Psalms 54
54
PSALM 54.
1Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David.
2Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:
3be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled,
4at the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have cast iniquities upon me: and in wrath they were troublesome to me.
5My heart is troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.
6Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.
7And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?
8Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.
9I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit, and a storm.
10Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
11Day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls: and in the midst thereof are labour,
12and injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.
13For if my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. And if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him.
14But thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar,
15Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.
16Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell. For there is wickedness in their dwellings: in the midst of them.
17But I have cried to God: and the Lord will save me.
18Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare: and he shall hear my voice.
19He shall redeem my soul in peace from them that draw near to me: for among many they were with me.
20God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God:
21he hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant,
22they are divided by the wrath Of his countenance, and his heart hath drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and the same are darts.
23Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall not suffer the just to waver for ever.
24But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee, O Lord.
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Psalms 54: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Psalms 54
54
Psalm 54#sn Psalm 54. The psalmist asks God for protection against his enemies, confidently affirms that God will vindicate him, and promises to give thanks to God for his saving intervention.
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song#tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52. by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.”#tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion the Ziphites informed Saul that David was hiding in their territory (see 1 Sam 23:19-20).
1 O God, deliver me by your name!#tn God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character, which would instill fear in the psalmist’s enemies (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:17).
Vindicate me#tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request. by your power!
2 O God, listen to my prayer!
Pay attention to what I say!#tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.”
3 For foreigners#tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read זֵדִים (zedim, “proud ones”) rather than זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”). (No matter which reading one chooses as original, dalet-resh confusion accounts for the existence of the variant.) The term זֵדִים (“proud ones”) occurs in parallelism with עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Ps 86:14 and Isa 13:11. However, זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) is parallel to עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Isa 25:5; 29:5; Ezek 28:7; 31:12. attack me;#tn Heb “rise against me.”
ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life.#tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.” (Selah)
4 Look, God is my deliverer!#tn Or “my helper.”
The Lord is among those who support me.#tn Or “sustain my life.”
5 May those who wait to ambush me#tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2. be repaid for their evil!#tn The Kethib (consonantal text) reads a Qal imperfect, “the evil will return,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Hiphil imperfect, “he will repay.” The parallel line has an imperative (indicating a prayer/request), so it is best to read a jussive form יָשֹׁב (yashov, “let it [the evil] return”) here.
As a demonstration of your faithfulness,#tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.” destroy them!
6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice#tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve/vow to praise. to you!
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good!
7 Surely#tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the Lord’s name (cf. v. 6). he rescues me from all trouble,#tn The perfects in v. 7 are probably rhetorical, indicating the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance and his own vindication as if they were occurring or had already occurred.
and I triumph over my enemies.#tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”
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