Psalm 72 is a prayer for the ideal king, whose reign brings justice to the poor and peace “till the moon be taken away,” and whom all nations will serve. Its verse “The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts” is why Christian tradition pictured the Magi as kings. The Church sings it on the Epiphany. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 71. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 72 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
A psalm on Solomon.
Give to the king thy judgment, O God: and to the king’s son thy justice: To judge thy people with justice, and thy poor with judgment.
Let the mountains receive peace for the people: and the hills justice.
He shall judge the poor of the people, and he shall save the children of the poor: and he shall humble the oppressor.
And he shall continue with the sun, and before the moon, throughout all generations.
He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; and as showers falling gently upon the earth.
In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away.
And he shall rule from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down: and his enemies shall lick the ground.
The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:
And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.
For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty: and the needy that had no helper.
He shall spare the poor and needy: and he shall save the souls of the poor.
He shall redeem their souls from usuries and iniquity: and their names shall be honourable in his sight.
And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, for him they shall always adore: they shall bless him all the day.
And there shall be a firmament on the earth on the tops of mountains, above Libanus shall the fruit thereof be exalted: and they of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth.
Let his name be blessed for evermore: his name continueth before the sun. And in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: all nations shall magnify him.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone doth wonderful things.
And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever: and the whole earth shall be filled with his majesty. So be it. So be it.
The praises of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
Psalm 72 or Psalm 71?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 71 is Psalm 72 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Deus, iudicium tuum regi da. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- A king who defends the poor: “He shall judge the poor of the people, and he shall save the children of the poor.”
- Peace without end: “In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away.”
- All nations come: kings bring gifts and “all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.”
- Fulfilled in Christ: the Church sees in this king Jesus, the Son of David, adored by the Magi from the East.
- Rain on the grass: his coming is gentle and life-giving, “like rain upon the fleece.”
How the Church uses Psalm 72
- On the Epiphany: “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.” See the Epiphany.
- On the Second Sunday of Advent (Year A): “Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace for ever.” See Advent.
- In the old Roman Missal, “The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents” was the offertory chant of the Epiphany.
A prayer with Psalm 72
Written for this page:
Lord God, give your justice to the King, your Son.
May his reign bring peace to the earth and justice to the poor.
With the Magi and all the kings of the earth, I bow down and adore him,
and I offer him the gift of my life. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Psalm 72 read on the Epiphany?
Because it describes kings from distant lands bringing gifts and adoring the king, fulfilled when the Magi came to the Christ Child.
Who wrote Psalm 72?
Its title links it with Solomon, and it closes the second book of the Psalms with the words “The praises of David… are ended.”
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 71 (72), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.