Psalms 7 Footnotes

Ps 7 This is a prayer for divine judgment of evil and vindication of the psalmist. Its superscription records a historical context (perhaps 2Sm 16:5-14 or 20:1-22).

7:15-16 The psalm writers often followed the principle of lex talionis (see note on Lv 24:19-20) or measure-for-measure justice. The evil that the wicked plan for others will come back on them. The best biblical example is the fate of Haman (Est 7:9-10), who was hanged on the gallows he built for Mordecai.

7:17 In Hebrew culture, “name” refers to the nature or character of the person (Ex 34:5-7; Is 9:6). This is the meaning in the expression “the name of the LORD,” since “LORD” in the Hebrew text is actually the personal name Yahweh. In praising Yahweh’s “name,” the focus will be on his attributes and what they mean to the people of God. Here “the LORD Most High” points not only to Yahweh’s supremacy but also possibly to his association with Jerusalem from the time of Melchizedek, priest of “God Most High” (Gn 14:18-20).