Psalms 54:2-7

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

3 Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me— people without regard for God.^[a]

4 Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.

6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, LORD, for it is good.

7 You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

Psalms 54:2-7 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.

Cross References

• 1. S Psalms 4:1; Psalms 5:1; 5Psalms 5:1
• 2. Psalms 86:14
• 3. Psalms 18:48; Psalms 140:1,4,11
• 4. S 1 Samuel 20:1; Psalms 40:14
• 5. Psalms 36:1
• 6. S 1 Chronicles 5:20; S Psalms 20:2; Psalms 118:7
• 7. S Psalms 18:35; Psalms 41:12
• 8. S Deuteronomy 32:35; Psalms 94:23; Proverbs 24:12
• 9. Psalms 89:49; Psalms 143:12; Isaiah 42:3
• 10. S Leviticus 7:12,16; S Ezra 1:4; S Psalms 27:6; Psalms 50:14
• 11. Psalms 44:8; Psalms 69:30; Psalms 138:2; Psalms 142:7; Psalms 145:1
• 12. Psalms 52:9
• 13. Psalms 34:6
• 14. Psalms 59:10; Psalms 92:11; Psalms 112:8; Psalms 118:7

Footnotes

• [a]. The Hebrew has "Selah" (a word of uncertain meaning) here.