Prayer for Defense against Enemies.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A [a]Maskil of David, [b]when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is not David hiding himself among us?”

54 Save me, O God, by (A)Your name,
And [c]vindicate me by (B)Your power.
(C)Hear my prayer, O God;
(D)Give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers have (E)risen against me
And (F)violent men have (G)sought my [d]life;
They have (H)not set God before them. [e]Selah.

Behold, (I)God is my helper;
The Lord is [f]the (J)sustainer of my soul.
[g]He will (K)recompense the evil to [h]my foes;
[i](L)Destroy them (M)in Your [j]faithfulness.

[k](N)Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will give (O)thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
For [l]He has (P)delivered me from all [m]trouble,
And my eye has (Q)looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 54:1 Possibly Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 54:1 1 Sam 23:19; 26:1
  3. Psalm 54:1 Lit judge
  4. Psalm 54:3 Or soul
  5. Psalm 54:3 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
  6. Psalm 54:4 Lit as those who sustain
  7. Psalm 54:5 Lit The evil will return
  8. Psalm 54:5 Or those who lie in wait for me
  9. Psalm 54:5 Or Put to silence
  10. Psalm 54:5 Or truth
  11. Psalm 54:6 Or With a freewill offering
  12. Psalm 54:7 Or it; i.e. His name
  13. Psalm 54:7 Or distress