Psalms 54 (NET)

Psalm 541

1 For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song2 by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.”3

O God, deliver me by your name!4

Vindicate me5 by your power!

2 O God, listen to my prayer!

Pay attention to what I say!6

3 For foreigners7 attack me;8

ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life.9 (Selah)

4 Look, God is my deliverer!10

The Lord is among those who support me.11

5 May those who wait to ambush me12 be repaid for their evil!13

As a demonstration of your faithfulness,14 destroy them!

6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice15 to you!

I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good!

7 Surely16 he rescues me from all trouble,17

and I triumph over my enemies.18

1sn Psalm 54. The psalmist asks God for protection against his enemies, confidently affirms that God will vindicate him, and promises to give thanks to God for his saving intervention. 2tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52. 3tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm during the period when Saul was seeking his life. On one occasion the Ziphites informed Saul that David was hiding in their territory (see 1 Sam 23:19-20). 4tn God’s “name” refers here to his reputation and revealed character, which would instill fear in the psalmist’s enemies (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:17). 5tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request. 6tn Heb “to the words of my mouth.” 7tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read זֵדִים (zedim, “proud ones”) rather than זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”). (No matter which reading one chooses as original, dalet-resh confusion accounts for the existence of the variant.) The term זֵדִים (“proud ones”) occurs in parallelism with עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Ps 86:14 and Isa 13:11. However, זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) is parallel to עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Isa 25:5; 29:5; Ezek 28:7; 31:12. 8tn Heb “rise against me.” 9tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.” 10tn Or “my helper.” 11tn Or “sustain my life.” 12tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 56:2. 13tn The Kethib (consonantal text) reads a Qal imperfect, “the evil will return,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has a Hiphil imperfect, “he will repay.” The parallel line has an imperative (indicating a prayer/request), so it is best to read a jussive form יָשֹׁב (yashov, “let it [the evil] return”) here. 14tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.” 15tn The cohortative verbal form expresses the psalmist’s resolve/vow to praise. 16tn Or “for,” indicating a more specific reason why he will praise the Lord’s name (cf. v. 6). 17tn The perfects in v. 7 are probably rhetorical, indicating the psalmist’s certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance and his own vindication as if they were occurring or had already occurred. 18tn Heb “and on my enemies my eyes look.”