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Psalms 4

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A Plea for Righteous Vindication 1–2

1
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness; Thou hast set me at large when I was in distress: Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. ​
2
O ye sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor? How longwill ye love vanity, and seek after falsehood? [Selah ​

Admonition to the Ungodly 3–5

3
But know that Jehovah hath set apart for himself him that is godly: Jehovah will hear when I call unto him. ​
4
Stand in awe, and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. [Selah ​
5
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in Jehovah. ​

The Joy of God's Countenance 6–8

6
Many there are that say, Who will show us any good? Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. ​
7
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, More thanthey havewhen their grain and their new wine are increased. ​
8
In peace will I both lay me down and sleep; For thou, Jehovah, alone makest me dwell in safety. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 4

Verse 1

Neginoth — Neginoth is the plural of neginah, music on strings, the 'stringed instruments' of Hab 3:19; it stands also over Pss 6, 54, 55, 67 and 76. 'Enlarged' is rachab, to make wide, set against 'distress' (tsar, narrow, a tight place): the LORD gave room in a narrow place. 'Hear' is anah, to answer, and 'my righteousness' (tsedeq) is the right the psalmist pleads.

Verse 2

leasing — The old word for a lie (kazab, falsehood). 'Vanity' is riq, emptiness, the word of 'imagine a vain thing' in Ps 2:1. To turn his 'glory' (kabod, weight, honour) into 'shame' is the reversal threatened in Hos 4:7, 'will I change their glory into shame'; for David the LORD is 'my glory' (Ps 3:3).

Verse 3

set apart — Palah, to make a distinction, the verb of the LORD's severing of Goshen from Egypt: 'I will sever in that day the land of Goshen' (Ex 8:22); 'the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel' (Ex 11:7). The 'godly' (chasid) is the man of kindness, from the root of chesed; Christ says to his own, 'I have chosen you' (John 15:16).

Verse 4

Stand in awe, and sin not — Ragaz, to quiver, with fear or with anger; Paul's 'Be ye angry, and sin not' (Eph 4:26) takes up the same pair. 'Commune' is amar, to say: speak to your own heart 'upon your bed', and 'be still' (damam, to be silent). The psalmist does the same of himself in Ps 63:6, 'When I remember thee upon my bed'.

Verse 5

sacrifices of righteousness — These are offerings brought rightly, as in Deut 33:19 and Ps 51:19, which follows 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit' (Ps 51:17). The offering is joined to trust: 'put your trust' is batach, from the same root as 'safety' (betach) in v.8. In the New Testament the offering becomes 'the sacrifice of praise to God continually' (Heb 13:15).

Verse 6

the light of thy countenance — Nasa, to lift, the verb of the priestly blessing, 'The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace' (Num 6:26), which ends in shalom, the 'peace' of v.8. The question of the many, 'Who will shew us any good?', is answered by asking for the face of the LORD; 'cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved' (Ps 80:7).

Verse 7

gladness in my heart — Simchah, festival joy, which the LORD 'puts' (natan, gives) in the heart. The comparison is the harvest: 'corn' (dagan) and 'wine' (tirosh, new wine) are the pair of Deut 7:13, 'thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil', and the joy of harvest is the measure in Isa 9:3, 'they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest'.

Verse 8

lay me down in peace, and sleep — The same two verbs, shakab and yashen, are in Ps 3:5, 'I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me'. 'Peace' is shalom; 'only' is badad, alone, so the LORD alone makes him dwell in 'safety' (betach), the word whose root is 'trust' in v.5. 'Thou shalt not be afraid: … thy sleep shall be sweet' (Prov 3:24).