Psalm 72 3

Psalm 72:3 kjv

The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

Psalm 72:3 nkjv

The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.

Psalm 72:3 niv

May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness.

Psalm 72:3 esv

Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness!

Psalm 72:3 nlt

May the mountains yield prosperity for all,
and may the hills be fruitful.

Psalm 72 verses

Psalm 72 3 Meaning

Psalm 72:3 proclaims that true peace and comprehensive well-being will permeate the entire land and be experienced by all people. This flourishing state is presented not as a natural outcome but as a direct result, indeed, as being "borne" or "brought forth" by, and rooted in, divine righteousness and justice embodied in the ruling authority. It signifies a holistic societal blessing stemming from ethical and godly governance.

Psalm 72 3 Context

Psalm 72 is primarily a royal psalm, often titled "A Psalm of Solomon." It can be understood as either a prayer by David for his son Solomon, or a prayer for the king in general, embodying ideal kingship, or as Solomon's own prayer for his reign. Critically, it has strong messianic overtones, painting a picture of an ideal, righteous king whose reign brings widespread prosperity, peace, and justice, especially for the afflicted and poor. This vision transcends any human monarch, finding its ultimate fulfillment in the reign of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Verse 3 describes a foundational blessing of such a rule: that the very land itself would bear the fruit of peace.

Psalm 72 3 Word analysis

• יִשְׂאוּ (yis'u): "Shall bring," "shall bear," "shall lift up."
  • Significance: This verb indicates an active role, suggesting the mountains and hills are not just passive recipients but are visibly yielding or manifesting peace. It portrays an abundance that becomes evident even in the physical landscape.
• הָרִים (ha'rim): "The mountains."
  • Significance: Prominent and stable geographical features. Metaphorically, they can represent the highest or most far-reaching parts of the land, symbolizing the comprehensive reach of the king's beneficial rule across the entire domain.
• שָׁלוֹם (shalom): "Peace."
  • Significance: Far more than the mere absence of conflict. Shalom is a rich Hebrew concept encompassing wholeness, completeness, well-being, prosperity, health, security, tranquility, and harmony in all relationships. Here, it denotes holistic national flourishing.
• לָעָם (la'am): "To the people."
  • Significance: Specifies the direct beneficiaries. This indicates the widespread and popular nature of the peace, reaching every segment of society and ensuring the welfare of the collective nation.
• וּגְבָעוֹת (u'gva'ot): "And the hills."
  • Significance: Parallel to mountains, hills emphasize the pervasive nature of the peace. Together, they signify that the peace will extend throughout all altitudes and areas of the kingdom, from the highest peaks to the lower undulations.
• בִּצְדָקָה (bi'ts'daqah): "By righteousness," "in righteousness," "through righteousness."
  • Significance: The preposition 'bi-' indicates the means or condition. Tsedakah (righteousness/justice) is conformity to a divine standard of justice and moral rectitude. This crucial term establishes the essential cause for the land's peace, demonstrating that it originates from morally upright and just governance.

• יִשְׂאוּ הָרִים שָׁלוֹם (yis'u ha'rim shalom): "The mountains shall bring peace."
  • Significance: This vivid imagery personifies nature itself, responding to and bearing the fruit of righteous rule. It implies an almost Edenic harmony where the natural world flourishes as a testimony to the divine blessing flowing through the king. The peace is not confined to human interaction but touches the very fabric of creation within the kingdom.
• שָׁלוֹם לָעָם וּגְבָעוֹת בִּצְדָקָה (shalom la'am u'gva'ot bi'ts'daqah): "Peace to the people, and the hills by righteousness."
  • Significance: This phrasing highlights the profound connection between the outcome (peace for the people) and the foundational principle (righteousness). The parallel structure reinforces that every part of the land, symbolized by mountains and hills, yields peace because the king's rule is founded on justice and righteousness. This divinely-mandated order is the source of all societal good.

Psalm 72 3 Bonus section

The imagery of mountains and hills "bearing" or "bringing" peace is a powerful poetic device. It moves beyond simply stating that peace will be present, to showing it as an organic outgrowth of righteous leadership. This reflects a key biblical truth that human society, when ordered according to God's will (which is synonymous with righteousness), experiences not just human flourishing, but also a harmonious relationship with creation itself, which then seems to respond with abundance. It suggests that a land experiencing such deep shalom would exhibit fertile soil, bountiful harvests, and an overall sense of tranquility that extends into the very landscape.

Psalm 72 3 Commentary

Psalm 72:3 paints a magnificent picture of an ideal reign where peace and prosperity are so abundant that even the fixed elements of the natural world – the mountains and hills – are depicted as literally bringing forth or yielding this comprehensive well-being. This is not peace achieved by military strength or political maneuvering, but peace birthed "by righteousness" (bi'ts'daqah). The emphasis is on divine justice and ethical governance as the singular source of true societal flourishing for all people. It anticipates a ruler whose conformity to God's righteous standards transforms the very fabric of the nation, securing widespread stability, health, and harmony for everyone under their domain. This ideal king is ultimately the Messiah, Jesus Christ, whose spiritual rule establishes perfect righteousness and, consequently, everlasting peace.