Psalms · Chapter 54

V. 1. Name-By thy own strength. Judge-Plead my cause.

Verse 1. Save me, O God, by thy name] Save me by thyself alone; so name here may be understood. The name of God is often God himself. David was now in such imminent danger of being taken and destroyed, that no human means were left for his escape; if God therefore had not interfered, he must have been destroyed. See the introduction above.

Verses 1-3. Save me by thy name — That is, by thy own strength, as the next words explain it, because I have no other refuge. Or, for thy name, for thy own glory, which is concerned in my deliverance. And judge me — Give sentence for me, or plead my cause. For strangers are risen up against me — The Ziphites, whom, though Israelites, he calls strangers in regard of their barbarous and perfidious conduct toward him, by which they showed themselves to be estranged from God, as the wicked are said to be, Psalm 58:3, and from the commonwealth of Israel, and from all the laws of piety and humanity. For which causes he calls such persons heathen, Psalm 59:5, and elsewhere. They have not set God before them — They have cast off all regard to his presence and authority, and all fear of his judgments.

Verse 1. By thy name. See note on Proverbs 18:10.

1. By thy name—For, or on account of, thy name. The name of God is that by which he is known: the manifestation of his nature and attributes, whether by titles or acts. It is the honour of God—his public fame as avenger of wrong and defender of the oppressed—to which David appeals. Comp. Exodus 32:12; Joshua 7:9; Psalm 20:1. By thy strength—The divine nature and strength are his dependence. God is both disposed and able to save.

Verse 2. Hear my prayer] In his straits he had recourse to God; for from him alone, for the reasons alleged above, his deliverance must proceed.

Verses 1-3. Save me by thy name — That is, by thy own strength, as the next words explain it, because I have no other refuge. Or, for thy name, for thy own glory, which is concerned in my deliverance. And judge me — Give sentence for me, or plead my cause. For strangers are risen up against me — The Ziphites, whom, though Israelites, he calls strangers in regard of their barbarous and perfidious conduct toward him, by which they showed themselves to be estranged from God, as the wicked are said to be, Psalm 58:3, and from the commonwealth of Israel, and from all the laws of piety and humanity. For which causes he calls such persons heathen, Psalm 59:5, and elsewhere. They have not set God before them — They have cast off all regard to his presence and authority, and all fear of his judgments.

V. 3. Strangers-The Zephites, whom, though Israelites, he calls strangers in regard of their barbarous and perfidious carriage.

Verse 3. Strangers are risen up against me] The Ziphites. And oppressors] Saul, his courtiers, and his army. They have not set God before them.] It is on no religious account, nor is it to accomplish any end, on which they can ask the blessing of God. Selah.] This is true.

Verses 1-3. Save me by thy name — That is, by thy own strength, as the next words explain it, because I have no other refuge. Or, for thy name, for thy own glory, which is concerned in my deliverance. And judge me — Give sentence for me, or plead my cause. For strangers are risen up against me — The Ziphites, whom, though Israelites, he calls strangers in regard of their barbarous and perfidious conduct toward him, by which they showed themselves to be estranged from God, as the wicked are said to be, Psalm 58:3, and from the commonwealth of Israel, and from all the laws of piety and humanity. For which causes he calls such persons heathen, Psalm 59:5, and elsewhere. They have not set God before them — They have cast off all regard to his presence and authority, and all fear of his judgments.

3. Strangers—The word denotes foreigners, heathen, those who are not of the seed of Israel. If the reference is to the Ziphites, such they were to David in spirit, and in this moral sense the word often occurs. Compare Jeremiah 23:14; Matthew 18:17. But it may refer to Doeg the Edomite, and the political intrigues of his nation through him, to destroy the Hebrew monarchy. Oppressors seek after my soul—Fierce men search after my life. They were Saul’s spies, and the allusion seems to be to the king’s order, (1 Samuel 23:23,) “See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me… and I will go with you.”

