TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 3:4–8. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
David, having stirred up himself by the irritations of his enemies to take hold on God as his God, and so gained comfort in looking upward when, if he looked round about him, nothing appeared but what was discouraging, here looks back with pleasing reflections upon the benefit he had derived from trusting in God and looks forward with pleasing expectations of a very bright and happy issue to which the dark dispensation he was now under would shortly be brought.
I.See with what comfort he looks back upon the communion he had had with God, and the communications of his favour to him, either in some former trouble he had been in, and through God's goodness got through, or in this hitherto. David had been exercised with many difficulties, often oppressed and brought very low; but still he had found God all-sufficient. He now remembered with pleasure,
1.That his troubles had always brought him to his knees, and that, in all his difficulties and dangers, he had been enabled to acknowledge God and to lift up his heart to him, and his voice too (this will be comfortable reflection when we are in trouble): I cried unto God with my voice. Care and grief do us good and no hurt when they set us a praying, and engage us, not only to speak to God, but to cry to him, as those that are in earnest. And though God understands the language of the heart, when the voice is not heard (Sa1 1:13), and values not the hypocritical prayers of those who cause their voice to be heard on high (Isa 58:4), vox et praeterea nihil - mere sound, yet, when the earnestness of the voice comes from the fervency of the heart, it shall be taken notice of, in the account, that we cried unto God with our voice.
2.That he had always found God ready to answer his prayers: He heard me out of his holy hill, from heaven, the high and holy place, from the ark on Mount Sion, whence he used to give answers to those that sought to him. David had ordered Zadok to carry back the ark into the city when he was flying from Absalom (Sa2 15:25), knowing that God was not tied, no, not to the ark of his presence, and that, notwithstanding the distance of place, he could by faith receive answers of peace from the holy hill. No such things can fix a gulf between the communications of God's grace towards us and the operations of his grace in us, between his favour and our faith. The ark of the covenant was in Mount Zion, and all the answers to our prayers come from the promises of that covenant. Christ was set King upon the holy hill of Zion (Psa 2:6), and it is through him, whom the Father hears always, that our prayers are heard.
3.That he had always been very safe and very easy under the divine protection (Psa 3:5): "I laid myself down and slept, composed and quiet; and awaked refreshed, for the Lord sustained me." (1.) This is applicable to the common mercies of every night, which we ought to give thanks for alone, and with our families, every morning. Many have not where to lay their head (but wander in deserts), or, if they have, dare not lie down for fear of the enemy; but we have laid ourselves down in peace. Many lie down and cannot sleep, but are full of tossings to and fro till the dawning of the day, through pain of body, or anguish of mind, or the continual alarms of fear in the night; but we lie down and sleep in safety, though incapable of doing any thing then for our own preservation. Many lie down and sleep, and never awake again, they sleep the sleep of death, as the first-born of the Egyptians; but we lie down and sleep, and awake again to the light and comfort of another day; and whence is it, but because the Lord has sustained us with sleep as with food? We have been safe under his protection and easy in the arms of his good providence. (2.) It seems here to be meant of the wonderful quietness and calmness of David's spirit, in the midst of his dangers. Having by prayer committed himself and his cause to God, and being sure of his protection, his heart was fixed, and he was easy. The undutifulness of his son, the disloyalty of his subjects, the treachery of many of his friends, the hazard of his person, the fatigues of his march, and the uncertainty of the event, never deprived him of an hour's sleep, nor gave any disturbance to his repose; for the Lord, by his grace and the consolations of his Spirit, powerfully sustained him and made him easy. It is a great mercy when we are in trouble to have our minds stayed upon God, so as never either to eat or sleep with trembling and astonishment. (3.) Some of the ancients apply it to the resurrection of Christ. In his sufferings he offered up strong cries, and was heard; and therefore, though he laid down and slept the sleep of death, yet he awaked the third day, for the Lord sustained him, that he should not see corruption.
4.That God had often broken the power and restrained the malice of his enemies, had smitten them upon the cheek-bone (Psa 3:7), had silenced them and spoiled their speaking, blemished them and put them to shame, smitten them on the cheek reproachfully, had disabled them to do the mischief they intended; for he had broken their teeth. Saul and the Philistines, who were sometimes ready to swallow him up, could not effect what they designed. The teeth that are gnashed or sharpened against God's people shall be broken. When, at any time, the power of the church's enemies seems threatening, it is good to remember how often God has broken it; and we are sure that his arm is not shortened. He can stop their mouths and tie their hands.
