Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

Psalm 21:8-13

Psalm 21:8 Your hand will capture all your enemies; your right hand will capture those who hate you.

Psalm 21:9 You will make them burn like a fiery furnace when you appear; Yahveh will engulf them in his wrath, and fire will devour them.

Psalm 21:10 You will wipe their progeny from the land and their offspring from the children of Adam.

Psalm 21:11 Though they intend to harm you and devise a wicked plan, they will not win.

Psalm 21:12 Instead, you will put them to flight when you ready your bowstrings to shoot at them.

Psalm 21:13 Be exalted, Yahveh, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might.¹

HISHE Canaan

Two stages of battle are reflected in this song. First, there is the immediate appearance of the king, empowered by the LORD, and he captures all his enemies, and fire completely destroys them. Secondly, the progeny (literally fruit) and offspring (literally seed) of the enemy – who have remained in the land – devise a wicked plan to undermine the king. But the king aims his bow to shoot at them, and they all scatter, and are wiped from the land.

This is how the Israelite conquest of Canaan should have ended. This song essentially says that David did what his ancestors should have done. He was able to do this because the LORD was with him.

Lord, thank you that we can win, even where others have lost – because you are with us.