Verse 4. Behold, God is mine helper] This would naturally occur to him when he saw that Saul was obliged to leave the pursuit, and go to defend his territories, when he was on the very point of seizing him. God, whose providence is ever watchful, had foreseen this danger, and stirred up the Philistines to make this inroad just at the time in which Saul and his army were about to lay hands on David. Well might he then say, “Behold, God is mine helper.”

Is with them, that uphold my soul.] yvpn naphshi, my life. This may even refer to the Philistines, who had at this time made an inroad on Israel. God was even with his own enemies, by making them instruments to save the life of his servant.

Verses 4, 5. Behold, God is my helper — Consider it, and see the vanity of all your wicked practices against me. The Lord is with them that uphold my soul — He fights for them, and on my behalf, and therefore against all mine enemies. He shall reward evil to mine enemies — He shall bring upon themselves the mischief they intended for me. Cut them off in thy truth — For, or according to, thy truth; whereby thou art engaged to fulfil thy promises made to me, and thy threatenings denounced against thine and mine implacable enemies.

4. Behold, God is mine helper—From the treachery and enmity of men the psalmist turns in confidence to God. Help, here, literally means to surround, as if to protect on all sides. The complementary word in the next hemistich is uphold, support, make strong. The participial form of the two words denotes a present helping and upholding, as if faith already felt the prayed-for relief. Calvin: “Then must it needs be that he excelled wonderfully in strength of faith, whereby, surmounting so many obstacles, he penetrated even from hell to heaven.” The form is very expressive, not only counting God in the class of his helpers, but placing him as his sole reliance.

V. 5. Thy truth-Whereby thou art engaged to fulfil thy promises and threatenings.

Verse 5. He shall reward evil] Saul and his courtiers, instead of having God’s approbation, shall have his curse.

Cut them off in thy truth.] Thou hast promised to save me; these have purposed to destroy me. Thy truth is engaged in my defence; they will destroy me if permitted to live: to save thy truth, and to accomplish its promises, thou must cut them off.

Verses 4, 5. Behold, God is my helper — Consider it, and see the vanity of all your wicked practices against me. The Lord is with them that uphold my soul — He fights for them, and on my behalf, and therefore against all mine enemies. He shall reward evil to mine enemies — He shall bring upon themselves the mischief they intended for me. Cut them off in thy truth — For, or according to, thy truth; whereby thou art engaged to fulfil thy promises made to me, and thy threatenings denounced against thine and mine implacable enemies.

5. He shall reward evil unto mine enemies—The “evil” they sought to do to me shall recoil upon themselves. God shall turn it back upon them. So the word rendered “reward” properly signifies. It is another instance of the lex talionis. Cut them off in thy truth—The optative sense, here, is to be taken in connexion with the qualifying words “thy truth.” Only in accordance with this does David invoke divine interference. Immutability and authority of law are the gist and essence of the prayer. If these fail all is lost. Prayer for the deliverance of the righteous cannot be answered without the reformation or the destruction of the wicked; that is, destruction as to their power to do evil.

Verse 6. I will freely sacrifice unto thee] Or, I will sacrifice nobly unto thee. Not only with a willing mind, but with a liberal hand will I bring sacrifice unto thee.

For it is good] Thy name is good; it is descriptive of thy nature; full of goodness and mercy to man. And it is good to be employed in such a work: whoever worships thee in sincerity is sure to be a gainer. To him who orders his conversation aright, thou dost show thy salvation.

Verses 6, 7. I will freely sacrifice, &c. — Not by constraint, as many do, because they are obliged to do it, and cannot neglect it without shame and inconvenience to themselves; but with a willing and cheerful mind, which thou lovest in and above all sacrifices. I will praise thy name, for it is good — Thy name is not only great, but good, and therefore to be praised. And to praise thy name is not only our duty, but our interest and our happiness. It is pleasant and profitable; good for us, as well as reasonable, just, and good in itself. For he hath delivered me out of all trouble — Hebrew, hrx lkm, michal tzarah, from every strait. Or, as the Seventy render it, ek pashv qliyewv, out of every affliction. He speaks of his deliverance as already effected, either to express his assurance of it, or because this Psalm was made after it was wrought. And mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies — Not seen them cut off and ruined, but forced to retreat; tidings being brought to Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land, 1 Samuel 23:27, 28. All that David desired was to see himself safe: and when he saw Saul draw off his forces, he saw his desire. The words, his desire, however, are not in the Hebrew, which may be properly rendered, mine eye hath looked upon mine enemies, that is, “mine enemies came near enough to be seen by me, and that was all. God kept them from coming near me, so that they have all been disappointed of their prey.” This was the very case with David. He saw his enemies with pleasure at a distance, and he enjoyed the sight; especially when they marched off and left him to escape. His deliverance was great, and was manifestly the work of God, and he gave God the glory of it.

