Psalm 3:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Salvation belongs to the LORD; your blessing be on your people! Selah

NIV: From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.

NASB: Salvation belongs to the Lord; May Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah

CSB: Salvation belongs to the Lord; may your blessing be on your people. Selah

NLT: Victory comes from you, O Lord. May you bless your people. Interlude

KJV: Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

NKJV: Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

David concludes this psalm by declaring that salvation belongs to the Lord. That understanding enables him to express confidence in the Lord to deliver him from his enemies, and he ascribes all the credit to the Lord. Although David refers to deliverance from his enemies (2 Samuel 17:1–4; 15–16) as "salvation," here, Scripture teaches that eternal salvation from sin and perdition also belongs exclusively to the Lord. God saves by grace; that is, undeserved favor. Ephesians 2:8–9 teaches: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." Romans 6:23 also teaches us that salvation is a gift from God. This verse states, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

David pronounces a benediction as he closes Psalm 3. He prays that the Lord's blessing will rest upon His people. This benediction reveals David's shepherd heart. He thinks about and prays for the well-being of the people of Israel despite his difficult personal circumstances.

Psalm 3:7–8 ends David's prayer with a specific plea and an expression of confidence. David was surrounded by many foes, sent to kill him by his own son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15—18). Yet David recognized the Lord was on his side and would deliver him. He knew that salvation belongs to the Lord. The Lord would eventually answer David's prayer by delivering him from this desperate situation (2 Samuel 18:31–32).

David cries out to the Lord while being pursued by many enemies. Others are telling him the situation is hopeless, that he cannot be delivered from his trouble. However, David testifies that the Lord is his shield and deliverer. He says the Lord answered him from the site of Mount Zion. This answer to prayer led to a good night's sleep and confidence that he had nothing to fear from his many foes. He closes the psalm by declaring that the Lord had slain his enemies in the past and would do so again. The Lord would strike down David's enemies with crushing blows to the head. He knew the Lord delivers those who trust in Him, so he asks the Lord to bless His people.

Psalm 3 finds its background in David's flight from his rebellious son Absalom (2 Samuel 15—18). David had fled from the palace in Jerusalem and was hiding in the desert. This psalm is closely related to Psalm 4, both of which were written by David when he was a fugitive from Absalom. It is the first psalm in the first division of Psalms (Psalm 1—41) that is specifically ascribed to David. In this division only Psalms 1, 2, 10, and 33 do not bear an ascription. David's expressions of confidence in the Lord to protect him from his enemies are also seen in Psalms such as 25, 27, 28, 31, 35, and 41.

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.