Commentary - Psalm 4:1-3

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 4 is an evening prayer, a bookend to the morning prayer of Psalm 3. In it, David finds himself beset by enemies who are slandering him and challenging his authority. The psalm is a beautiful model of faithful prayer, moving from a direct appeal to God, to a direct confrontation with his adversaries, and concluding with a serene expression of trust. David's confidence is not rooted in his own abilities or circumstances, but rather in two profound realities: God's past faithfulness and God's sovereign choice. He calls upon the "God of my righteousness," the one who has vindicated him before, to do so again. He then turns to his enemies and exposes the sheer vanity and foolishness of their rebellion. The central declaration, the hinge of the whole psalm, is that Yahweh has "set apart the holy one for Himself." This is the bedrock of election, and it is the reason David knows his prayers are heard. It is a psalm that teaches the believer how to find peace in the midst of turmoil by resting in the unshakeable character and purpose of God.

Ultimately, this psalm finds its truest voice in the mouth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Son of David. He is the ultimate Holy One whom the Father set apart. His glory was turned to reproach by the sons of men, who loved vanity and sought lies. And yet, because the Father always heard Him, He was vindicated in His resurrection, being brought out of the "distress" of death into the "broad place" of exaltation. For the believer, this psalm is our song because we are in Him.

Outline

Context In Psalms

This psalm is marked "For the choir director. With stringed instruments." This tells us from the outset that this is not a private diary entry but a piece of public liturgy, intended for corporate worship in Israel. It is a song for the whole covenant community to learn and sing. It is traditionally seen as an evening psalm, a complement to Psalm 3, which is a morning psalm. In Psalm 3, David wakes to find his troubles are still there, yet he trusts God. Here in Psalm 4, he prepares for sleep, entrusting himself to God's care through the night (v. 8). It is a psalm of confidence, but not a cocky or arrogant confidence. It is the settled assurance of a man who knows whom he has believed and is persuaded that God is able to keep him. It fits within the larger category of psalms of lament and trust, where the psalmist brings his troubles before the Lord and finds his resolution in the character of God Himself.

Key Issues

The Set-Apart Saint

The beating heart of this psalm is found in the third verse. Everything pivots on this central declaration: "But know that Yahweh has set apart the holy one for Himself." This is the doctrine of election stated in the clearest possible terms. The word for "holy one" is hasid, which refers to one who is the object of God's covenant loyalty and grace (hesed). This is not someone who has made himself godly through rigorous effort. This is someone whom God, in a sovereign act, has distinguished, separated, and claimed for His own possession.

This is the secret to David's stability in a world of chaos. His enemies are chasing after vapor and lies. Their foundation is sand. David's foundation is the electing purpose of Almighty God. And notice the logic that flows from this. Because God has set him apart, David can say with full assurance, "Yahweh hears when I call to Him." His confidence in prayer is not a matter of wishful thinking; it is a theological deduction. If God has chosen me for His own, then He is certainly interested in what I have to say. This is the logic that must undergird all Christian prayer. We do not approach God hoping that He might be in a good mood. We approach God as those who have been set apart in Christ, and therefore we know that the Father always hears us for His Son's sake.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

David begins with a direct, bold, and urgent plea. He is not beating around the bush. But notice the name he uses for God: "God of my righteousness." This is crucial. He is not claiming to be righteous in himself. He is acknowledging that God is the source of his righteousness, his vindication. It is a legal plea. David is in the right, his enemies are in the wrong, and he is appealing to the supreme court of heaven for a verdict. His confidence for this present appeal is rooted in God's past performance. "You have relieved me in my distress." The Hebrew here paints a picture of being in a tight, constricted place, and God bringing you out into a broad, open space. David is saying, "You've done it before, Lord. You made room for me when I was cornered." On the basis of that history, he makes his simple, humble request: "Be gracious to me and hear my prayer." Every true prayer is an appeal to grace.

2 O sons of men, how long will my glory become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and seek falsehood? Selah.

Having addressed God, David now turns and addresses his enemies directly. He calls them "sons of men," which in this context likely refers to men of rank and influence. He asks them two penetrating questions. First, "how long will my glory become a reproach?" David's "glory" here is his God-given honor and his legitimate authority as the Lord's anointed king. They are trying to drag it through the mud, to turn his honor into shame. Second, he asks why they are doing this. "How long will you love what is worthless and seek falsehood?" Their entire enterprise is built on nothing. The word for "worthless" is vanity, emptiness, a puff of smoke. The word for "falsehood" is a lie. They are in love with an illusion, and they are actively chasing a lie. Their rebellion is not just wicked; it is profoundly stupid. The "Selah" that follows is a pause, inviting the singers and the listeners to stop and consider the sheer folly of fighting against God and His anointed. Let the weight of that sink in.

3 But know that Yahweh has set apart the holy one for Himself; Yahweh hears when I call to Him.

Here is the pivot. The word "But" signals a sharp contrast. You men love vanity, but let me tell you about reality. "Know that..." This is not an opinion; it is a declaration of fact that they ignore at their peril. And what is this fact? "Yahweh has set apart the holy one for Himself." God has made a choice. God has separated a man for His own purposes. In the immediate context, this is David. God chose him, anointed him, and made him king. He is the hasid, the godly one, the recipient of God's covenant love. And because this is true, the second clause follows as a necessary consequence: "Yahweh hears when I call to Him." The connection is absolute. God's election is the guarantee of God's attention. David's assurance is not based on the volume of his prayer or the eloquence of his words, but on the sovereign choice of God. This is a rock-solid foundation. Of course, this points us directly to the Lord Jesus, the true Holy One whom God set apart from eternity. And it is the foundation for every believer. We are heard because we have been set apart in Him.

Application

This psalm is intensely practical for every believer. We live in a world that, like the "sons of men," loves vanity and chases after lies. Our culture is constantly trying to turn the glory of Christ and His people into a reproach. We are regularly slandered, mocked, and dismissed. In the face of this, we are tempted either to despair or to fight back with the world's carnal weapons.

David shows us a better way. First, we must pray. We must go directly to the "God of our righteousness." Our standing before Him is not based on our performance but on the finished work of Christ, who is our righteousness. We should plead with God based on His past faithfulness in our lives. Remember the times He brought you out of a tight spot into a broad place, and let that fuel your prayers.

Second, we must have our minds riveted to the central truth of our election. "But know that Yahweh has set apart the holy one for Himself." You, believer, have been set apart in Christ. You are God's personal possession. This is not a truth to make us arrogant, but a truth to make us stable and secure. Because you have been set apart for Him, He hears you when you call. This is not a maybe. It is a certainty. Let this truth calm your heart in the evening. Let it be the foundation upon which you can, like David, lie down and sleep in peace, knowing that Yahweh alone makes you dwell in safety.