Psalms 72:17

Shall be continued. — Rather, have issue. Literally, send out new shoots.

As long as the sun. — See Note on Psalms 72:5.

Shall be blessed in him. — Or, bless themselves in him. The meaning is clear, though the Hebrew is rather vague. The monarch will himself be a source of blessing to his people, who will never tire of blessing him. The psalmist’s prayer finds a genuine echo in the noble dedication of In Memoriam:

“May you rule us long,
And leave us rulers of your blood
As noble, till the latest day!

May children of our children say,
‘She wrought her people lasting good.’ ”
For the doxology closing the second book, and for the note apparently appended by the collector of this book, “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended,” see General Introduction.