Psalms 54

Psalms 54

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE

A Prayer Prompted by the Hostile Action of the Zephites.

ANALYSIS

Stanza I., Psalms 54:1-2, Prayer for Salvation and Vindication; supported by a Refrain, vet. 3, describing the psalmist's Enemies. Stanza II., Psalms 54:4-5, Coming Help Welcomed and its Effects Anticipated. Stanza III., Psalms 54:6-7, Willing Sacrifice Promised and Thanks Formulated.

(Lm.) An Instructive PsalmBy DavidWhen the Ziphites entered and said to Saul, Is not David hiding himself with us?
1

O God by thy name save me,

yea by thy heroic strength shalt thou vindicate me.
1. Implied.

2

O God hear thou my prayer,

Do give ear to the sayings of my mouth.

3

For aliens[594] have arisen against me,

[594] Some cod. (w. 2 ear. pr. edns., Aram.): insolent men. Cp. Psalms 86:14Gn.

and ruthless ones have sought my life:[595]

[595] U.: soul. Cp. Intro., Chap. III., Soul.

they have not set God before them.[596]

[596] Whoever at that time in Israel feared God more than man could not have made himself the instrument of the blind fury of Saul. God had already plainly enough acknowledged DavidDel.

4

Lo! God is bringing help to me,

my Sovereign Lord is among the upholders of my life.[597]

[597] U.: soul.

5

Let him turn back the mischief upon my watchful foes,

in thy truth exterminate them.

6

Willingly will I sacrifice unto thee,

I will thank thy name[598]For he is good;

[598] M.T.: Jehovahnot in Sep.

7

For out of every distress hath he rescued me,

and on my foes hath gazed mine eye.

(Lm.) To the Chief Musician. (CMm). With stringed instruments.

PARAPHRASE

Psalms 54

Written by David at the time the men of Ziph tried to betray him to Saul.

Come with great power, O God, and save me! Defend me with Your might!
2 Oh, listen to my prayer.
3 For violent men have arisen against meruthless men who care nothing for God are seeking my life.[599]

[599] Literally, Your name.

4 But God is my helper! He is a friend of mine![600]

[600] Literally, The Lord is of them that uphold my soul.

5 He will cause the evil deeds of my enemies to boomerang upon them. Do as You promised and put an end to these wicked men, O God.
6 Gladly I bring my sacrifices to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 God has rescued me from all my trouble, and triumphed over my enemies.

EXPOSITION

It is easy to see how psalm-collectors would be unwilling to let these little personal snatches of song die, and equally-obvious how in after times these minor compositions could be adapted to occasions bearing some similarity to those which gave them birth. The wonder is, not that they found their way into the psalm-books of Israel, but that they were ever originated under the romantic circumstances which their superscriptions set forth. Yet it would be an irreparable loss to the history of revelation if we were to allow our wonder to land us in scepticism. Rather ought we to say:This is the sort of man David wasat least in his unsullied youth and young manhood, while yet waiting for the kingdom: hunted, fleeing, hard-pressed, deceived by men who acted as spies and informers, circumvented at the royal headquarters by hirelings and foreigners and envious old companions now turned traitors; yet all the while maintaining his faith in his Divinely given destiny, cast down by fresh troubles, cheered by new mercies; discovering in a loving message from Jonathan, or in the arrival of a few fresh adherents tokens that God was bringing him help, that his Sovereign Lord was among the upholders of his lifenot, of course, as one upholder among many, but chief mover and upholder of them all.

As for these officious Ziphites, we know too little of them to say much. The inhabitants of a little town fifteen miles to the southeast of Hebron,though within the bounds of Judah, may very well have included some influential men of alien birth or at least of insolent disposition; and as for tyrants, there may have been several at Court, like Doeg and Cush, deserving of that name; among whom the writer may have mentally included the arch-tyrant Saul himself, though not more pointedly alluding to him.

The more thoroughly we enter into David's especial circumstances, the more easily shall we be able to see how naturallynay almost inevitablyhe could only conceive of the removal of such enemies from a kingdom over which he was to reign, by looking forward to their extermination. Even Israel as a nation might afterwards feel justified in appropriating the same language, without excusing Christians from the supreme duty of forgiving their enemies. The -salvation-' for which the psalmist prays is a temporal deliverance, which can only be effected at the expense of the implacable enemies who are seeking his life; and it will be a vindication of God's faithfulness and a proof of His righteous government at which he cannot but rejoiceKp.

The perfect tense hath rescued, hath looked, looks back from the hour of thanksgiving upon an answered prayerKp. as also Per.; and therefore in the above rendering these clauses have been included in the quotation marks.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1.

Give some possible explanation as to why Psalms 53, 14 are practically identical.

2.

The paraphrase of Psalms 53:1 seems to suggest that the reason some deny God is because an admission of Him would interfere with the kind of life they want to liveis this a common cause for infidelity? Discuss.

3.

Are we to understand from Psalms 53:2-3 that among the aborigine races of the world that there is not one earnest sincere seeker after God among them? Discuss.

4.

Psalms 54:5 of the 53rd psalm is difficult of interpretationit is different than the 5th verse of the 14th. Read the K.J. translationHow do you interpret it?

5.

David was in a very real personal, physical peril at the hands of the Ziphitesis God to be called upon on such occasions or does He not feel we should use our own so called common sense and get out of such positions of peril? Discuss.

6.

Here is a quote from an ecclesiastical commentary: The church has taken a clear view in appointing this one of the Psalms (the 54th)in commemoration of the passion of Jesus. It is seen with greatest effect as a simple prophecy of Christthere surely is a danger in so interpreting this psalm or any other portion of scripture. What is the danger? Discuss.