In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon be no more.
Psalm 72:7 sets two marks on a coming reign: righteous people who flourish, and peace in full supply. The question is whose "days" these are, and why the earth has never yet seen such a state.
The psalm is not a prayer for a good ruler in general. One writer sets it against the psalms of struggle that come before it.
Psalm 72 introduces us, not to David in suffering and conflict, but to the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the source and securer of millennial blessings. I do not think this psalm needs much explanation, because it is so clear. It is the king to whom God gives His judgments. He is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David, reigning in righteousness and peace, like Solomon or Melchizedek.
The verse ties the flourishing of the righteous to abundant peace. One writer shows what that peace waits on. (The writers quoted here use older translations of the psalm.)
Millennial peace depends for its realization on authority and power being placed in Christ, and so on righteousness being established in the earth. Psalm 72 begins with "Give the King Your judgments, O God … He shall judge Your people with righteousness," and it is "in His days" that there shall be "abundance of peace so long as the moon endures" (ver. 7).
The picture here comes from farming. The same writer traces the order: first the mowing, then the showers.
The scythe of judgment will have mown the earth, and the great ones and their glory will be only withered grass, as the Scripture had said long ago. After He has executed judgment, He will come down upon the earth like gentle showers on thirsty ground. So the righteous shall flourish in His days.
The psalm names those who flourish earlier as the poor and needy. One writer identifies them:
the "poor and needy" in view here are without a doubt the godly people whom the antichristian powers of the last days will persecute.
The world knows peace only in small measures. The word "abundance" marks the difference.
Peace is much desired among the nations, yet how often it escapes them. If they enjoy it at all, it is in very scanty measure. There has never yet been abundance of peace; but there will be in the glad day of the kingdom. When righteousness reigns, when the needy are delivered, when blessing fills the earth, then an abundant peace will be the happy result.
That peace will also have no borders, and something of it can be had already:
Psalm 72:7 looks on to the day, in the world to come, when the peace secured will be universal. It will not be limited to any particular country or region… What a triumph for the Man of Golgotha! He secured peace for all who trust in Him now and in the future. Peace of soul and conscience now come before the reign of peace to come (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14, 17; Col. 1:20).
One writer met a claim that Christian principle would "mainly" free the world from war. He answered it from this verse.
This little word "mainly" sets aside the coming of the One who alone is called in Scripture the "Prince of Peace." For if peace is established "mainly" without Him, by the efforts of Christians, His presence is only a secondary matter, not of prime importance or necessity. If "peace" is the question, Scripture says and insists that He is the necessity. (Ps. 72:7.)
The closing phrase measures the reign by the moon. One writer takes the moon as a picture of Israel:
"In His days the righteous shall flourish" (v. 7), though they had long been oppressed while the wicked prospered… But "until the moon is no more" no doubt reminds us that the moon pictures the nation Israel. Israel reflects the light of the Sun, the Lord Jesus.
Another reads the same measure as a way of saying the rule never stops:
Next, the duration of the reign is stated to be "to the ages of ages," that is, throughout all time to come, as long as sun, moon, and earth endure (Ps. 72:5, 7, 17). The reign extends to eternity. It shall never cease.
- King first. The days belong to the Son of David, the King to whom God gives His judgments — not to any human era or program.
- Righteousness first. Peace is never built on its own. It comes when Christ holds authority and righteousness fills the earth.
- Rain first. Judgment mows the field. Then He comes down like showers, and the long-oppressed righteous flourish.
- Abundance, not scraps. The world has never known more than scanty peace; abundance of peace belongs to that kingdom, and it will be universal, not regional.
- Now, in part. Those who trust Him today already have peace of soul and conscience. It arrives ahead of the reign of peace — the same Person, the same peace, coming early.
And he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
This verse sits in a psalm written for Solomon, yet it prays for a rule with no border short of the ends of the earth. Could such words ever fit a son of David in history? And if not, whom do they fit?
The psalm shows a reign that comes after conflict, not one still fighting for its place.
Psalm 72 does not show us David in suffering and conflict. It shows the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the source and securer of millennial blessings. God gives His judgments to this king, who is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David. He reigns in righteousness and peace, as Solomon or Melchizedek did. His kingdom has the full extent of promise, but all kings fall down before Him.
Even the name in the psalm's title points the same way.
This psalm is a prayer for Solomon, not of Solomon, for David wrote it (v. 20). Solomon's name means "peaceableness". He is a type of Christ reigning in the millennium, after His warfare — pictured in David's history — has subdued all enemies.
