Bible Commentaries
Psalms 4

Verses 1-8

Psalms 4

AN EVENING PRAYER SONG

(By David to his chief musician, Neginoth)’

Verses 1-8:

Verse 1 calls upon God to hear David, for He is the God of righteousness. To call upon Him to help in an unrighteous cause would be to call upon Him to become unrighteous, like ourselves. David rejoices that God has enlarged or prospered him when he was in distress in the past, for which he is grateful, as expressed later, Psalms 18:19; Psalms 31:3; Psalms 31:8. He then appeals for God to have mercy toward and upon him and hear his prayer in this time of peril from Absalom’s betrayal, 2 Samuel 15:14. Mercy is called for in times of sin, and grace is that available unmerited favor of God to meet the need for man’s moral weakness and redemption, Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:14; John 1:17; Romans 5:20; 1 Peter 5:5; 2 Peter 3:18.

Verse 2 is a direct Davidic appeal to the sons of men, asking how long that they will: 1) Turn his glory to shame or seek to defame his godly throne in Israel, try to reproach it; 2) how long will they covet vanity that destined to vanity, to lead them to defeat? and 3) how long will they pursue leasing (lying) conduct, trying to color their rebellion as a righteous course of conduct; While it was a self­-deceiving, deluding lie, Psalms 62:4; Isaiah 28:15. Absalom made treason a religious mask that he put on before those whom he led in anarchy against David, See 2 Samuel 15:7-8. He promised them victory but led them to defeat; See 2 Peter 2:18-19.

Verse 3 declares that men should know or recognize that the Lord has "set aside," set up or ordained the one who is "godly" for himself, as expressed Exodus 33:16. The one in an ordained position is to represent godliness, above all others, in his deportment, 1 Samuel 15:28; 1 Samuel 16:7. Therefore David declared, "the Lord will hear or give heed when I call," as asserted v. 1, 3; See also Psalms 145:18-19.

Verses 4, 5 call on the people "to stand in awe," with reverent respect of God, and sin not, or avoid sin; (Heb rizzu) which means stand in "trembling awe" of God as His righteous avenger, and avoid sinning by going after Absalom in his rebellion, Ephesians 4:26. They are further called to commune with God upon their beds, in the night, after their hearts, and be still, wait on God for deliverance ... Selah, meditate with sacrifices or upon the basis of righteousness, putting their trust in, or casting themselves upon the Lord, not on the arm of the flesh, Psalms 37:3; Deuteronomy 33:9; Malachi 1:8; Malachi 1:11; Matthew 5:23.

Verse 6 declares that there are many who ask where there is any good in what is happening, who see not the power of God to triumph over and bring victory out of wrong. Then David cries to the Lord to lift up His "countenance of light," His smiling face upon His people, to dispel their gloom, Psalms 80:3. The trinitarian blessing of His countenance is expressed, Numbers 6:24-26. Trust in the Lord is the only real source of satisfying good, Psalms 2:12.

Verse 7 testifies that Jehovah God has put, placed, or set gladness in David’s heart, a kind of gladness and joy that excelled that of abundance of corn and wine at harvest time. And so it is in genuine salvation, Psalms 40:1-3; Romans 5:5; Hebrews 6:19; Isaiah 9:3.

Verse 8 concludes that David resolved to lay himself down in peace for an evening and night of rest, resignation to, and trust in the Lord, even in the midst of the hour of the tempestuous rebellion of his son Absalom, Job 11:18-19; Psalms 3:5. Then he said, "Lord you only can and do make or cause me to dwell safely, free from bodily harm." What a testimony! See Leviticus 25:18-19; Leviticus 26:5; Deuteronomy 12:10. Thus he said the Lord is all I need for security, safety, salvation from all harm, Deuteronomy 33:28.