Psalms 3:8

_SALVATION BELONGETH UNTO THE LORD: THY BLESSING IS UPON THY PEOPLE. SELAH._ Salvation belongeth unto the Lord - as its sole Possessor and Dispenser (Jonah 2:9; Proverbs 21:31, end; Jeremiah 3:23). In opposition to the taunt (Psalms 3:2), "There is no help (Hebrew, salvation) for him in God," David comforts himself with the reflection, To Yahweh alone belongeth saving help; Yahweh is "my God" (Psalms 3:7); therefore there is all-saving help for me. THY BLESSING IS UPON THY PEOPLE. 'May thy blessing be' (Hengstenberg). Like the Son of Da

8._Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. _Because ל is sometimes used by the Hebrews for מך _Min, _some not improperly translate this clause, _Salvation is of the Lord. _I, however consider the natural and obvious meaning to be simply this, that salvation or deliverance is only in the hands of God. By these words, David not only claims the office and praise of saving for God alone, tacitly opposing his power to all human succor; but also declares, that although a thousand deaths hang over his people, yet this cannot render God unable to save them, or prevent him from speedily sending forth without any effort, the deliverance which he is always able to impart. In the end of the psalm, David affirms that this was vouchsafed, not so much to him as an individual, as to the whole people, that the universal Church, whose welfare depended on the safety and prosperity of his

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 3:8. _SALVATION_ BELONGETH _UNTO THE LORD_] It is God alone who saves. He is the fountain whence help and salvation come; and to him alone the praise of all saved souls is due. His blessing is upon his people. Those who are saved from the power and the guilt of sin are his people. His mercy saved them; and it is by his _blessing_ being continually upon them, that they continue to be saved. David adds his _selah_ here also: _mark this_! 1. Salvation comes from God. 2. Salvation is continued by God. These are great truths; _mark them_! ANALYSIS OF THE THIRD PSALM The occasion of this Psalm was Absalom's rebellion. David being deserted by his subjects, railed on by Shimei, pursued for his crown and life by his ungracious son, and not finding to whom to make his moan

: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

SALVATION [BELONGETH] UNTO THE LORD,.... As the author of it; temporal salvation is of him; all the deliverances of the saints out of their troubles are from him; and to him is owing their spiritual and eternal salvation; this belongs to Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit: Jehovah the Father resolved upon it, chose men to it from everlasting, contrived the scheme of it in his infinite wisdom, made a covenant with his Son, in which he secured it, and appointed him to be the author of it, and sent him in the fulness of time to effect it; and Christ the Son of God, being qualified for it, being mighty to save, came into this world for that purpose, and is become the author of eternal salvation; his own arm has brought it to him, though there were many difficulties in the way; such as fulfilling the law, satisfying justice, making an end of sin, grappling with all the powers of darkness, and u...

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....