Salmene 4:1

Det Norsk Bibelselskap

Til sangmesteren, med strengelek; en salme av David.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Neginoth: Psalms 6:1, Psalms 67:1, Psalms 76:1, *titles Habakkuk 3:19, *marg.

O: Psalms 11:7, Psalms 24:5, Psalms 41:12, Isaiah 45:24, Jeremiah 23:6, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:20, 2 Corinthians 5:21

thou: Psalms 18:18, Psalms 18:19, Psalms 31:8, Psalms 40:1-3, Psalms 116:6, Psalms 116:16, 1 Samuel 17:37, 1 Samuel 19:11, 1 Samuel 19:12, 1 Samuel 23:26-28, Job 36:16, 2 Corinthians 1:8, 2 Corinthians 1:10

have mercy upon me: or, be gracious unto me, Psalms 56:1, Psalms 57:1, Psalms 86:3-5, Psalms 119:75-77, Psalms 119:132, Psalms 143:2, Exodus 34:6, Exodus 34:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 26:22 - the Lord 2 Samuel 15:32 - he worshipped 2 Samuel 22:37 - enlarged 1 Kings 8:28 - hearken 2 Chronicles 6:19 - to hearken Psalms 18:36 - enlarged Psalms 27:7 - General Psalms 59:16 - for thou Jonah 2:2 - I cried Matthew 15:22 - Have Ephesians 6:18 - Praying

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness,.... Or, "my righteous God" h, who is righteous in his nature, ways, and works, the just Judge of the whole earth, who will do right; or "the vindicator of my righteousness", as the Syriac version renders it; that is, of his innocence and uprightness, which the Lord knew and was a witness of: and since he was his covenant God, he doubted not but he would bring it forth as the light, and favour his righteous cause, and do him justice upon his enemies: or the psalmist addresses God in this manner, because he was the author of his righteousness, and was the justifier of him, by imputing the righteousness of his Son unto him. So Christ addresses his Father, John 17:26; who he knew would justify him, and by whom he was justified as the surety of his people, when he, rose from the dead: and so the saints can draw nigh to God the Judge of all, through the righteousness of Christ; knowing that he is just, and the justifier of him that believes in Jesus; and that he is just and faithful to forgive their sins, and cleanse them from all unrighteousness, on account of his blood. The petition put up by the psalmist is, to be heard when he called, that is, to hear his prayer, as it is explained in the latter part of the verse: and God is a God hearing prayer; and so David, Christ, and all the saints, have found him to be: and the encouragement to pray to the Lord, in hope of being heard, arose from past experience of divine goodness;

thou hast enlarged me [when I was] in distress; when he had like to have been killed by Saul casting a javelin at him; and when his house was watched by men that Saul set there, and he was let down through a window and escaped; and when he was shut in at Keilah, where Saul thought he had him safe; and at other times, to which he may here refer, as in Psalms 18:19; and this may be applied to the Messiah, when in the garden, beset with sorrows, and an angel strengthened him; and when on the cross, surrounded by various enemies, whom he conquered; and when in death and the grave, from the pains and cords of which he was loosed, and set in a large place. And this agrees also with the experience of the saints; who, when in distress through sin, Satan, and the law, have been set free, through the Gospel proclaiming liberty to the captives to such enemies; and the opening of the prison to them that have been bound by them: and when they have been so shut up and straitened in themselves, that they could not come forth in the discharge of duty, and in the exercise of grace; through the Spirit of the Lord, who is a spirit of liberty, they have been enlarged in the duty of prayer and of praise, and in the exercise of faith and love; and their hearts have been enlarged through the discoveries of the love of God towards them, so that they have run cheerfully in the ways of his commandments; who also gives them largeness of heart, an increase of the knowledge of Christ, and of the love of God, and tills them with joy and peace in believing, and draws out the desires of their souls to his name, and the remembrance of him;

have mercy upon me: the psalmist pleads no merit nor worthiness of his own, but applies to the grace and mercy of God; and sensible of his sin, both original and actual, he entreats a discovery of pardoning grace and mercy. The words may be rendered, "be gracious unto me" i, or "show me favour"; bestow the blessings of grace, grant larger measures of grace, and fresh supplies of it: and so all sensible sinners apply to God for mercy; and all the saints have recourse to him as the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, for every mercy, both temporal and spiritual. Nor is this unsuitable to the Messiah, as man and Mediator; with whom, God keeps his mercy for evermore, as the head and surety of his people, and upon whom, as man, the grace of God was; and who increased, as in stature, so in favour with God and man; and which, no doubt, was desirable by him;

and hear my prayer: the same petition with that in the beginning of the verse; invocation and prayer being the same thing.