Commentators differ on how wide verse 8 reaches. Some read the four markers as real geography, tracing the land God promised to Abraham. (Several writers below quote an older translation, "He shall have dominion", where the ESV reads "May he have dominion".)
"And He shall have dominion from sea to sea." This cannot be the Dead Sea. Israel's boundary goes far beyond that. So it seems to mean from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. "And from the River to the ends of the land" (v. 8) is no doubt the Euphrates River to the western edge of the land of Israel. God promised that land to Abraham in Genesis 15:18. Israel has not yet held all that land, but will do so in the millennium.
Others read the same words as reaching past Israel's map, and compare the two kingdoms.
The Kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of His father David refer to the earthly side of the kingdom. Christ's kingdom is the wider of the two. David's never reached far beyond the borders of Israel, as known in later days. But Christ's kingdom shall include every part of the earth. "He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth."
Solomon's own reign never reached this far, and no empire since has.
No one has ruled the world since the throne of Jehovah in Jerusalem fell, and the crown came off the head of David's unworthy heir. Nebuchadnezzar received a limited measure of supremacy, and that only for a time. Other empires followed as God allowed. But of no man yet has it been true: "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. … Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him."
Set this promise beside what the same Person received when He came.
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. After His crucifixion His executioners claimed His very garments, and His tomb was another's: He had nothing. It is written that His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8). Yet, in Jerusalem, He found no throne, no temple, no priesthood. As the Anointed of the Lord He had a right of inheritance, but the people of the Jews and their rulers gave Him none of it.
This rule starts at one event, and writers are careful which one.
The Lord's coming and His appearing differ. At His coming He comes for His saints; at His appearing He comes with His saints. So the kingdom is always connected with His appearing. It is then that He will take up His power, and "have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." (Ps. 72:8.) No one will expect it.
This future changed the man who prayed the psalm.
When David foresaw this reign by the Spirit, it satisfied every desire of his heart, and he had nothing left to pray for, as the last verse of the psalm tells us.
- Promised. The psalm asks God to give His judgments to the king and the king's son. That reign is one of righteousness and peace, and it reaches as far as the promise goes.
- Measured. Commentators differ. Some map the four borders onto the land promised to Abraham, from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf; others say the rule covers every part of the earth.
- Unclaimed. Solomon fell short of it, Babylon held only a limited sway for a time, and of no man yet has it been true.
- Refused. The One whose dominion this is came to His own, and they gave Him no throne, no temple, nothing of His inheritance.
- Granted. At His appearing He takes up His power, and the psalmist's every desire is met — nothing left to pray for.
The dwellers in the desert shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust.
This verse sits inside a psalm that begins as a prayer for a king and ends as a portrait of a kingdom without rivals. Two images stand together — desert peoples bowing, and enemies face down in the dust — and both ask how far this King's rule reaches.
One writer sets out who this King is — both the king God gives His judgments to, and the king's own Son:
Psalm 72 introduces us, not to David in suffering and conflict, but to the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the one who brings and secures the blessings of the thousand-year reign. I do not think this psalm needs much explanation, because it is so clear. He is the king to whom God gives His judgments. He is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David, reigning in righteousness and peace, like Solomon or Melchizedek. His kingdom has the full extent of promise, and all kings fall down before Him.
One writer draws a firm line between who these words describe and who they do not:
This is a remarkable prophecy of David's Son. Solomon fulfilled only a small part of it. The rest still waits for the true Seed, the Second Man… Most of this language cannot be applied to the Church in any sense. But read it as a literal fulfilment of the promises given to Abraham and David about the earth, and as a description of a kingdom brought in by judgment and bringing universal blessing. Seen that way, the picture is divinely perfect.
The first people named here are not great powers but those who live in dry places. One writer finds that fitting for the land in view:
But this land, as we find it today, contains many different peoples and wide stretches of desert. Notice, then, how natural the next verse is. It speaks of the King's competence to take possession of this wide and varied stretch of country: the dwellers in the deserts, or parched lands, will bow before Him, and His enemies will lick the dust. This explains why such people get a special mention as a victorious King advances. You would expect the writer to name strong peoples instead — enemies that would need special might to subdue! A glance at the map shows how fitting it is, and this "desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus" (Isa. 35:1).
