Psalm 54
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 54
Prayer for Deliverance
For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?” (A)
1 God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might!(B)
2 God, hear my prayer;
listen to the words from my mouth.(C)
3 For strangers rise up against me,
and violent men intend to kill me.
They do not let God guide them.[a](D)Selah
4 God is my helper;
the Lord is the sustainer of my life.[b](E)
5 He will repay my adversaries for their evil.
Because of your faithfulness, annihilate them.(F)
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
King James Version
54 Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.
4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good.
7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.
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