Great is his glory in Your salvation; You bestow on him splendor and majesty. Great is his glory in Your salvation;This phrase highlights the divine origin of the king's glory, emphasizing that it is not self-derived but a result of God's intervention and deliverance. In the historical context, the king of Israel was often seen as God's anointed, and his victories were attributed to divine favor. The term "salvation" here can be understood as deliverance from enemies, a common theme in the Psalms. This reflects the covenant relationship between God and the Davidic king, where the king's success is a testament to God's faithfulness. Theologically, this can be seen as a type of Christ, whose ultimate glory is revealed through His work of salvation for humanity. The glory of the king prefigures the greater glory of Jesus, who is exalted through His resurrection and ascension. You bestow on him splendor and majesty.
This phrase indicates that the king's honor and dignity are gifts from God, not achievements of his own making. In the ancient Near Eastern context, kings were often seen as representatives of divine authority, and their splendor was a reflection of the deity they served. The words "splendor" and "majesty" suggest a royal dignity that is both visible and awe-inspiring, pointing to the king's elevated status among the nations. Biblically, this can be connected to the promises made to David in 2 Samuel 7, where God assures him of an enduring dynasty. Prophetically, this foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who embodies divine majesty and whose kingdom is eternal. The bestowal of such attributes on the king serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the honor He grants to those who serve Him faithfully. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of this psalm, David is the king of Israel who often expresses his reliance on God for victory and salvation. 2. GodThe ultimate source of salvation and glory, God is the one who bestows splendor and majesty upon the king. 3. IsraelThe nation over which David reigns, often the recipient of God’s blessings through the king’s leadership. 4. SalvationThe deliverance and victory granted by God, which is a central theme in this psalm. 5. Majesty and SplendorAttributes given by God to the king, symbolizing honor and divine favor. Teaching Points Divine Source of GloryRecognize that true glory and honor come from God alone. Human achievements are ultimately gifts from Him. Role of SalvationUnderstand that salvation is not just deliverance from enemies but also a means through which God bestows glory and majesty. Reflecting God’s MajestyAs believers, we are called to reflect God’s splendor and majesty in our lives, pointing others to His greatness. Gratitude for God’s GiftsCultivate a heart of gratitude for the splendor and majesty God bestows upon us, acknowledging His role in our successes. Christ as the FulfillmentSee Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of this verse, as He embodies the glory and majesty bestowed by God. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding that God is the source of glory and majesty change your perspective on personal achievements? 2. In what ways can you reflect God’s splendor and majesty in your daily life? 3. How does the concept of salvation in Psalm 21:5 relate to the New Testament understanding of salvation through Christ? 4. What are some practical ways to express gratitude for the gifts and honors God has bestowed upon you? 5. How can the themes of glory and majesty in Psalm 21:5 deepen your worship and relationship with God? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 3:3This verse speaks of God as a shield and the one who bestows glory, similar to how God bestows splendor and majesty in Psalm 21:5. 1 Chronicles 29:11This passage acknowledges God’s greatness, power, and glory, paralleling the themes of divine majesty and splendor. Philippians 2:9-11In the New Testament, Christ is exalted and given a name above every name, reflecting the divine bestowal of glory and majesty. Revelation 5:12The Lamb is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise, echoing the themes of divine bestowal of majesty. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Authority, Bestow, Bestowed, Glory, Hast, Honor, Honour, Laid, Lay, Majesty, Placest, Salvation, Splendor, SplendourDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 21:5 1090 God, majesty of Psalm 21:4-6 6645 eternal life, nature of Library Epistle Lviii. To all the Bishops Throughout Helladia .
To all the Bishops throughout Helladia [1626] . Gregory to all bishops constituted in the province of Helladia. I return thanks with you, dearest brethren, to Almighty God, who has caused the hidden sore which the ancient enemy had introduced to come to the knowledge of all, and has cut it away by a wholesome incision from the body of His Church. Herein we have cause both to rejoice and to mourn; to rejoice, that is, for the correction of a crime, but to mourn for the fall of a brother. But, since …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the GreatMy Brethren.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ calls those for whom He died and who have believed on Him "My Brethren." What a word it is! The Brethren of the Man in Glory! Brethren of Him who is at the right hand of God, the upholder and heir of all things! Pause for a moment, dear reader. Let your heart lay hold anew of this wonderful message of God's Grace; Brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ! What depths of love and grace these words contain! What heights of glory they promise to us, who were bought by His own precious …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory The Poor in Spirit are Enriched with a Kingdom
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 Here is high preferment for the saints. They shall be advanced to a kingdom. There are some who, aspiring after earthly greatness, talk of a temporal reign here, but then God's church on earth would not be militant but triumphant. But sure it is the saints shall reign in a glorious manner: Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' A kingdom is held the acme and top of all worldly felicity, and this honour have all the saints'; so says our Saviour, Theirs is the …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Fourteenth Day for the Church of the Future
WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Church of the Future "That the children might not be as their fathers, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God."--PS. lxxviii. 8. "I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy offspring."--ISA. xliv. 3. Pray for the rising generation, who are to come after us. Think of the young men and young women and children of this age, and pray for all the agencies at work among them; that in association and societies …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession Of Deeper Matters, and God's Hidden Judgments which are not to be Inquired Into
"My Son, beware thou dispute not of high matters and of the hidden judgments of God; why this man is thus left, and that man is taken into so great favour; why also this man is so greatly afflicted, and that so highly exalted. These things pass all man's power of judging, neither may any reasoning or disputation have power to search out the divine judgments. When therefore the enemy suggesteth these things to thee, or when any curious people ask such questions, answer with that word of the Prophet, …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ The Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week - on the Mount of Olives: Discoures to the Disciples Concerning the Last Things.
THE last and most solemn denunciation of Jerusalem had been uttered, the last and most terrible prediction of judgment upon the Temple spoken, and Jesus was suiting the action to the word. It was as if He had cast the dust of His Shoes against the House' that was to be left desolate.' And so He quitted for ever the Temple and them that held office in it. They had left the Sanctuary and the City, had crossed black Kidron, and were slowly climbing the Mount of Olives. A sudden turn in the road, and …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Sermons of St. Bernard on the Passing of Malachy
Sermon I (November 2, 1148.)[1005] 1. A certain abundant blessing, dearly beloved, has been sent by the counsel of heaven to you this day; and if it were not faithfully divided, you would suffer loss, and I, to whom of a surety this office seems to have been committed, would incur danger. I fear therefore your loss, I fear my own damnation,[1006] if perchance it be said, The young children ask bread, and no man offereth it unto them.[1007] For I know how necessary for you is the consolation which …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
1. The most important point here is to keep in mind the organic unity of the Old Testament. Its predictions are not isolated, but features of one grand prophetic picture; its ritual and institutions parts of one great system; its history, not loosely connected events, but an organic development tending towards a definite end. Viewed in its innermost substance, the history of the Old Testament is not different from its typical institutions, nor yet these two from its predictions. The idea, underlying …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Letter Li to the virgin Sophia
To the Virgin Sophia He praises her for having despised the glory of the world: and, setting forth the praises, privileges, and rewards of Religious Virgins, exhorts her to persevere. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, to the Virgin Sophia, that she may keep the title of virginity and attain its reward. I. Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised (Prov. xxxi. 31). I rejoice with you, my daughter, in the glory of your virtue, whereby, as I hear, you …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 21:5 NIVPsalm 21:5 NLTPsalm 21:5 ESVPsalm 21:5 NASBPsalm 21:5 KJV
Psalm 21:5 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
