Chapter Three

Besides indicating the author of the psalm, the inscription tells of the reason and time of its composition, namely, during David’s flight from Absalom.

The external and internal state of David depicted in the psalm so well corresponds to his situation during the persecutions by Absalom that it fully matches and accords with the indication of the time of the psalm’s origin given in the inscription. It is impossible to indicate precisely at what moment this psalm was written, but it is reasonable to think that it was after his flight from Jerusalem, when only a small group of devoted followers was with David, while on the side of the enemies was a huge mass actively pursuing David, so that, apparently, there was no hope for his salvation (Ps 3:3), and he himself feared for his life (Ps 3:6).

In the first part of the psalm, David (2-3) speaks of the degree of danger to him from a multitude of enemies; in the second part (4-9), he expresses his faith in God and his confidence in obtaining salvation for himself and worthy punishment for the enemies.

Psalm 3:2. O Lord, how my enemies have multiplied! Many rise up against me; Psalm 3:3. Many say of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God. “How my enemies have multiplied!”—an expression of David’s fear at the increasing number of his enemies. “Many say of my soul”—they speak of my life, my fate, they doubt the possibility of salvation for David, in view of his apparent helplessness and the hopelessness of his situation.

Psalm 3:4. But You, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts up my head. Psalm 3:5. With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears me from His holy mountain. David’s preceding life, full of vicissitudes and numerous wars, clearly convinced him that his true defender, who had given him glory and victories, was and is God, to whom he turns also in his present situation.

Psalm 3:6. I lie down and sleep; I wake up, for the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:7. I will not fear the multitude of people who have arrayed themselves against me on all sides. In the fact that David, surrounded on all sides by enemies and expecting his death at any moment, nevertheless “lies down, sleeps and wakes up” alive, he sees immediate divine help, God’s protection (“for the Lord sustains me”), and therefore stops being afraid of the pursuers and enemies surrounding him on all sides, and the character of his prayer to God changes, from sorrowful, it becomes triumphant hymn. This salvation of David was the consequence of Absalom’s rejection of the counsel of Ahithophel, who proposed the immediate pursuit of David, and the acceptance of Hushai’s proposal for slowness and caution in actions, which made it possible for David to cross the Jordan and avoid the imminent danger. In this David saw help from God.

Psalm 3:8. Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For You strike all my enemies on the cheek; You break the teeth of the wicked. Psalm 3:9. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing be upon Your people. “Arise.” David prays to God not only for his own salvation, but also for the punishment of the enemies; “teeth” in animals are their strength; the teeth of enemies are the entire strength of the enemies. David is confident in the inevitable punishment of the enemies, whom he sees as though already punished, and he prays for mercy upon the righteous before God. This psalm is the first of the so-called hexapsalm, which is part of the morning service. The latter has as its purpose to give thanks to God for the preservation of life during the past night with a prayer for the bestowal of prosperity in the coming day, which is in accord with this psalm (“I lie down and sleep and wake up”; “Arise, O Lord! Save me”).