Psalm 72 is traditionally linked to the word “Dominion” in Canada’s original name, the Dominion of Canada.
The connection comes especially from verse 8 in the King James Bible: “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley, a New Brunswick Father of Confederation, is traditionally credited with suggesting “Dominion” during discussions over the country’s name in 1866. The phrase seemed suited to a federation stretching across the continent.
Psalm 72 also inspired Canada’s motto, A Mari Usque Ad Mare, Latin for “from sea to sea.” That motto appears on Canada’s coat of arms and echoes the verse’s geographic imagery. A common mix-up is to confuse Psalm 72 with a psalm associated with Canada’s national motto generally; the same psalm is the source, but verse 8 supplies the key wording. Canada became the Dominion of Canada at Confederation in 1867, although “Canada” is now the country’s usual official name.