Psalm 72—”The Prayers of David the Son of Jesse are Ended”

Introduction

Determining the meaning of the expression that forms the sub-title for this exposition has far reaching consequences not just for Psalm 72 but also for the second book of psalms. Yet this expression, quoted from Psalm 72:20, is taken by most expositors and commentators I have consulted as self-evidently a statement about David being the writer of Psalm 72. In this exposition we take a closer look at the statement to expound its significance and discover, indeed, it tells us something which affects profoundly our interpretation of all the psalms in the second book. We gain powerful exhortation also from a consideration of the last months of David’s life.

The Prophet of Psalm 72

The prophet through whom Psalm 72 was revealed is Solomon, as stated in its title. Those that read “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” (Ps 72:20) as self-evidently[1] a statement by David of his authorship of the psalm take its title, rendered in the KJV “for Solomon”, to mean something like “about  Solomon” or, with significant embellishment of the Hebrew, “written by David for Solomon”. Yet the Hebrew of the title tells us clearly that the prophet is Solomon. The Hebrew reads lšlmh (hmlvl) which means, straightforwardly, “to Solomon” or “of Solomon” and is a form of title found frequently in the psalms designating the prophet. For example, the title of Psalm 69 reads “of David (ldwd)” identifying David as the one through whom this psalm was spoken; that David is, indeed, the prophet of Psalm 69 is confirmed a couple of times:

The apostle Peter, quoting Ps 69:25 in Acts 1:20, says this psalm was spoken by “the holy spirit by the mouth of David” (Acts 1:16), and the apostle Paul, quoting Ps 69:22-23 in Rom 11:9-10, says of these words “and David says” (Rom 11:9).

Other examples where either a later scripture or the historical reference shows that the psalmist is indisputably David, restricting ourselves to those psalms whose opening expression is ldwd as lšlmh is for Psalm 72, are:

Ps Reason that this psalm, beginning ldwd, is David’s
32 Rom 4:6; Ps 32:1-2 cited Rom 4:7-8
34 The title is a reference to David’s experience in 1 Sam 21:10-22:2
56 The title is a reference to David’s experience in 1 Sam 21:10-15
57 The title is a reference to David’s experience in 1 Sam 23:29-24:8
59 The title is a reference to David’s experience in 1 Sam 19:10-16
109 Acts 1:16; Ps 109:8 cited Ac 1:20
110 Matt 22:43,45; Mark 12:36,37; Luke 20:42,44; Acts 2:34; Ps 110:1 cited Matt 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43; Acts 2:34-35

This being the case, that Solomon is the one through whom the spirit revealed Psalm 72, what are we to make of its final verse: “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended”?

Positioning the Prayers

A first aspect to note about the expression in Psalm 72:20 is that it speaks of prayers, plural not singular. The significance of this arises from noting that a number of psalms are specifically described as prayers in their titles, as follows:

  • “a prayer of David” (Ps 17:t)
  • “a prayer of David” (Ps 86:t)
  • “a prayer of Moses the man of God” (Ps 90:t)
  • “a prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord” (Ps 102:t)
  • “maschil of David; a prayer when he was in the cave” (Ps 142:t)
  • “a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon shigionoth” (Hab 3:1)

It is notable that each of these titles speaks of the psalm that it heads as “prayer”, singular not plural. This shows that “prayers” (Ps 72:20) speaks of more than just Psalm 72; it speaks of a number of psalms that are prayers.

A second aspect to note about “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” is its position. Psalm 72 concludes the second book of psalms and it is helpful to consider the concluding words of all the five books within the book of psalms as shown in the following table:

Book Concluding Words

book 1:

psalms 1-41

 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen” (Ps 41:13)

book 2:

psalms 42-72

 

 “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory: Amen and Amen” (Ps 72:18-19)

book 3:

psalms 73-89

 “Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen and Amen” (Ps 89:52)

book 4:

psalms 90-106

 

 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Halleluyah” (Ps 106:48)

book 5:

psalms 107-150

 

 The whole of Psalm 150 seems to function as a similar closure for book 5: “Halleluyah. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power… Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord. Halleluyah” (Ps 150)

The similarity of the closures for the first four books, of blessing the Lord with Amen, is unmistakable. The departure from blessing the Lord to praising him for the closure of the fifth book plainly picks up the closing expression of book 4, “Halleluyah”, but requires further examination to discover the full significance of this shift; nevertheless, the similarity of sentiment for closure of the fifth book is clear.

