Psalm 7:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite. O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,

NIV: A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite. LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me,

NASB: O Lord my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and rescue me,

CSB: Lord my God, I seek refuge in you; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me,

NLT: I come to you for protection, O Lord my God. Save me from my persecutors — rescue me!

KJV: {Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the LORD, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite.} O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:

NKJV: {A Meditation of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.} O Lord my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me,

David had a personal relationship with the Lord. His faith was intimate (Psalm 145:8). In this verse he uses terms of intimacy and relationship. These echo his exclamation in Psalm 23:1: "The LORD is my shepherd." Because God was his personal Lord, David was able to take refuge in Him. He sincerely believed God could save him from those who were pursuing him, seeking his death. He realizes that God may not choose to save him (Psalm 7:2), but he asks for victory with confident faith.

Possibly, in this case, David's pursuers were Saul's men (1 Samuel 24:1–2). They hunted relentlessly for David in the wilderness, but the Lord preserved David's life. Enemies and difficult circumstances may threaten believers today, but believers can count on a personal relationship with the Lord to sustain them. Jesus assures believers of perfect security that no one can destroy. He affirms in John 10:28, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." Paul writes in Romans 8:37: "We are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

The term transliterated "shiggaion" is rare and difficult to interpret. It seems to involve concepts such as singing, grief, feeling, passion, and so forth. This likely is being used as a musical term, implying a song with deep expressive emotion.

Likewise, Scripture gives no details on the Benjaminite, Cush, or how he interacted with David. It's possible he invented lies, and this is David's response (Psalm 7:3–7).

Psalm 7:1–5 sets the stage for the rest of the psalm. It reveals David's confidence in God to save him from his enemies. He believes he deserves defeat only if he has done wrong, such as by cheating or stealing. The rest of the psalm asks God to judge him according to his righteousness and his enemies according to their evil deeds. This psalm is described using an obscure term which probably refers to something musical. No information is given about Cush, or what he said.

David takes refuge in God and asks to be rescued from those seeking his life. He boldly defends himself from accusations of fraud or plunder. Rather than seek his own revenge, David calls on the Lord to execute judgment. The wicked man plots evil, is full of mischief, and gives birth to lies. However, trouble will come back to strike such a person. His sin and violence will lead to a sinful, violent end. David concludes this psalm by giving thanks and praise to the Lord.

This psalm was written by David. He prays to the Lord, the righteous Judge of the universe, to judge his wicked enemies. David may have written this psalm when he was being pursued by Saul's forces (1 Samuel 24:1–2). Themes expressed by David in 1 Samuel chapter 24 resemble those found in Psalm 7. The accusations he responds to may have come from Cush, mentioned in the psalm's title.

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.