Psalms 72:16 · Bible study
Psalms 72:16 Commentary: Grain, Lebanon, and the Coming King
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegetical study of Psalm 72:16's imagery of abundant grain, its hapax legomenon, and how it points to both Solomon's prosperity and the Messiah's kingdom.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A prayer for abundant harvest and population growth under a righteous king, typifying the blessings of the Messiah's reign.
- Key words: פִּסָּה (pissah, hapax: handful/abundance); יִרְעַשׁ (yir'ash, to shake/wave); לְבָנוֹן (Lebanon, symbol of fertility).
- Main debate: Whether the verse depicts literal agricultural prosperity in Solomon's day or metaphorical spiritual fruitfulness in the Messiah's kingdom.
- Theological theme: The kingdom of God brings comprehensive flourishing, to land, people, and society, as a sign of divine blessing.
- Best use: In teaching about God's provision, the partial fulfilment in Israel's history, and the hope of ultimate abundance in Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
May there be an abundance of grain in the land; may it sway atop the hills. May its fruit trees flourish like the forests of Lebanon, and its people like the grass of the field.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Abundance of grain shall be throughout the land. Its fruit sways like Lebanon. Let it flourish, thriving like the grass of the field.
KJV King James Version 1769
There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
There shall be abundance of grain in the earth upon the top of the mountains; The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
There is a handful of corn in the earth, On the top of mountains, Shake like Lebanon doth its fruit, And they flourish out of the city as the herb of the earth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
There shall be abundance of corn in the earth, upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon; and they of the city shall bloom like the herb of the earth.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
I studied that I might know this thing, it is a labour in my sight:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Será echado un puño de grano en tierra, en las cumbres de los montes; su fruto hará ruido como el Líbano, y los de la ciudad florecerán como la hierba de la tierra.
Haverá bastante trigo na terra sobre os cumes dos montes; seu fruto brotará como o Líbano; e desde a cidade florescerão como a erva da terra.
Les blés abonderont dans le pays, au sommet des montagnes,
Auf Erden, oben auf den Bergen, wird das Getreide dick stehen; seine Frucht wird rauschen wie der Libanon, und sie werden grünen wie das Gras auf Erden.
Is er een hand vol koren in het land op de hoogte der bergen, de vrucht daarvan zal ruisen als de Libanon; en die van de stad zullen bloeien als het kruid der aarde.
Vi sarà abbondanza di grano nel paese, sulla sommità dei monti. Ondeggeranno le spighe come fanno gli alberi del Libano, e gli abitanti delle città fioriranno come l’erba della terra!
Gdy się wrzuci garść zboża do ziemi na wierzchu gór, zaszumi jako Liban urodzaj jego, a mieszczanie zakwitną jako zioła polne.
И думал я, как бы уразуметь это, но это трудно было в глазах моих,
在地 的山 頂上，五穀必然茂盛（或譯：有 一把 五穀）；所結的穀實 要響動，如黎巴嫩的樹林；城裡的人 要發旺，如地上 的草。
May there be wide-stretching fields of grain in the land, shaking on the top of the mountains, full of fruit like Lebanon: may its stems be unnumbered like the grass of the earth.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 72:16
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this verse paints a picture of astonishing fruitfulness under the reign of a righteous king. The land produces grain even on mountaintops, the stalks wave like the forests of Lebanon, and the population multiplies like grass. The core disagreement turns on whether this is literal agricultural prosperity under Solomon or a metaphor for spiritual blessings in the Messiah's age. Barnes notes the rare word פִּסָּה (pissah), a hapax legomenon that can mean either 'handful' or 'abundance', a difference that shifts the image from small beginnings to sheer plenty. Calvin and Matthew Henry see Solomon as a type, with the description exceeding any historical reign and pointing forward to Christ. Keil and Delitzsch, parsing the verbs as optatives ('may it be'), read the verse as a prayer for the king that finds its ultimate answer in the messianic era. Both camps agree that something extraordinary is being described: a time when the earth itself responds to righteous rule with lavish generosity.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal-historical (Solomonic prosperity): The psalm's superscription and context point to Solomon; 1 Kings 4:20 describes similar population growth and peace.
- Messianic-prophetic (Christ's spiritual kingdom): The language exceeds any historical reign; cross-references like Psalm 72:17 ('all nations call him blessed') and Isaiah 2:2 show an eschatological scope.
- Typological (Solomon as type of Christ): The verse has a plain sense about Solomon but a fuller sense pointing to Christ; Calvin and most pre-critical commentators held this view.
What is clear: The verse uses agricultural imagery to describe a time of extraordinary blessing under a righteous king, and it belongs to a larger prayer that extends beyond any single historical reign.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the king | The psalm is written about/for a Davidic king, likely Solomon initially. | Some traditions (Reformed, evangelical) read it primarily as a prophecy of Christ; others (many historical-critical scholars) see it as an idealised picture of Solomon's reign, with later Christian reinterpretation. |
| Meaning of פִּסָּה (pissah) | The word is a hapax legomenon and its exact sense is uncertain. | Older interpreters (e.g., Alexander, Wesley) read it as 'handful,' emphasising small beginnings; most modern lexicons and commentators (Gesenius, Keil & Delitzsch) render it 'abundance,' stressing sheer plenty. |
| Literal vs metaphorical interpretation | The verse describes extraordinary fertility and population growth. | A literal-historical reading applies it to Solomon's agricultural and demographic boom (cf. 1 Kings 4:20). A messianic reading sees the imagery as symbolic of spiritual fruit, conversions, growth of the church, and eschatological renewal. |
| Fulfilment in history | The reign of Solomon was a period of unusual peace and prosperity in Israel. | Christians typically hold that the full promise awaits the Messiah's final reign; Jewish interpretation often sees it as a prayer for the Davidic monarchy, with no necessary messianic reference. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 72 is a royal psalm, likely composed for Solomon's coronation or as David's prayer for his son. The surrounding verses describe a king who judges the poor (v.12), brings peace, and receives tribute from distant nations (v.10, 11). Verse 16 sits within that vision of an ideal reign. In Solomon's day, Israel enjoyed relative peace and prosperity; 1 Kings 4:20 reports that Judah and Israel were 'numerous as the sand which is by the sea,' a phrase echoed in the image of people flourishing like grass. The historical Solomon did foster trade and agriculture, but the language here is deliberately hyperbolic.
The mention of Lebanon carries deep associations. To an Israelite, Lebanon meant the great cedar forests, symbols of stability, height, and beauty (Psalm 104:16, Psalm 92:12). Comparing the swaying of grain to the rustling of Lebanon's trees suggests a sound, the wind moving through a vast, dense crop. The mountains (הָרִים) were typically less fertile than valleys; putting grain 'on the top of the mountains' signals a fertility that overcomes natural limits. The verb יִרְעַשׁ (yir'ash) can mean 'shake' or 'quake,' but the context points to a gentle waving motion, perhaps accompanied by a rustling sound (as the Cambridge Bible suggests). The city (עִיר) likely refers to Jerusalem, the seat of the king's rule, from which the population blossoms outward. This combination of land and people flourishing together is a standard feature of ancient Near Eastern royal ideology, and of biblical promises for the age to come.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The main difficulty is lexical: the word פִּסָּה (pissah) occurs only here, and its meaning must be inferred from context and cognate languages. The Septuagint and Vulgate render it as 'strength' (στήριγμα, firmamentum), while the Syriac reads 'abundance.' The Hebrew consonantal text is stable across manuscripts.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters, such as Augustine, read this verse allegorically: the 'handful of corn' was Christ, the one grain that fell into the earth and produced a multitude of believers. Medieval commentators continued this typological approach, linking the shaking like Lebanon to the apostles' preaching. Reformed theologians (Calvin, Matthew Henry) saw Solomon as a type of Christ, with the abundance signalling spiritual blessings under the gospel. In Jewish tradition, the verse was understood as a prayer for Israel's prosperity under the Davidic king, later applied to the coming Messiah in some rabbinic writings. Modern scholarship focuses on its original liturgical context within the royal ideology of ancient Israel, while still acknowledging its rich afterlife in Christian messianic hope.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Small Seed, Great Harvest. The word פִּסָּה may hint at a 'handful', a tiny beginning that produces an overwhelming crop. This mirrors Jesus' parables of the mustard seed and the leaven, and it reminds us that God's kingdom often starts small before filling the earth.
- The King Brings Fruitfulness. The abundance is not random; it flows from righteous rule. The king's justice (v.12, 14) creates conditions where both land and people thrive. Spiritual fruitfulness, in character, community, and mission, follows from submission to Christ's kingship.
- A Prayer with an Ultimate Answer. The optative verbs ('may it be') express longing. Solomon's reign offered a partial fulfilment, but the full flowering awaits the Messiah. This verse fuels hope: one day the whole earth will be filled with God's glory (v.19).