Now, the significance of noting these book closures is this: the second book of psalms is closed by Ps 72:18-19; the expression we are examining in this exposition is positioned after the closure of the second book. This suggests that “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” is a statement about, at least, book 2 of the psalms. Read this way, Ps 72:20 is an editorial statement of compilation: having completed the compilation of the second book, the prophet David annotates it by making the statement: “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended”. Given a couple of other factors, it is probable that “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” is a statement not just about book 2 but also about book 1; these factors are as follows:

  • There is only one psalm included in the book of psalms prior to Psalm 72 which is actually titled as a prayer: “a prayer of David” (Ps 17:t); this suggests that David’s statement about his prayers being ended include also this psalm and therefore book 1 within which it is set.
  • Psalm 37 is a psalm spoken when David was old: “I have been young, and now am old” (Ps 37:25). Consequently Psalms 1-41 cannot have been compiled into the first book of psalms until David’s later life, near-contemporaneous with his compilation of the second book of psalms as shown later; this also suggests that when concluding book 2 with his words in Ps 72:20 he was also making a statement about the recently completed book 1.

The Prayers of David

Seeing Ps 72:20 as an editorial statement of compilation then, indicates that the second book of psalms, at least, is a compilation of psalms put together by David as a book of prayers. This book of prayers includes psalms by David but also by psalmists other than him: Psalms 42-45 and 47-49 are for certain by the sons of Korah and Psalm 50 is for certain by Asaph. This being the case, that David can adopt psalms by others for his prayers in book 2, he can also adopt Psalm 72 by Solomon as his prayer. This resolves the dilemma seen by those who wrestle with the significance of Ps 72:20 and the psalm’s title “of Solomon”.

But is “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” a statement included by a later editor? There are a number of arguments against this. There are also matters that argue, even given the possibility of the statement being that of a later editor, that such a suggestion does not alter the conclusion that book 2 of the psalms was compiled by David. But first to the arguments for this expression being the words of David by the holy spirit, which include aspects related to timing and to self-reference. The arguments related to timing are as follows:

  • The expression “David the son of Jesse” is found in only four scriptures: 2 Sam 23:1; Ps 72:20; 1 Chron 10:14; 29:26. But in these scriptures there are two distinct Hebrew spellings of David’s name: 2 Sam 23:1 and Ps 72:20 use dwd whereas 1 Chron 10:14; 29:26 use dwyd. The latter scriptures are, of course, dated at around the time of Ezra and, apart from one instance in Ps 122:5, the spelling employed in these is only ever used in scripture after David’s death: the first instance of such a spelling, other than that in Ps 122:5, is found in 1 Kgs 3:14. The “earlier” spelling used in Ps 72:20 argues for a chronology of this expression having been written at a time pre-dating 1 Kgs 3:14.[2]
  • This chronology can be narrowed to between the final months of David’s life and before 1 Kgs 3:14. This is derived from a consideration of the time of revelation of Psalm 72, which was by God in fellowship with Solomon during the rebellion of Adonijah[3] recorded in 1 Kings 1. Thus, for Psalm 72 to be included in book 2 of the psalms, and for the expression “David the son of Jesse (dwd bn yšy)” (Ps 72:20) to accompany it, dates their inclusion to around the final months of David’s life,[4] and before 1 Kgs 3:14, since David was “old and stricken in years” (1 Kgs 1:1) when Adonijah raised his rebellion.
  • Furthermore, the use of “David the son of Jesse” uniquely in only one other place, in 2 Sam 23:1, when David was still alive, suggests Ps 72:20 was also penned before David’s death.

Thus, there are a number of arguments for a timing of the expression “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” (Ps 72:20) to be towards the end of David’s life.[5]

The arguments related to “David the son of Jesse” as self-reference, that it is an expression that replaces “I” in David’s mouth, are these:

  • In 2 Sam 23:1, the only other place where the expression “David the son of Jesse” occurs with the “earlier” spelling of David, these words are introduced as words of David, by which he refers to himself. The prophet who recorded this in 2 Samuel says: “and these are the last words of David” and he then records David’s words in 2 Sam 23:1b-7. From this it follows that “David the son of Jesse said…” is included in the last words of David[6] and “David the son of Jesse” is an expression of self-reference by David.
  • Reinforcing this identification of “David the son of Jesse” as words uttered by David is that both 2 Sam 23:1 and Ps 72:20 deal with an ending, with a completion. “The last words of David” (2 Sam 23:1) resonates strongly with David speaking of another ending, the completion of his compilation of book 2 of the psalms.

But, as was mentioned earlier, even if it is conceded that the words of Ps 72:20 are the words of a later editor, this does not alter the conclusion that David compiled book 2 of the psalms before he slept with his fathers. The argument that shows this is as follows:

  • The positioning of Ps 72:20 after the closure of book 2 and referring to prayers (plural) shows that this verse refers to at least all the psalms in the second book. The inclusion of psalms by the sons of Korah and Asaph requires that “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” speaks of the adoption of these psalms by David for his own prayers.
  • Thus, even if “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended” are the words of an editor other than and later than David, they still accurately record the fact that David compiled book 2 as his prayers.

We are left then with two possibilities; either:

  • David adopted all of the psalms in book 2 for his prayers and this fact was recorded by another editor; or, as I argue,
  • David wrote the words of Ps 72:20 upon completion of his compilation of book 2, having including psalms by the sons of Korah, Asaph, Solomon and himself.

