Chapter Fifty-Three

The superscription of the psalm indicates first, the manner of performance (“to stringed instruments”), second, the character of the content (“a teaching”), representing David’s reflection on the occasion of what happened to him, and third, the reason for its writing – the betrayal by the Ziphites. The psalm was written when David was hiding in the wilderness of Ziph on a mountain from Saul who was pursuing him. The Ziphites, in order to ingratiate themselves with Saul, indicated to him David’s location, whereupon Saul went, but David was forced to flee to the wilderness of Maon, which was separated from Saul’s troops by only one hill. At this time David wrote the psalm known to us as Ps 21.

O Lord! Save me by Your power from enemies who seek my life (3-5). I believe that You will protect me, the innocent one (6-7) and for the salvation granted I will glorify You (8-9).

Psalm 53:3. O God, save me by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might. “Save me by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might.” David’s persecution by Saul was, as is known, undeserved: Saul persecuted David because he saw in him an ambitious and fortunate rival in the search for the throne, whereas David harbored no such designs, but received appointment to the throne of the Hebrew kingdom from God. By virtue of the latter, David undertakes no means of struggle with Saul, but commits his life to the will of God. David’s prayer to God in this case has the following meaning: save me, O Lord, for my destruction, as Your chosen one, will be a humiliation of Your name, which is great in the eyes of men. “Vindicate me by Your might” – display Your power now, when the danger is great and the position of Your chosen one seems hopeless.

Psalm 53:5. For strangers have risen against me, and ruthless men seek my life; they do not keep God before them. “Strangers have risen... and ruthless men seek my life.” – The behavior of the Ziphites toward David was marked by such hatred that it ranked them with strangers; that is, with gentiles, enemies of the Hebrews; “ruthless men” – these are the warriors of Saul, with whom he stood not far from David. “My life” – my existence; enemies strove to destroy David. – “Do not keep God before them.” The enemies of David did not think about whether such persecution accords with the will of God, whether it is right and whether it was deserved by David, but were guided by foreign and selfish calculations – the desire to ingratiate themselves with Saul.

Psalm 53:7. God will repay them for their evil; in Your faithfulness, put an end to them. “God will repay them for their evil.” David believes that the Lord will turn aside from him the evil which his enemies are preparing for him and send it upon his enemies. – “In Your faithfulness, put an end to them” – since You, O Lord, love truth, and before You I am right, so, as the protector of truth, destroy the enemies.

Psalm 53:8. I will offer You a willing sacrifice; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good, Psalm 53:9. For You have delivered me from all trouble, and my eye has seen the defeat of my enemies. “I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good” – I will praise You, of course, in prayers and psalms for the good granted to me. – “My eye has seen the defeat of my enemies.” Simple help was shown to David, for Saul learned of an attack on the southern borders of his kingdom by the Philistines, went out to meet them and David was able not to flee from his enemies, but to watch them depart from him.