The phrase is a picture, not a description. A Bible dictionary traces what dust stands for:
Dust is the small particles of matter found on the ground. God formed man out of it, and told him, "you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Gen. 2:7; Gen. 3:19… Dust stands as a symbol of weakness: "he remembers that we are dust." Ps. 103:14. To "lick the dust" is a figure of defeat. Ps. 72:9.
The verse names two groups: those who bow, and those who lick the dust. One writer explains what such wide submission does not prove:
…the fact lies everywhere, even on the surface of the prophetic scriptures: once the kingdom of Christ is established in the age to come, all men must submit to His rule. Even though hostility may still fill their hearts, they will offer their subjection. So we read several times in the Psalms that many, afraid at the display of His power, will yield to Him pretended obedience. As He Himself says, speaking in the Spirit, "As soon as they hear of Me, they obey Me; foreigners come cringing to Me" (Ps. 18:44-45).
A verse about defeated enemies can feel remote. One writer names what will mean most on that day:
Our Lord is coming back, dear fellow-believer. As "King of kings, and Lord of lords," He will come down from heaven to take His rightful throne and place here below… His enemies will lick the dust. Every knee will bow to Him. Every tongue will confess that He is Lord, to God the Father's glory. That will mean more to us than all the white-robed angels, the street of gold, and the pearly gates.
- Reign, not battle — the psalm shows the Son of David in a reign of righteousness and peace. His kingdom reaches the full extent of the promise.
- Reach — the psalm names the desert peoples first. This King takes even the parched places, which will one day blossom.
- Ruin — to lick the dust is a figure of defeat. Dust is the Bible's picture of weakness.
- Reluctance — some will bow with hostility still in their hearts. Their obedience will be pretended, not glad.
- Reward — for those who love Him, the joy is not the fall of enemies. It is the sight of Christ on His throne, worth more than gold streets and pearly gates.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer tribute
The verse prays that kings from the far west and the far south — Tarshish, the coastlands, Sheba and Seba — will bring tribute to one King. Who is that King, why do foreign rulers bring Him gifts, and when does this happen?
David wrote Psalm 72 with his son Solomon in view. But the tribute described here is far larger than anything Solomon ever received.
Psalm 72, which closes the second book, predicts the glory of His coming kingdom. David started to write his desires for Solomon in poetic form. But the Holy Spirit caught him up into His own thoughts about the One that Solomon only faintly pictured. The KING of this psalm receives tribute from the kings of Tarshish and the coastlands, and from the kings of Sheba and Seba. He is so great that "all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him." There is no doubt that He is the King of kings. No one is that but Jesus.
Tarshish lay far to the west, at the end of the old sea trade routes.
The ships of Tarshish were the most famous for merchandise in ancient times. Psalm 72:10 by itself shows that Tarshish was a large stretch of country. It was not just the well-known city of Tartessus at the mouth of the Baetis river.
Seba lies in the opposite direction, deep in Africa.
Seba was a son of Cush, who was a son of Ham. The name also stands for the land where his descendants lived (Genesis 10:7; 1 Chronicles 1:9; Psalm 72:10; Isaiah 43:3). Those descendants have been traced to Meroe, west of Abyssinia. Josephus says that Meroe was once called Saba, or Seba.
A gift sent from one ruler to another was not a courtesy. It said who ranked higher.
Presents went from an inferior to a superior (2 Chronicles 9:24; 17:5, 11). They also took the form of tribute, an acknowledgement of submission (1 Samuel 10:27; 1 Kings 4:21). When Solomon reigned supreme, "all the earth" came to Solomon to hear his wisdom and brought presents, as the queen of Sheba did (1 Kings 10:2, 24, 25). This is a picture of Christ's kingdom set up on earth, when all nations will send presents, as willing tribute, to the Lord Jesus (Psalm 45:12; Psalm 72:10, 15; Isaiah 60:9).
The gifts come after the King's power has settled who rules.
So Christ as the King wins universal dominion by the display of His power in righteous judgment. After that, having put down all rule and all authority and power, He reigns as Prince of peace.
The nations do not disappear under this reign.
The nations will have their own kings in that day. But they will all recognise the supremacy of the Lord Jesus, as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 21:24-26; Psalm 72:10-11).
Not every bowed knee means a changed heart.
The prophetic scriptures show this everywhere, even on the surface. Once Christ establishes His kingdom in the age to come, all men must submit to His rule. Even though enmity may still hold their hearts, they will offer their subjection.
