CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. III
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. III

Psalm LXXII (72)

Cantillated — Royal Blessing

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 72 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

By Solomon.

1

God, give the king your justice; your righteousness to the royal son.

לִשְׁלֹמֹ֨ה ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ תֵּ֑ן וְצִדְקָתְךָ֥ לְבֶן־מֶֽלֶךְ׃

2

He will judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.

יָדִ֣ין עַמְּךָ֣ בְצֶ֑דֶק וַעֲנִיֶּ֥יךָ בְמִשְׁפָּֽט׃

3

The mountains shall bring prosperity to the people. The hills bring the fruit of righteousness.

יִשְׂא֤וּ הָרִ֓ים שָׁ֘ל֥וֹם לָעָ֑ם וּ֝גְבָע֗וֹת בִּצְדָקָֽה׃

4

He will judge the poor of the people. He will save the children of the needy, and will break the oppressor in pieces.

יִשְׁפֹּ֤ט ׀ עֲֽנִיֵּי־עָ֗ם י֭וֹשִׁיעַ לִבְנֵ֣י אֶבְי֑וֹן וִֽידַכֵּ֣א עוֹשֵֽׁק׃

5

They shall fear you while the sun endures; and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.

יִֽירָא֥וּךָ עִם־שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וְלִפְנֵ֥י יָ֝רֵ֗חַ דּ֣וֹר דּוֹרִֽים׃

6

He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.

יֵ֭רֵד כְּמָטָ֣ר עַל־גֵּ֑ז כִּ֝רְבִיבִ֗ים זַרְזִ֥יף אָֽרֶץ׃

7

In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.

יִֽפְרַח־בְּיָמָ֥יו צַדִּ֑יק וְרֹ֥ב שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם עַד־בְּלִ֥י יָרֵֽחַ׃

8

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.

וְ֭יֵרְדְּ מִיָּ֣ם עַד־יָ֑ם וּ֝מִנָּהָ֗ר עַד־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

9

Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.

לְ֭פָנָיו יִכְרְע֣וּ צִיִּ֑ים וְ֝אֹיְבָ֗יו עָפָ֥ר יְלַחֵֽכוּ׃

10

The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

מַלְכֵ֬י תַרְשִׁ֣ישׁ וְ֭אִיִּים מִנְחָ֣ה יָשִׁ֑יבוּ מַלְכֵ֥י שְׁבָ֥א וּ֝סְבָ֗א אֶשְׁכָּ֥ר יַקְרִֽיבוּ׃

11

Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him.

וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ־ל֥וֹ כָל־מְלָכִ֑ים כָּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם יַֽעַבְדֽוּהוּ׃

12

For he will deliver the needy when he cries; the poor, who has no helper.

כִּֽי־יַ֭צִּיל אֶבְי֣וֹן מְשַׁוֵּ֑עַ וְ֝עָנִ֗י וְֽאֵין־עֹזֵ֥ר לֽוֹ׃

13

He will have pity on the poor and needy. He will save the souls of the needy.

יָ֭חֹס עַל־דַּ֣ל וְאֶבְי֑וֹן וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹת אֶבְיוֹנִ֣ים יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃

14

He will redeem their soul from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight.

מִתּ֣וֹךְ וּ֭מֵחָמָס יִגְאַ֣ל נַפְשָׁ֑ם וְיֵיקַ֖ר דָּמָ֣ם בְּעֵינָֽיו׃

15

He will live; and Sheba’s gold will be given to him. Men will pray for him continually. They will bless him all day long.

וִיחִ֗י וְיִתֶּן־לוֹ֮ מִזְּהַ֪ב שְׁ֫בָ֥א וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל בַּעֲד֣וֹ תָמִ֑יד כָּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם יְבָרֲכֶֽנְהֽוּ׃

16

Abundance of grain shall be throughout the land. Its fruit sways like Lebanon. Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field.

יְהִ֤י פִסַּת־בַּ֨ר ׀ בָּאָרֶץ֮ בְּרֹ֪אשׁ הָ֫רִ֥ים יִרְעַ֣שׁ כַּלְּבָנ֣וֹן פִּרְי֑וֹ וְיָצִ֥יצוּ מֵ֝עִ֗יר כְּעֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָֽרֶץ׃

17

His name endures forever. His name continues as long as the sun. Men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed.

יְהִ֤י שְׁמ֨וֹ לְֽעוֹלָ֗ם לִפְנֵי־שֶׁמֶשׁ֮ ינין שְׁ֫מ֥וֹ וְיִתְבָּ֥רְכוּ ב֑וֹ כָּל־גּוֹיִ֥ם יְאַשְּׁרֽוּהוּ׃

18

Praise be to Yahweh God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.

בָּר֤וּךְ ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל עֹשֵׂ֖ה נִפְלָא֣וֹת לְבַדּֽוֹ׃

19

Blessed be his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen.

וּבָר֤וּךְ ׀ שֵׁ֥ם כְּבוֹד֗וֹ לְע֫וֹלָ֥ם וְיִמָּלֵ֣א כְ֭בוֹדוֹ אֶת־כֹּ֥ל הָאָ֗רֶץ אָ֘מֵ֥ן ׀ וְאָמֵֽן׃

20

This ends the prayers by David, the son of Jesse.

כָּלּ֥וּ תְפִלּ֑וֹת דָּ֝וִ֗ד בֶּן־יִשָֽׁי׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

O God, give Your judgments to the king

Your righteousness to the son of the king

May he judge Your people in righteousness

Your afflicted with justice

May the mountains lift up peace for the people

The hills in righteousness

May he judge the afflicted of the people

Save the children of the poor

Crush the oppressor

They will fear You with the sun

Before the moon, generation to generation

May he come down like rain on cut grass

Like showers watering the earth

In his days the righteous will flourish

Abundance of peace

Until there is no moon

May he rule from sea to sea

From the river to the ends of the earth

Before him the desert dwellers bow

His enemies lick the dust

Kings bring tribute

Nations serve him

All kings bow down

All nations serve him

For he delivers the needy who cry out

The afflicted with no helper

He has compassion on the poor and the needy

He saves the lives of the needy

From oppression and violence he redeems them

Their blood is precious in his sight

May he live

May gold of Sheba be given to him

May prayer be made for him continually

All the day they bless him

May there be abundance of grain in the land

On the tops of the mountains it waves

Its fruit like Lebanon

They flourish from the city

Like grass of the earth

May his name endure forever

Before the sun his name continues

All nations will bless themselves in him

All nations call him blessed

Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel

Who alone does wonders

Blessed be His glorious name forever

Let His glory fill all the earth

Amen

Amen

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn