Psalm 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-13

The responsorial psalm for Epiphany Sunday comes from Psalm 72, a hymn that captures the themes of universal kingship, justice, and the inclusion of all nations under God’s reign.

This psalm asks God for a messianic king who embodies God’s own justice and righteousness, governing with compassion and concern for the poor and afflicted — an image that is perfectly fulfilled by the revelation of Christ as the universal Savior.

O God, with your judgment endow the king,

The psalm begins with a prayer, asking God that the king be given a share in God’s own righteousness — the same righteousness with which he governs the world and all the people in it.

While the king is the representative of God, he is human; hence intercession must be made for him.

and with your justice, the king’s son;

By mentioning the crown prince, the prayer underscores the principle of dynastic legitimacy.

This psalm’s title attributes it to Solomon, but it may have been written for an enthronement ceremony in a later stage of the monarchy, perhaps in the time of Isaiah (8th century BC) or Josiah (7th century). Over time, this depiction of an ideal king and reign came to be understood in Jewish tradition as a description of the Messiah.

he shall govern your people with justice 

The people are explicitly identified as belonging to God; the king has been placed over the people to rule them as God would, in justice and righteousness.

and your afflicted ones with judgment.

The test of a monarch’s rule is the care given to the most vulnerable of the society, the poor. The psalmist asks God to grant righteousness to the king so he can protect the defenseless and give them a share in the prosperity of the nation.

Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

The psalmist envisions an era of unparalleled justice and peace, lasting forever (“till the moon be no more”).

The psalmist next prays that this rule of justice be extended to include the entire world and all of the nations within it. The boundaries of the civilized world known at the time extended from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Persian Gulf in the east, and from the Euphrates (“the River”) to the distant islands and lands beyond the Mediterranean, such as Tarshish, symbolizing the furthest reaches of the known world (“the ends of the earth”).

For Christians, this is fulfilled in Christ, whose kingdom is not of this world but spans all creation and time.

The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.

This imagery of foreign kings bringing gifts foreshadows the magi’s journey in our gospel reading for today.

Tarshish, Arabia, and Seba represent distant lands, symbolizing the inclusion of all nations in God’s salvific plan. The offering of gifts and homage highlights the recognition of the Messiah’s divine kingship by Gentiles, a key theme of our celebration.

All kings shall pay him homage, all nations shall serve him.

The Israelite king, as the representative of God, is the instrument of divine justice and blessing not just for Israel, but for the whole world.

For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save.

The reading ends with a picture of righteousness in action, emphasizing the messianic king’s compassion and commitment to the marginalized.

The kingdom is rooted in the righteousness of God, and the most vulnerable in society have an advocate in the king.