For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song 2 by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.” 3
54:1 O God, deliver me by your name! 4
Vindicate me 5 by your power!
56:13 when you deliver 6 my life from death.
You keep my feet from stumbling, 7
so that I might serve 8 God as I enjoy life. 9
1 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.
2 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.
3 tn Heb “Is not David hiding with us?”
4 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).
5 tn The imperfect verbal form is used here to express the psalmist’s wish or request.
6 tn The perfect verbal form is probably future perfect; the psalmist promises to make good on his vows once God has delivered him (see Pss 13:5; 52:9). (2) Another option is to understand the final two verses as being added later, after the
7 tn Heb “are not my feet [kept] from stumbling?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they are!” The question has been translated as an affirmation for the sake of clarification of meaning.
8 tn Heb “walk before.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254; cf. the same idiom in 2 Kgs 20:3; Isa 38:3.
9 tn Heb “in the light of life.” The phrase is used here and in Job 33:30.