Psalms 3:1-2

Context

Psalm 3¹

A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom.²

3:1 Lord, how³ numerous are my enemies!

Many attack me.⁴

3:2 Many say about me,

“God will not deliver him.”⁵ (Selah)⁶

Psalms 43:1-2

Context

Psalm 43⁷

43:1 Vindicate me, O God!

Fight for me⁸ against an ungodly nation!

Deliver me⁹ from deceitful and evil men!¹⁰

43:2 For you are the God who shelters me.¹¹

Why do you reject me?¹²

Why must I walk around¹³ mourning¹⁴

because my enemies oppress me?

[3:1] ¹sn Psalm 3. The psalmist acknowledges that he is confronted by many enemies (vv. 1-2). But, alluding to a divine oracle he has received (vv. 4-5), he affirms his confidence in God’s ability to protect him (vv. 3, 6) and requests that God make his promise a reality (vv. 7-8).

[3:1] ²sn According to Jewish tradition, David offered this prayer when he was forced to flee from Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s attempted coup (see 2 Sam 15:13-17).

[3:1] ³tn The Hebrew term מָה (mah, “how”) is used here as an adverbial exclamation (see BDB 553 s.v.).

[3:1] ⁴tn Heb “many rise up against me.”

[3:2] ⁵tn Heb “there is no deliverance for him in God.”

[3:2] ⁶sn The function of the Hebrew term סֶלָה (selah), transliterated here “Selah,” is uncertain. It may be a musical direction of some kind.

[43:1] ⁷sn Psalm 43. Many medieval Hebrew mss combine Psalm 43 and Psalm 42 into one psalm. Psalm 43 is the only psalm in Book 2 of the Psalter (Psalms 42-72) that does not have a heading, suggesting that it was originally the third and concluding section of Psalm 42. Ps 43:5 is identical to the refrain in Ps 42:11 and almost identical to the refrain in Ps 42:5.

[43:1] ⁸tn Or “argue my case.”

[43:1] ⁹tn The imperfect here expresses a request or wish. Note the imperatives in the first half of the verse. See also v. 3.

[43:1] ¹⁰tn Heb “from the deceitful and evil man.” The Hebrew text uses the singular form “man” in a collective sense, as the reference to a “nation” in the parallel line indicates.

[43:2] ¹¹tn Heb “God of my place of refuge,” that is, “God who is my place of refuge.” See Ps 31:4.

[43:2] ¹²tn The question is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but זָנַח (zanakh, “reject”) is a stronger verb than שָׁכַח (shakhakh, “forget”).

[43:2] ¹³tn The language is similar to that of Ps 42:9, but the Hitpael form of the verb הָלַךְ (halakh; as opposed to the Qal form in 42:9) expresses more forcefully the continuing nature of the psalmist’s distress.

[43:2] ¹⁴sn Walk around mourning. See Ps 38:6 for a similar statement.