Psalms7
New International Version
1 Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2 or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3 Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands—
4 if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe—
5 then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust.
6 Arise, Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice.
7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you, while you sit enthroned over them on high.
8 Let the Lord judge the peoples. Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.
9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.
10 My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day.
12 If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.
13 He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.
14 Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.
16 The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.
17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
Study
Psalms 7Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Psalms 7. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The psalmist prays to God to plead his cause, and judge for him. (1–9). He expresses confidence in God, and will give him the glory of his deliverance. (10–17).
vv1-9
David flees to God for succour. But Christ alone could call on Heaven to attest his uprightness in all things. All His works were wrought in righteousness; and the prince of this world found nothing whereof justly to accuse him. Yet for our sakes, submitting to be charged as guilty, he suffered all evils, but, being innocent, he triumphed over them all. The plea is, “For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins.” He knows the secret wickedness of the wicked, and how to bring it to an end; he is witness to the secret sincerity of the just, and has ways of establishing it. When a man has made peace with God about all his sins, upon the terms of grace and mercy, through the sacrifice of the Mediator, he may, in comparison with his enemies, appeal to God's justice to decide.
vv10-17
David is confident that he shall find God his powerful Saviour. The destruction of sinners may be prevented by their conversion; for it is threatened, If he turn not from his evil way, let him expect it will be his ruin. But amidst the threatenings of wrath, we have a gracious offer of mercy. God gives sinners warning of their danger, and space to repent, and prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish. The sinner is described, verses 14–16, as taking more pains to ruin his soul than, if directed aright, would save it. This is true, in a sense, of all sinners. Let us look to the Saviour under all our trials. Blessed Lord, give us grace to look to thee in the path of tribulation, going before thy church and people, and marking the way by thine own spotless example. Under all the persecutions which in our lesser trials mark our way, let the looking to Jesus animate our minds and comfort our hearts.
Key Words
שִׁגָּיוֹן: properly, aberration, i.e. (technically) a dithyramb or rambling poem
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
שִׁיר: to sing
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
כּוּשׁ: Cush (or Ethiopia), the name of a son of Ham, and of his territory; also of an Israelite
אֱלֹהִים: gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative
חָסָה: to flee for protection; figuratively, to confide in
יָשַׁע: properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
רָדַף: to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively (of time) gone by)
Cross References
Psalms 7David points to sparing Saul's life as proof that 'there is no evil nor transgression in my hand.'
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Reflects the slanderous reports of David seeking Saul's hurt, which David flatly denies here.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Saul acknowledges that David rewarded him with good whereas he had rewarded David with evil.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
David asks what evil is in his hand, protesting his innocence to Saul.
Supported by Matthew Poole
David appeals to the Lord to judge between him and Saul, matching Psalm 7's judicial plea.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallels God searching the heart and trying the reins, matching the exact Hebrew anatomical metaphors.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Repeats the precise poetic image of the wicked falling into the pit they have dug.
Supported by JFB
David asks Jonathan what his iniquity is, protesting his total innocence toward Saul.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Wisdom parallel: whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein, illustrating the self-destructive nature of malice.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Historical demonstration of poetic justice where Haman is hanged on the gallows he prepared.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels the motif of enemies digging a pit and spreading a net without cause.
Supported by John Calvin
David appeals to God's testing of his heart and finding no wicked intent.
Supported by JFB
New Testament organic metaphor matching the conception of lust and the bringing forth of sin/death.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The only other biblical use of the musical/poetic term 'Shigionoth' (plural of Shiggaion).
Supported by Matthew Poole