Psalm 72:6 kjv
He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
Psalm 72:6 nkjv
He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth.
Psalm 72:6 niv
May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth.
Psalm 72:6 esv
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!
Psalm 72:6 nlt
May the king's rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass,
like the showers that water the earth.
Psalm 72 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 32:2 | Let my teaching drop as the rain... | God's Word likened to refreshing rain. |
| Lev 26:4 | ...then I will give you your rains in their season... | Blessings of rain linked to obedience. |
| Psa 65:9-13 | You visit the earth and water it... | God as the ultimate provider of rain. |
| Psa 72:3 | The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, and the hills, through righteousness. | Righteous rule brings widespread blessings. |
| Psa 72:7 | In his days the righteous will flourish... | Flourishing during the king's righteous reign. |
| Prov 16:15 | In the light of a king's face is life, and his favor is like a cloud bringing spring rain. | King's favor brings prosperity. |
| Isa 4:2 | In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious... | The coming Messiah brings beauty and glory. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... | Prophecy of the Messianic King's just rule. |
| Isa 11:1-9 | A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse... | Messiah's righteous and peaceful reign. |
| Isa 32:1-2 | A king will reign in righteousness... like streams of water in a dry land. | Righteous king as source of refreshment. |
| Isa 45:8 | Drip down, you heavens, from above... let salvation spring up... | God's righteousness like watering the earth. |
| Isa 55:10-11 | For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven... | God's word and purpose bringing fruitfulness. |
| Hos 6:3 | Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. | God's coming for refreshment and justice. |
| Ezek 34:23-26 | I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David... and bring showers of blessing. | God's provision and Messianic shepherd. |
| Joel 2:23 | Be glad, O children of Zion... He gives you the autumn rains in just measure, and he showers on you rain... | God's restoration through timely rain. |
| Zech 9:9-10 | See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious... | Messiah's gentle and powerful coming. |
| Mal 4:2 | But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. | Messiah brings healing and warmth. |
| Heb 6:7 | For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it... | Spiritual benefit likened to watered earth. |
| John 4:14 | ...whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. | Christ offers spiritual living water. |
| John 7:38 | Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within them. | Believers become sources of life from Christ. |
| Rev 22:1 | Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life... | The abundant life from God's throne. |
Psalm 72 verses
Psalm 72 6 Meaning
Psalm 72:6 depicts the righteous king's influence and rule as a benevolent and refreshing force. His presence and administration are compared to life-giving rain falling gently yet effectively on a parched land or newly mown grass. This imagery signifies the profound blessing, restoration, fruitfulness, and revitalization that his reign brings to his people and the land. Ultimately, this verse points prophetically to the Lord Jesus Christ, whose spiritual reign offers profound and restorative blessing.
Psalm 72 6 Context
Psalm 72 is titled "Of Solomon" and is generally understood as either a prayer for Solomon's reign or a psalm composed by Solomon concerning the ideal king. While it describes the characteristics and blessings of a righteous human king (a king in the Davidic line), its ultimate and perfect fulfillment is universally understood to point to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The surrounding verses in Psalm 72 further detail this king's just rule, defense of the needy, universal dominion, and eternal name, setting a magnificent prophetic context for verse 6. Culturally, rain was an indispensable life source in the ancient Near East, especially in an agricultural society. The giving of timely and abundant rain was seen as a direct blessing from God, often contrasting with the worship of false gods like Baal, who was wrongly believed to control storms and fertility. Thus, the depiction of the king's rule bringing rain serves as a direct polemic against the notion that any other power besides God, working through His chosen ruler, could provide such essential blessings.
Psalm 72 6 Word analysis
- He: Refers to the righteous king mentioned throughout the Psalm, particularly the ideal, Davidic king. Ultimately, this points to Jesus Christ, the perfect King of kings.
- will come down: (Hebrew: יֵרֵד, yered) - This verb denotes a descent, often from a position of power or authority. It suggests a gracious condescension, not a destructive force, but one that comes to meet the need below. It implies divine initiation.
- like rain: (Hebrew: כְּמָטָר, k'matar) - Matar refers to the regular, beneficial rain, crucial for sustaining life in an agricultural land. It symbolizes divine blessing, refreshment, nourishment, and fertility. It suggests a gentle, widespread, and vital provision.
- on the mown grass: (Hebrew: עַל גֵּז, al gez) - Gez here signifies "mown grass" or "newly shorn pasture." Grass that has been cut or harvested is typically dry, depleted, and needing nourishment to regenerate. This symbolizes a people or land in a state of need, readiness to receive, or humility. The gentle rain on cut grass prevents it from being washed away or trampled, allowing new growth.
- like showers: (Hebrew: כִּרְבִיבִים, k'rivivim) - Revivim refers to copious, abundant, yet gentle, "drenching showers" or "fine rain-drops." This strengthens the imagery of refreshing and generous provision. It emphasizes thoroughness and plentifulness.
- that water the earth: (Hebrew: זַרְזִיף אָרֶץ, zarzif aretz) - Zarzif is a unique word meaning "sprinkling" or "distilling." Combined with aretz (earth/land), it conveys a comprehensive, pervasive watering effect across the entire land, ensuring fertility and life.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "He will come down like rain": This phrase establishes the source and nature of the blessing. The king's coming is not aggressive or forceful, but rather beneficial and life-giving, analogous to a natural phenomenon indispensable for life.
- "on the mown grass": This indicates the specific recipient and condition. The blessing is directed toward those who are perhaps weary, vulnerable, or in a state of depletion, ready for renewed growth and vitality. It speaks of spiritual restoration.
- "like showers that water the earth": This parallelism reiterates and amplifies the blessing's abundance, gentleness, and universal reach. The king's righteous rule provides pervasive, thorough, and gentle nourishment to all who are under his influence. It speaks to the holistic transformation.
Psalm 72 6 Bonus section
The "mown grass" imagery (גֵּז, gez) can also subtly allude to humility and readiness. Grass, once cut, cannot offer anything of itself; it is entirely dependent on external sustenance for regrowth. This depicts a people or an individual humbled and receptive, perfectly poised to receive the divine blessings that the Messiah brings. The gentleness implied by "like rain" and "like showers" also contrasts sharply with images of overwhelming floods or destructive storms. The blessing is intentional, measured, and perfectly suited for nurture rather than obliteration, signifying the precise and tender care of the Messianic King. This psalm often emphasizes not just a benevolent rule, but one that is worldwide, hinting at the universal nature of Christ's kingdom which provides spiritual "rain" to all nations (Psa 72:8).
Psalm 72 6 Commentary
Psalm 72:6 masterfully employs two distinct but related agricultural similes to describe the beneficent impact of the ideal king's reign. Just as rain transforms a parched, mown field, enabling new, vibrant growth, so too does this king's rule bring vitality, refreshment, and spiritual fruitfulness. The imagery underscores the king's gracious approach; he does not come with force or destruction but with gentle, life-giving power, precisely meeting the needs of his people. The comparison to "showers that water the earth" reinforces the pervasive and generous nature of this blessing, suggesting that every corner and every aspect of life touched by his dominion experiences renewal. For the Israelite, this was a radical statement, painting a picture of a ruler whose authority would bring prosperity not through might or exploitation, but through divine favor and righteousness, a concept vividly contrasted with tyrannical rulers of the ancient world. Ultimately, this verse serves as a powerful prophecy pointing to Jesus Christ, whose spiritual reign perfectly embodies this life-giving, gentle, and universally restorative influence on all who embrace Him. His Spirit falls like refreshing rain upon the souls of humanity, bringing healing, righteousness, and eternal life where there was spiritual barrenness.