Psalms 21:4

KJV

He asked life of thee, [and] thou gavest [it] him, [even] length of days for ever and ever.

KJV (with Strong's)

He asked {H7592} life {H2416} of thee, and thou gavest {H5414} it him, even length {H753} of days {H3117} for ever {H5769} and ever {H5703}.

Complete Jewish Bible

He asks you for life; you give it to him, years and years forever and ever.

Berean Standard Bible

He asked You for life, and You granted it— length of days, forever and ever.

American Standard Version

He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him, Even length of days for ever and ever.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 21:4 stands as a powerful declaration of God's abundant favor and faithfulness to His anointed king, celebrating a divine response that far exceeds the scope of a human request. This verse captures the king's petition for "life" and God's extravagant granting of "length of days for ever and ever," a phrase that not only speaks to a long and prosperous reign but also, through its hyperbolic language, points prophetically to the eternal life and everlasting dominion of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodies this divine blessing.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 21 is a royal psalm of thanksgiving, forming a companion piece to Psalm 20, which is a prayer for the king's success in battle. While Psalm 20 anticipates victory, Psalm 21 celebrates its realization, attributing all glory and success to Yahweh. This particular verse, Psalms 21:4, is nestled within the opening section (verses 1-7) that details the specific blessings bestowed upon the king: strength, joy, victory, glory, and life. The sequence moves from a general declaration of God's delight in the king's strength (v. 1) to specific manifestations of divine favor, culminating in the profound gift of eternal life, underscoring God's intimate involvement in the king's reign and His boundless generosity.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In ancient Israel, the king was Yahweh's anointed, a representative figure through whom God's rule was mediated to the people. The well-being and longevity of the king were directly tied to the prosperity and stability of the nation. Kings in the ancient Near East often prayed for long life and a secure dynasty, seeing these as signs of divine approval. However, the phrase "for ever and ever" in Psalms 21:4 transcends typical human aspirations for a long reign, pushing the boundaries of what an earthly king could expect. This language hints at a divine, perpetual blessing that points beyond the temporal limitations of any mortal monarch, setting the stage for a deeper, Messianic interpretation.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully encapsulates several core themes prevalent throughout the Psalter and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights **Divine Favor and Answered Prayer**, demonstrating God's readiness to not only hear but also supernaturally exceed the requests of His anointed, as seen in the promise of God to respond when His people call upon Him in [Jeremiah 33:3](/jeremiah/33-3 "Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to Me and I Will Answer"). Secondly, the phrase "length of days for ever and ever" introduces the theme of **Messianic Prophecy and Eternal Life**, suggesting a fulfillment that extends beyond any earthly king to the eternal reign of the Messiah, who truly possesses everlasting life and an unending kingdom, echoing the declaration of Jesus in [John 11:25](/john/11-25 "John 11:25 - Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life"). Lastly, the verse underscores **God's Exceeding Generosity**, revealing a divine nature that delights in blessing abundantly, far beyond human expectation or comprehension, a principle beautifully articulated in [Ephesians 3:20](/ephesians/3-20 "Ephesians 3:20 - God's Abundant Power").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Life (Hebrew, _chayyim'_):** This plural noun, often translated as "life," signifies not merely biological existence but a full, vibrant, and flourishing life, encompassing well-being, prosperity, and divine blessing. In the context of the king, it implies a reign characterized by vitality, success, and divine favor. Its petition here suggests a deep reliance on God for all aspects of existence and rule.
* **Gavest (Hebrew, _natattah'_):** This verb, from the root נָתַן (_natan_), means "to give, place, set." Its use here emphasizes God's active, intentional, and sovereign role in bestowing the blessing. It is not a passive reception but a deliberate act of divine generosity, highlighting God as the ultimate source of life and all good things.
* **For ever and ever (Hebrew, _l'olam va'ed'_):** This powerful double expression combines _l'olam_ ("to eternity, forever") and _va'ed_ ("and ever, perpetuity"). It is one of the strongest Hebrew phrases to convey unending duration, eternity, or perpetuity. While it can sometimes be used hyperbolically for a very long time (e.g., a lasting dynasty), its application to "length of days" in this context pushes its meaning beyond mortal limits, strongly hinting at a truly eternal existence or an everlasting kingdom, making it a crucial link to Messianic interpretation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"He asked life of thee":** This clause establishes the king's posture of dependence and prayer. It signifies a humble request, acknowledging God as the sole provider of life and sustenance. The "life" sought is comprehensive, encompassing not just physical existence but a prosperous and divinely sanctioned reign.
* **"and thou gavest it him":** This phrase highlights God's immediate and affirmative response to the king's petition. It underscores God's faithfulness and His delight in blessing His anointed. The simple past tense conveys the certainty and completeness of the divine act.
* **"even length of days for ever and ever":** This final, climactic phrase reveals the extraordinary nature of God's gift. God not only granted "life" but extended it to an "unending length of days." The hyperbolic "for ever and ever" transcends the natural lifespan of any human monarch, transforming the blessing from a temporal one into a promise of eternal significance, pointing to an everlasting reign or an eternal existence that only the divine or the divinely appointed Messiah could truly embody.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 21:4 employs several potent literary devices to convey its profound message. **Hyperbole** is evident in the phrase "length of days for ever and ever" when applied to an earthly king, stretching the limits of human longevity to suggest an eternal quality. This exaggeration serves to elevate the king's blessing to a supernatural level, hinting at a greater reality. The verse also functions as **Typology**, where the earthly king, in his divinely blessed reign and extraordinary longevity, serves as a type or foreshadowing of the ultimate, eternal King, the Messiah. There is also an implicit **Parallelism** between "life" and "length of days," where the latter expands upon and intensifies the former, emphasizing the abundance of God's gift. Finally, the verse showcases God's **Anthropomorphism** by portraying Him as actively "giving" life, making His divine action tangible and relatable to human experience.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 21:4 profoundly illustrates the nature of God's relationship with His anointed and His people, revealing His boundless generosity and faithfulness. It teaches that God not only answers prayer but often exceeds human expectations, bestowing blessings that are far greater than what is asked or imagined. The "life" sought by the king and the "length of days for ever and ever" granted by God points to a divine economy where God's provisions are not limited by human capacity or temporal constraints. This verse serves as a powerful testament to God's desire to bless His chosen ones with an enduring and eternal quality of life, foreshadowing the ultimate gift of eternal life found in Christ. It underscores the theme of divine sovereignty and the security of those who trust in God's unfailing love.

