Psalms 54:1-6

1 Save me, O God, by thy name, And judge me in thy might.

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

3 For strangers are risen up against me, And violent men have sought after my soul: They have not set God before them. [Selah

4 Behold, God is my helper: The Lord is of them that uphold my soul.

5 He will requite the evil unto mine enemies: Destroy thou them in thy truth.

6 With a freewill-offering will I sacrifice unto thee: I will give thanks unto thy name, O Jehovah, for it is good.

Psalms 54:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

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," See Gill on "Ps 4:1," title; and of "maschil," See Gill on "Ps 32:1," title. The occasion of writing this psalm were the discoveries the Ziphims or Ziphites made to Saul of David being in their neighbourhood; which they did twice, as appears from 1 Samuel 23:14. Which of these gave occasion to the psalm is not certain; it is very likely that it was composed after both had been made. These Ziphims were the inhabitants of a city called Ziph, which was in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:55, near to which was a wilderness, which had its name from the city in which David was when they came to Saul with this news of him.