Five-Point Outline
- Fertility beyond natural limits (grain on mountain tops).
- Beauty and abundance (waving like Lebanon).
- Population growth (people like grass of the field).
- Connection to justice (the king's righteousness precedes prosperity).
- Eschatological hope (the prayer outlasts Solomon).
Illustration Hooks
- A farmer plants a few seeds in a dry, rocky hillside, expecting little, but months later the slope is covered in green stalks. The small beginning becomes a harvest that feeds many.
- A congregation starts with a handful of people meeting in a living room. Over years it grows into a multi-site church whose members serve the city. The 'handful' became a field.
- Think of a neighborhood that, after decades of neglect, sees community gardens spring up on vacant lots. What seemed barren begins to produce.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- If Psalm 72 is about the Messiah, why hasn't the world seen this kind of peace and plenty?
- Does this verse promise material prosperity for believers today?
- How do we experience the 'fruitfulness' of Christ's reign now, before the final harvest?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is a prayer for the king, using lush agricultural imagery. It expects that when a ruler governs justly, both the land and the people flourish. But the language goes beyond what Solomon experienced, pointing to a greater King. As you discuss, consider how the Old Testament uses creation's fertility as a sign of covenant blessing and how the New Testament applies these promises to Christ.
Discussion Questions
- What images in this verse stand out to you? Why do you think the poet chose grain, mountains, Lebanon, and grass?
- The word פִּסָּה can mean 'handful' or 'abundance.' How does the reading change depending on which meaning you choose?
- How does the king's justice (described in v.12, 14) connect to the agricultural abundance of v.16?
- Read 1 Kings 4:20. How does Solomon's reign fulfil this prayer, and where does it fall short?
- Why do you think the early church and many commentators saw this verse as a prophecy of Christ?
- In what ways do we see the 'fruit' of Christ's reign in the world today? What parts of this promise are we still waiting for?
- How might this verse shape the way you pray for your own leaders and for the spread of the gospel?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 4:20 | Judah and Israel were numerous as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry. |
| Job 5:25 | You will know also that your offspring will be great, your offspring as the grass of the earth. |
| Job 8:7 | Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase. |
| Psalms 72:6 | He will come down like rain on the mown grass, as showers that water the earth. |
| Psalms 92:12 | The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. |
| Psalms 92:14 | They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green, |
| Psalms 104:16 | Yahweh’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted, |
| Isaiah 2:2 | It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke interprets the handful of corn as a promise of astonishing fertility: even a small sowing on a barren mountaintop produces a harvest as towering as the cedars of Lebanon. This abundance, in turn, multiplies the people who consume it, and city dwellers thrive as thick as grass.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes presents two possible interpretations of "handful of corn" — a literal handful or an abundance — and cannot decide between them. He favors the more poetic view: a tiny seed sown on an unlikely mountain top grows into a vast, waving harvest, picturing the Messiah's kingdom starting small but ending in great prosperity.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that this psalm, though written about Solomon's reign, ultimately points beyond him to the Messiah. The description of the king's glory and the happiness of his subjects fits Christ far more perfectly than it ever fit Solomon, showing that the Holy Spirit was directing David's prayer toward the greater King to come.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator sees this passage as a prayer for the land's fertility and the people's prosperity, with cornfields stretching to the mountain tops and rustling like the cedars of Lebanon. The grass symbolizes fresh, vigorous growth, connecting the prayer to Solomon's reign and the Messianic age.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note takes the image of a mere handful of seed sown on mountaintops and declares it will produce harvests as massive and majestic as the cedars of Lebanon. The city’s children will spring up as thick and numerous as grass, showing God’s power to bring overwhelming abundance from the humblest start.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill interprets the handful of corn as Christ himself, small and underestimated in his earthly life. His death and burial are like a seed sown in the earth, designed and voluntary, leading to resurrection and a great harvest of converts and spiritual blessings.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch read this verse as a series of optative wishes, not predictions. They see the image of corn growing to the mountaintop and waving like Lebanon as a prayer for extraordinary fruitfulness under the righteous king. The rare word "pissah" suggests abundance spreading across wide space.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the Psalm's expressions are not merely poetical or idealistic but are actual prophetic promises. They find historical support in Solomon's reign but transcend any single king, pointing to
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley argues the handful of grain pictures the humble start of Christ's kingdom, unlike Solomon's reign which began in full splendor