Psalm 21:5 kjv
His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.
Psalm 21:5 nkjv
His glory is great in Your salvation; Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
Psalm 21:5 niv
Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
Psalm 21:5 esv
His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
Psalm 21:5 nlt
Your victory brings him great honor,
and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
Psalm 21 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:16 | "Your house and your kingdom shall endure before me forever..." | Davidic covenant's eternal promise |
| Ps 16:11 | "You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy..." | Fullness of joy in God's presence |
| Ps 21:4 | "He asked life of You; You gave it to him, length of days forever and ever." | Fore-reference to eternal life/kingdom |
| Ps 45:6 | "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever..." | King's eternal reign (messianic) |
| Ps 89:4 | "I will establish your offspring forever..." | Covenant with David on enduring lineage |
| Ps 89:15 | "Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound; they walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance." | Joy and walking in God's favorable light |
| Ps 145:13 | "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom..." | God's eternal dominion |
| Prov 16:15 | "In the light of a king's face there is life..." | King's favor brings life and blessing |
| Isa 9:7 | "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end..." | Prophecy of Messiah's eternal kingdom |
| Isa 51:11 | "The ransomed of the LORD will return...with songs and everlasting joy..." | Joy and lasting redemption |
| Lk 1:32-33 | "He will be great...the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David...He will reign over the house of Jacob forever..." | Christ's eternal Davidic reign |
| Jn 15:11 | "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." | Jesus imparts His fullness of joy |
| Jn 16:22 | "Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." | Future, secure joy for believers |
| Acts 2:25-28 | "For David says concerning Him, 'I saw the Lord always before me...You have made known to me the paths of life; You will make me full of joy with Your presence.'" | Ps 16 applied to Christ's resurrection |
| Acts 13:34 | "And as for the fact that He raised Him from the dead, no longer to return to decay..." | Resurrection guarantees eternal blessing |
| Rom 1:25 | "...worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever..." | God is the source of eternal blessing |
| Phil 4:4 | "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" | Christian imperative for joy in God |
| Col 1:27 | "...Christ in you, the hope of glory." | Christ as the source of indwelling hope and joy |
| 1 Pet 1:8 | "Though you have not seen Him, you love Him...and you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory..." | Inexpressible joy from knowing Christ |
| Rev 21:3-4 | "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men...He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death or mourning or crying or pain..." | Eternal presence and removal of sorrow |
| Jude 1:24 | "...able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy..." | Presenting believers with exceeding joy |
Psalm 21 verses
Psalm 21 5 Meaning
Psalm 21:5 declares God's abundant and eternal favor upon His anointed king. The verse highlights two primary aspects of divine blessing: an everlasting grant of goodness and a profound, overflowing joy derived directly from God's intimate presence. This joy is not fleeting but a deep, lasting gladness bestowed by the divine countenance itself, signifying favor, intimacy, and a secure relationship.
Psalm 21 5 Context
Psalm 21 is a psalm of thanksgiving, likely recited by David after a significant victory or divine deliverance (possibly alluded to in Psalm 20, a prayer before battle). It expresses the king's deep gratitude to God for answering his requests and granting him strength, success, and favor. The psalm magnifies God's role in the king's prosperity, attributing all honor and lasting dominion to Him. While primarily concerned with the earthly king, many interpreters view this psalm as also prophetic, pointing towards the ultimate Davidic King, Jesus the Messiah. The "blessing forever" and the "most glad with Your presence" thus transcend any individual reign to describe the eternal and joyous kingdom of Christ.
Psalm 21 5 Word analysis
- For You grant him (כי־תשׂיתהוּ - ki tasîthehū): The Hebrew verb sît (שׂית) means "to put, place, set." Here it conveys a strong sense of establishing or constituting something upon someone. It's a definitive act of God, the sovereign Bestower. The king doesn't earn it; God, out of His sovereign will and covenant faithfulness, actively "sets upon him" this blessing.
- blessing (ברכה - berakah): This is a comprehensive Hebrew term meaning far more than mere material prosperity. It encompasses divine favor, spiritual flourishing, well-being, abundance, and empowerment from God. It's a covenantal term, denoting God's beneficial disposition towards His people and His King. This "blessing" is the essence of His divine life being poured into the king.
- forever (לעד - la'ad): This adverb signifies perpetuity, eternity, unending duration. It emphasizes the enduring and non-revocable nature of the divine blessing bestowed upon the king. It transcends a mere human lifespan, pointing to a dynastic promise that culminates in the eternal reign of the Messiah. It highlights the security and lasting impact of God's favor.
- You make him most glad (תּחדהוּ בּשׂמחה - techad'hêhû b'simcha): This uses a causative verb form, "You cause him to rejoice." The root ch-d-h (חדה) means "to rejoice, be glad." The accompanying noun simcha (שמחה), "joy" or "gladness," amplifies this. This is not ordinary joy, but a super-abundant, complete joy directly brought about by God. The phrasing points to a deep, profound inner gladness, far beyond fleeting happiness. It speaks of a joy so intense it permeates his entire being.
- with Your presence (את־פניך - et-paneykha): Literally "with Your face." In Hebrew thought, "face" (panim) often represents the essence of a person, their personal manifestation, favor, or disfavor. To be "in God's presence" or to see "His face" implies an intimate, direct encounter or fellowship with God. It speaks of the light of His countenance, a visible manifestation of His approval and favor that banishes all shadow and fills with profound joy and peace. It denotes the direct experience of divine approval and fellowship.
Psalm 21 5 Bonus section
- The idea of "most glad" (simcha) connected to God's "presence" (panim) points to an inner experience that is the very opposite of sorrow and spiritual barrenness. It implies flourishing life, akin to a well-watered garden (Isa 58:11).
- The Psalm transitions from earthly victory (Ps 21:1-3) to a theological declaration of lasting divine favor and joy (Ps 21:4-6), showing that even in victory, the focus is not on human strength but on God's unwavering character and covenant faithfulness.
- The use of la'ad ("forever") here elevates the earthly kingship to a typological level, anticipating a kingdom that literally has no end—Christ's eternal reign. This continuity is a key interpretive lens for many Old Testament royal psalms.
Psalm 21 5 Commentary
Psalm 21:5 is a profound declaration of God's enduring and comprehensive blessing upon His anointed. The "blessing forever" extends beyond earthly prosperity to eternal favor, signifying a perpetual establishment of the king's lineage and, ultimately, the Messiah's kingdom, which is without end. This aligns with the Davidic covenant where God promised David an eternal dynasty. The joy mentioned is not from external circumstances, but a direct consequence of being in God's presence or under His favorable countenance. This means an intimate, abiding relationship with God Himself, where His light and favor bring an overflowing, unshakeable gladness. It's a divine joy that transforms the heart, deeply satisfying and supremely exhilarating. For the Christian, this verse resonates with the truth that Jesus, the true King, possesses eternal blessings and, through Him, believers also experience fullness of joy in God's presence (Jn 15:11, 1 Pet 1:8). The divine presence, the very "face" of God, is the wellspring of an abiding and glorious gladness that no earthly trial can extinguish. It’s an anticipated joy for eternity where we will stand blameless before His presence with "exceeding joy" (Jude 1:24).