Ps. 21 The subject of this Psalm is the same with the former, both being made for the people’s use, concerning the king; only the prayers there used are here turned into praises for the blessings received in answer to their prayers.

In thy strength conferred upon him, and put forth by thee on his behalf against his enemies.

Preventest him; or, didst prevent him; crowning him with manifold blessings, both more and sooner than he either desired or expected; surprising him with the gift of the kingdom, and with many happy successes. With the blessing of goodness, i. e. with excellent blessings.

He asked only the preservation of that short and mortal life, which was oft exposed to utmost perils. For ever and ever; either, 1. In his posterity, in whom parents are commonly said to live.

His glory; his fame or renown in the world. In thy salvation; by reason of those great and glorious deliverances which thou hast wrought both for him and by him. Hast thou laid upon him; or, fitted to him, or upon him, as the Hebrew verb signifies; or, made it adequate to him.

Thou hast made him most blessed, Heb. thou hast set (or, made, as this verb is used, Ps. 40:5, Ps. 89:42, Ps. 91:9, Lam. 3:45) him blessings; i.e. either, 1.

Or removed, from his kingdom, as Saul was.

When they seek to hide themselves or flee away from thee, shall discover, and overtake, and destroy them. Or, shall be sufficient (as this verb sometimes signifies, as Num. 11:22, Judg. 21:14) for all thine enemies, to wit, to conquer them; thou shalt need no foreign succours to help thee.

Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven; or, thou shalt put them, (as the Hebrew word properly signifies,) as it were, into (so there is only an ellipsis of the preposition beth, which is most frequent) a fiery oven, i.e. like wood, which when it is cast in there, is quickly consumed.

Their fruit; either, 1. The fruit of their labours. Or rather, 2. Their seed or children, as it is explained in the next branch, oft called a man’s fruit, as Deut. 28:4, Ps. 127:3, Ps. 132:11, Lam. 2:20. God will take away both root and branch, the parents and all that wicked race.

Against thee, i.e. against God, not directly, but by conseqence, because it was against David, whom God had anointed, and against the Lord’s people, whose injuries God takes as done to himself, Zech. 2:8. To perform; such supplements are usual after this verb, as Ex. 8:18, Ps. 101:5, Ps.

Turn their back, i.e. flee away at the first sight of thee, whereby also they will be a fit mark for thine arrows. Or, thou shalt set them as a butt to shoot at, as the like phrase is used, Deut. 7:10, Job 7:20, Job 16:12.

In thine own strength; by thy own power, or by the manifestation thereof, whereby thou wilt have the whole glory of the work.