h אלהי צדקי. i חנני "gratiosus esto mihi", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hear me when I call - When I pray. The word “hear” in such cases is always used in the sense of “listen to,” “hear favorably,” or “attend to;” hence, in the literal sense it is always true that God “hears” all that is said. The meaning is, “hear and answer me,” or grant me what I ask.

O God of my righteousness - That is, O my righteous God. This is a common mode of expression in Hebrew. Thus, in Psalms 2:6, “hill of my holiness,” meaning “my holy hill;” Psalms 3:4, “his hill of holiness,” meaning “his holy hill.” The psalmist here appeals to God as “his” God - the God in whom he trusted; and as a “righteous” God - a God who would do that which was right, and on whom, therefore, he might rely as one who would protect his own people. The appeal to God as a righteous God implies a conviction in the mind of the psalmist of the justice of his cause; and he asks God merely to do “right” in the case. It is not on the ground of his own claim as a righteous man, but it is that, in this particular case, he was wrongfully persecuted; and he asks God to interpose, and to cause justice to be done. This is always a proper ground of appeal to God. A man may be sensible that in a particular case he has justice on his side, though he has a general conviction that he himself is a sinner; and he may pray to God to cause his enemies to do right, or to lead those whose office it is to decide the case, to do what ought to be done to vindicate his name, or to save him from wrong.

Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress - That is, on some former occasion. When he was “pressed” or “confined,” and knew not how to escape, God had interposed and had given him room, so that he felt free. He now implores the same mercy again. He feels that the God who had done it in former troubles could do it again; and he asks him to repeat his mercy. The prayer indicates confidence in the power and the unchangeableness of God, and proves that it is right in our prayers to recall the former instances of the divine interposition, as an argument, or as a ground of hope that God would again interpose.

Have mercy upon me - In my present troubles. That is, Pity me, and have compassion on me, as thou hast done in former times. Who that has felt the assurance that God has heard his prayer in former times, and has delivered him from trouble, will not go to him with the more confident assurance that he will hear him again?

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

PSALM IV

David prays to be heard, 1;

expostulates with the ungodly, 2;

exhorts them to turn to God, and make their peace with him, 3-5;

shows the vain pursuits of men in search of happiness, which he

asserts exists only in the approbation of God, 6, 7;

commends himself to the Lord, and then quietly takes his repose,

8.

NOTES ON PSALM IV

This Psalm seems to have been composed on the same occasion with the preceding, viz., Absalom's rebellion. It appears to have been an evening hymn, sung by David and his company previously to their going to rest. It is inscribed to the chief Musician upon Neginoth, למנצח בנגינות lamnatstseach binginoth. Probably the first word comes from נצח natsach, to be over, or preside; and may refer to the precentor in the choir. Some suppose that it refers to the Lord Jesus, who is the Supreme Governor, or victorious Person; the Giver of victory. Neginoth seems to come from נגן nagan, to strike; and probably may signify some such instruments as the cymbal, drum, c., and stringed instruments in general. But there is no certainty in these things. What they mean, or what they were, is known to no man.

Verse Psalms 4:1. Hear me when I call — No man has a right to expect God to hear him if he do not call. Indeed, how shall he be heard if he speak not? There are multitudes who expect the blessings of God as confidently as if they had prayed for them most fervently and yet such people pray not at all!

God of my righteousness — Whatever pardon, peace, holiness, or truth I possess, has come entirely from thyself. Thou art the God of my salvation, as thou art the God of my life.

Thou hast enlarged me — I was in prison; and thou hast brought me forth abroad. Have mercy on me-continue to act in the same way. I shall always need thy help; I shall never deserve to have it; let me have it in the way of mere mercy, as thou hast hitherto done.