Psalm 4/VxV

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Superscription (v. 1)

Probably by David.



v. 1

1
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינ֗וֹת מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
For the director. With stringed instruments. A psalm. By David.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

For the director. With stringed instruments. A psalm. By David the king of Israel, who, as the people's king and representative, was held responsible for the land's fertility.

Notes


We learn from the superscription that this is one of David’s psalms. This psalm is to be understood as by the king of Israel, the anointed representative of the people before God, and the representative of God before the people. The name “David” highlights the special relationship between king and God, with God’s promise to always care for the king, and the king’s obligation to be faithful to God.
This psalm is indicated as for the director and with stringed instruments. The psalms specifically for the director are those intended for temple worship with some regularity; they may have arisen from a single moment in history, but they become psalms appropriate for many moments thereafter.


No notes for this verse.


Relief (v. 2)

The psalm opens with a celebratory recounting of YHWH's help. The psalmist, it appears, was in some kind of "distress" (v. 2b), but he called out to YHWH (v. 2a), and YHWH graciously answered him and gave him relief. YHWH has thus proven himself to be "the God who makes things right" for him.

The nature of the distress and the relief, described in vague, general terms in v. 2, will become clear in vv. 7–9. These final verses describe YHWH's recent blessing in the harvest: "you have put joy in my heart since the time their grain and their new wine multiplied." It appears, then, that the "relief" YHWH gave (v. 2) is related to his gift of rain (cf. "good" in v. 7) and an abundant harvest (v. 8), which resulted in peaceful and secure living in the land (v. 9). The "distress," therefore, must have been some kind of threat to a successful harvest, perhaps a drought. In the land of Canaan, successful harvests were dependent on the right amounts of rain at the right times (cf. Deut 11:11–12; Lev 26:4).

We can imagine the "Story behind the psalm" as something like the following: Psalm 004 - background events.jpg

The identity of the psalmist as "David," the king, is signficant. The king represented the people, yet he was also distinct from them (cf. the "I" and "they" language in vv. 7–9). The people's relationship to YHWH was, in some ways, mediated by their king,[1] and so the king was held responsible for the land's fertility, for securing divine blessing on the land (cf. Pss 72; 144; 2 Sam 23:3–4).[2] When the people needed a good harvest and the land needed rain, the king called out to YHWH for help (v. 2).



v. 2

2a
בְּקָרְאִ֡י עָנָנִי ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י צִדְקִ֗י
When I called out, the God of my prosperity answered me.
2b
בַּ֭צָּר הִרְחַ֣בְתָּ לִּ֑י
In the distress, you granted me relief.
2c
חַנַּנִי וְשָׁמַע תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃
He was merciful to me and heard my prayer.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

We were in distress. Our livelihood depends on rain, and, for some time, we did not receive any rain. But then I called out to YHWH, and he answered and blessed us with rain and a bountiful harvest! When I called out, the God who makes things right for me answered me. YHWH, in the narrow straits of distress, you granted me relief and brought me out into a wide-open, peaceful place. He was merciful to me and heard my prayer.

Notes


The psalm opens, already assuming a previous time of distress. “When I called out, the God who makes things right for me answered me!” The nature of the distress is nowhere explicit, but that is common for possibly all psalms and at times especially those specified as for the director, because it makes the psalm readily applicable to many kinds of distress. When we look closely at Psalm 4, it seems that the initial distress that prompted the psalm was most likely a lack of rain, because the joy mentioned comes after the harvest, the time when the grain and new wine abound.



