Psalm 54:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.

NIV: Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

NASB: Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.

CSB: God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my life.

NLT: But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive!

KJV: Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

NKJV: Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life.

David expresses confidence in the Lord to help him and to keep him alive. This is part of David's response to betrayal and persecution. The people of Ziph turned on David and told king Saul where to find him (1 Samuel 23:19–20). This forced David to flee to a new headquarters (1 Samuel 23:23–25). David prayed for rescue (Psalm 54:1–3), and fully expected the Lord to spare his life.

The word "helper" in this verse is related to a word used in the book of 1 Samuel. The Israelites asked the prophet Samuel to pray so the Lord would deliver them from the approaching Philistine army. In response, Samuel sacrificed a nursing lamb to the Lord as a burnt offering and prayed (1 Samuel 7:1–9). The Lord answered with such a thunderous sound that the Philistines panicked and lost the battle (1 Samuel 7:10–11). Samuel commemorated the event by setting up a memorial stone and called it e'ben hā āzer, or Ebenezer, meaning "stone of help" (1 Samuel 7:12). In this Psalm, David uses the root word 'azar when referring to the Lord as his "help" or "helper."

David was grateful for the Lord's assistance. He knew he was alive only because the Lord was providing him with aid. Confidence in God led David to a sense of calm assurance. In Romans 8:31 Paul writes, "What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Psalm 54:4–7 follows David's prayer for rescue with an expression of absolute confidence. He vows to honor the Lord for answering his prayer. He speaks as if sure the Lord will keep him safe. At the time David wrote this song, he was not near the tabernacle, but fully expected to return there. As part of his confidence, David plans to present a freewill offering and give thanks to the Lord. This was written while David was being betrayed by the people of Ziph and pursued by King Saul (1 Samuel 23:19–20).

David prays for God's rescue and vindication. Heartless, godless men are working to have him killed (1 Samuel 23:19–20). However, David is certain that God is his helper and will keep him alive. He believes God will bring vengeance on those enemies, ending their lives while sparing David. David is so confident in the Lord's rescue that he promises to present a freewill offering when he returns to the sanctuary. David's trust in God is based, in part, on the ways the Lord had helped him in the past.

Psalm 54 is one of the psalms written by David when he was a fugitive from King Saul. David describes his dependence on the Lord to help him in a crisis. The crisis involved the Ziphites' betraying David by telling Saul where he was (1 Samuel 23:19–20; 26:1–2). God rewarded David's confidence and refusal to take revenge (1 Samuel 24:4–8) by sparing his life.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.