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Psalm 72:9
Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.
7In his days, the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.
8He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.
9Those who dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him. His enemies shall lick the dust.
10The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him.
Notice
The words “lick the dust” picture the king’s enemies in utter defeat, within a vision of far-reaching rule and abundant peace.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What do you notice about the shift from wilderness dwellers bowing to enemies licking dust?
Write on thisHow does the peace described in verse 7 shape your reading of the enemies’ defeat?
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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
Genesis 3:14The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock, and above every animal of the field. You shall go on your …Dust marks humiliation in both passages: the serpent is cursed to eat it, and the king’s enemies lick it.
Psalm 95:6Oh come, let’s worship and bow down. Let’s kneel before the LORD, our Maker,Both passages describe bowing, though Psalm 72 depicts submission to the king and Psalm 95 urges worship before the LORD.
Isaiah 49:23Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your …Both passages join bowing with licking dust, using bodily abasement to portray submission.
Psalm 74:14You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.Both mention wilderness life alongside defeat, though Psalm 74 describes Leviathan’s destruction rather than submission to a king.
Micah 7:17They will lick the dust like a serpent. Like crawling things of the earth, they will come trembling out of their dens. They will come with fear to the LORD our …Both describe licking dust as humiliation; Micah adds trembling and fear before the LORD.
Psalm 21:8Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you.Both royal psalms picture enemies overcome: Psalm 21 describes a hand finding them, while Psalm 72 depicts their humiliation.
Isaiah 45:24They will say of me, ‘There is righteousness and strength only in the LORD.’” Even to him will men come. All those who raged against him will be disappointed.Both portray opposition ending in humiliation: the king’s enemies lick dust, and those raging against the LORD face disappointment.
Mark 5:6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him,Bowing before someone appears in both passages: wilderness dwellers bow before the king, and the man bows before Jesus.
Genesis 43:26When Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves down to the earth before him.Both depict people bowing before a ruler, with Genesis naming Joseph and describing a present brought to him.
Acts 2:35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’Both use images of enemies brought low: licking dust in the psalm and becoming a footstool in Acts.
Genesis 24:26The man bowed his head, and worshiped the LORD.Both describe bowing, though Genesis names the act as worship of the LORD and Psalm 72 depicts submission to the king.
Luke 19:27But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’”Both depict royal enemies facing defeat; Luke’s parable includes an order to kill them, while the psalm pictures their humiliation.
Where this verse fits
Sermon or Bible study notes. injustice and anger.
One step
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Encouragement
The king pictured here has enemies, and their defeat is stark. The surrounding lines describe his reign as one where the righteous flourish and peace abounds.
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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).