  • According to the vocalization of the Masoretic Text (so also Aquila, Symmachus, Quinta, Jerome, Targum), the verbs in v. 2a and v. 2c are imperatives (עֲנֵנִי…חָנֵּנִי וּשְׁמַע), and the verb in v. 2b is a qatal verb (הִרְחַבְתָּ), which is best understood as past tense indicative: "you gave me room" (NRSV) or "you freed me" (NJPS) (see verbal semantics). The movement from imperative (v. 2a) to past-tense indicative (v. 2b) back to imperative (v. 2c) is somewhat jarring (though see e.g., Ps 3:8). It would be less jarring if we interpret v. 2b as an asyndetic relative clause (so Perowne 1870, 123-124; Duhm 1899, 13; see v. 2 alternative diagram): "Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness, [who] relieved my distress." Asyndetic relative clauses, however, exhibit verb-initial order and third-person agreement (see, e.g., Isa 44:1), making this interpretation unlikely (see Miller-Naudé & Naudé 2024, 153-169). The Septuagint partially avoids the difficulty by vocalizing the first verb (ענני) as a past-tense indicative verb (εἰσήκουσέν μου = עָנָנִי = "he responded to me;" cf. עָנָנִי in 1 Sam 28:15; cf. Peshitta: "you answered me" [ܥܢܝܬܢܝ]). Indeed, it would be possible to vocalize all of the imperatives in v. 2 as qatal indicative forms (see v. 2 preferred diagram; cf. de Lagarde 1886, 30; Gunkel 1926, 15-16; Weiser 1959, 30; cf. חַנַּנִי in Gen 33:11; on the waw + qatal form וְשָׁמַע, see e.g., Ps 34:5—דָּרַשְׁתִּי אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה וְעָנָנִי). The psalm as a whole makes the most sense if the verbs in v. 2a and v. 2b are vocalized as indicatives (see Story Behind). Otherwise, the imperatives "answer me... be merciful to me and hear my prayer" create the expectation for some request for help, but no clear request follows (cf. Goldingay 2006, 170-171, who is forced to interpret the qatal in v. 2b as a precative, because he cannot identify any other request in the psalm). Thus, all of the verbs in v. 2 are indicatives. The shift from 3rd person (v. 2a) to 2nd person (v. 2b) is common in Hebrew poetry (see e.g., Ps 89:2).


  • In Ps 4:2, the word צֶדֶק probably belongs to the same lexical domain as words like "security" (יֶשַׁע; cf. the analogous phrase אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי) and "peace" (שָׁלוֹם, see v. 9) and to the contextual domain of "well-being." The poetic correspondence between v. 2 and v. 9 connects the notions of "righteousness" (v. 2) and "peace" (שָׁלוֹם, v. 9) (see Poetic Structure). Together, these two concepts "describe fortunate, well-ordered circumstances" (TDOT; e.g., Pss 35:27; 72:3; 85:11; Isa 48:18; 60:17; Isa 32:17). Thus, the gloss "prosperity" given among the glosses in SDBH is appropriate (cf. Weiser 1959, 80-81, who glosses it with the German word "Heil;" cf. HALOT: "salvation, well-being;" Gesenius 2013: "righteousness... presenting itself as salvation"). The prominent use of צֶדֶק in Ps 85 is instructive, because this psalm parallels Psalm 4 in some striking ways (in addition to "righteousness" and "peace," note the theme of harvest [cf. Ps 4:8] and YHWH's giving of "what is good" [cf. Ps 4:7]): "Love and faithfulness meet together; צֶדֶק and שָׁלֹום kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and צֶדֶק looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. צֶדֶק goes before him and prepares the way for his steps" (Ps 85:11-14, NIV adapted).


  • The word granted relief (הִרְחַבְתָּ) means "literally: to enlarge (for someone); hence: = causative action by which humans or deities grant relief to (other) humans by alleviating difficult circumstances" (SDBH). See e.g., Gen 26:22—"Now YHWH has made room for us (הִרְחִיב יְהוָה לָנוּ)." Similarly, the word distress (צַר) is associated with "narrowness." See e.g., Num 22:26—"He stood in a narrow place (בְּמָקֹום צָר)." SDBH defines it as "a process by which humans go through extremely difficult circumstances, resulting in severe anxiety, ◄ as if one were confined to a narrow and cramped space from which there is no escape." The poet is playing with a spatial conceptual metaphor: "you gave me space when I was in a tight place." Cf. NET: "Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place."


  • To hear (שׁמע) someone's prayer (תְּפִלָּה) means not only to perceive the sounds that someone is saying, but to listen favorably and to grant their request (cf. HALOT: "to hear and accept a request").


