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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 21

Psalm 21 is read especially through the theme of praise, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

PraiseKingshipTrust & Refuge
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 21

1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The king rejoices in your strength, LORD! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation!

2You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

3For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head.

4He asked life of you and you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.

5His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him.

6For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence.

7For the king trusts in the LORD. Through the loving kindness of the Most High, he shall not be moved.

8Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you.

9You will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of your anger. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath. The fire shall devour them.

10You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from among the children of men.

11For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed.

12For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face.

13Be exalted, LORD, in your strength, so we will sing and praise your power.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 21

Psalm 21 is read especially through the theme of praise, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book I (Psalms 1–41). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Praise, Kingship, Trust & Refuge. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 21

Psalm 21 contains 13 verses and about 230 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The king rejoices in your strength, LORD! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation!” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 13 closes: “Be exalted, LORD, in your strength, so we will sing and praise your power.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, make, king, rejoices, strength, salvation. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 21

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 21:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes praise, with related themes of Praise, Kingship, Trust & Refuge. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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