Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 21

The king shall joy in thy strength — King David, who had achieved the victory which he had desired and prayed for (Psalms 20:1–9). This is in the third person, but the reference is doubtless to David himself and is to be understood as his own language. If it is understood, however, as the language of “the people,” it is still an ascription of praise to God for his favor to their king. It seems better, however, to regard it as the language of David himself.

The word "strength" here implies that all the success referred to was to be traced to God. It was not by the prowess of a human arm; it was not by the valor or skill of the king himself; it was by the power of God alone.

And in thy salvation — In the salvation or deliverance from foes which you have granted, and in all that you do to save. The language would embrace all that God does to save his people.

How greatly shall he rejoice! — Not only does he rejoice now, but he will always rejoice. It will be to him a constant joy. Salvation, now to us a source of comfort, will always be such; and when we once have evidence that God has interposed to save us, it is accompanied with the confident anticipation that this will continue to be the source of our highest joy forever.

Thou hast given him his heart’s desire - See the notes at (Psalms 20:4). This had been the prayer of the people that God would grant him according to his own heart, and fulfil all his counsel, and this desire had now been granted. All that had been wished; all that had been prayed for by himself or by the people, had been granted.

And hast not withholden - Have not denied or refused.

The request of his lips - The request, or the desire which his lips had uttered. The meaning is, that his petitions had been fully granted.

Selah - See the notes at (Psalms 3:2).

For you prevent him - You go before him; you anticipate him. See (Psalms 17:13, margin). Our word “prevent” is now most commonly used in the sense of “hinder,” “stop,” or “intercept.” This is not the original meaning of the English word, and the word is never used in this sense in the Bible. The English word, when our translation was made, meant “to go before,” “to anticipate,” and this is the uniform meaning of it in our English version, as it is the meaning of the original. See the notes at (Job 3:12). Compare (Psalms 59:10); (Psalms 79:8); (Psalms 88:13); (Psalms 95:2); (Psalms 119:147–148); (Amos 9:10); see the notes at (1 Thessalonians 4:15).

The meaning here is that God had “anticipated” him, or his desires. He had gone before him. He had designed the blessing even before it was asked.

With the blessings of goodness - Blessings “indicating” goodness on His part; blessings adapted to promote the “good” or the welfare of him on whom they were bestowed. Perhaps the meaning here is, not only that they were “good,” but they “seemed” to be good; they were not “blessings in disguise,” or blessings as the result of previous calamity and trial, but blessings where there was no trial, no shadow, no appearance of disappointment.

You set a crown of pure gold on his head - This does not refer to the time of his coronation, or the period when he was crowned a king, but it refers to the victory which he had achieved, and by which he had been made truly a king. He was crowned with triumph; he was shown to be a king; the victory was like making him a king, or setting a crown of pure gold upon his head. He was now a conqueror, and was indeed a king.

He asked life of you - An expression similar to this occurs in (Psalms 61:5–6), For you, O God, have heard my vows;...You will prolong the king’s life, and his years to many generations. The expression in both cases implies that there had been a prayer for life, as if life were in danger. The expression itself would be applicable to a time of sickness, or to danger of any kind, and here it is used doubtless in reference to the exposure of life in going into battle, or in going forth to war. In this apprehended peril he prayed that God would defend him. He earnestly sought protection as he went forth to the perils of war.

And you gave it to him - You heard and answered his prayer. He was saved from danger.

Even length of days forever and ever - You granted him more than he asked. He sought life for himself; you have not only granted that, but have granted to him the assurance that he should live in his posterity to all generations. The idea is that there would be an indefinite continuation of his race. His posterity would occupy his throne, and there would be no end to his reign thus prolonged. Beyond all his petitions and his hopes, God had given the assurance that his reign would be permanent and enduring.

We cannot suppose that he understood this as if it were a promise made to him personally, that he would live and would occupy the throne forever. Instead, the natural interpretation is that which would refer it to his posterity, and to the perpetuity of the reign of his family or descendants.

A similar promise occurs elsewhere: 2 Samuel 7:13, 2 Samuel 7:16. (Compare the notes at Psalms 18:50). It is by no means an uncommon thing that God gives us more than we asked in our prayers. The offering of prayer is not only the means of securing the blessing we asked, but also often of securing much more important blessings we did not ask.

If the expression were allowable, it might be said that the prayer suggested to the divine mind the conferring of all needed blessings. Or, it indicates such a state of mind on the part of him who prays that God takes occasion to confer blessings that were not asked. This is similar to when a request made by a child to a parent for a specific favor is followed not only by granting that favor, but also by bestowing others of which the child did not think.

The state of mind on the part of the child was such as to dispose the parent to grant much larger blessings.

His glory is great in thy salvation - Not in himself; not in anything that he has done, but in what you have done.

The fact that you have saved him, and the manner in which it has been done, has placed great honor upon him.

He felt indeed that his condition as king, and the prospects before him, were one of great glory or honor; but he felt at the same time that it was not in himself, or for anything that he had done: it was only in the salvation which God had conferred upon him.

Every child of God, in like manner, has great glory conferred upon him, and his glory will be great forever; but it is not in himself, or by virtue of anything that he has done.

It is great in the salvation of God:

• In the fact that God has interposed to save him; and
• In the manner in which it has been done.

The highest honor that can be placed upon man is in the fact that God will save him.

Honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him -

• In making him a king;
• In the victories and triumphs which you have now given him, placing on his head, as it were, a brighter crown;
• In the promised perpetuity of his reign.

So we may say of the ransomed sinner—the child of God—now. Honour and majesty have been laid on him:

• In the fact that God has redeemed him;
• In the manner in which this has been accomplished;
• In his adoption into the family of God;
• In the rank and dignity which he occupies as a child of God;
• In the hope of immortal blessedness beyond the grave.