  • The phrase אֱלֹהֵי צִדְקִי (lit.: "God of righteousness of me") has been understood and translated in various ways. The NET, for example, says, "God who vindicates me!" i.e., the God who recognizes my righteousness and declares me to be in the right (cf. NLT: "God who declares me innocent;" NEB: "maintainer of my rights;" NJPS: "O God, my vindicator!" so DCH: "God of my justification;" Radak: "you who know that I am righteous"). According to this interpretation, the phrase is a condensed version of the clause in Ps 18:21—"YHWH deals with me according to my righteousness" (יִגְמְלֵנִי יְהוָה כְּצִדְקִי) (cf. Baethgen 1904, 9).
  • Other translations say "my righteous God" (e.g., NIV). According to this view, the word צֶדֶק denotes a characteristic of God, and the pronominal suffix "my" does not modify צֶדֶק alone, but the whole phrase אֱלֹהֵי צֶדֶק (cf. הַר קֹדְשִׁי, "my holy mountain," in Ps 2:6). As Goldingay explains, "YHWH is God of צדק in the sense of being committed to doing the right thing by people, especially when they are in need" (Goldingay 2006, 162).
  • We prefer to interpret the clause as "the God who makes things right for me, namely by letting me triumph over adversity" (Duhm 1899, 13). "God" (אֱלֹהֵי) is the agent who brings about a state of "right-ness" or "prosperity" (צֶדֶק) for the sake of "me." Cf. Zenger: "The address is not aimed at God acting according to the righteousness of the person praying, but at the actualization of God's righteousness as his outstanding characteristic (cf. Ps 11:7; 33:5; 48:11; 103:6; 116:5)" (1990, 388). In this way, the phrase is analogous to "the God who saves me" (אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי) in Ps 25:5, i.e., the God who brings about a state of salvation for me. Note that צֶדֶק is sometimes collocated with "salvation" (ישׁע) and can refer to "salvation, well-being... salvation which comes from God" (HALOT).



Invitation (vv. 3-6)

The psalm divides into three parts based on shifts in the addressee.[3] Whereas v. 2 (or, at least, the central part of it) was addressed to YHWH ("you gave me relief"), vv. 3-6 are addressed to "mortal humans," i.e., to the mass of humanity who love and seek worthless and false gods (v. 3).

YHWH's blessing on Israel has implications for these people. Israel was meant to be an example, showing others what it looks like to live under YHWH's blessing (cf. Deut 4:6–7; 1 Kgs 8:41–43; Zech 8:20–23; cf. Gen 12:1–3). In this sense, YHWH's blessing on Israel was like a "banner" (נֵס), which is "used to identify a particular group" (SDBH) and point the way to a place of security and rest (cf. Isa 11:10–12; Jer 4:6; Ps 60:6).[4] If idol-worshippers repent and trust in YHWH (v. 6), then they can enjoy his blessing, too. The psalmist's speech to humanity in vv. 3–6 is rhetorically harsh (see esp. v. 3), but it is ultimately aimed at their repentance and flourishing.

The poetic structure groups the address to humanity into three parts.

  1. Initial rebuke in the form of a question (v. 3)
  2. Call to fearful, silent reflection (vv. 4–5)
  3. Call to repentance and trust (v. 6)

Psalm 004 - vv. 3–6.jpg

The exhortation to "sacrifice right sacrifices" in v. 6 is especially noteworthy. The phrase comes from Moses' blessing in Deut 33, to which Psalm 4 has many connections. In this blessing, Moses prophesied that Israel would be blessed with abundant harvests in the land (Deut 33:28), and that they would "invite foreigners to their mountain and offer the right sacrifices there" (Deut 33:19, GNT). In vv. 3–6, the psalmist does exactly that: invite foreigners to "offer right sacrifices" to YHWH (v. 6).

