Footnotes

1. Psalm 72:8 From sea to sea: the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. The river is the Euphrates. Both details indicate the universality of the Messianic reign. Ends of the earth: an alternative translation is: “end of the land.”
2. Psalm 72:9 His foes: literally, “the Beast,” a word referring to the tribes of the Arabian Desert, east of the Promised Land. Lick the dust: a sign of abject fear and defeat (see Mic 7:17).
3. Psalm 72:10 All kings, whether near or far, will acknowledge the Messiah’s rule. Tarshish: a seaport located in southern Spain, hence to the far west; Sheba: a city of southwest Arabia, hence to the far south; Seba: probably a region in modern Sudan, south of Egypt (see Gen 10:7; Isa 43:3). This verse is applied by Matthew to the visit of the Magi at Christ’s birth (see Mt 2:11).