Psalm Analysis
Psalm 7
I) The superscription of this psalm is important without understanding this the whole contents of the psalm is difficult to understand. The superscription mentions Cush a Benjamite, while Cush is not mentioned anywhere else in the bible he is mentioned here as being part of the tribe of Benjamin. This is important due to the fact that Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. With this in mind the whole rest of the psalm comes into focus. When listing to this psalm and the heart of David here it harkens back toward the story in 1 Samuel 16 where a Benjamite was throwing dirt clods at David. This psalm conveys the mood that David was probably in during this time. Understanding this superscription is key to unlocking the mood and temperament of the psalmist as well as the meaning and reason for writing the psalm.
II) The Psalm opens with a cry from David to be saved as well as his plea of innocence. (vs. 1-5) this is one major unit that is held together by the repeated phrase “O, Lord my God,” found in verse 1 and verse 3. This is a structural marker that the psalmist is beginning a new plea in verse 3 separating it from the previous cry for deliverance. Also this phrase signals that David is crying out to God. He is using both the personal name and the impersonal name for extra emphasis. David is imploring God to listen to his two separate pleas.
A) The introduction can be further split into two sections the fist being vs. 1-2 where David is crying out for deliverance. From his pursuing enemies. David is in deep distress it is not just his physical body he is worried about but his soul. It is his salvation that he is worried about. The deep distress that he is feeling along with the fact that the superscription identifies this as being in response to the words of a Benjaminite leads to the assumption that this psalm is in reference to his flight from Jerusalem during his son’s revolt. This would account for why David is in so much pain. He is worried that God has taken the kingdom from him just as he, God, did from Saul.
B) The second section is from verse 3-5. In this section David is protesting his innocence in the matter that drove him out to be pursued. He lays himself out and asks God if I have done anything judge me and I will gladly take the punishment.
This shows the willingness of David to take responsibility for his mistakes. Which is further seen in the contrast with the story in 2 Samuel where he was unwilling to have Shemiem killed due to the fact that he might be right. This shows David’s humility he is willing to admit his mistakes and take the blows for them.
By looking at this psalm in context of the whole book it is seen that here we have a seemingly righteous person who is being pursued. This is in direct contrast with psalm 1 where it is seen that the righteous should be blessed and the wicked punished. Also it is David the king who is to save Israel that is on the run. He is portrayed in these first few verses as in dire straights and the idea of the covenant being broken is first deposited in the mind. Due to the fact that David is in such a difficult position being driven from the city and pursued by his enemies.
III) The second section is from verse 6-8. In this section David is calling for judgment from God. He is desiring to be judged and God’s wrath to pour out on the enemies of David.
In verse 6-7 David is asking that God come in his anger against his enemies for his sake to judge what is happening to him. He is calling for the judgment asking that the people be assembled around God and for God to be the judge over them (vs. 7).
David then in verse 8 tells God to judge him according to his righteousness and the integrity that is in him. Here David could be refereeing to the fact that unlike Saul he repented and turned from his sin. This is seen in his response to Nathan when he was confronted about Bathsheba. Here instead of making an excuse he took the blame and dealt with the sin in his life. This speaks to his integrity and his righteous standing before God. David seems to be appealing to this idea when he calls for the judgment of God. He is saying look I was different come to my rescue.
Looking at this section in the section through the lens of Samuel 16. It would seem like David is attempting to remind God of the covenant and his promise to David. David is appealing to God saying remember the covenant and remember I am not Saul. Here David is calling on the one thing that he knows can save him and that is his relationship with God and the promises God has made with him.
IV) The third section goes from verse 9-16. This section sounds a lot like the ideas taken from psalm 1. In this section the wicked are being punished and the righteous are being upheld.
A) The section here splits into two sub-sections. This first thought is from verse 9-11. In this section the righteous are being talked about. In verse 9 David is crying for the evil of the wicked to come to an end and God to establish the righteous. After this brief mention of the wicked they are not mentioned again for the next two and a half verses. Instead the righteous are spoken of being established and saved by God.
By this thought coming right after David appealed to God to judge him on his righteousness now David is stating what God does for those that are righteous. He is falling back to psalm 1 where the righteous are supposed to be blessed and calling for those promises to be fulfilled. He is holding on to God as his deliver and saying you bless the righteous and I am a righteous person bless me.
B) The second sub-section is from verse 12-16. This section is all about the wicked. Here David is saying that those who do not repent are going to taste the judgment of God. verse 12-13 especially provide strong imagery about how God deals with those who do not repent. God “whets his sword” and has “bent and readied his bow” these images are of a God prepared to act.
David is depicting God ready to act. This is reminiscent of how David might have felt. He was under attack pursued yet God had not acted to save him or his kingdom. Therefore David must have been relying on the idea that God was just preparing for the proper time to strike back. Allowing them the opportunity to repent of there ways. For the section opens “If a man does not repent,” (vs. 12) therefore these are things to come, which if read in light of David’s flight could mean God was giving Absalom time to repent before he brought the hammer down.