The following visual summarizes the relationships among the characters, or participants, in this psalm, including the relationship between the psalmist and the "mortal humans." Psalm 004 - participant relations.jpg



v. 3

3a
בְּנֵ֥י אִ֡ישׁ עַד־מֶ֬ה כִבְדֵי לֵב
Mortal humans, how long [will you be] stubborn?
3b
לָמָּה תֶּאֱהָב֣וּן רִ֑יק תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ כָזָ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃
Why would you love vanity, seek falsehood? Selah.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

YHWH has blessed us, not only for our own sake, but so that others would recognize how good he is and join us in worshiping and trusting in him. And so, I say to people all over the world, to you mortal humans who worship idols, who look to gods other than YHWH for blessing: how long [will you be] stubborn and heavy-hearted and cling to worthless idols? How long will you harden your hearts like Pharaoh and refuse to acknowledge that YHWH is the true God and that he alone can truly bless? Why would you love and devote yourselves to what is worthless, to gods who are nothing more than emptiness and vanity, and why would you seek what is false, idols that do not satisfy or deliver on their promises, but are nothing more than falsehood? Selah.

Notes


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.






  • The verse makes the most sense if the prepositional phrase "how long" in v. 3a (עַד־מֶה) is elided in the clauses of v. 2b as well. So e.g., NLT: "How long will you people ruin my reputation? How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies?" (cf. NIV, KJV, ESV, NRSV, GNT, NET, NJPS, EÜ).


  • The phrases love vanity (תֶּאֱהָבוּן רִיק) and seek falsehood (תְּבַקְשׁוּ כָזָב) in v. 3b probably refer to the worship of false gods. Cf. Chrysostom (trans. Hill 1998, 55): "[the psalmist] seems... to be speaking of idols." The words "vanity" (רִיק) and "falsehood" (כָזָב) are euphemisms for idols. The REB, for example, says, "setting your hearts on empty idols and resorting to false gods?" Similarly, the NIV has "love delusions and seek false gods." Most translations, however, interpret "vanity" and "falsehood" as a reference to false accusations which the people are bringing against the psalmist. The NLT, for example, says "How long will you make groundless accusations? How long will you continue your lies?" (cf. NRSV, ESV, HFA, NGÜ, GNB, NFC. For this interpretation). But if "falsehood" (כָזָב) refers to "groundless accusations" (NLT), then we would not expect it to be the object of the verb "seek" (תְּבַקְשׁוּ). As Wilson notes, "elsewhere in the OT, humans are said to 'speak' lies, never to 'seek' them" (Wilson 2002, 154). The word "seek" (בּקשׁ) is used, however, for seeking after a god (e.g., Deut 4:9; Isa 45:19), and so is the verb "love" (אהב, e.g., Deut 6:5; Hos 4:18; Jer 8:2). Likewise, the word "falsehood" (כָזָב) is elsewhere used to refer to false gods. The prophet Amos, for example, says that the people "have been led astray by false gods (כִּזְבֵיהֶם), the gods their ancestors followed" (Amos 2:4, NIV). Although the word "vanity" (רִיק) does not elsewhere refer to idols, some of its synonyms (other words belonging to the same semantic domain of 'emptiness') are used in this sense (e.g., אָוֶן: Isa 41:29, Hos 12:12, 1 Sam 15:23, Isa 1:13, 66:3, Zech 10:2; אֱלִֹיל: Lev 19:4, 26:1, Isa 2:8, 18, 20bis, Ps 96:5 = 1 Chron 16:26, Ps 97:7; הֶבֶל, plural: Jer 10:15, 16:19, 51:18, Deut 32:21, 1 Kgs 16:13, 26, Jer 8:19, 10:8, 14:22, Ps 31:7, Jon 2:9; singular: 2 Kgs 17:15, Jer 2:5, cf. Jer 10:15, 16:19, and 51:18); שָׁוְא: Jer 18:15, Jon 2:9, Ps 31:7). Thus, the "mortal humans" appear to be engaging in idolatry, "a perversion of pious Israelite practice — namely, 'to love Yahweh' and 'to seek Yahweh'" (Barré 1995; cf. Goldingay 2006).


