Bible Commentaries

Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.

Psalms 54:1-7.-Prayer for deliverance from godless oppressors (Psalms 54:1-3); confident anticipation of it, and promise of thanksgiving for it (Psalms 54:4-7).

Title. - On Neginoth - (see note on title, Psalms 4:1-8.) The singular, N

Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

No JFB commentary on this verse.

For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

For strangers are risen up against me. The Ziphites, who ought, by the ties of country, to have been David's friends, acted as hostile strangers (Isaiah 25:5), and tried to betray him. So in Psalms 120:5 the Psalmist says. "Woe is me ... that I dwell in the tents of Kedar;" not that he was dwelling among those pagan people, but, figuratively, his countrymen, among whom he dwelt, behaved as unkindly to him as if they were hostile pagan. Stumbling at the difficulty that the Ziphites-countrymen of David's (Joshua 15:24; 1 Chronicles 4:16) - are called "strangers," some reject the title; others, as the Chaldaic, change the Hebrew for "strangers" [ zaariym into zeediym .] into 'the proud,' copying the parallel (Psalms 86:14), which is designedly varied.

Oppressors. The Hebrew ( `aariytsiym ) implies the strong and violent.

They have not set God before them (Psalms 55:19) - they act as if God did not see or hear.

Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

Behold. He already, with the eye of faith, sees God advancing as his "helper," though to the eye of sense nothing presented itself but destruction on every side.

The Lord is with them that uphold my soul in opposition to the "oppressors," who "seek after my soul" (Psalms 54:4). Compare the phrase with Psalms 118:7. David supposes two parties his opponents and his helpers: the Lord constituted the latter party (Psalms 55:18, "there were many with me"). He does not mean that he had other helpers besides the Lord (cf. the phrase, Judges 11:35).

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies. So the Qeri' reads [ yaashiyb ]; but the Khethibh reads better, 'the evil shall return [ yaashuwb ] unto mine enemies' (Psalms 7:16). 'The evil' is that which the Psalmist's adversaries wished to inflict. "Mine enemies" ( shor

I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD for it is good.

I will freely sacrifice unto thee. "Freely" - literally, 'with a freewill offering' [ n

For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.

For he hath delivered me out of all trouble. In faith he sees the deliverance already accomplished, and 'praises' God by anticipation for it (Psalms 54:6).

And mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies - not that he would feast his eyes on the sufferings of his foes, out of private revenge, but he rejoices in the vindication of God's justice.