Heading. ‘For the chief musician, on stringed instruments. A psalm of David.' This psalm is one of a number dedicated to the Choirmaster, or chief musician. What this actually signified we do not know. Possibly the choirmaster originally had his own collection of psalms and hymns. This one was inte... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness, You have set me at large when I was in distress. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.' The psalm begins with prayer. The writer is grateful that when he was in distress God delivered him from it and set him ‘at large'. He had brought him out of h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘O you sons of men how long will my glory be turned into dishonour? How long will you love vanity, and seek after falsehood?' Selah. This again fits well with David's situation. It was the vanity of Absalom that had finally resulted in the rebellion, as a result of Absalom's false claims (2 Samuel... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But know that YHWH has set apart him who is godly for himself? YHWH will hear when I call to him.' Compare Psalms 3:3. He warns his opponents that God has set him apart specially. He is the anointed one, supremely favoured by the covenant God. And he points out that he is still in God's favour, h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Stand in awe and do not sin, Commune with your own heart on your bed and be still, Selah Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in YHWH.' In view of whom they are dealing with they should pause and stand in awe. They are touching YHWH's anointed. Let them therefore fear befor... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Many there are who say, “Who will show us any good? Yahweh, lift up the light of your face on us,” Glad in heart he is aware that many who have been against him, or have been neutral, are now having second thoughts, because they have ‘stood in awe' and considered. They had turned to Absalom becau... [ Continue Reading ]
‘You have put gladness in my heart, More than those have when their corn and their wine are increased.' The greatest gladness in life in an agricultural society was for the corn and the wine to increase. And the harvest festivals, in a good year, were their time of greatest rejoicing (see Isaiah 9... [ Continue Reading ]
‘In peace will I both lay me down, and sleep, For you YHWH alone make me dwell in safety.' David finishes with his declaration of full confidence in YHWH. The final battle is not yet over, but as he prepares for it he can afford to lie down, and yes, he even sleeps (compare Psalms 3:5). For he kno... [ Continue Reading ]