Bible Strands
Psalms 72:20
Thus conclude the prayers of David son of Jesse.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — This verse closes Psalm 72 as a finalized collection of prayers attributed to David son of Jesse, immediately following the doxology in verse 19. It functions as a structural marker rather than a spoken address to a specific audience.
The words — כָּלּ֥וּ (ka.Lu) translates literally to "they are finished," and תְפִלּ֑וֹת (te.fi.Lot) means "the prayers." Together they declare the completion of the preceding material.
The thread — A similar concluding formula appears in Job 31:40 and Jeremiah 51:64 to mark the end of their respective sections. The cross-reference to 2 Samuel 23:1 notes an introductory oracle phrase for David, not this closing declaration.
Why it lands — The reader must treat the preceding psalm as a complete unit before proceeding. It demands recognition of the text's boundaries rather than extending its meaning indefinitely.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Cross-references
- 2 Samuel 23:1 These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man raised on high, the one anointed by the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel:
- Job 31:40 then let briers grow instead of wheat and stinkweed instead of barley.” Thus conclude the words of Job.
- Jeremiah 51:64 Then you are to say, ‘In the same way Babylon will sink and never rise again, because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will grow weary.’” Here end the words of Jeremiah.
- Luke 24:51 While He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven.