Psalm 4/Notes/Summary.v. 3.163954

After reflecting on the goodness of his own relationship with God, David turns to the rest of humanity, those who do not have such a relationship with YHWH, and he identifies them as heavy-hearted (translated here as stubborn) and actively choosing to worship gods other than YHWH. The language of being “heavy-hearted” is a common figure of speech meaning stubborn, closely associated with the Exodus event and the plagues. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, was the prototypical example of what it meant to be “heavy of heart,” or “hard-hearted,” refusing to acknowledge YHWH as God. David rebukes all those who continue to be stubborn, refusing to acknowledge YHWH and instead pursuing, or “loving” what is worthless and false, that is, pursuing and loving false idols.