The Meaning of Psalms 132:18 Explained

Psalms 132:18

KJV: His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

YLT: His enemies I do clothe with shame, And upon him doth his crown flourish!

Darby: His enemies will I clothe with shame; but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

ASV: His enemies will I clothe with shame; But upon himself shall his crown flourish.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

His enemies  will I clothe  with shame:  but upon himself shall his crown  flourish. 

What does Psalms 132:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 132:1-18 - The Lord's Blessing Upon Zion
This psalm evidently dates from the dedication of Solomon's temple. In the glory of completion God never forgets the toils and anxieties of the builders. When the topstone flashes in the sunlight, the trench-diggers, and foundation-makers come in for their need of praise. The singer recapitulates two memorable scenes in the history of the Ark: Ephratah is probably Shiloh, in the tribe of Ephraim, where the Tabernacle was situated in Eli's time; while the field of the wood is Kirjath-jearim, whence David brought the sacred emblem to Jerusalem, 1 Chronicles 13:5.
The prayer of Psalms 132:8-10 is similar to that of Solomon, 2 Chronicles 6:41. For us the ark of God's strength is our Lord's nature, in which God and man meet. We are called to be priests, to lift our hands in intercession and to fill the earth with praise. Then in Psalms 132:11-18 God seems to take the clauses of that prayer, one by one and to answer, them. His resting-place is in His people. The staves were drawn out from the Ark when it was deposited in the Temple. In Christ there is finality; He is Omega, the Last. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 132

1  David in his prayer commends unto God the reverent care he had for the ark
8  His prayer at the removing of the ark
11  With a repetition of God's promises

What do the individual words in Psalms 132:18 mean?

His enemies I will clothe with shame but upon Himself shall flourish His crown
א֭וֹיְבָיו אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ בֹּ֑שֶׁת וְ֝עָלָ֗יו יָצִ֥יץ נִזְרֽוֹ

א֭וֹיְבָיו  His  enemies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹיֵב  
Sense: (Qal) enemy.
אַלְבִּ֣ישׁ  I  will  clothe 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.
בֹּ֑שֶׁת  with  shame 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֹּשֶׁת  
Sense: shame.
וְ֝עָלָ֗יו  but  upon  Himself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יָצִ֥יץ  shall  flourish 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: צוּץ 
Sense: to blossom, shine, sparkle.
נִזְרֽוֹ  His  crown 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֵזֶר  
Sense: consecration, crown, separation, Nazariteship.