Discovery BoxPsalms 18:1
ContextFor the music director; by the Lord’s servant David, who sang 2 to the Lord the words of this song when 3 the Lord rescued him from the power 4 of all his enemies, including Saul. 5
“I love 7 you, Lord, my source of strength! 8
Psalms 4:1-8
ContextFor the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David.
4:1 When I call out, answer me,
O God who vindicates me! 10
Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. 11
Have mercy on me 12 and respond to 13 my prayer!
4:2 You men, 14 how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? 15
How long 16 will you love what is worthless 17
and search for what is deceptive? 18 (Selah)
4:3 Realize that 19 the Lord shows the godly special favor; 20
the Lord responds 21 when I cry out to him.
4:4 Tremble with fear and do not sin! 22
Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways! 23 (Selah)
4:5 Offer the prescribed sacrifices 24
and trust in the Lord! 25
4:6 Many say, “Who can show us anything good?”
Smile upon us, Lord! 26
than those who have abundant grain and wine. 28
4:8 I will lie down and sleep peacefully, 29
for you, Lord, make me safe and secure. 30
[18:1] 1 sn Psalm 18. In this long song of thanks, the psalmist (a Davidic king, traditionally understood as David himself) affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. The psalmist’s experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the psalm appears in 2 Sam 22:1-51.
[18:1] 3 tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”
[18:1] 5 tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”
[18:1] 6 tn A number of translations (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV) assign the words “he said” to the superscription, in which case the entire psalm is in first person. Other translations (e.g., NAB) include the introductory “he said” at the beginning of v. 1.
[18:1] 7 tn The verb רָחַם (rakham) elsewhere appears in the Piel (or Pual) verbal stem with the basic meaning, “have compassion.” The verb occurs only here in the basic (Qal) stem. The basic stem of the verbal root also occurs in Aramaic with the meaning “love” (see DNWSI 2:1068-69; Jastrow 1467 s.v. רָחַם; G. Schmuttermayr, “rhm: eine lexikalische Studie,” Bib 51 [1970]: 515-21). Since this introductory statement does not appear in the parallel version in 2 Sam 22:1-51, it is possible that it is a later addition to the psalm, made when the poem was revised for use in worship.
[18:1] 8 tn Heb “my strength.” “Strength” is metonymic here, referring to the Lord as the one who bestows strength to the psalmist; thus the translation “my source of strength.”
[4:1] 9 sn Psalm 4. The psalmist asks God to hear his prayer, expresses his confidence that the Lord will intervene, and urges his enemies to change their ways and place their trust in God. He concludes with another prayer for divine intervention and again affirms his absolute confidence in God’s protection.
[4:1] 10 tn Heb “God of my righteousness.”
[4:1] 11 tn Heb “in distress (or “a narrow place”) you make (a place) large for me.” The function of the Hebrew perfect verbal form here is uncertain. The translation above assumes that the psalmist is expressing his 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 as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm (vv. 3, 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“lead me”). See IBHS 494-95 §30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.
[4:1] 12 tn Or “show me favor.”
[4:2] 17 tn Heb “sons of man.”
[4:2] 18 tn Heb “how long my honor to shame?”
[4:2] 19 tn The interrogative construction עַד־מֶה (’ad-meh, “how long?”), is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
[4:2] 21 tn Heb “a lie.” Some see the metonymic language of v. 2b (“emptiness, lie”) as referring to idols or false gods. However, there is no solid immediate contextual evidence for such an interpretation. It is more likely that the psalmist addresses those who threaten him (see v. 1) and refers in a general way to their sinful lifestyle. (See R. Mosis, TDOT 7:121.) The two terms allude to the fact that sinful behavior is ultimately fruitless and self-destructive.
[4:3] 25 tn Heb “and know that.”
[4:3] 26 tn Heb “that the
[4:4] 33 sn The psalmist warns his enemies that they need to tremble with fear before God and repudiate their sinful ways.
[4:4] 34 tn Heb “say in your heart(s) on your bed(s) and wail/lament.” The verb דֹמּוּ (dommu) is understood as a form of דָמָם (“wail, lament”) in sorrow and repentance. Another option is to take the verb from II דָמָם (damam, “be quiet”); cf. NIV, NRSV “be silent.”
[4:5] 41 tn Or “proper, right.” The phrase also occurs in Deut 33:19 and Ps 51:19.
[4:5] 42 sn Trust in the
[4:6] 49 tn Heb “lift up upon us the light of your face,
[4:7] 57 tn Heb “you place joy in my heart.” Another option is to understand the perfect verbal form as indicating certitude, “you will make me happier.”
[4:7] 58 tn Heb “from (i.e., more than) the time (when) their grain and their wine are abundant.”
[4:8] 65 tn Heb “in peace at the same time I will lie down and sleep.”
[4:8] 66 tn Heb “for you,
