John Calvin Commentary Psalms 72:1

"Give the king thy judgments, O God, And thy righteousness unto the king`s son." — Psalms 72:1 (ASV)

O God! give your judgments to the king. While David, to whom the promise had been made, at his death affectionately recommended his son (who was to succeed him in his kingdom) to God, he doubtless composed for the Church a common form of prayer. This prayer was intended so that the faithful, convinced that they could not be prosperous and happy except under one head, should show all respect and yield all obedience to this legitimate order of things. It was also intended that from this typical kingdom they might be led to Christ.

In short, this is a prayer that God would equip the king whom He had chosen with the spirit of uprightness and wisdom. By the terms righteousness and judgment, the Psalmist means a proper and well-regulated administration of government. He contrasts this with the tyrannical and unbridled license of pagan kings, who, despising God, rule according to the dictates of their own will. In this way, the holy king of Israel, who was anointed to his office by divine appointment, is distinguished from other earthly kings.

From these words, we incidentally learn that no government in the world can be rightly managed except under God’s direction and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If kings possessed sufficient resources in themselves, it would have been pointless for David to have sought by prayer from another what they already possessed.

But in requesting that the righteousness and judgment of God be given to kings, he reminds them that none are fit for occupying that exalted station unless they are equipped for it by God’s hand. Accordingly, in the Proverbs of Solomon (Proverbs 8:15), Wisdom proclaims that kings reign by her. Nor is this surprising, when we consider that civil government is such an excellent institution that God wants us to acknowledge Him as its author and claims all its praise for Himself.

But it is proper for us to move from the general to the specific. Since it is the unique work of God to establish and maintain a rightful government in the world, it was much more necessary for Him to impart the special grace of His Spirit for the maintenance and preservation of that sacred kingdom which He had chosen in preference to all others. By the king’s son, David no doubt means his successors. At the same time, he also has in mind this promise:

Of the fruit of your body will I set upon your throne,
(Psalms 132:11).

But no such stability as is indicated in that passage is to be found in David’s successors until we come to Christ. We know that after Solomon’s death, the kingdom’s dignity decayed, and from that time its wealth diminished. This continued until, through the people being carried into captivity and the shameful death inflicted upon their king, the kingdom was brought to total ruin.

Even after their return from Babylon, their restoration was not such as to give them much hope, until finally Christ arose from the withered stock of Jesse. He therefore holds the first rank among the descendants of David.