Bible Commentaries
Psalms 4

Verse 1

Title. A Psalm. See App-65 .

Hear = Answer.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .

God of my righteousness = My righteous God. Genitive of relation or object.

Have mercy = be gracious, or show favour to.

Verse 2

how long = until when. Ellipsis correctly supplied.

leasing = falsehood. Anglo-Saxon = leasung ; Mid. Eng. = lesing.

Selah. Connecting and contrasting his enemies' acts with his own sure defence. See App-66 .

Verse 3

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

set apart. All depended on Jehovah's favour (Numbers 14:8 ). Some codices, with Septuagint and Vulgate, read "hath given distinction to".

him that is godly: i.e. a subject of grace.

Verse 4

Stand in awe, &c. = Stand in awe and [so] sin not. sin. Hebrew. chata'

still = silent.

Selah. Connecting their sin with its being put away. See App-66 .

Verse 5

Offer the sacrifices. No Art. Hebrew. zabah. App-43 .

sacrifices of righteousness = righteous sacrifices. Genitive of Character. How could they offer these while in rebellion against the Lord's Anointed?

trust = confide. Hebrew. batah. See App-69 .

Verse 6

that say . . . good. See note on Psalms 144:12-15 .

lift Thou up. No priest with David to give the blessing of Numbers 6:24-26 . See 2 Samuel 15:32-37 .

countenance. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia .

Verse 7

gladness. This was true "good".

their corn. See note on Psalms 144:15 .

wine = new wine. Hebrew. tirosh. App-27 .

Verse 8

and sleep = sleep at once. This reference is to 2 Samuel 17:2 . See note there.

makest = wilt make.

safety = confidence.

To the chief Musician. See App-64 .

upon Nehiloth; better, nehaloth = concerning inheritances. Referring to Jehovah ' s favour as being the true inheritance of godly Israelites, as shown in verses: Psalms 4:3 , Psalms 4:6 , Psalms 4:7 . Compare Psalms 144:12-15 , the other Nehaloth Psalm. See App-65 .