Psalm 21
Psalm 21 is the 21st psalm from the Book of Psalms. It is internally accredited to David. There are 13 verses. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 20. This royal psalm and the previous one are closely related: they are both liturgical psalms; in both, the king is the prominent figure. Psalm 21 is characterised as a psalm of thanksgiving. It focuses on the imagery of a king; the king is often credited with being an example of the moral state of  a kingdom in the Old Testament. Text. Hebrew Bible version. Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 21: Themes. Commentary by the theologian John Calvin relates this psalm to the belief that God had appointed a succession of rulers on Earth, starting with David and eventually leading to the messiah, who Calvin identified as Jesus. Calvin also implies that this psalm does not refer to a specific king, but to all kings. The Jerusalem Bible identifies both messianic and eschatological themes, and commends the application of this psalm to the idea of "Christ the King". Verse 9, "the time of  thine anger" in the King James Version, "the day that you appear" in the Jerusalem Bible, and the reference to a blazing furnace "suggest a more ... eschatological perspective". Commentator Cyril Rodd notes that "the situation to which [the psalm] refers is not clear". He identifies four possible occasions for its composition or use: The New Revised Standard Version specifies that it is a psalm of "thanksgiving for victory". Uses. In the Church of England's "Book of Common Prayer", this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the fourth day of the month. This psalm has been  used as the name of the church ministry known as "Psalm 21 Church" or "Psalm 21 Kingdom Heritage", in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia since 2004. Verses 1-4 are used as the source material for the anthem "O Lord Make Thy Servant Elizabeth" by William Byrd.