Psalms 72

Wesley: Judgments—wherewith thou governest; Righteousness—justice and Spirit-fruits for the king’s son. The prayer asks God-given equity for the throne.

Shared royal/messianic frame—justice is gift before it is policy. The king (and greater Son) must receive what only God gives; hearers still pray for righteous rule.

Calvin: Solomon asks the spirit of judgment and righteousness for the king; principally Christ’s kingdom is intended. Justice and righteousness are God’s to bestow on the royal son.

Throne ethics begin as divine gift. The Anointed rules by what God gives, not by self-made equity.

Wesley: the poor especially need the king’s just judgment. People and poor stand together under righteous rule.

Care for the poor is not optional royal garnish. Grace that saves also summons rulers (and the church under Christ) to just judgment of the needy.

Calvin: he shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. Christ’s reign is marked by equity toward the lowly.

Shared messianic justice—the poor are not forgotten under the true King.

Wesley: Mountains—often dry—bring peace/prosperity by righteous government. Hills yield under righteousness.

Shalom rides on right rule. Geography itself is imagined fruitful when justice reigns.

Calvin: mountains and hills picture the land’s flourishing under the king’s righteousness—peace as fruit of equity.

Prosperity without righteousness is not this psalm’s hope.

Wesley’s trajectory: defend poor, deliver needy children, crush the oppressor. Mercy and severity meet.

Shared seriousness—oppressors are crushed, not negotiated into endless harm. The King’s grace toward the needy includes judgment on predators.

Calvin: deliverance of the needy and crushing of oppressors mark the Messiah’s rule. Pity and power are not rivals.

Christ’s kingdom is refuge for the crushed and terror for the crusher.

Wesley: Fear—true filial fear; Sun—as long as sun and moon. Generational reverence is the aim.

Shared—fear of God outlasts dynasties. The summons to filial fear remains live for every generation that sees the King’s days.

Calvin: enduring fear of God accompanies the King’s long reign—sun and moon measure permanence beyond one Solomon.

The prayer reaches beyond any single reign to the Messiah. Temporary thrones cannot exhaust this while-the-sun prayer.

Wesley: gentle, renewing rule—rain on mown grass, showers on earth. Soft power that refreshes.

The King refreshes rather than only scorches. Grace that waters still invites the land to drink.

Calvin: rain and showers image beneficial influence—Christ’s reign restores what cutting left bare.

Messianic refreshment is gift from above, not self-irrigation.

Wesley: Fear/peace themes continue—righteous flourish; peace abounds while moon lasts.

Righteousness and peace are twin fruits. Flourish is not greed; it is the righteous thriving under the King.

Calvin: in his days the righteous flourish; peace until the moon cease. Christ’s days define the climate of justice.

Shared long horizon—till moon be no more points past Solomon to the greater Son.

Wesley: Dominion—Red Sea to Mediterranean; Ends—of Canaan, yet the wording stretches wider in messianic hearing.

Shared global hope—sea to sea and River to ends outrun a small empire. Christ’s dominion is the agreed fulfillment both camps confess.

Calvin: dominion also from sea to sea—Christ’s rule to the ends of the earth. Solomon’s borders were type; the River-to-ends language fits the Messiah.

The king’s dominion is to be universal.

Wesley: foes humbled—desert tribes bow; enemies lick dust. Submission language is strong.

Enemies are not imaginary; bowing is the right end. Dust-licking is judgment language both camps take seriously, not cartoon violence.

Calvin: enemies lick the dust before the King—forced homage where willing worship is refused.

Christ’s foes do not finally stand tall.

Wesley: Tarshish—Cilician emporium for Mediterranean trade; Sheba—Arabia Felix. Tribute and gifts from distant kings.

Shared gentile homage—nations bring tribute to the King. Mission hope rides this verse in classical reading.

Calvin: kings of Tarshish, Sheba, Seba—wide tribute foreshadows nations’ gifts to Christ.

Far kings honor the Anointed; geography does not fence his fame.

Wesley: universal kneel and serve. All kings, all nations—no exempt throne.

Shared high christology of service due the King. Nations must still serve; the prophecy summons submission.

Calvin: all kings fall down; all nations serve him—language too wide for Solomon alone, fulfilled in Christ.

Catholic scope of the Messiah’s claim.

Wesley: deliverance when the needy calls—poor and helper-less find the King.

Calling is met with deliverance. The needy must still cry; grace answers the cry.

Calvin: he will deliver the needy when he crieth—Christ’s royal pity is the for of the nations’ homage.

Empty-handed callers are the King’s specialty.

Wesley continues pity and life-saving for the weak. Compassion is policy.

Pity is not weakness in the King. Saving lives of the needy is messianic glory both camps praise.

Calvin: pity on weak and needy; lives saved—the Messiah’s heart matches his dominion.

The king’s power serves pity for the poor.

Wesley: redeem from oppression and violence; blood precious in his sight. Life valued.

Oppression’s victims are costly to the King. Blood precious rebukes casual cruelty.

Calvin: redemption from deceit and violence; their blood precious—God’s King prices the lowly highly.

Precious blood language underwrites justice, not indifference.

Wesley: Live—long and prosperously; Gold—choicest gift; Prayer—continual; Daily—all the day. Prayer for the King is constant.

Shared—the church keeps praying for the King’s cause. Continual prayer is the people’s work under the reign.

Calvin: prayer made for him continually; blessings all day—intercession surrounds the throne, fulfilled as the church seeks Christ’s kingdom.

Gold and prayer honor him; neither replaces the other.

Wesley: abundance even on mountain-tops; fruit like Lebanon; people blossom like grass. Fertility and population thrive.

Shared creational blessing under the King—cities and fields flourish together.

Calvin: grain on mountains, fruit like Lebanon, citizens flourishing—pictures of messianic plenty.

The King’s peace is not thin spiritualism; it touches land and city.

Wesley: Name—honour continued as long as the sun; Blessed—men bless themselves in him; nations call him blessed.

Genesis 12 echo in ‘blessed by him. All nations calling him blessed is messianic mission both camps affirm.

Calvin: men shall be blessed by him. All nations will call him blessed—language of the Seed and the Messiah’s everlasting name.

Shared christological center—fame with the sun, blessing in him.

Wesley: Amen-frame begins—bless the LORD, God of Israel, who alone does wonders. Doxology to God, not the human throne alone.

Wondrous things are God’s alone. The King’s success is traced upward.

Calvin: Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things—closing praise redirects glory to God.

Shared monergism of wonders—alone does wondrous things.

Wesley: Amen—solemn confirmation of prophecy and prayer; earth filled with God’s glory.

Shared—whole-earth glory is the agreed horizon. Double Amen seals desire and faith.

Calvin: glorious name forever; whole earth filled with his glory; Amen and Amen—catholic doxology.

Earth-filling glory is God’s goal confessed by both camps.

Wesley treats the colophon as closing this prayer-series. David’s prayers ‘ended’ as a collection note.

Editorial pause, not claim that David never prayed again. The book’s shape invites continued praise in Book III and beyond.

Calvin: not that David composed no more, but this series of prayers and praises is closed. Colophon of a section.

David son of Jesse named; the greater Son’s reign (vv. 1–19) remains the theological peak of what ‘ended’ here.