Psalms 54:4

4 a voce inimici et a tribulatione peccatoris quoniam declinaverunt in me iniquitatem et in ira molesti erant mihi

Psalms 54:4 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 54:4

Behold, God [is] mine helper
This being a matter of wonder to be helped in so extraordinary a manner, and a sure and certain case, and what was deserving the attention of others; for the encouragement of their faith and hope in like cases, a "behold" is prefixed unto it: and what is here said is true of David's son, the Messiah, and is expressed by him in much the same language, ( Isaiah 50:9 ) ; and of all the saints whom the Lord helps, as at first conversion, out of the pit wherein is no water, out of the horrible pit, the mire and clay of nature's darkness, ignorance, and unbelief; so out of all their afflictions and temptations, and out of the hands of all their enemies; he helps in the exercise of grace, and in the discharge of duty; and he helps to all mercies, temporal and spiritual, needful for them; which help is quick and present, seasonable and suitable, always sufficient; and is what they have reason to expect both from what he has said to them in promise, and from what he has done for them;

the Lord [is] with them that uphold my soul;
that ministered to his sustenance, as Abigail did, and that gathered to him and joined him, and exposed their lives in the defence of him; these the Lord was with, blessed, protected, and afforded them his gracious presence. Such there were with Christ; who followed him in the regeneration; who ministered to him of their substance, whom God rewarded in a way of grace; and he blesses them that bless his, and do good to them; they being the excellent in the earth, in whom is his delight, the apple of his eye, and his jewels. Or the sense is, that the Lord is he that upheld his soul; not only the chief of his upholders, but the only one: so R. Moses F12 interprets it, that he is the alone upholder, and is instead of all upholders, and answers to them all; who upheld his soul in life, and followed him with his goodness: as when God is said to be the first, and "with the last", the meaning is, that he is the first and the last, ( Isaiah 41:4 ) ; see ( Psalms 118:7 ) ; so he upheld the soul of Christ in the wilderness, and in the garden, and on the cross; see ( Isaiah 42:1 ) . And he upholds all his people in a providential way in their beings, and supplies them with all the necessaries of life; and, in a spiritual way, maintaining their spiritual life, supplying them with all grace, bearing them up under all trials, holding up their goings in his ways, and preserving them to the end.


FOOTNOTES:

F12 Apud Aben Ezram in loc.

Psalms 54:4 In-Context

2 exaudi Deus orationem meam et ne despexeris deprecationem meam
3 intende mihi et exaudi me contristatus sum in exercitatione mea et conturbatus sum
4 a voce inimici et a tribulatione peccatoris quoniam declinaverunt in me iniquitatem et in ira molesti erant mihi
5 cor meum conturbatum est in me et formido mortis cecidit super me
6 timor et tremor venit super me et contexit me tenebra
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.