  • The phrase "heavy of heart" (כִבְדֵי לֵב) (cf. the common phrase יִשְׁרֵי לֵב) is an idiom that means stubborn. The collocation "heavy"-"heart" is always elsewhere associated with the Exodus event and with the plagues in particular (Exod 7:14; 8:11, 28; 9:7, 34; 10:1; 1 Sam 6:6). The Pharaoh of the Exodus is the prototypical example of what it means to be "heavy of heart:" "Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn (כָּבֵד לֵב פַּרְעֹה), and he still refuses to let the people go" (Exod 7:14, NLT).


  • Many interpreters have understood the phrase mortal humans (בְּנֵי אִישׁ, lit.: "sons of a man") as a reference to "men of rank." HALOT, for example, glosses the phrase as "distinguished people," the CSB has "exalted ones," and the GWT has "important people" (cf. NAB, REB; Radak: "the great ones of Israel [גדולי ישראל] who were with Absalom"). The main evidence for this view is in Pss 49:3 and 62:10, where "men of high degree (בְּנֵי אִישׁ) are contrasted with those of no rank (בְּנֵי אָדָם)" (Dahood 1965, 23). But in Pss 49:3 and 62:10 the phrase "exalted ones" (בְּנֵי אִישׁ) is paired and contrasted with the phrase "common ones" (בְּנֵי אָדָם). In Ps 4, however, there is no contrast to "common ones." Instead, the usage in Ps 4:3 is more similar to the usage of the phrase in Lam 3:33, where the same phrase "sons of man" (בְּנֵי אִישׁ) stands on its own and "refers to people or mankind in general" (Reyburn 1992, 90), with a focus on their frail humanness and mortality: "For he is not predisposed to afflict or to grieve people (בְּנֵי אִישׁ)" (Lam 3:33). The word אִישׁ by itself is often used in this sense (see DCH). E.g., Num 23:19—"God is not human (אִישׁ), that he should lie, not a human being (בֶן־אָדָם), that he should change his mind" (NIV). It seems likely, therefore, that the psalmist identifies those to whom he speaks as "mortal as distinct from God" (DCH; so Spieckerman 2023, 123). The NEB accurately translates the phrase as "mortal men."


v. 4

4a
וּדְע֗וּ כִּֽי־הִפְלָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה חָסִ֣יד ל֑וֹ
But know that YHWH has set apart one who is loyal to him.
4b
יְהוָ֥ה יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע בְּקָרְאִ֥י אֵלָֽיו׃
YHWH hears when I call out to him.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

But know that YHWH, the one true God, has set apart Israel and Israel's king, one who is loyal to him, for special treatment. See how YHWH has blessed us! It's obvious that, unlike your gods who have ears but cannot hear, YHWH hears when I call out to him.

Notes


David points to recent history as grounds for worshipping YHWH instead of other gods: “Know that YHWH has set apart,” or treated in an excellent way, “one who is loyal to him; YHWH hears when I call out to him.” When David called out, YHWH was not stingy in response; he set David apart in the sense of singling him out for excellent treatment. In this recent time of drought and famine, God singled out Israel, in the form of their king, David, and protected them from famine: he brought rain that led to abundant harvests.



  • The word translated loyal one (חָסִיד) is not merely someone who is pious or "godly" (cf. KJV, NLT, ESV, NASB, NET), but "someone who practices חֶסֶד, who is committed towards fulfilling his/her (covenant) obligations" (SDBH, cf. HALOT; Ho'il Moshe: אִישׁ חֶסֶד). Thus, the translation "faithful" (NIV, CSB, CEV) might be more accurate. John Eaton translates the term as "covenant fellow," noting that, in the biblical world, "the king is God's preeminent covenant fellow (hasid)" (Eaton 1976). In this context, the reference could be to David the king in particular (cf. Pss 16:10; 86:2; so e.g., Radak, Ho'il Moshe) or to the nation of Israel as a whole (cf. Ps 43:1—מִגּוֹי לֹא־חָסִיד).


  • Instead of הִפְלָה ("set apart" or "to treat excellently, treat specially" [HALOT]; cf. Rashi: = הבדיל; Radak = הפריש והבדיל), a significant number of medieval manuscripts read הִפְלָא (cf. Kennicott 1776, 309, who lists more than 30 manuscripts), which means "to do something wonderful" or "to show marvellous concern" (HALOT). This reading (or, at least, this interpretation of the text) is also reflected in the Septuagint (ἐθαυμάστωσεν) and Jerome's Hebrew-based translation (mirabilem reddidit). (We cannot conclude that the Septuagint translator read הפלא, however, since elsewhere he analyzes פלה and פלא as orthographic variants of the same word, cf. Pss 17:7; 139:14; so Pietersma 2021, 7). The Targum agrees with the MT (פריש). Interestingly, the Peshitta reflects both readings: "the Lord has set apart (ܦܪܫ) the chosen one in a wonderful way (ܒܬܕܡܘܪܬܐ)" (Taylor 2020, 11). The MT reading הִפְלָה, interpreted as "set apart" or "treat specially" (HALOT), is almost certainly the earlier reading. הִפְלָה is a rare word, occurring elsewhere only in Exod 8:18; 9:4; 11:7. Scribes would have been more likely to replace הִפְלָה with the more common word הִפְלָא than the other way around.


  • Most translations interpret the prepositional phrase לוֹ as adverbial, modifying the clause: "set apart for himself" (NIV, KJV, ESV, NRSV, NLT, NJPS; cf. Peshitta, Targum). Some of the ancient translations, however, understood the לוֹ as adjectival, modifying the word חָסִיד, e.g., LXX: "his devout one" (τὸν ὅσιον αὐτοῦ); Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): "his holy one" (sanctum suum). The Masoretic accents, which group חָסִ֣יד ל֑וֹ as a unit, might also reflect this interpretation. The word order, in which לוֹ occurs at the end of the clause after חָסִיד rather than earlier in the clause, further supports this interpretation (cf. BHRG §46.1.3.1). Perhaps the psalm uses חָסִיד לוֹ instead of חֲסִידוֹ to avoid the definiteness required by חֲסִידוֹ, and/or perhaps לוֹ indicates the recipient of the acts of חֶסֶד (cf. Ps 18:51—עֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לִמְשִׁיחֹו): "anyone who is loyal to him" (חָסִיד לוֹ) vs "his loyal one" (חֲסִידוֹ).


  • The word הִפְלָה means to set apart for special, preferential treatment (SDBH; cf. Rashi: = הבדיל; Radak = הפריש והבדיל). As with the phrase "heavy of heart," this word is associated especially with the Exodus plagues (Exod 8:18; 9:4; 11:7), where it referred to YHWH's special treatment of the Israelites: "But on that day I will deal differently with (וְהִפְלֵיתִי) the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people" (Exod 8:18-19 [Eng: 22-23], NIV).


  • If it modifies the verb, then the lamed preposition in the phrase "set apart for himself (לוֹ)" (cf. grammar note) could indicate the beneficiary in the act of setting apart (cf. Deut 19:2—תַּבְדִּ֣יל לָ֑ךְ, "set aside for yourselves..."). But if it modifies the noun חָסִיד (see above), then it probably indicates the recipient of the acts of חֶסֶד: "loyal to him" (cf. Ps 18:15—עֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לִמְשִׁיחֹו).


v. 5

5a
רִגְז֗וּ וְֽאַל־תֶּ֫חֱטָ֥אוּ
Tremble and do not sin!
5b
אִמְר֣וּ בִ֭לְבַבְכֶם עַֽל־מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם וְדֹ֣מּוּ סֶֽלָה׃
Think to yourselves on your beds and lament! Selah.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

You have sinned against YHWH. Tremble in fear before him and do not sin anymore! Instead of wailing on your beds, trying in vain to get your gods' attention and secure their blessing, think quietly to yourselves on your beds about how you have sinned and about YHWH's unique treatment of those who are loyal to him, and be silent! Selah.

