Psalms 21:5-7

Context

21:5 Your deliverance brings him great honor;¹

you give him majestic splendor.²

21:6 For you grant him lasting blessings;

you give him great joy by allowing him into your presence.³

21:7 For the king trusts⁴ in the Lord,

and because of the sovereign Lord’s⁵ faithfulness he is not upended.⁶

[21:5] ¹tn Or “great glory.”

[21:5] ²tn Heb “majesty and splendor you place upon him.” For other uses of the phrase הוֹד וְהָדָר (hod vÿhadar, “majesty and splendor”) see 1 Chr 16:27; Job 40:10; Pss 96:6; 104:1; 111:3.

[21:6] ³tn Heb “you make him happy with joy with [i.e., “close by” or “in”] your face.” On the idiom “with your face” (i.e., “in your presence”) see Ps 16:11 and BDB 816 s.v. פָּנֻה II.2.a.

[21:7] ⁵tn The active participle draws attention to the ongoing nature of the action.

[21:7] ⁶tn Traditionally “the Most High’s.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. Note the focus of vv. 8-12 and see Ps 47:2.

[21:7] ⁷tn Another option is to translate the imperfect verbal form as future, “he will not be upended” (cf. NRSV “he shall not be moved”). Even if one chooses this option, the future tense must be understood in a generalizing sense.