Psalm 21 1

Psalm 21:1 kjv

The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

Psalm 21:1 nkjv

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD; And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

Psalm 21:1 niv

For the director of music. A psalm of David. The king rejoices in your strength, LORD. How great is his joy in the victories you give!

Psalm 21:1 esv

O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

Psalm 21:1 nlt

How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD!
He shouts with joy because you give him victory.

Psalm 21 verses

Psalm 21 1 Meaning

The verse proclaims the king's profound and intense joy and exultation, which is solely rooted in Yahweh's mighty strength and His complete, active deliverance (salvation). It serves as an anthem of gratitude, attributing all royal success, victory, and security not to human might or strategic brilliance, but directly to God's inherent power and His specific acts of rescue. The king's overflowing rejoicing is a humble acknowledgment of divine sovereignty, gracious intervention, and powerful faithfulness manifested in his reign and over his adversaries.

Psalm 21 1 Context

Psalm 21:1 inaugurates a triumphant song of thanksgiving. It follows Psalm 20, which was a communal prayer for the king's victory before battle, while Psalm 21 serves as a praise and affirmation for God's faithful answer to that prayer after the victory has been achieved. It celebrates the divine assistance granted to the king, highlighting God's faithfulness to His anointed.

As a whole, Psalm 21 is a royal psalm, an exultant ode of thanksgiving from the king (identified as David in the superscription) to God for delivering him and granting decisive victory over his enemies. It not only praises God's enduring favor and blessings upon the king but also magnifies God's eternal kingship, which establishes and upholds the earthly monarch. The psalm ultimately declares profound confidence that God will utterly defeat His foes and sustain His anointed.

In the historical and cultural context of ancient Israel, the king was not merely a political figure but Yahweh's chosen and anointed representative (2 Sam 7:8-16). His personal well-being, military success, and national security were intimately linked to God's favor and were seen as direct reflections of God's power working through him. This verse powerfully encapsulates the theological foundation of the Israelite monarchy: all authority, power, and victory genuinely emanate from Yahweh alone. This stance presents a stark contrast to the self-exalting rulers of surrounding pagan nations who attributed their triumphs to their own prowess, vast armies, or the fickle favor of their idols.

Psalm 21 1 Word Analysis

• "The king" (מֶלֶךְ - melekh): Refers directly to the reigning monarch, historically King David. Yet, within the biblical framework, this title also carries a significant typological dimension, pointing to the ideal and ultimate king, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, in whom God's strength and salvation are perfectly and eternally embodied.
• "shall joy/rejoices" (יִשְׂמַח - yismaḥ from the root שָׂמַח - samach): This verb denotes a deep, internal gladness, joy, and spiritual contentment. It describes an authentic emotional state, often associated with a sense of well-being, profound deliverance, or divine favor, signaling a heartfelt and unreserved response to God's actions.
• "in thy strength" (עָזְּךָ - ozzekha from עֹז - oz): "Strength" here is not merely physical power but encompasses might, valor, invincibility, and protective capability. It emphasizes God's inherent, active, and formidable might, the very quality that enables Him to accomplish His will and empowers the king to triumph where human capability would fall short. It explicitly points to God as the ultimate source of the king's effectiveness and power.
• "O LORD" (יהוה - YHWH): This is the sacred Tetragrammaton, the personal covenant name of God. Its inclusion stresses that the joy, strength, and salvation flow exclusively from the faithful, personal God who actively engages with and redeems His people, upholding His promises.
• "and in thy salvation" (וּבִישׁוּעָתֶךָ - uvishu'atekha from יְשׁוּעָה - yeshu'ah): "Salvation" is a deeply rich biblical term that includes deliverance, victory, preservation, rescue, and comprehensive divine help. This word, highly significant in Old Testament theology, refers not only to specific acts of rescue (e.g., from military adversaries) but also prophetically anticipates the holistic, redemptive salvation God provides, which finds its zenith in Christ. It emphasizes God's proactive, saving work.
• "how greatly" (מְאֹד - me'od): An intensive adverb meaning "very much," "exceedingly," "with great intensity," or "abundantly." It significantly amplifies the degree and profoundness of the king's rejoicing, signifying that his joy is not merely present but overwhelming, heartfelt, and beyond measure.
• "shall he rejoice!" (יָגִיל - yagil from גִּיל - gil): While similar to yismah (joy), yagil often carries the specific connotation of exultant, jubilant, and outward expressions of joy. This can include shouting for joy, leaping, or any demonstrative, unrestrained outpouring of gladness, especially in response to divine deliverance and triumph.