Notes


For those who are attracted and want to respond to the invitation, David provides the next steps: “Tremble and do not sin” — tremble in fear, acknowledging God for who he is, as the all-powerful king of the earth, and stop sinning: stop living in rebellion to his rule.
“Think to yourselves on your beds and be silent!” The psalmist corrects the common pagan practice of wailing to attract their gods’ attention, as the prophets of Baal did on Mt Carmel, and instead he instructs people on how to get YHWH’s attention. They are not to engage in a purely public display of their devotion but, on their bed, meaning in private, they are to come before YHWH and engage with him directly.



  • The Septuagint according to Rahlfs' edition has a slightly different reading for the second half of this verse: "speak in your hearts, and (καὶ) on your beds be pricked" (trans. NETS). Instead of having a conjunction before the verb "be pricked" (κατανύγητε, cf. MT וְדֹ֣מּוּ), it has a conjunction before the phrase "on your beds" (καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς κοίταις ὑμῶν, cf. MT עַֽל־מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם). But most Septuagint manuscripts actually lack this conjunction before "on your beds," including manuscripts from all of the major text groups (see apparatus in Rahlfs). It seems likely, then, that the original translation lacked a conjunction before "on your beds." Perhaps it originally included a conjunction before "be pricked," as in the MT, and this conjunction fell out very early on in the Greek tradition due to the similar-looking beginnings of the conjunction καὶ and the following word κατανύγητε.





  • The expression אמר בלב (and similar expressions) means to "say in one’s heart, think, or, without proposition following, ponder" (DCH). Normally, there is a proposition or a direct object following, specifying the content of the internal speech/thought (e.g., Gen 17:17; Deut 7:17; 8:17; 9:4; 18:21; Isa 14:13; 47:8, 10; 49:21; Jer 5:14; Pss 10:6, 11; 35:25; 74:8; etc.). But here, there is no proposition or object (cf. Gen 4:8 [MT and 4QGenb]; Exod 19:25). There is a possible parallel for this omission in the later, non-biblical Hebrew composition Psalm 151: "And I rendered glory to YHWH; I pondered in my soul (אמרתי אני בנפשי)" (11QPsa column 28, line 5).
  • In light of this difficulty, various emendations to the text have been proposed, e.g., מַר ("bitterly," cf. Kselman 1987, 103-105), הָמֵרוּ ("show bitterness," cf. Barré 1995, 59-60), and מָאֱרוּ ("feel hatred," cf. Driver 1942, 150; NEB). The most plausible of these emendations is הָמֵרוּ ("show bitterness"). "Showing bitterness" (i.e., weeping bitterly) occurs elsewhere in the context of repentance and mourning, and it would be fitting in the context if the following verb דֹמּוּ is understood to mean "wail, lament" (see lexical note). See e.g., Zech 12:10—"When they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly (וְהָמֵר) over him, as one weeps (כְּהָמֵר) over a firstborn" (Zech 12:10, ESV). Reading הָמֵרוּ in Ps 4:5 would also fit with the prepositional phrase "in/with your hearts" (see e.g., Hos 7:14—זָעֲקוּ אֵלַי בְּלִבָּם; Ben Sira 39:35—בכל לב הרנינו; cf. Zeph 3:14).
  • Because the MT's reading אִמְרוּ is supported by all of the textual witnesses, Barthélemy et al. 2005, 9-10 give it an A rating, but they do not address the issue of the lack of speech content.
  • In light of the grammatical issue with אִמְרוּ (see above), some interpret אִמְרוּ to mean "search" (e.g., Waltke 2010, 236; cf. Dahood 1963, 295-296; cf. NIV: "search your hearts").


