72:12 For he will rescue the needy 6 when they cry out for help,
and the oppressed 7 who have no defender.
72:13 He will take pity 8 on the poor and needy;
the lives of the needy he will save.
72:14 From harm and violence he will defend them; 9
he will value their lives. 10
1 tn Or “islands.” The term here refers metonymically to those people who dwell in these regions.
2 sn As they bow down before him, it will appear that his enemies are licking the dust.
3 sn Tarshish was a distant western port, the precise location of which is uncertain.
4 sn Sheba was located in Arabia.
5 sn Seba was located in Africa.
6 tn The singular is representative. The typical needy individual here represents the entire group.
7 tn The singular is representative. The typical oppressed individual here represents the entire group.
8 tn The prefixed verb form is best understood as a defectively written imperfect (see Deut 7:16).
9 tn Or “redeem their lives.” The verb “redeem” casts the
10 tn Heb “their blood will be precious in his eyes.”
