תהלים, פרק פ״ט, פסוק כ״ו

God grants King David an expansive royal authority that breaks past the continental borders of his kingdom, reaching out toward distant waterways and foreign lands. Just as God commands the mighty ocean, He delegates a measure of His own power to David, allowing the king to overcome distant seafarers and foreign fleets [אבן עזרא].

The primary approach among commentators is that this physical reach symbolizes absolute power, government, and control over those who travel across seas and rivers from the farthest corners of the earth [מצודת דוד]. Historically and geographically, this promise materialized through David's military conquests and victories, which expanded his kingdom westward toward the sea and eastward toward the great rivers [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. On a practical level, this dominance was demonstrated through the rich tributes David received from foreign leaders. Hiram, the king of Tyre, sent his offerings along the sea coast, while the kings of Aram, who lived across the river, transported their tributes through the ancient river cities [רד״ק].

Beyond the literal historical events, a symbolic approach views this expanding power as a prophecy concerning the ultimate downfall of the four great empires that historically subjugated the people of Israel. In this framework, the power exerted over the sea is associated with the left hand, a symbol of vengeance and strict anger. This force is destined to strike the fourth and final kingdom, the empire of iron, which early traditions note was founded upon a sandbar that emerged from the great sea. Conversely, the power exerted over the rivers is associated with the right hand, which targets the three preceding empires—Babylon, Media, and Greece—all of which were historically centered along massive rivers. Because these earlier kingdoms have already fallen and their power has worn away over time, the right hand is used, showing that less divine anger is required to defeat them finally and completely [אלשיך].