Commentary - Psalm 7:1-5

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 7 is a raw and passionate cry for justice from a man who has been grievously slandered. David, under attack from a "Cush, a Benjamite," likely one of Saul's cronies, begins not with a defense of his own name, but by taking refuge in God's name. The psalm moves from a desperate plea for deliverance from a predator (vv. 1-2) to a solemn courtroom appeal before the throne of God (vv. 3-5). David is so confident in his own integrity before God that he is willing to call down curses upon himself if the slander against him is true. This is not the prayer of a man seeking to justify himself, but rather of a man who, having been justified by faith, is jealous for the honor of the God in whom he has taken refuge. The psalm teaches us how to respond to malicious attacks: first, run to God; second, maintain a clear conscience; and third, trust the final verdict to the only Judge who matters.

Outline

Context In Psalms

This is the first of the psalms to be explicitly identified as an imprecatory psalm, a prayer for God to bring judgment upon the wicked. The superscription grounds it in a specific, historical circumstance in David's life. The mention of a Benjamite points directly to the troubles David endured from the tribe of King Saul. Saul's court was filled with men who sought to advance their own careers by poisoning the king's mind against David. This psalm is therefore a model for the righteous when they are being hunted and harassed by lies. It is a prayer that is both intensely personal and yet profoundly concerned with the public justice of God. If God does not vindicate His servants, then His own name is dishonored in the world.

Commentary

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to Yahweh concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.

The title here gives us the setting, the author, and the occasion. A "Shiggaion" is likely a passionate, perhaps wandering or ecstatic, poem. The word suggests a high emotional state, a torrent of feeling that is being brought before God. This is no stoic, tight-lipped prayer. This is the cry of a man whose heart is full. The author is David, God's anointed, and the occasion is slander. He is not reacting to a physical attack, but to "the words of Cush, a Benjamite." Words can be weapons, and the tongue can be a sword. Cush was from the same tribe as Saul, and was likely whispering poison into the king's ear, accusing David of treachery. So right from the outset, we see this is a spiritual battle fought with words, and David's response is to sing to Yahweh.

1 O Yahweh my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,

O Yahweh my God, in You I have taken refuge; David begins where every saint must begin, with a direct address to his covenant God. He does not say, "O great principle of the universe," but rather "Yahweh my God." This is personal. And his first action is not to fight back, but to take refuge. A refuge is a place of safety from pursuit and danger. For the believer, God Himself is that place. Taking refuge is an act of faith, a deliberate entrusting of oneself into the protective custody of God. It means you stop trying to be your own fortress. Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, The request is plain and urgent. He is being hunted. The slander of Cush has unleashed a pack of pursuers. The distinction between "save me" and "deliver me" is subtle but important. To be saved is to be rescued from the immediate danger. To be delivered is to be brought out entirely, to be set free from the situation. David wants both. He wants God to stop the attack, and he wants God to bring him out the other side.

2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

Lest he tear my soul like a lion, The "he" here likely refers back to the chief slanderer, Cush, or perhaps the one he represents, Saul. The enemy is not a yapping puppy but a ravenous lion. The imagery is violent and terrifying. A lion does not just kill; it tears, it rends, it destroys. The word for "soul" here is nephesh, which means his very life, his being. This is not just about a damaged reputation; David feels his life is on the line. Slander is soul-murder. Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver. This last clause reveals the depth of David's desperation. He looks around and sees no human help. No one is coming to his rescue. If God does not act, he is finished. This is a good place for every believer to be, because it is only when we recognize our utter helplessness that we truly cast ourselves upon the all-sufficient power of God. When there is "none to deliver," we are forced to look to the only One who can.

3 O Yahweh my God, if I have done this, If there is injustice in my hands,

O Yahweh my God, if I have done this, Here the psalm takes a dramatic turn. Having cried out for help, David now stands to plead his case. And he does so by inviting God's perfect scrutiny. "This" refers to the accusations of Cush the Benjamite. Whatever the specific slander was, likely treason or treachery against Saul, David brings it before God. He says, in effect, "Lord, you be the judge. Let's look at the record." This is the foundation of all true spiritual confidence. It is not a confidence in our own perfection, but a confidence that we can stand honestly before a holy God. If there is injustice in my hands, He opens his hands for divine inspection. A clear conscience is a mighty shield. David is not claiming sinless perfection, but he is claiming innocence of the particular charges laid against him. He is saying that in this matter, his hands are clean.

4 If I have rewarded evil to him who is at peace with me, Or have plundered my adversary without cause,

If I have rewarded evil to him who is at peace with me, David gets more specific. The charge was likely that he was a traitor, returning Saul's kindness with malice. David denies it. He has not been treacherous. He has not repaid good with evil. This is a fundamental law of God's kingdom, and David knows he has kept it. Or have plundered my adversary without cause, This is even more striking. Not only has he been good to his friends, he has been just even to his enemies. He is saying, "I haven't even taken what I might have been entitled to take from an adversary if I did it unjustly." He twice had Saul's life in his hands and refused to act. He was not a plunderer. He was not an opportunist. He acted with honor, even when it was costly. This protestation of innocence points us forward to the Lord Jesus, the only man who could ever make this claim with absolute, unqualified truth.

5 Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; And let him trample my life down to the ground And cause my glory to dwell in the dust. Selah.

Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it; This is the self-imprecation. It is the penalty phase of the trial, should he be found guilty. David is so certain of his innocence that he calls down the very curse he is trying to escape. If he is lying, he is saying, then let the lion catch me. Let him do his worst. And let him trample my life down to the ground And cause my glory to dwell in the dust. This is a picture of total and ultimate defeat. To be trampled into the ground is to be utterly destroyed. For his "glory," his honor, his reputation, his very standing as God's anointed, to "dwell in the dust" is to be brought to the lowest point of shame and oblivion. He is staking everything on his integrity in this matter. Selah. And then we have this pause. We are meant to stop and consider the weight of what has just been said. Could we pray such a prayer? Do we live with such integrity before God that we could invite His judgment, confident that He would find us innocent of the slanders brought against us? This is the high calling of the Christian life, to live with a clear conscience toward God and man, so that when the lions of slander roar, we can run to our Refuge with confidence.