This section also harkens back to psalm 1. It is about he wicked being punished and getting what they deserve. It is about their plans turning on their heads and causing them trouble. What is seen in these two sub-sections is the desire of David for psalm 1 to come into existence. For this is not what is happening David is claiming these promises and reminding God of what he said. David is saying this is not what is happening but this is how I need to live so therefore I will say this of the righteous and the wicked.
V) The last section is verse 17. Here David finishes up the psalm by saying he will give all the glory to God and will sing praises to his name.
This is David saying when I am rescued it will be because of God and therefore I will praise him and what he has done for me. David is thanking God in advance for what he is going to do in his life.
Synthesis of psalm 7
This psalm it seems was written during David’s flight from Jerusalem as he is contemplating weather the kingdom should be taken from him. It mirrors very closely the feelings form 2 Samuel chapter 16. David in this psalm is heartfelt in his questioning of God as to what is going on. He wonders where God is in the midst of the struggle.
Psalm seven structurally is a lament psalm. There is an initial cry to God for deliverance (vs. 1-2) followed by a statement of the situation (vs. 3-5) and a confession that God will act in a trustworthy manor (vs.6-9). Then there is a petition for God to act on his behalf (vs. 10-16), followed by an expression of praise for God (vs. 17).
This psalm being one of a lament also helps strengthen the case that this psalm was written during David’s flight from Jerusalem as he was in distress about the possibility of losing his kingdom.
The fact that the psalm is a lament also pushes forward the idea of the whole book of psalms, as well as the purpose of book one in the psalms and how it relates the psalter as a whole. The argument of the psalter is that the Davidic covenant has been nullified and it is to wisdom that the nation needs to look to. This psalm conveys the idea that David was questioning his own covenant with God. This psalm gives the idea that David, on the run, is asking God what went wrong. This is what the nation is doing. They are in exile and wondering what happened to the covenant that God made with David. With psalm seven being a lament psalm and most of book one being laments it is easy to see that the nation is lamenting the loss of the Davidic kingship. There is a thematic undertone of pain in this first book that is expressed through the lament psalms. Psalm seven expresses the idea of book one: there is something wrong with the Davidic covenant and that the nation of Israel needs to look toward another savior to get them through the times ahead.
Psalm 9 and 10
I) The Psalmist opens the psalm by giving praise to God and recounting all of his wonderful deeds. By opening the psalm this way the reader is expecting a psalm that recounts all the good things God has done for his people. (9:1-2)
II) The psalm continues talking about the wonderful things God has done for his people. God is depicted as the righteous judge who is punishing the wicked and the wicked are being destroyed for their sin. (9:3-8)
III) The psalmist returns to the praise of YHWH speaking of him as a stronghold in which the oppressed can hide. The idea of recounting his deeds is revisited and God is called upon to deliver the psalmist. (9:9-14)
IV) The psalm then turns to the wicked and speaks of them falling into their own traps. God has judged them and they have been punished and returned to Sheol. God is seen as a just individual who is punishing the wicked for their misdeeds. This is in stark contrast to the verses just pervious where the psalmist was in peril. This points toward these verses expressing what the psalmist knows will happen to them eventually because of who God is. (9:15-17)
V) Right after the stitches about the wicked perishing verse 18 talks of the needy not always being forgotten. This is the beginning of another cry for God to intervene and deal with the wicked. The Psalmist cries for God to arise and judge the nations and to put the fear of God in them. He ends the cry for God with questions for him asking why this is happening. (9:18-10:1)
VI) The next section the longest single section in this psalm. It deals with the wicked and what the wicked are doing. This section gives details to the wicked’s mindset as well as their actual actions. This section helps to set the stage for God to enter the picture and act. (10:2-11)
A) The first half of this section is about the wicked persons own attitude and how he deals with God. It is stated that the wicked say there is not God, they do not seek God, he does not see God’s judgment, he thinks he shall not meet adversity, he is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. These are descriptive phrases that let us know what the wicked person is thinking and what characterizes them. (10:2-7)
B) The second half of this section deals with the actions of the wicked. He is pictured as one who is sneaking around looking for weak to oppress them. This is the outworking of a person with the attitudes described in pervious verses. The end of this section the wicked person says, “God has forgotten…he will never see it.” This goes back to the attitude displayed in the previous verses. (10:8-11).
VII) The Psalmist calls on God to rise up and deal with the wicked as they are harming his people. The psalm goes on to say that while the wicked don’t think they are see that God sees what they are doing. Then it is said that God will call their wickedness into account and break their power over the weak and oppressed (10:12-15).
VIII) The conclusion to this psalm is a cry for God to act in justice. It is a plea that the “men of the earth” (the wicked) will have no power to cause pain and suffering. This is the cry from the psalmist for God to act as he has promised. It is a promise that the psalmist is claiming for the people. He is saying this who God is and this is what I want to happen. (10:16-18)
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