In either case, the compilation of book 2 was David’s work in fellowship with God, after Adonijah’s rebellion. And, yielding far-reaching consequences, all of the psalms in the book pre-date David’s death.

Chronology

Psalms 42-50 are often expounded against historical settings long after David’s death, commonly (though not exclusively) during the reign of Hezekiah. Psalm 45, for example, is expounded, other than within its prophetic significance of Christ and his bride, as a record of a joyous ceremony related either to the marriage of Hezekiah and Hephzibah or to the marriage of Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter. But the meaning of Ps 72:20 shows that neither of these interpretations can be correct.

Old and Stricken in Years

The rebellion of Adonijah took place when David was “old and stricken in years… and… he got no heat” (1 Kgs 1:1): a frailty borne not just of age, no doubt, but also from the years of privations when he was persecuted by Saul and three thousand men, including in the waterless deserts of Judah, and from the severe, life-threatening illnesses he had suffered, as evidenced in the psalms. And yet, David raised himself from this debilitating weakness “in the strength of the Lord God” (Ps 71:16) that he might bring to remembrance the Lord’s righteousness and show his strength to that generation and that he might show his power “to every one that is to come” (Ps 71:16, 18).

The fruit of this activity is seen, at least, in this second book of psalms: raised from his debilitated state, David worked in fellowship with the Lord to compile this book of psalms for that generation and for every one that was to come, for us. Even during the final months of David’s life when he was old and grey-headed (Ps 71:18), quite apart from the immense work recorded in 1 Chronicles 23-29, the sweet psalmist of Israel produced this book of psalms for our profit and so that we might sing praises to the Lord. How do we envision our later years? Do we envision a life of increasing leisure? The prevalent talk of “retirement”, particularly in the developed world and in advanced economies, is a powerful pressure on our expectations of that which we anticipate for our later years. Yet, whilst the world talks of retirement, scripture speaks of finishing the course (2 Tim 4:7); this is certainly what David, one of scripture’s faithful cloud of witnesses, did.

How do we envision our later years? Do we envision working “all the day long” (Ps 71:24) to bring to remembrance the Lord’s righteousness and to show his strength to our generation? Or do we think we will leave that to others?

For the historical setting of Psalm 72 and the significance of Solomon being the prophet through whom it was revealed see: P. Heavyside, “Psalm 72: Prayer, Promise and Prophecy”, to be available at www.globalorient.com.

[1] By “self-evidently” I mean a reference to Ps 72:20 as proof that David is the writer of this psalm without any examination of the meaning of this verse.

[2] I am not suggesting that time-dependency is the only aspect that bears upon these two distinct spellings of David’s name; exposition will seek to identify the teaching that arises from them. It should be noted that this “earlier” spelling is adopted by later prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, though never in the expression “David the son of Jesse”. For the exposition that needs to be undertaken, it is plain that the instances of dwyd in Chronicles and elsewhere refer to the unique use of dwyd during David’s lifetime in Psalm 122 whereas the instances of dwd in, for example, Isaiah refer to earlier portrayals of David and his teaching where dwd is used.

[Ed: JWA]: See (i), F.I. Andersen and R.S. Hess, Names in the Study of Biblical History: David, YHWH Names, and the Role of Personal Names, Buried History Monograph #2 (Australian Institute of Archaeology, Melbourne, 2007); (ii) my review of this monograph in Vetus Testamentum 60 (2010): 292-293.

[3] P. Heavyside, “Psalm 72: Prayer, Promise and Prophecy”, to be available at www.globalorient.com.

[4] David’s statement, “now also when I am old and grey-headed” (Ps 71:18), by its inclusion in the second book of psalms, also requires that this book was compiled at the earliest during the last months of David’s life. David’s statement in Ps 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old”, likewise dates the compilation of the first book of psalms to, at the earliest, the later period of David’s life.

[5] There is also a feature in the psalms that argues for a compilation of book 2 earlier than book 5. A number of psalms of David (Pss 138-145) are ordered alongside a Babylonian exile psalm (Psalm 137); this indicates this book can only have been completed in the order that it has at the time of the exile at the earliest. Also, one of David’s psalms included in book 5 is said to be a prayer of David (Ps 142:t); the inclusion of this prayer in book 5 really only makes sense if the statement in Ps 72:20 predates the later compilation.

[6] This is consistent with how Balaam the prophet used such an expression in his prophetic utterances and David, speaking by the holy spirit, clearly strikes an association with these earlier prophecies; the reasons for this require exposition. “David the son of Jesse said (n’m dwd bn yšy)” should be compared with the following prophecies in which the prophet uses the same form of expression about himself: “he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor has said (n’m bl‛m bnw b‛r)” (Num 24:3); and  “he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor has said (n’m bl‛m bnw b‛r)” (Num 24:15).