Psalms 54-56

Thoughts

Psalm 54

To the choir master: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”

O God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
O God, hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.

• Interesting parallel lines (“save,” “vindicate,” “hear,” “give ear”) 

For strangers have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah

• “Strangers” referring to the Ziphites, Israelites who betrayed David.
• They live without any awareness of God’s authority 

Behold, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your faithfulness put an end to them.

• “Upholder of my life”  David acknowledges that God sustains his very existence.
• shift from petition to confident declaration of God’s future action.

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

• David knows God will win the battle and he will give thanks 

Psalm 55

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and I moan,

• David may feel God is not near and comes to Him in honesty

because of the noise of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

• They hate David and cause him trouble and anguish

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.

• “Terrors of death” and “Horror overwhelms me” suggests the danger may be life-threatening.

And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
yes, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness;
Selah
I would hurry to find a shelter
from the raging wind and tempest.”

• David wishes to flee to refuge

Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
for I see violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they go around it
on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
do not depart from its marketplace.

• “Divide their tongues” recalls Babel, perhaps David asks God to confuse the plans of evildoers.
• The city (likely Jerusalem) is overrun by wickedness

For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God’s house we walked in the throng.

• David says betrayal hurts because it came from someone close, not from an enemy.
• “My equal… my companion… my familiar friend” could be Ahithophel who was his trusted counselor who betrayed him. 

Let death steal over them;
let them go down to Sheol alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

• “In their dwelling place and in their heart” means their environment and inner life are both filled with evil.

But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.
Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.

• “Evening, morning, noon” = continual prayer throughout the day.
• The shift from fear to confidence begins here: “the Lord will save me.”

He redeems my soul in safety
from the battle that I wage,
for many are arrayed against me.
God will give ear and humble them,
he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
and do not fear God.

• “Enthroned from of old” an eternal God
• His enemies continue in sin

My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;
he violated his covenant.
His speech was smooth as butter,
yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.

• David returns to the theme of betrayal.
• “Violated his covenant” suggests a broken vow 

Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.

• “He will sustain you” God doesn’t remove every burden, but carries us under it.

But you, O God, will cast them down
into the pit of destruction;
men of blood and treachery
shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.

• “Pit of destruction” = ultimate judgment.

Psalm 56

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.

• “All day long” repeats twice for emphasis

When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?

• David does not pretend he has no fear  “when I am afraid” 
• David clings to God’s promises.
• “What can flesh do to me?”shows human limitation

All day long they injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.

• “Injure my cause” יְעַצְּבוּ  means twist my words
• “All their thoughts… for evil”  constant malicious intent.
• David feels surrounded, observed, and hunted.

For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

• He shifts from describing his enemies to praying against their violence.

You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?

• “Tossings”  nōd (נֹד), wanderings
• “Tears in your bottle” in some ancient cultures (especially later Roman periods), women collected tears in small vials at funerals, probably not what David was referring to here.

Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.

• David shifts from lament to confidence.

In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

• We see trust, praise, confidence

I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

• “Delivered my soul from death” as if rescue is already accomplished.

Questions

Application

Psalm 54 teaches us that people will betray us, even those who should have been safe. When you feel attacked by people close to you, you can ask God to “vindicate” you, as He knows the truth. Psalm 55 takes this a step further with the unique pain of relational betrayal. Someone who once was our friend now our enemy. Psalm 56 shows us that God meets us in our fear and anxiety. We can trust His care when we are overwhelmed.