Psalms 21:3

For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

For thou preventest {H6923} him with the blessings {H1293} of goodness {H2896}: thou settest {H7896} a crown {H5850} of pure gold {H6337} on his head {H7218}.

For you come to meet him with the best blessings, you place a crown of fine gold on his head.

For You welcomed him with rich blessings; You placed on his head a crown of pure gold.

For thou meetest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of fine gold on his head.

Psalms 21:3 is a verse celebrating God's proactive goodness and the honor He bestows upon His chosen king. It highlights divine favor as the source of all blessings and authority.

Context

Psalm 21 is a royal psalm, a song of thanksgiving offered to God for granting victory and great blessings to the king. It serves as a complementary piece to Psalm 20, which was a prayer for the king's success before battle. Here, the victory has been achieved, and the psalm expresses gratitude for God's powerful intervention. The "him" in this verse refers to the anointed king of Israel, likely King David, whose reign was established and sustained by divine power. The psalm emphasizes that the king's triumph is not merely a result of human strength, but of God's proactive divine favor.

Key Themes

  • Divine Anticipation and Provision: The phrase "thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness" signifies God's proactive nature. He goes before the king, anticipating his needs and showering him with blessings even before they are sought.
  • Royal Affirmation and Honor: "Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head" symbolizes God's direct establishment of the king's authority and His bestowal of honor and glory upon him. It underscores that true kingship is divinely appointed and sustained.
  • God's Goodness and Generosity: The verse highlights the boundless nature of God's goodness, which manifests in tangible blessings and ultimate victory.
  • Messianic Foreshadowing: While immediately applicable to King David, this regal imagery also powerfully foreshadows the ultimate King, Jesus Christ, who is crowned with glory and honor by God Himself and reigns eternally.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV word "preventest" (from Latin *praevenio*) does not carry its modern meaning of "to hinder" or "stop." Instead, it means to "go before," "anticipate," or "act beforehand." Thus, "thou preventest him" means God goes ahead of the king, showering him with blessings in advance. The "crown of pure gold" emphasizes the preciousness, purity, and enduring nature of the honor and authority God bestows, signifying a lasting and unblemished reign.

Practical Application

For believers today, Psalms 21:3 offers profound comfort and encouragement. It reminds us that God is not reactive but proactive in His goodness towards His people. He anticipates our needs and showers us with blessings, often before we even realize them. This verse calls us to:

  • Trust in God's Proactive Goodness: Recognize that God's blessings are not just responses to our prayers but flow from His inherent nature of goodness.
  • Acknowledge God as the Source: Attribute all success, honor, and provision in our lives to God's divine favor, not merely to our own efforts.
  • Live in Confidence: Just as God honored the king, He desires to bless and honor those who walk in His ways, ultimately crowning us with His grace and eternal life through Christ.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.
  • 2 Samuel 12:30

    And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof [was] a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was [set] on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
  • Ephesians 1:3

    ¶ Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ:
  • Psalms 59:10

    The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see [my desire] upon mine enemies.
  • Psalms 31:19

    ¶ [Oh] how great [is] thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; [which] thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
  • 1 Chronicles 20:2

    And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and [there were] precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city.
  • Romans 11:35

    Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
  • Hebrews 2:9

    But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

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