12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live;
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!
17 May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all nations call him blessed!
18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
Comment: Have you come to any conclusions as to whom you think was the author and why it was written? I cannot say with certainty and I must confess that often I think that in the end scholars are left with tossing a coin to make a decision! But I think it was written by David to try and stabilize the mess which was occurring as he was nearing the end of his life (1 Kings 1) and includes several important things. i) his desire for an established wise and just ruler. His choice was Solomon. ii) his love of Israel and his desire for God’s blessing and the prosperity of the land. iii) He desires the present kingdom, established under him, to last . iv) I think that there is a strong hint that David sees God’s promise for his kingdom to last forever, and thus looking forward and maybe seeing it only dimly there is a hope for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. Jesus was not a name known to David but the strong hope for an everlasting kingdom was, based on the promise that God had given to him. (2 Samuel 7 5-16)
Prayer: Please challenge my thinking; increase my knowledge; convert knowledge into wisdom; give me true faith; and may I live to Your glory and to the good of those with whom I mix. Please. please, my God.
This concludes Book 2 of Psalms
As I read it! 