Psalms 3:5

_I LAID ME DOWN AND SLEPT; I AWAKED; FOR THE LORD SUSTAINED ME._ I laid me down and slept. Thus this verse would be joined to Psalms 3:3; referring to past times, in which God had given him calm sleep amidst troubles. But the "Selah" at the end of Psalms 3:4 marks the break in the music and the sense, at the end of the second strophe. Rather, therefore, refer this 5th verse to his present danger, in which he anticipates safe repose: 'I lay me down and sleep; I awake; because the Lord sustains me.' Faith sees what is not as if it were, the awaking as surely as the lying down (Hengstenberg). (Hebrews 11:1; cf. Psalms 4:8.) The "I" х '

According to the usage of the Hebrews, these words, which are in the past tense, _I laid me down and slept, _are taken sometimes for the future, _I will lie down and sleep. _(44) If we retain the reading of the verb in the past tense, David expresses a wonderful and almost incredible steadfastness of mind in that he slept so soundly in the midst of many deaths, as if he had been beyond the reach of all danger. He had doubtless been tossed amidst the merciless waves of anxiety, but it is certain their violence had been allayed by means of faith, so that however much he was disquieted, he reposed in God. Thus the godly never fail in ultimately proving victorious over all their fears, whereas the ungodly, who do not rely upon God, are overwhelmed with despair, even when they meet with the smallest perils. Some think there is here a change of tenses; and, therefore, translate the verbs into...

4-8 Care and grief do us good, when they engage us to pray to God, as in earnest. David had always found God ready to answer his prayers. Nothing can fix a gulf between the communications of God's grace towards us, and the working of his grace in us; between his favour and our faith. He had always been very safe under the Divine protection. This is applicable to the common mercies of every night, for which we ought to give thanks every morning. Many lie down, and cannot sleep, through pain of body, or anguish of mind, or the continual alarms of fear in the night. But it seems here rather to be meant of the calmness of David's spirit, in the midst of his dangers. The Lord, by his grace and the consolations of his Spirit, made him easy. It is a great mercy, when we are in trouble, to have our minds stayed upon God. Behold the Son of David composing himself to his rest upon the cross, that...

Verse Psalms 3:5. _I LAID ME DOWN AND SLEPT_] He who knows that he has God for his Protector may go quietly and confidently to his bed, not fearing the _violence of the fire_, the _edge of the sword_, the _designs of wicked men_, nor the _influence of malevolent spirits_. _I AWAKED_] Though humanly speaking there was reason to fear I should have been murdered in my bed, as my most confidential servants had been corrupted by my rebellious son; yet God, my shield, protected me. I both slept and awaked; and my life is still whole in me....

:Title A PSALM OF DAVID - literally, belonging to David; that is, belonging to him as the author. This is marked in the Hebrew as the first verse, and so in the Syriac version, the Latin Vulgate, and the Septuagint, making in the Hebrew, and in each of these versions, nine verses in the psalm instead of eight, as in our translation. This may have been prefixed to the psalm by the author himself, for it was not uncommon in ancient times for an author to prefix his name to his own composition, as is commonly done by the apostle Paul in his epistles. It is not absolutely certain, however, that this was done in the Psalms by the authors themselves, but it may have been done by him who collected and arranged the Psalms, indicating the prevalent belief in regard to the authorship, and under the Spirit of inspiration. WHEN HE FLED - On the occasion of his fleeing. That is, it was composed at t...

EXPOSITION Tins psalm is entitled, "a Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son;" literally, "in his flight from Absalom his son." The historical correctness of the title has been questioned (Hitzig, De Wette), but without any sufficient reason. The Davidical composition is almost universally allowed. If it be asked at what time during the flight the psalm may be supposed to have been written, the best answer would seem to be that of Paulus, "on the eve of the battle which is described in 2 Samuel 18:1." The composition is made up of three parts—a strophe, an antistrophe, and an epode, each terminated by the word _selah. _Some critics, however, make out four parts, by dividing the epode. But the absence of the word _selah_ at the close of 2 Samuel 18:7 is agai

I LAID ME DOWN AND SLEPT,.... After the battle was over between Absalom's men and his, says Aben Ezra; but rather this was in the midst of his trouble and distress, since he afterwards prays for salvation: and this sleep was either, as Jarchi observes, through his heart being overwhelmed with grief; for there have been instances of persons sleeping through sorrow, as Elijah, Jonah, and the disciples of Christ, 1 Kings 19:4; or rather this is expressive of the calmness and serenity of his mind amidst his troubles; he laid himself down in peace, and slept quietly and comfortably; he did not lose a night's rest, his sleep was sweet unto him; which was a blessing of life from the Lord that everyone does not enjoy; see Psalms 127:2; I AWAKENED; in the morning, alive and cheerful, Some lay them

These may be called very properly morning and evening Psalms. The third Psalm is the morning Psalm. A psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, his son. A dark hour that for David, preceded by the shadows of his own sin, and now deepened by the horrible hatred of his own favorite child, who conspired to take his kingdom and his life. Psalms 2:1. _LORD how are they increased that trouble me!_ As if he could not measure his troubles. He stands amazed. He makes his appeal to God. Psalms 2:2. _Many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah._ That is the worst of all, when they begin to ridicule his religion. He was a man who had said much of his faith in God; and in former days he had done great mar

Psalms 3 SORROWS AND TRIALS OF THE GODLY REMNANT (3-7) _ 1. Persecution and comfort (Psalms 3:1)_ 2. Arise Jehovah! Save me, O my God (Psalms 3:5) The five Psalms which follow bring before us the godly remnant of Israel, their sorrows and trials during the end of the age, while the expected Redeemer and King has not yet come. While this is the dispensational aspect, the application is wider. The trials and sorrows are common to all saints, who live in accordance with their calling apart from the world which rejects Christ; and the comfort belongs to them likewise. Psalms 3:1. The Psalm was written by David when he fled from th

III. A MORNING HYMN OF TRIUMPH AND PEACE. It is a king or party leader who speaks, but who he was or when he wrote we cannot say. The conjecture in the title is of no value except as an extreme instance of failure on the part of editors to understand the Ps. before them and the real character of David their hero. There is no trace of the pathos natural in such a situation (contrast 2 Samuel 18). No tenderness mingles with the thought of victory. The Psalmist was hard beset. He cried to the God who lived in the Temple. The victory was won. The Psalmist sleeps in peace, and awakes full of trust now that his enemies have suffered a crushing defeat. Psalms 3:6_ d._ Translate people, not the people. Psalms 3:7_ a,_ Yahweh has already saved him....