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Psalm 54
English Standard Version
Psalm 54
English Standard Version
The Lord Upholds My Life
To the choirmaster: with (A)stringed instruments. A Maskil[a] of David, (B)when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “Is not David hiding among us?”
54 O God, save me by your (C)name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, (D)hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 (E)For (F)strangers[b] have risen against me;
ruthless men (G)seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah
4 Behold, (H)God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
5 He will return the evil to my enemies;
in your (I)faithfulness (J)put an end to them.
6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, (K)for it is good.
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has (L)looked in triumph on my enemies.
Footnotes
- Psalm 54:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 54:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Targum insolent men (compare Psalm 86:14)
Psalm 54
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 54
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 54[a]
Prayer in Time of Danger
1 For the director.[b] On stringed instruments. A maskil of David. 2 When the Ziphites came to Saul and said, “David is hiding among us.”
3 O God, save me by your name;[c]
vindicate me by your power.
4 Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
5 Strangers[d] have risen against me;
those who are ruthless seek my life,
and they have no thought of God. Selah
6 Surely God is my helper;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.
7 May their own evil recoil on my foes:
you who are faithful, destroy them.[e]
8 [f]I will freely offer sacrifice to you,
and I will praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.
9 For you have rescued me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies.
Footnotes
- Psalm 54:1 The “name” stands for God himself, the Almighty One. To him the psalmist directs his supplication, from him help will come, and toward him will thanksgiving be extended. For Christians, the “name” is that of Jesus Christ, who saves those who invoke it (see Acts 2:21; Rom 10:9; 1 Cor 1:2). “There is no . . . other name under heaven given to men by which we can be saved” (Acts 4:12). The name “Jesus” means “God saves” (see Mt 1:21).
- Psalm 54:1 For the director: probably a musical or liturgical notation. Maskil: see note on Ps 32:1a. For the event in David’s life, see 1 Sam 23:19.
- Psalm 54:3 The beleaguered psalmist summons God to give him justice (see Ps 17). Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
- Psalm 54:5 Strangers: probably a reference to the people of the Desert of Ziph (see 1 Sam 23:19). They have no thought of God: the same type of sinners as in Ps 53.
- Psalm 54:7 See notes on Pss 5:11; 35.
- Psalm 54:8 God and his faithful have the same enemies, whose defeat is a subject for joy and thanksgiving. Praise your name: see note on Ps 7:18.
Psalm 54
New International Version
Psalm 54
New International Version
Psalm 54[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[b] of David. When the Ziphites(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me(B), O God, by your name;(C)
vindicate me by your might.(D)
2 Hear my prayer, O God;(E)
listen to the words of my mouth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
- Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified) (CCB)
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.