* [Jeremiah 33:3](/jeremiah/33-3 "Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to Me and I Will Answer"): "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."
* [Ephesians 3:20](/ephesians/3-20 "Ephesians 3:20 - God's Abundant Power"): "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."
* [John 10:28](/john/10-28 "John 10:28 - Jesus Gives Eternal Life"): "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 21:4 offers profound encouragement for believers today, inviting us into a deeper understanding of God's character and His promises. It calls us to approach God with bold and expansive prayers, knowing that His capacity to give far surpasses our ability to ask or even conceive. The king's request for "life" and God's granting of "length of days for ever and ever" challenges us to broaden our perspective beyond temporal concerns, reminding us that true life, in its fullest and most abundant sense, is eternal and found in a perpetual relationship with God. This verse encourages us to trust in God's exceeding generosity, believing that He delights in blessing His children not just sufficiently, but supernaturally. It inspires us to live with an eternal mindset, anchored in the assurance that our ultimate hope and security rest in the everlasting life secured for us through Christ.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What does "life" mean to you, and how might God desire to give you a "length of days for ever and ever" that transcends your current understanding?**
* **In what areas of your life are you holding back your requests from God, perhaps limiting Him to what you think is possible?**
* **How does the concept of God's "exceeding generosity" in this verse challenge or affirm your current view of His character and His provision for you?**

### FAQ
**How could an earthly king be granted "length of days for ever and ever"?**

Answer: The phrase "for ever and ever" (Hebrew: _l'olam va'ed_) is a strong expression of eternity or perpetuity. When applied to an earthly king, it can be understood in a few ways. Firstly, it could refer to the longevity of his dynasty, meaning his lineage would rule indefinitely. Secondly, it could be a form of **hyperbole**, a poetic exaggeration to emphasize an exceptionally long and prosperous reign, a reign blessed by God beyond normal human experience. However, the most profound interpretation, especially within a Messianic psalm, is that the language points beyond the immediate historical king to a future, ultimate King – the Messiah. In this sense, the earthly king serves as a **type** or foreshadowing of Christ, who truly possesses eternal life and an everlasting kingdom, fulfilling the promise of "length of days for ever and ever" in its ultimate, literal sense. This dual meaning allows the verse to be relevant to both the historical context and the broader redemptive narrative.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 21:4 finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the true and eternal King. While the earthly king of Israel received a temporal blessing of long life and a secure dynasty, the language of "length of days for ever and ever" stretches beyond mortal bounds, serving as a prophetic whisper of the Messiah's eternal reign. Jesus, in His earthly ministry, "asked life" not in the sense of avoiding death, but in submitting to the Father's will, even unto death, trusting in the Father's power to raise Him up. His resurrection from the dead is the ultimate demonstration of God granting "life" to Him, not just earthly longevity but an imperishable, eternal existence. As the [firstborn from the dead](/colossians/1-18 "Colossians 1:18 - Jesus, the Firstborn from the Dead"), Christ was given "length of days for ever and ever" in a literal, unending sense, reigning eternally at the right hand of God, as prophesied in passages like [Daniel 7:14](/daniel/7-14 "Daniel 7:14 - The Son of Man's Everlasting Dominion"). Through His victory over death, Jesus not only received this eternal life for Himself but also became the source of "eternal life" for all who believe in Him, fulfilling the promise of [John 3:16](/john/3-16 "John 3:16 - For God So Loved the World"). Thus, Psalms 21:4 is not merely about a king's long reign, but a glorious foretaste of the Lamb of God, who lives and reigns forevermore.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 91:16

With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Psalms 119:77

Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law [is] my delight.

Revelation 1:18

[I am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Psalms 133:3

As the dew of Hermon, [and as the dew] that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, [even] life for evermore.

Psalms 61:5

¶ For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given [me] the heritage of those that fear thy name.

Psalms 61:6

Thou wilt prolong the king's life: [and] his years as many generations.

Psalms 89:36

His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.