Psalm 61:6
ESV
Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations!
NIV
Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations.
NASB
You will prolong the king’s life; His years will be like generations.
CSB
Add days to the king’s life; may his years span many generations.
NLT
Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations!
KJV
Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.
NKJV
You will prolong the king’s life, His years as many generations.
What does Psalm 61:6 mean?
David asks the Lord to extend the king's life; this psalm was probably written while David was, himself, the king. Because of this and earlier references to safety (Psalm 61:2), it's possible this song was a response to Absalom's rebellion (2 Samuel 15:13–14). David's prayer is based in a confidence (Psalm 61:5) that the Lord would keep His promises about David's kingship and his descendants (2 Samuel 7:9–16).Other psalms celebrate God's guarantee that David's throne would be established and protected (Psalm 89:20–21). Further, the Lord promised, "The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him" (Psalm 89:22–23). If Psalm 61 was composed because of Absalom's mutiny, the rebellious son suffered exactly that fate. During the uprising, Absalom's hair became tangled in the branches of a tree, and he was killed by David's men (2 Samuel 18:9–15).
