Psalm 31:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.

NIV: Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

NASB: You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength.

CSB: You will free me from the net that is secretly set for me, for you are my refuge.

NLT: Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone.

KJV: Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me: for thou art my strength.

NKJV: Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength.

In this verse David praises the Lord for delivering him from his enemies. They had set an ambush for him, but it failed because God was David's refuge (Psalm 31:1–3).

Among the foes who tried to capture David were his own son Absalom and Absalom's followers. Absalom's rebellion against David lasted several months. Even David's counselor, Ahithophel, left David and joined Absalom and his followers (2 Samuel 15—18). Jesus, too, was betrayed by one of His followers. Jesus said at the Last Supper, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me…He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me" (Matthew 26:21, 23). Verse 25 identifies Judas as the betrayer.

Physical attacks and violence were part of the danger faced by David. Yet there is a spiritual aspect to daily life, and attacks can come in spiritual form, as well. A believer today may feel that a net has been prepared to trap him, but God always provides a means of escape from temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). When we follow God's leading, the enemy's net will stay empty; God is the believer's refuge as much as He was David's refuge.

Psalm 31:1–8 reveals David's trust in God to rescue him from his enemies. He detests idolaters but rejoices in the Lord's unfailing love. He praises the Lord for protecting him and allowing him to stand in a spacious place. These verses parallel similar psalms, in which David looks back on God's prior rescues in answer to prayer.

Because God has rescued him in the past, David chooses to trust the Lord even when he is in danger. Neighbors and friends may abandon him, and enemies may plot, but David is confident he will be vindicated. He also calls on others to be firm and brave as they choose to trust in God.

David mentions dangers and enemies in this psalm. He may have been referring to besieged cities such as Keilah (1 Samuel 23:1–15) or Ziklag (1 Samuel 30). Despite the plots of his enemies and abandonment by friends, David trusts in the Lord, receives an answer to his prayer, and encourages his fellow believers to love the Lord and be strong. This echoes themes also seen in Psalms 4, 25, and 71.

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.