Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 72

Give the king - Supposing the psalm to have been composed by David in view of the inauguration of his son and successor, this is a prayer that God would bestow on him the qualifications which would tend to secure a just, a protracted, and a peaceful reign.

Though it is to be admitted that the psalm was designed to refer ultimately to the Messiah, and to be descriptive of his reign, yet there is no impropriety in supposing that the psalmist believed the reign of Solomon would be, in some proper sense, emblematic of that reign. It was his desire that the reign of the one might, as far as possible, resemble that of the other.

There is no improbability, therefore, in supposing that the mind of the psalmist might have been directed to both in the composition of the psalm, and that while he used the language of prayer for the one, his eye was mainly directed to the characteristics of the other.

Your judgments - Knowledge, authority, and the ability to execute your judgments, or your laws. That is, he speaks of the king as appointed to administer justice, to maintain the laws of God, and to exercise judicial power.

It is one of the primary ideas in the character of a king that he is the fountain of justice, the maker of the laws, and the dispenser of right to all his subjects. The officers of the law administer justice under him; the last appeal is to him.

And your righteousness - That is, clothe him, in the administration of justice, with a righteousness like your own. Let it be seen that he represents you; that his government may be regarded as your own administration through him.

To the king’s son - Not only to him, but to his successor; that is, let the administration of justice in the government be perpetuated. There is no improbability in supposing that in this the psalmist may have designed also to refer to the last and the greatest of his successors in the line—the Messiah.

He shall judge thy people with righteousness - On this verse see the notes at (Isaiah 11:3–4). The fact that this so entirely accords with the description in (Isaiah 11:1 and following), which undoubtedly refers to the Messiah, has been alluded to above as confirming the opinion that the psalm has a similar reference.

The mountains shall bring peace to the people - The idea in this verse is that the land would be full of peace and the fruits of peace. All parts of it would be covered with the evidences that it was a land of quietness and security, where people could pursue their callings in safety, and enjoy the fruit of their labors. On the mountains and on all the little hills in the land there would be abundant harvests, the result of peace (so strongly in contrast with the desolations of war)—all showing the advantages of a peaceful reign.

It is to be remembered that Judea is a country abounding in hills and mountains, and that a great part of its former fertility resulted from terracing the hills and cultivating them as far as possible toward the summit. The idea here is, that one who should look upon the land—who could take in at a glance the whole country—would see those mountains and hills cultivated in the most careful manner, and everywhere bringing forth the productions of peace.

Compare Psalms 65:11-13. See also the notes at Psalms 85:11-12.

And the little hills, by righteousness - That is, by the prevalence of righteousness, or under a reign of righteousness, the little hills would furnish illustrations of the influence of a reign of peace. Everywhere there would be the effects of a reign of peace. The whole land would be cultivated, and there would be abundance. Peace always produces these blessings; war always spreads desolation.

He shall judge the poor of the people — The afflicted; the down-trodden; the needy. He would vindicate their cause against their oppressors; his reign would be one of impartial justice, under which the rights of the poor as well as of the rich would be respected. See the notes at (Isaiah 11:4).

He shall save the children of the needy — Those in humble life; those most likely to be oppressed by others; those who have no natural protectors.

And shall break in pieces the oppressor — Shall subdue, or destroy, those who live to oppress others. See the notes at (Psalms 12:5).

They shall fear thee — That is, “men” shall fear you, or you shall be feared, or reverenced. The idea is that his reign would continue, or that he would be obeyed during all the time mentioned here.

As long as the sun and moon endure — literally, “With the sun, and before the moon;” that is, as long as they have the sun with them, or have it to shine upon them, and as long as they are in the presence of the moon, or have its light. In other words, they would continue to the end of time, or to the end of the world. It does not denote “eternity,” for it is not assumed in the Bible that the sun and moon will continue forever; but the idea is that as long as the sun shall continue to shine upon the earth—as long as people shall dwell upon the earth—the kingdom would be perpetual.

There would be no change of dynasty; no new empire would arise to displace and supersede this. This would be the dynasty under which the affairs of the world would be wound up; this the kingdom which would be found at the consummation of all things. The reign of the Messiah will be the “final” reign in the earth; that under which the affairs of earth will close.

Throughout all generations — While the generations of people dwell on the earth.