Psalms 43:1

1 God, deem thou me, and separate thou my cause from a folk not holy; deliver thou me from a wicked man, and guileful. (God, judge thou me, and plead my case before an unholy people; save thou me from the wicked, and the deceitful.)

Psalms 43:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 43:1

Judge me, O God
The Targum adds, with the judgment of truth; see ( Romans 2:2 ) ;

and plead my cause;
which was a righteous one; and therefore he could commit it to God to be tried and judged by him, and could put it into his hands to plead it for him; (See Gill on Psalms 35:1);

against an ungodly nation;
meaning either the Philistines, among whom he was; or his own nation, when they joined his son Absalom in rebellion against him: some understand it of the great numbers that were with Saul, when he was persecuted by him;

O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man;
either Absalom, who, under pretence of a vow he had vowed in Hebron, got leave of David to go thither, and then engaged in a conspiracy against him; or Ahithophel, who had been his friend and acquaintance, but now joined with Absalom. It is true of Saul, who, under pretence of friendship, sought his ruin, and to whom he expressed himself almost in the same words here used; see ( 1 Samuel 18:17 1 Samuel 18:25 ) ( 1 Samuel 24:12 1 Samuel 24:15 ) .

Psalms 43:1 In-Context

1 God, deem thou me, and separate thou my cause from a folk not holy; deliver thou me from a wicked man, and guileful. (God, judge thou me, and plead my case before an unholy people; save thou me from the wicked, and the deceitful.)

2 For thou art God, my strength; why hast thou put me aback, and why go I sorrowful (and why must I go about in sorrow), while the enemy tormenteth me?

3 Send out thy light, and thy truth; those led me forth, and brought me into thine holy hill, and into thy tabernacles. (Send out thy light, and thy truth; they shall lead me forth, and bring me to thy holy hill, and to thy Temple.)

4 And I shall enter to the altar of God; to God, that gladdeth my youth. God, my God, I shall acknowledge to thee in an harp; (And I shall go to the altar of God; to God, who made the time of my youth happy/to the God of my joy. God, my God, I shall praise thee on the harp.)

5 my soul, why art thou sorry, and why troublest thou me? Hope thou in God, for yet I shall acknowledge to him; that is the health of my cheer, and my God. (My soul, why art thou feeling so sad? and why troublest thou me? Hope thou in God, for yet shall I praise him; he is my true help, and my God.)