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Psalm 21:3
For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head.
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.
Notice
The crown of fine gold draws attention to the giver: even the king’s visible honor is credited to God meeting him with goodness.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What changes in your view of the king’s crown when God is the one setting it there?
Write on thisWhat good gift in your life could you name in a song of thanks like this?
Write on thisConnect
Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
2 Samuel 12:30He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. He …Both passages describe a gold crown placed on a king’s head; Samuel names David and recounts the taking of another king’s crown.
Psalm 59:10My God will go before me with his loving kindness. God will let me look at my enemies in triumph.God meets the king with goodness in Psalm 21 and goes before the speaker with loving kindness in Psalm 59.
Psalm 103:4who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,Both describe God as the one who crowns, with fine gold in Psalm 21 and loving kindness and tender mercies in Psalm 103.
Ephesians 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,Both credit God with blessing: Psalm 21 celebrates goodness toward the king, while Ephesians praises spiritual blessing in Christ.
Zechariah 6:11Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest;Both describe crowns made with gold being set on someone’s head, a king in the psalm and Joshua the high priest in Zechariah.
1 Chronicles 20:2David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it. It was set on David’s head, …Both feature a gold crown set on a king’s head; Chronicles describes David receiving the crown taken from another king.
Psalm 31:19Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those who take refuge in you, before the sons of men!Both praise God’s goodness, bestowed on the king in Psalm 21 and worked for those who take refuge in God in Psalm 31.
Psalm 79:8Don’t hold the iniquities of our forefathers against us. Let your tender mercies speedily meet us, for we are in desperate need.Both speak of God’s kindness meeting people: Psalm 21 celebrates blessings received, while Psalm 79 pleads for mercies amid desperate need.
Romans 11:35“Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?”The connection concerns giving: Psalm 21 names God’s gifts, while Romans questions whether anyone has given something that obligates God to repay.
Hebrews 2:9But we see him who has been made a little lower than the angels, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of …Both describe crowning with honor; Psalm 21 names a gold crown, while Hebrews describes Jesus crowned with glory and honor because of death.
Revelation 4:4Around the throne were twenty-four thrones. On the thrones were twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white garments, with crowns of gold on their heads.Gold crowns appear in both passages, on the king’s head in Psalm 21 and on the heads of twenty-four elders in Revelation.
Revelation 14:14I looked, and saw a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.Both describe a golden crown on a head; Revelation’s crowned figure sits on a white cloud and holds a sharp sickle.
Where this verse fits
Gratitude. answered prayer. praise and worship.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
Whatever honor you receive, there is room to thank God rather than make much of yourself. This psalm gives God the credit for the king’s crown.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).