Word-groups Analysis:

• "The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD": This powerful opening phrase directly establishes the absolute source and ultimate object of the king's joy. It unequivocally states that the monarch's happiness, security, and successful reign are entirely dependent upon and deeply rooted in Yahweh's divine power, not on his own military might, strategic brilliance, or the size of his army. This underscores a critical theological principle: divine dependency is paramount for any true leadership and a foundational characteristic of a godly ruler.
• "and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!": This clause serves as a parallel structure, intensifying and further specifying the previous declaration. It clarifies that the divine "strength" mentioned earlier culminates in actual "salvation" or concrete deliverance. The inclusion of "how greatly" functions as a rhetorical question and an exclamation, amplifying the depth, exuberance, and measureless quality of the king's grateful exultation in response to God's tangible and effective saving acts. It articulates a spontaneous, triumphant shout of thanksgiving, a profound reaction to an undeniable act of divine victory.

Psalm 21 1 Bonus Section

• Messianic Typology: Psalm 21, and especially this opening verse, stands as a highly significant messianic psalm. While its primary reference is to King David in his historical context as Israel's anointed ruler, the profound language, themes of perfect triumph, unending strength, and ultimate salvation inherently find their most complete and eternal realization in Jesus Christ. He is the true King of kings (Rev 19:16) whose eternal kingdom and decisive, spiritual victory were secured through His divine strength (most supremely in His resurrection from the dead) and whose very essence embodies the ultimate salvation for all humanity (redemption from sin and death). His unwavering joy, even through immense suffering, was rooted in His obedience to the Father's strength (Heb 12:2), leading to His glorious exaltation.
• Polemic Against Human Hubris: The strong emphasis on God as the sole source of joy, strength, and salvation subtly but powerfully acts as a polemic against the pervasive human tendency towards self-exaltation, pride, and reliance on one's own capabilities, military might, or shrewd alliances. In ancient near-eastern contexts, kings frequently boasted of their own power and the strength of their armies or idols. This verse pointedly redirects all glory back to Yahweh, thereby teaching crucial lessons of humility and absolute dependence on God, which were essential virtues for righteous leadership within Israel.
• Holistic Expression of Joy: The psalm wisely employs two distinct, yet complementary, Hebrew verbs for "joy" in this single verse: yismaḥ (שָׂמַח) and yagil (גִּיל). Yismaḥ denotes an inner state of deep gladness and contentment, a spiritual rejoicing. Yagil, on the other hand, frequently describes outward, exuberant expressions of joy, such as shouting, leaping, or celebrating vocally. The pairing of these terms signifies that the king's response to God's manifest power and saving grace is not superficial but a comprehensive, enthusiastic, and holistic outpouring of gratitude that affects both his inner being and his outward actions.
• Prophetic Parallel for Believers: While rooted in David's historical military victories, the verse carries a potent spiritual and prophetic parallel. The deliverance celebrated here anticipates the greater, eternal spiritual victory that Christ would secure for all humanity from the bondage of sin and the power of death. Consequently, followers of Christ are enabled to continually "rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil 4:4), finding their ultimate strength and complete salvation in Him, allowing their joy to transcend earthly circumstances.

Psalm 21 1 Commentary

Psalm 21:1 opens with a heartfelt and declarative statement of the king's profound, exultant joy, precisely pinpointing Yahweh's strength and salvation as the sole, indispensable foundation for this intense rejoicing. This verse beautifully encapsulates a profound and enduring theological truth: for any leader, or indeed any believer, genuine joy, lasting peace, and authentic success are discovered not in human capability, accumulated wealth, or earthly might, but exclusively in the sovereign power and faithful, redemptive acts of God. The intentional pairing of "strength" (עֹז) and "salvation" (יְשׁוּעָה) in this context is crucial; it illustrates that God's power is not a theoretical concept or a static attribute, but is dynamic, active, and continually engaged in delivering His anointed servant and, through him, His chosen people. The emphatic "how greatly" does more than simply express quantity; it magnifies the overwhelming nature of the king's humble gratitude and awe in the face of God's mighty and decisive victory. This statement implicitly draws a sharp contrast between the fleeting, uncertain triumphs gained by human endeavors and the sure, joyful, and eternal deliverance provided exclusively by God, thereby anticipating the ultimate strength and holistic salvation made manifest in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ, the eternal King.