A small group of foreigners has already done what this verse describes. They did it at a cradle.
The wise men from the East do not come to the meek and lowly One. They come to Him "who has been born king of the Jews." Their visit is a foretaste of the homage of the nations, when the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render Him tribute, and the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
- Tribute — a present from one king to another admitted rank, not kindness. Here the world hands that rank to Christ.
- Distance — Tarshish lies west by sea, Seba south into Africa. The names show how far the surrender reaches.
- Order — righteous judgment first, then dominion, then tribute, and last the reign of peace.
- Variety — nations keep their own kings and identities; what changes is that every one of them bows.
- Down payment — the wise men's gifts to the newborn King were the first instalment. The rest of the tribute is still to come.
Yea, all kings shall bow down before him; all nations shall serve him.
David wrote Psalm 72 for his son Solomon, yet verse 11 describes a rule no son of David has ever held. Every king bows and every nation serves — so who is this King, and how does He win such homage?
The psalm carries Solomon's name. Commentators read it as a prayer for him, with a greater King in view.
This psalm is a prayer for Solomon, not by Solomon, because David wrote it (v. 20). Solomon's name means "peaceableness". He is a picture of Christ reigning in the thousand-year kingdom, after His warfare — pictured in David's history — has defeated every enemy.
The reach of verse 11 bursts out of Solomon's lifetime. It also settles what sort of kingdom this is: an earthly one, promised to Abraham and to David.
Here is a remarkable prophecy of David's Son. Solomon fulfilled only a small part of it. The true Seed, the Second Man, has still to fulfil the rest… Most of this language cannot be applied to the Church in any sense. But take it as a literal fulfilment of the promises God gave to Abraham and David about the earth. Take it as a description of a kingdom that comes in by judgment and brings blessing to the whole world. Read that way, the picture God draws is perfect.
Verse 11 gathers up the kingdoms named just before it. Those names cover the map on purpose.
Tarshish and the islands lie west of Palestine; Sheba and Seba lie south-east… so every family of the earth seems to be represented in the homage given here. These conquests may be entirely peaceful ones. Nothing else is suggested… The peoples seem to stand for the trade of the world, which now, for the first time in its history, owns Christ. Its profits are set apart for the Lord of the whole earth.
The word "yea" marks a rising movement in the psalm: desert dwellers bow, then distant kings send tribute, then the last exception disappears.
But the tide of homage swells: "all kings bow down before Him; all nations serve Him." The worldwide empire is complete at last. At last the cross truly becomes the symbol of power and rule over all, and under it the earth rests, quiet in sabbath rest.
The verse names two groups, not one: kings, and nations. That difference matters, and it turns today's order of power upside down.
The same difference appears in the kingdom of the thousand years. Speaking of the honour to be given to the Messiah, it says, "All kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him" (Psalm 72:11). Both the rulers and their peoples will be of one mind… Today kings and nations serve and exalt themselves. But then, as we read in Zechariah, "everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles."
The psalm gives its own reason why worldwide honour belongs to this King and to no other.
He alone is worthy to receive riches, honour, glory and might. He will use all of it to rescue the needy and the poor when they cry out. He will be the Helper of the helpless, and the Redeemer of people from corruption and violence. In His sight the lives of the poor and the helpless will be precious.
Commentators are careful here. Universal submission is not the same as universal love, and other psalms supply the qualification.
The fact lies everywhere, even on the surface of the prophetic scriptures. Once Christ's kingdom is set up in the age to come, all people must submit to His rule. Even if hatred still fills their hearts, they will offer their submission. So we read several times in the Psalms that many, afraid at the display of His power, will give Him a pretended obedience.
One scene in the Gospels gives an early sample of verse 11. Visitors from outside Israel knelt before a child in a house.
The works of creation led them to the God who made them. They recognised Him in the lowly Child in Joseph's house, and bowed in worship before Him, offering their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. So they gave a first pledge that the prophecy would be fulfilled: "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents… Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him."
- Type — Solomon's peaceful reign is the small model; the psalm's full scale belongs to a greater Son of David.
- Reach — Tarshish, the isles, Sheba and Seba span the compass, so every family of the earth is there.
- Climax — Verse 11 is the swell at its height: the last exception is gone and the empire is complete.
- Ground — He is worthy of that homage because He spends His power on the needy, the helpless and the crying.
- Response — Submission will be worldwide, but not every heart in it is willing. The visitors who knelt before the child show what real homage looks like.