Psalms 72:8 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

From sea to sea; either,

1. From the Dead Sea or the Lake of Sodom, or from the Red Sea, to the Midland Sea; for so far did Solomon's dominion extend: but so did David's also; and therefore in that respect Solomon hath not that pre-eminence which this promise plainly seems to give him above his predecessors. Or,

2. More generally from one sea to another, or in all the parts of the habitable world. So it was truly and fully accomplished in Christ, and in him only. The river, to wit, Euphrates, which was the eastern border of the kingdom of Canaan allotted by God, Exodus 23:31 Numbers 34:3, but enjoyed only by David and Solomon, and afterwards by Christ; of whose kingdom this may be here mentioned, as one of the borders; partly because the kingdom of Christ is here described under the type and shadow of Solomon's kingdom, whose bound this was; and partly because though Christ's kingdom did for a time extend itself beyond Euphrates, yet the chief part, and almost the whole body of it, both did and doth lie on this side of it; and things do generally receive their denomination from the greatest part. The ends of the earth; either,

1. Of the land of Canaan. Or,

2. Of the world.

Psalms 72:8

8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.