INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 54 TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN ON NEGINOTH, MASCHIL, [A PSALM] OF DAVID, WHEN THE ZIPHIMS CAME AND SAID TO SAUL, DOTH NOT DAVID HIDE HIMSELF WITH US? Of the word "neginoth", Psalms 4:1, title; and of "maschil", Psalms 32:1, title. The occasion of writing this psalm were the discover... [ Continue Reading ]
SAVE ME, O GOD, BY THY NAME,.... That is, by himself, by his power, and of his grace and goodness; the Lord's name is often used for himself. David in his distress applies to his God for salvation and deliverance, who only could give it; which was right; and his prayer was remarkably heard and answe... [ Continue Reading ]
HEAR MY PRAYER, O GOD,.... The psalmist first puts up his petitions, and then desires to be heard; his distress, and the fervency of his spirit, not suffering him to observe order; GIVE EAR TO THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH; for the prayer which was conceived in his mind, and inwrought there by the Spirit o... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR STRANGERS ARE RISEN UP AGAINST ME,.... Meaning such as Doeg the Edomite, or Heathen soldiers, that Saul had hired and took into his army, who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; and such as these rose up against David's antitype, the Messiah, Psalms 2:1 Acts 4:27. Or rather the Ziphims,... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, GOD [IS] MINE HELPER,.... This being a matter of wonder to be helped in so extraordinary a manner, and a sure and certain case, and what was deserving the attention of others; for the encouragement of their faith and hope in like cases, a "behold" is prefixed unto it: and what is here said i... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL REWARD EVIL UNTO MINE ENEMIES,.... That eyed him as Saul did; that observed his haunts, where he resorted, and who were with him, as the Ziphites did under Saul's direction; as the Word m here used for "enemies" signifies: the mischief they had devised for him, he believed, would be returne... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL FREELY SACRIFICE UNTO THEE,.... Not legal sacrifices; no, nor freewill offerings the law gives directions about, though the allusion is to them; but the freewill offerings of his mouth, Psalms 119:108; the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, on account of help, salvation, and deliverance,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE HATH DELIVERED ME OUT OF ALL TROUBLE,.... As he desired, 1 Samuel 26:24; that is, out of all his present trouble; not that he had no more afterwards; for as soon as one trouble is gone, generally speaking, another comes; but as God delivered him out of his present distress, so he believed he... [ Continue Reading ]