Midras Mazmur 21:5: Midrash Tehillim & Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

“[Were you to] ask it of Me, I would set the nations [as your inheritance]” (Psalms 2:8). [In fact,] if [you were to request the] nations; they are already your inheritance, as it is said, “Let him rule from sea to sea [and from the river to the ends of the earth]” (Psalms 72:8). And if [you were to request until] the ends of the earth; they are already your possession, as it is said, “from the river to the ends of the earth” (ibid.). Rabbi Yochanan said that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to three persons, “[were you to] ask it of Me [I would grant it to you];” and they were – Solomon, Ahaz, and the King-Messiah. Solomon, since it is written, “Ask of me, what shall I grant to you?” (1 Kings 3:5). Ahaz, since it is written, “Ask for a sign [from the Lord your God, from the depths of hell, or the heights above. But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask, nor will I test God]”” (Isaiah 7:11-12). And why was he called Ahaz [literally: holding]? Because he held back good from coming into the world. Alternatively: he held back study halls from toiling in Torah. The King-Messiah, as it is written, “[Were you to] ask it of Me, I would set…” (Psalms 2:8). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, we derived two more examples by homiletical exegesis: Abraham and Jacob. Abraham, since it is written, “My Lord, God, what can You give me, [seeing as I go childless, and the one in charge of my household is Elizer of Damascus?]” (Genesis 15:2). This implies that [God] told him to make a request. Jacob, as it is said, “[Jacob made a vow, saying,] “If God remains with me, protecting me [on this journey that I am making, and giving me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I return safe to my father’s house – then the Lord shall be my God]”” (Genesis 28:20-21). This implies that [God] told him to make a request. And so too it says [regarding David], “He asked You for life, and You granted it to him” (Psalms 21:5). And what did he ask? He asked of [God] that the Jewish people should live and thrive forever.

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree" (Ps. 92:12). Just as this palm tree is beautiful in all its appearance, and all its fruits are sweet and good, likewise the son of David is beautiful in his appearance and in his glory, and all his deeds || are good and sweet before the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon" (ibid.). Just as this cedar has very many roots beneath the earth, and even if the four winds of the world came against it, they could not move it from its place, as it is said, "He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They that are planted in the house of the Lord" (Ps. 92:12, 13). In the future when the Holy One, blessed be He, will gather Israel from the four corners of the world, just like this gardener who transplants his fir trees from one garden-bed to another garden-bed, likewise in the future will the Holy One, blessed be He, gather them from an impure land and (plant them) in a pure land, as it is said, "They that are planted in the house of the Lord" (ibid.). Like this grass, they shall blossom and sprout forth in the Temple, as it is said, "In the courts of our God they shall flourish" (ibid.).