1 {To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.} When I call, answer me, O God of my righteousness: in pressure thou hast enlarged me; be gracious unto me, and hear my prayer.
They encountered me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay. And he brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength, And he maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], And he will make me to walk upon my high places. To the chief Musician. On my stringed instruments.
I have called upon thee, for thou answerest me, O ùGod. Incline thine ear unto me, hear my speech.
Even so would he have allured thee out of the jaws of distress into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and the supply of thy table [would be] full of fatness.
And Jehovah passed by before his face, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah ùGod merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy unto thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but by no means clearing [the guilty]; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the fourth [generation].
Be gracious unto me, O Lord; for unto thee do I call all the day. Rejoice the soul of thy servant; for unto thee, Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and art of great loving-kindness unto all that call upon thee.
{To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph: a Song.} In Judah is God known, his name is great in Israel;
Yea, Jehovah! for I am thy servant; I am thy servant, the son of thy handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
I know, Jehovah, that thy Judgments are righteousness, and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me. Oh let thy loving-kindness be for my comfort, according to thy ùword unto thy servant. Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live; for thy law is my delight.
And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight no man living shall be justified.
Only in Jehovah, shall one say, have I righteousness and strength. To him shall [men] come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, as to our tribulation which happened [to us] in Asia, that we were excessively pressed beyond [our] power, so as to despair even of living.
who has delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver; in whom we confide that he will also yet deliver;
And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large place.
And Saul sent messengers to David's house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning; and Michal David's wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to-night, to-morrow thou wilt be put to death. And Michal let David down through a window; and he went, and fled and escaped.
And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away from Saul; and Saul and his men sought to surround David and his men to take them. But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste thee and come; for the Philistines have made a raid against the land. And Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines; therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
And David and the captains of the host separated for the service those of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun who were to prophesy with harps and lutes and cymbals; and the number of the men employed according to their service was: of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asharelah, the sons of Asaph under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied at the direction of the king. Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Isaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, [and Shimei] six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the harp, to give thanks and to praise Jehovah. Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkijah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamti-ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, Mahazioth: all these were sons of Heman the king's seer in the words of God, to exalt his power; and God had given to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. All these were under the direction of their fathers Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, for song in the house of Jehovah, with cymbals, lutes and harps, for the service of the house of God, under the direction of the king.
{To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments, upon Sheminith. A Psalm of David.} Jehovah, rebuke me not in thine anger, and chasten me not in thy hot displeasure.
{To the chief Musician. Upon Aijeleth-Shahar. A Psalm of David.} My ùGod, my ùGod, why hast thou forsaken me? [why art thou] far from my salvation, from the words of my groaning?
He shall receive blessing from Jehovah, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
And David said, Jehovah who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and Jehovah be with thee.
{To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm.} I waited patiently for Jehovah; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. And he brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock; he hath established my goings: And he hath put a new song in my mouth, praise unto our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall confide in Jehovah.
{To the chief Musician. An instruction; of the sons of Korah.} As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
{To the chief Musician. Upon Shoshannim. Of the sons of Korah. An instruction; -- a song of the Beloved.} My heart is welling forth [with] a good matter: I say what I have composed touching the king. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
{To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when he fled from Saul in the cave.} Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings do I take refuge, until the calamities be overpast.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 4
Commentary on Psalms 4 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 4
Ps 4:1-8. On Neginoth, that is, stringed instruments, as the kind of musical accompaniment. On other parts of title, see Introduction., The historical occasion was probably the same as that of the foregoing [see on Ps 3:1]. The writer, praying for further relief, admonishes his enemies of the vanity of attacking God's servant, exhorts them to repentance, and avows his confidence and peace in God's favor.
1. Hear—as in Ps 3:4.
God of my righteousness—or, "my righteous God, as my holy hill" (Ps 2:6), who will act towards me on righteous principles.
thou hast enlarged—expresses relief afforded in opposition to "distress," which is expressed by a word denoting straits or pressure. Past favor is a ground of hope for the future.
2. sons of men—men of note or prominence (compare 2Ch 21:9).
turn my glory—or, "royal dignity."
into shame—or, "reproach."
vanity—a foolish and hopeless enterprise (Ps 2:1).
leasing—a lie.
3. godly—an object as well as subject of divine favor (compare Ps 105:14, 15).
4. Stand in awe—(Eph 4:26), from Septuagint, "be angry." Both clauses are qualified by "not."
5. Not only repent, but manifest penitence by sacrifices or righteousness or righteous sacrifices, &c.
6, 7. Contrast true with vain confidence.
light of thy countenance upon us—figure for favor (Nu 6:26; Ps 44:3; 81:16).
7. corn and wine—literally, "new corn and wine."
increased—an abundant harvest giving great joy (Isa 9:3).
8. both lay me down, &c.—or, will lie down at once, and sleep in sure confidence and quiet repose (Ps 3:5).