II.See with what confidence he looks forward to the dangers he had yet in prospect. Having put himself under God's protection and often found the benefit of it,
1.His fears were all stilled and silenced, Psa 3:6. With what a holy bravery does he bid defiance to the impotent menaces and attempts of his enemies! "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that either in a foreign invasion or an intestine rebellion set themselves, or encamp, against me round about." No man seemed less safe (his enemies are numerous, ten thousands; they are spiteful and resolute, "They have set themselves against me; nay, they have prevailed far, and seem to have gained their point; for they are against me round about on every side, thousands against one"), and yet no man was more secure: "I will not be afraid, for all this; they cannot hurt me, and therefore they shall not frighten me; whatever prudent methods I take for my own preservation, I will not disquiet myself, distrust my God, nor doubt of a good issue at last." When David, in his flight from Absalom, bade Zadok carry back the ark, he spoke doubtfully of the issue of his present troubles, and concluded, like a humble penitent, Here I am; let him do to me what seemeth to him good, Sa2 15:26. But now, like a strong believer, he speaks confidently, and has no fear concerning the event. Note, A cheerful resignation to God is the way to obtain a cheerful satisfaction and confidence in God.
2.His prayers were quickened and encouraged, Psa 3:7. He believed God was his Saviour, and yet prays; nay, he therefore prays, Arise, O Lord! save me, O my God! Promises of salvation do not supersede, but engage, our petitions for it. He will for this be enquired of.
3.His faith became triumphant. He began the psalm with complaints of the strength and malice of his enemies, but concludes it with exultation in the power and grace of his God, and now sees more with him than against him, Psa 3:8. Two great truths he here builds his confidence upon and fetches comfort from.
(1.)That salvation belongeth unto the Lord; he has power to save, be the danger ever so great; it is his prerogative to save, when all other helps and succours fail; it is his pleasure, it is his property, it is his promise to those that are his, whose salvation is not of themselves, but of the Lord. Therefore all that have the Lord for their God, according to the tenour of the new covenant, are sure of salvation; for he that is their God is the God of salvation.
(2.)That his blessing is upon his people; he not only has power to save them, but he has assured them of his kind and gracious intentions towards them. He has, in his word, pronounced a blessing upon his people; and we are bound to believe that that blessing does accordingly rest upon them, though there be not the visible effects of it. Hence we may conclude that God's people, though they may lie under the reproaches and censures of men, are surely blessed of him, who blesses indeed, and therefore can command a blessing.
In singing this, and praying it over, we must own the satisfaction we have had in depending upon God and committing ourselves to him, and encourage ourselves, and one another to continue still hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord.
Historical interpretation
Three Centuries of Reception
7 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
He has struck his adversaries, he has broken the teeth of sinners; indeed, so that he may heal them again: “I will strike [he said], and again I will heal.” He has broken the teeth of sinners, or, in other words, the wicked words and carnal actions, because he desires to destroy them in the inmost parts. Perhaps he has called those same ones adversaries and sinners: since he has broken the teeth of all sinners who turned against Christ, but especially the Jews on account of unfaithfulness; those teeth about which in another psalm he says, “Those who devour my people as bread, and they do not call on the Lord.” He broke these teeth … when he arose from the dead.
When he foresees his deliverance after death, he has faith that he has been saved by grace and that kindness has been granted. He is certain that this faith of some in the resurrection of the Savior is able to come to him, and consequently he prays that the resurrection of the Lord be hastened so that through it he himself will experience salvation.… Now, he says, you have broken the teeth of sinners; that is, their conversations and blasphemous words hurled against me you have stripped away.
The teeth of sinners are thoughts foreign to reason coming to us on account of our nature by which our enemies approach us, just like using their teeth time after time again to devour our flesh. That is, those [are] things that spring forth from the flesh: “Manifest are the works of the flesh,” as the apostle says.
This psalm can pertain to David or to Christ, and through him to all the saints.
"Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God" [Psalm 3:7]. It is not said to God, "Arise," as if asleep or lying down, but it is usual in holy Scripture to attribute to God what He does in us; not indeed universally, but where it can be done suitably; as when He is said to speak, when by His gift Prophets speak, and Apostles, or whatsoever messengers of the truth. Hence that text, "Would you have proof of Christ, who speaks in me?" [2 Corinthians 13:3] For he does not say, of Christ, by whose enlightening or order I speak; but he attributes at once the speaking itself to Him, by whose gift he spoke. "Since You have smitten all who oppose me without a cause." It is not to be pointed as if it were one sentence, "Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God; since You have smitten all who oppose me without a cause." For He did not therefore save Him, because He smote His enemies; but rather He being saved, He smote them. Therefore it belongs to what follows, so that the sense is this; "Since You have smitten all who oppose me without a cause, You have broken the teeth of the sinners;" that is, thereby have You broken the teeth of the sinners, since You have smitten all who oppose me. It is forsooth the punishment of the opposers, whereby their teeth have been broken, that is, the words of sinners rending with their cursing the Son of God, brought to nought, as it were to dust; so that we may understand "teeth" thus, as words of cursing. Of which teeth the Apostle speaks, "If you bite one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another." [Galatians 5:15] The teeth of sinners can also be taken as the chiefs of sinners; by whose authority each one is cut off from the fellowship of godly livers, and as it were incorporated with evil livers. To these teeth are opposed the Church's teeth, by whose authority believers are cut off from the error of the Gentiles and various opinions, and are translated into that fellowship which is the body of Christ. With these teeth Peter was told to eat the animals when they had been killed, that is, by killing in the Gentiles what they were, and changing them into what he was himself. Of these teeth too of the Church it is said, "Your teeth are as a flock of shorn sheep, coming up from the bath, whereof every one bears twins, and there is not one barren among them." These are they who prescribe rightly, and as they prescribe, live; who do what is written, "Let your works shine before men, that they may bless your Father which is in heaven." [Matthew 5:16] For moved by their authority, they believe God who speaks and works through these men; and separated from the world, to which they were once conformed, they pass over into the members of the Church. And rightly therefore are they, through whom such things are done, called teeth like to shorn sheep; for they have laid aside the burdens of earthly cares, and coming up from the bath, from the washing away of the filth of the world by the Sacrament of Baptism, every one bears twins. For they fulfil the two commandments, of which it is said, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets;" [Matthew 22:40] loving God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind, and their neighbour as themselves. "There is not one barren among them," for much fruit they render unto God. According to this sense then it is to be thus understood, "You have broken the teeth of the sinners," that is, You have brought the chiefs of the sinners to nought, by smiting all who oppose Me without a cause. For the chiefs according to the Gospel history persecuted Him, while the lower people honoured Him.
The phrase “breaking the teeth of sinners,” that is to say, depriving them of all strength, is by comparison with wild beasts, which when bereft of their teeth are quite undaunting and open to attack.
It is not that God is awakened while sleeping or lying down for rest, but it is common for the divine Scriptures to express a matter through a metaphor, to say something about God using what is familiar to us.
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Summary
Psalms 3:7 is a fervent and faith-filled prayer from King David, encapsulating both an urgent plea for divine intervention and a profound declaration of God's decisive victory over his adversaries. In the midst of overwhelming opposition, David cries out, "Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God," immediately grounding this desperate appeal in the confident assurance that God has already, or will certainly, "smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly." This verse vividly portrays a believer's unwavering trust in God's sovereignty and His proven power to deliver and humiliate those who oppose His anointed.
Context
Literary Context
Psalm 3 is a deeply personal lament, uniquely situated as "A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son." The psalm opens with David surrounded by a multitude of enemies who mock his faith, questioning God's ability to deliver him (Psalm 3:1-2). Despite this dire situation, David immediately pivots to an unwavering declaration of trust, affirming God as his shield, his glory, and the one who lifts his head (Psalm 3:3). He recounts his secure rest, knowing that the Lord sustains him even amidst danger (Psalm 3:5-6). Verse 7 marks a pivotal shift from confident repose to an active, urgent petition for God to manifest His power, a plea rooted in a prophetic certainty or retrospective acknowledgment of God's past victories. The psalm then culminates in a renewed affirmation that salvation belongs solely to the Lord and His blessing rests upon His people (Psalm 3:8).
Historical & Cultural Context
The superscription provides the critical historical backdrop: David's flight from his son Absalom's rebellion. This was a period of profound personal betrayal and national crisis, as Absalom had successfully usurped the throne and gained widespread popular support, forcing David to flee Jerusalem in shame and vulnerability (2 Samuel 15-16). In this moment of extreme vulnerability, David's prayer is not merely for military victory but for divine vindication against a deeply personal and public betrayal. The vivid imagery of "smiting the cheek bone" and "breaking the teeth" are powerful ancient Near Eastern idioms. To strike the cheek was a profound public insult and a gesture of utter humiliation, stripping an individual of their honor and dignity (Job 16:10, Micah 5:1). Breaking teeth, especially of a predator, symbolized disarming an enemy, rendering them utterly powerless to inflict harm or "devour" their prey (Job 29:17).
