Psalms7
World English Bible · Public Domain
1 Yahweh, my God, I take refuge in you. Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,
2 lest they tear apart my soul like a lion, ripping it in pieces, while there is no one to deliver.
3 Yahweh, my God, if I have done this, if there is iniquity in my hands,
4 if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (yes, I have plundered him who without cause was my adversary),
5 let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
6 Arise, Yahweh, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries. Awake for me. You have commanded judgment.
7 Let the congregation of the peoples surround you. Rule over them on high.
8 Yahweh administers judgment to the peoples. Judge me, Yahweh, according to my righteousness, and to my integrity that is in me.
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.
10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge, yes, a God who has indignation every day.
12 If a man doesn’t repent, he will sharpen his sword; he has bent and strung his bow.
13 He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death. He makes ready his flaming arrows.
14 Behold, he travails with iniquity. Yes, he has conceived mischief, and brought out falsehood.
15 He has dug a hole, and has fallen into the pit which he made.
16 The trouble he causes shall return to his own head. His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.
17 I will give thanks to Yahweh according to his righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of Yahweh 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