Psalms 7:1-3

Context

Psalm 7¹

A musical composition² by David, which he sang to the Lord concerning³ a Benjaminite named Cush.⁴

7:1 O Lord my God, in you I have taken shelter.⁵

Deliver me from all who chase me! Rescue me!

7:2 Otherwise they will rip⁶ me⁷ to shreds like a lion;

they will tear me to bits and no one will be able to rescue me.⁸

7:3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say,⁹

or am guilty of unjust actions,¹⁰

[7:1] ¹sn Psalm 7. The psalmist asks the Lord to intervene and deliver him from his enemies. He protests his innocence and declares his confidence in God’s justice.

[7:1] ²tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew term שִׁגָּיוֹן (shiggayon; translated here “musical composition”) is uncertain. Some derive the noun from the verbal root שָׁגָה (shagah, “swerve, reel”) and understand it as referring to a “wild, passionate song, with rapid changes of rhythm” (see BDB 993 s.v. שִׁגָּיוֹן). But this proposal is purely speculative. The only other appearance of the noun is in Hab 3:1, where it occurs in the plural.

[7:1] ³tn Or “on account of.”

[7:1] ⁴sn Apparently this individual named Cush was one of David’s enemies.

[7:1] ⁵tn The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.

[7:2] ⁶tn The verb is singular in the Hebrew text, even though “all who chase me” in v. 1 refers to a whole group of enemies. The singular is also used in vv. 4-5, but the psalmist returns to the plural in v. 6. The singular is probably collective, emphasizing the united front that the psalmist’s enemies present. This same alternation between a collective singular and a plural referring to enemies appears in Pss 9:3, 6; 13:4; 31:4, 8; 41:6, 10-11; 42:9-10; 55:3; 64:1-2; 74:3-4; 89:22-23; 106:10-11; 143:3, 6, 9.

[7:2] ⁷tn Heb “my life.” The pronominal suffix attached to נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) is equivalent to a personal pronoun. See Ps 6:3.

[7:2] ⁸tn Heb “tearing and there is no one rescuing.” The verbal form translated “tearing” is a singular active participle.

[7:3] ⁹tn Heb “if I have done this.”

[7:3] ¹⁰tn Heb “if there is injustice in my hands.” The “hands” figuratively suggest deeds or actions.