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Psalm 3 and the broader Psalter. Firstly, it highlights Divine Sovereignty and Intervention, portraying God as the active, responsive agent who hears the cries of His people and decisively acts on behalf of His anointed, even against overwhelming odds. David's fervent cry, "Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God," is an urgent plea for God to stand up and demonstrate His mighty power against the forces arrayed against His chosen. Secondly, it underscores the theme of Trust in Adversity, as David's petition is not born of despair but of confident expectation, rooted in God's unchanging character and His past acts of deliverance. The declaration of God having already "smitten" and "broken" reflects a faith that transcends the immediate crisis, seeing God's victory as already secured. Thirdly, it speaks to Vindication and Justice, portraying God as the one who will ultimately humble the proud and disarm the wicked, ensuring that evil intentions cannot prevail against His chosen. This resonates deeply with themes of God's righteous judgment and ultimate triumph over evil found throughout the entire Book of Psalms.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word, an imperative form of the verb H6965, is a forceful command or an earnest, urgent plea for God to "stand up," "take action," or "intervene." It implies a desire for God to cease any perceived inaction and to powerfully manifest His presence and power on behalf of His suffering servant. It is not a suggestion but a desperate, yet faith-filled, cry for decisive divine intervention, echoing ancient calls for God to rise in battle.
Derived from H5221, this verb means "to strike," "to crush," or "to wound mortally." Used here in the perfect tense, it conveys a completed action, suggesting either a past historical deliverance, a prophetic certainty of future action, or a timeless truth about God's character as a vanquisher of foes. The imagery of striking the "cheek bone" (Hebrew, lᵉchîy, H3895) signifies a profound public humiliation and a crippling blow, rendering the enemy utterly defeated and disgraced.
This verb, from H7665, means "to burst," "to shatter," or "to smash." Paired with "teeth" (Hebrew, shên, H8127), it vividly portrays the complete disarming of the wicked (Hebrew, râshâʻ, H7563). Just as a dangerous predator is rendered harmless once its fangs are removed, so too are David's enemies depicted as utterly powerless to inflict further harm or "devour" him.
Verse Breakdown
"Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God"
This opening clause is a fervent, dual petition that combines a call for divine action with a personal appeal for deliverance. "Arise, O LORD" (H3068, Yᵉhôvâh) is an urgent plea for the covenant God to stand up and act decisively, reminiscent of ancient battle cries for divine intervention, such as when the Ark set out (Numbers 10:35). "Save me, O my God" (H430, ʼĕlôhîym) is a direct, intimate appeal for personal rescue, emphasizing David's relationship with both the transcendent, sovereign God and his personal, faithful Protector. It signifies a desperate need for immediate rescue from overwhelming danger.
"for thou hast smitten all mine enemies [upon] the cheek bone"
The conjunction "for" (כִּי, kî) introduces the foundational reason for David's confidence and his bold plea. He appeals to God based on past (or prophetically certain) acts of deliverance. "Smiting upon the cheek bone" is a powerful image of public humiliation and utter defeat. It is not merely a physical blow but a blow to honor, dignity, and power, rendering the enemy disgraced and incapable of further aggression or effective opposition.
"thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly"
This second declaration reinforces the first, using another vivid metaphor for complete incapacitation. The "ungodly" (H7563, râshâʻîm) are those who are morally wrong, actively bad, and defy God and His ways. Their "teeth" (H8127, shên) symbolize their ability to harm, devour, or oppress. By breaking their teeth, God renders them utterly harmless, unable to execute their malicious intentions against David or God's people, ensuring their predatory power is nullified.
Literary Devices
The verse is rich in Imagery, particularly Metaphor and Anthropomorphism. The plea "Arise, O LORD" uses Anthropomorphism, attributing human action (standing up, taking a posture of readiness for battle) to God, thereby conveying His active, dynamic intervention on behalf of His people. The latter part of the verse employs powerful Metaphors of physical violence to represent spiritual and military defeat: "smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone" and "broken the teeth of the ungodly." These are not literal descriptions of God's physical actions but vivid, visceral ways to communicate the totality of the enemies' humiliation and incapacitation, stripping them of their honor and their power to harm. The Parallelism between "smitten...the cheek bone" and "broken the teeth" reinforces the theme of complete victory and the disarming of adversaries through divine power. This use of Hyperbole further emphasizes the absolute and overwhelming nature of God's triumph over all opposition.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalm 3:7 profoundly articulates the biblical truth that God is not a passive observer but an active, sovereign deliverer who hears the cries of His people and intervenes decisively on their behalf. David's audacious confidence stems from a deep theological understanding of God's character as both mighty in power (H3068, Yᵉhôvâh) and intimately faithful to His covenant promises as his personal God (H430, ʼĕlôhîym). The vivid imagery of disarming enemies speaks to God's ultimate control over all forces of evil, assuring believers that no opposition, no matter how formidable, can ultimately thwart His purposes or overcome His protection of the righteous. This verse serves as a profound reminder that even in the darkest moments of betrayal and vulnerability, our hope rests not in our own strength or circumstances, but in the unfailing, active power of God to bring about salvation and vindication.
