23:19 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon?
23:24 So they left and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song 4 by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.” 5
54:1 O God, deliver me by your name! 6
Vindicate me 7 by your power!
1 tn Heb “all the days.”
2 tn Heb “him”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 sn 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.
4 tn 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.
5 tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”
6 tn 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).
7 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.