6. I will freely sacrifice—Hebrew, with a free-will offering I will sacrifice, etc. hbdn, (nedabah,) is always used for the free-will offering in the Pentateuch, and generally elsewhere. Its peculiarity consisted in its pure spontaneity, springing solely from the willing heart of the worshipper, without the prompting of a legal requirement or an antecedent vow, with which it, namely, the votive offering, stood in contrast. The free-will sacrifices of the text “were not spiritual in opposition to the ritual sacrifices, (as in Psalm 50:14; 51:17,) but ritual as an outward representation of the spiritual.”—Delitzsch. The free-will offering belonged to the class of peace offering on receiving the answer of prayer, and assured acceptance and fellowship with God. The remaining members of the verse corroborate the view here given. It is good—That is, thus to give thanks.

Verse 7. For he hath delivered me] Saul had now decamped; and was returned to save his territories; and David in the meanwhile escaped to En-gedi. God was most evidently the author of this deliverance. Mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.] It is not likely that this Psalm was written after the death of Saul; and therefore David could not say that he had seen his desire. But there is nothing in the text for his desire; and the words might be translated, My eye hath seen my enemies— they have been so near that I could plainly discover them. Thus almost all the Versions have understood the text. I have seen them, and yet they were not permitted to approach me. God has been my Deliverer.

Verses 6, 7. I will freely sacrifice, &c. — Not by constraint, as many do, because they are obliged to do it, and cannot neglect it without shame and inconvenience to themselves; but with a willing and cheerful mind, which thou lovest in and above all sacrifices. I will praise thy name, for it is good — Thy name is not only great, but good, and therefore to be praised. And to praise thy name is not only our duty, but our interest and our happiness. It is pleasant and profitable; good for us, as well as reasonable, just, and good in itself. For he hath delivered me out of all trouble — Hebrew, hrx lkm, michal tzarah, from every strait. Or, as the Seventy render it, ek pashv qliyewv, out of every affliction. He speaks of his deliverance as already effected, either to express his assurance of it, or because this Psalm was made after it was wrought. And mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies — Not seen them cut off and ruined, but forced to retreat; tidings being brought to Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land, 1 Samuel 23:27, 28. All that David desired was to see himself safe: and when he saw Saul draw off his forces, he saw his desire. The words, his desire, however, are not in the Hebrew, which may be properly rendered, mine eye hath looked upon mine enemies, that is, “mine enemies came near enough to be seen by me, and that was all. God kept them from coming near me, so that they have all been disappointed of their prey.” This was the very case with David. He saw his enemies with pleasure at a distance, and he enjoyed the sight; especially when they marched off and left him to escape. His deliverance was great, and was manifestly the work of God, and he gave God the glory of it.

Ver. 7. Mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies. The words, his desire, are not in the Hebrew. David says merely that his enemies came within sight, to show how imminent was his danger.

7. Hath delivered… hath seen—The past tense of the verbs is the language of faith, which speaks of future events as already accomplished, “and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” Romans 4:17. Mine eye hath seen, etc.—The words his desire are not in the text, which simply reads, Mine eye has looked on my enemies; an expression to be interpreted idiomatically. Not merely that they had approached so near that he saw them in their retreat, which, indeed, is quite probable, but that he “calmly surveyed them without alarm, for he feels that the shield of God’s power and love is cast over him to protect him,” (Wordsworth,) with the idea further implied, that God had given him to see their downfall in the miscarriage of their plans, as in Psalm 59:11; 92:12, where “his desire” is not in the text.