Reflection and Application
Psalm 3:7 provides a timeless and powerful model for how believers can navigate periods of intense adversity, betrayal, and public opposition. It teaches us to bring our most desperate pleas before God with bold confidence, recognizing His sovereign power to intervene decisively. Like David, we are called to move beyond the immediate pain and apparent defeat, anchoring our hope in God's proven track record of deliverance and His ultimate, certain victory over all forms of evil. This verse encourages us to pray not just for relief from our circumstances, but for God's active manifestation of justice and His powerful intervention, trusting that He will disarm those who seek to harm us or undermine His kingdom. It reminds us that even when our enemies seem to be "many" and their accusations loud, our God is infinitely greater, capable of rendering them powerless and bringing about our salvation. This fosters a resilient faith that sees beyond present struggles to the certainty of God's ultimate triumph.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does David say "thou hast smitten" and "thou hast broken" if he is still asking God to "Arise" and "save me"?
This apparent tension highlights a profound aspect of biblical faith known as the "prophetic perfect" or "faith perfect." The use of the perfect tense ("hast smitten," "hast broken") can be interpreted in several complementary ways, all pointing to David's deep and unwavering confidence in God. Firstly, it can be a prophetic perfect, where a future event is spoken of as if it has already happened, indicating absolute certainty of God's intervention and victory. David is so sure of God's deliverance that he speaks of it as a done deal, a divinely decreed reality. Secondly, it could refer to God's past acts of deliverance in David's life (e.g., against Goliath, 1 Samuel 17:49-50, or Saul, 1 Samuel 23:14), which serve as a foundational basis for his current plea. He reminds God (and himself) of God's consistent character as a faithful deliverer. Thirdly, it reflects a statement of profound faith: David's trust is so complete that he declares God's victory even before it is visibly manifested, seeing it already accomplished in the divine plan. Thus, his urgent plea to "Arise" is not a sign of doubt, but an earnest call for the manifestation of a victory he already believes God has secured.
What is the significance of "smiting upon the cheek bone" and "breaking the teeth"?
These are powerful, culturally specific metaphors from the ancient Near East, conveying complete defeat, humiliation, and incapacitation. "Smiting upon the cheek bone" (or jaw) was a grave insult and a sign of utter humiliation and public disgrace. It was an act designed to strip an opponent of their dignity, honor, and ability to retaliate, rendering them utterly defeated. Examples of such humiliation can be seen in Job 16:10 or Lamentations 3:30. "Breaking the teeth" is another vivid image, symbolizing the complete disarming and rendering harmless of a predator. Just as a wild animal's ability to attack, devour, and inflict harm is removed when its teeth are broken, so too are the wicked (the "ungodly") rendered utterly powerless to execute their malicious intentions. Together, these images convey God's absolute power to defeat, humiliate, and incapacitate all who rise against His anointed, ensuring their inability to cause further harm or achieve their destructive aims.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalm 3:7, with its fervent cry for deliverance and confident declaration of God's victory over enemies, finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. David's experience of betrayal by his own son, Absalom, foreshadows the ultimate betrayal of Jesus by Judas and His rejection by His own people. Just as David cried, "Arise, O LORD; save me," Jesus, in His perfect humanity, cried out to the Father in Gethsemane and on the cross, trusting in God's ultimate deliverance from the power of death and sin. The imagery of God "smiting the cheek bone" and "breaking the teeth of the ungodly" finds its profound spiritual reality in Christ's triumphant work on the cross and His glorious resurrection. Through His crucifixion, Jesus bore the full weight of sin and judgment, and through His resurrection, He utterly disarmed the powers of darkness, rendering Satan and his forces powerless to condemn or ultimately harm those who are in Christ (Colossians 2:15). The "broken teeth" of the ungodly signify the decisive defeat of all spiritual adversaries who sought to "devour" humanity, a victory secured by the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world who laid down His life and took it up again. Believers now share in this Christ-won victory, knowing that because Christ has arisen, they too are saved, and their ultimate enemies—sin, death, and the grave—have been decisively defeated (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).