Psalm 54 A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, “Does
not David hide himself with us?” Commentary by
Dennis Edwards.
1 Samuel 23:13-29
13 Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. 15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knows. 18 And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand.
21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me. 22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly. 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.
24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David; wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. 27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. 28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.
29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
Psalm
54:1-2 Save me, O God, by Your
name, and judge me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the
words of my mouth.
David and
his six-hundred men were hiding in the wilderness of Ziph in the territory of Judah.
The men of Ziph reported to Saul of David’s where abouts. Saul has David and
his men surrounded, when he receives a message that the Philistines are
invading the land. Saul has to leave off from pursuing after David
Psalm 54:3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after
my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.
Instead of
“strangers,” some expositors translate the word for “the proud.” It could
therefore read, “For the proud are risen up against me.” The proud are also
those who “have not set God before them.”
In the Book
of James, we find the same idea.
“God
resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble….Humble yourselves in the
sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up,” James 4:6&10.
In Job
we find,
“When men
are cast down, then You shall say, There is lifting up; and He shall save the
humble person.”
Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves
such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Isaiah
66:2b “But to this man will I
look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at My
word.”
Numerous
proverbs warn us against pride.
Proverb 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes shame, but with the lowly is
wisdom.”
Proverb
16:5 “Everyone that is proud in
heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be
unpunished.”
Proverbs
16:18 “Pride goes before
destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs
16:19 “Better it is to be of an
humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
Proverbs
29:23 “A man’s pride shall bring
him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
Psalm 54:4 Behold, God is my helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my
soul.
“The Lord
is with them that uphold my soul.” Who are the “them,” David is talking about?
Is he alluding to “angels,” the ministering spirits that God has ordained to
help us in our battles?
After Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness we read, “Then the devil left Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him,” Matthew 4:11.
Before going
into Jerusalem to be crucified, Jesus goes to a mountain and is transfigured
before three of his disciples and receives encouragement from Moses and Elijah.
“And, behold, there talked with Him two men, which were Moses and Elijah: who
appeared in glory, and spoke of His decease which He should accomplish at
Jerusalem,” Luke 9:30-31.
Lastly, at
the end of Jesus’ time of desperate prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, an
angel came and strengthened Him for the battle ahead. “And there appeared an
angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him,” Luke 22:43.
The author
of Hebrews calls the angels, “ministering spirits, sent forth to
minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation,” Hebrews 1:14. Later
in the book, he refers to the departed saints of the Old Testament as
being “so great a cloud of witnesses,” Hebrews 12:1.
Could David
had sensed or realised the help of angels?
Psalm 54:5 He (the Lord) shall reward evil unto my enemies: cut them off in
Your truth.
Judgment is
coming for the wicked. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the
nations that forget God.” Psalm 9:17. “But if they will not obey, I will
utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, says the Lord,” Jeremiah 12:17.
Or as we
read in the psalm.
Psalm
37:9-11 “For evildoers shall be cut
off: but those who wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a
little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, you shall diligently consider
his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall
delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
In the
writings of Apostle Paul we find,
2
Thessalonians 1:6-9 “Seeing it is a righteous
thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you
who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from
heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from
the glory of His power.”
Psalm 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto You: I will praise Your name,
O Lord; for it is good.
The name of
the Lord is good. His name is wonderful. He is “the mighty God, the everlasting
Father, the Prince of Peace,” Isaiah 9:6b. Jesus is the name to which
every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess.
Psalm 54:7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble: and my eye has seen
His desire upon my enemies.
As David
wrote elsewhere, “The righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out
of all their troubles,” Psalm 34:17. “Many are the afflictions of the
righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all,” Psalm 34:19.
Or as
Apostle Paul affirmed, “Who delivered us from so
great a death, and does deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.” 2 Corinthians 1:10. And
the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his
heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen, 2 Timothy 4:18.
Originally published March 17, 2025.
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