Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 72:17

"His name shall endure for ever; His name shall be continued as long as the sun: And men shall be blessed in him; All nations shall call him happy." — Psalms 72:17 (ASV)

Shall be continued. —Rather, have offspring. Literally, send out new shoots.

As long as the sun. —See Note on Psalms 72:5.

Shall be blessed in him. —Or, bless themselves in him. The meaning is clear, though the Hebrew is rather vague. The monarch will himself be a source of blessing to his people, who will never tire of blessing him. The psalmist’s prayer finds a genuine echo in the noble dedication of In Memoriam:

“May you rule us long,
And leave us rulers of your blood
As noble, until the latest day!
May children of our children say,
‘She brought her people lasting good.’ ”

For the doxology closing the second book, and for the note apparently appended by the collector of this book, “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended,” see General Introduction.