  • The word וְדֹמּוּ could mean to "be silent, be still" (cf. NIV, NLT, ESV, NRSV, LUT, HFA, NGÜ, ELB EÜ, GNB, ZÜR; see e.g., Ps 37:7) or to "wail, lament" (cf. NET; so HALOT). Evidence for the latter interpretation might come from Isa 23:1-2 and Hos 7:14: "Wail (הֵילִילוּ), you large ships... Lament (דֹּמּוּ), you residents of the coast" (Isa 23:1-2, NET). "They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail (יְיֵלִילוּ) on their beds (עַל־מִשְׁכְּבֹותָם)" (Hos 7:14, NIV). Together, these two passages show an association between "wailing" (היליל) and "beds" (Hos 7:14; cf. Ps 4:5) as well as an association between the word "wail" (היליל) and the word דמם (Isa 23:1-2; cf. Ps 4:5). These connections might suggest that the verb דֹמּוּ in Ps 4, which is associated with "beds," means "wail" or "lament." Further evidence for this interpretation comes from the Ugaritic cognate דמם, which means "wail" or "lament" (Olmo Lete and Sanmartín 2004, 274; see e.g., KTU 1.16, I 26—אל תבכן אל תדם לי = COS I:339, "Do not weep... do not lament for me"). The LXX might also support this view. It translates דֹמּוּ as "be pricked" (κατανύγητε), a word that "stands for strong emotions, especially pain, grief and dismay" (Bons et al. 2011, 1506; cf. Acts 2:37—κατενύγησαν τὴν καρδίαν). This interpretation, in turn, would support the emendation of אִמְרוּ ("think") to הָמֵרוּ ("weep bitterly") (see grammar note; see further Barré 1995). On the other hand, the interpretation "wail/lament" does not make sense in the psalm. Why would the psalmist exhort the "mortal humans" to wail on their beds, if this practice was associated with pagan worship (cf. Hos 7:14)—precisely the thing that the psalmist is condemning? The interpretation "be silent" is more likely. Perhaps we should see a word-play here. The psalm says, in effect, "You have been wailing (דמם) on your beds, trying to get the attention of your gods, but you need to be silent (דמם)."


v. 6

6a
זִבְח֥וּ זִבְחֵי־צֶ֑דֶק
Sacrifice right sacrifices
6b
וּ֝בִטְח֗וּ אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃
and trust in YHWH!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

Instead of sacrificing to your worthless gods, Sacrifice right sacrifices to YHWH, according to YHWH's law, and trust in YHWH, so that he will bless you as he has blessed us!

Notes

No summary set yet for this verse.


  • If v. 3 refers to the worship of false gods, then we prefer to understand the phrase right sacrifices (זִבְחֵי־צֶדֶק) as referring to sacrifices offered to YHWH (and not to another god) in accordance with YHWH's law (cf. Deut 33:19; Ps 51:21; cf. NET: "prescribed sacrifices;" Baethgen 1904, 10). In contrast, see NLT: "Offer sacrifices in the right spirit;" GWT: "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness by trusting the LORD." For an alternative view, see Waltke: "The sense, however, is probably not that the sacrifices conform to the Law (contra Buttenweiser and Briggs) - although this idea cannot be excluded - but is a metonymy for the one offering the sacrifice - that is to say, he is righteous (see v. 1[2]). Just as the one qualified to enter the sacred temple site is said to enter the 'gates of righteousness' (Ps 118:19) - surely not a reference to the standards for the gate itself - so the sacrifices offered by the one admitted through the gates into the temple's precincts are said to be righteousness" (Waltke 2010, 237).



Blessing (vv. 7-9)

In vv. 7–9, the psalmist turns from addressing humanity (cf. vv. 3–6) back to addressing YHWH and celebrating YHWH's blessing on his people (cf. v. 2). Like the previous section (vv. 3–6), this section begins with a question (v. 7a) and concludes with "trust" or "security" (בטח).[5] By providing an abundant harvest (v. 8b), YHWH has secured his people's joy (v. 8a), peace (v. 9a), and secure dwelling in the land (v. 9). He has also made his blessing a "banner" that identifies his people and invites the nations to rally (v. 7). Now his people celebrate his blessing by saying, "Who [is the one who] shows us good? [YHWH does!] [Continue to] lift up the light of your face as a banner over us, YHWH!" (v. 7).

The celebration of YHWH's blessing in vv. 7–9, with its description of "peace" (v. 9) and YHWH's shining face (v. 7), echoes the blessing of Aaron, the high priest: "The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Num 6:25-26, ESV). Psalm 4 also echoes the blessing of Moses in Deuteronomy 33 (see image below). By drawing on the language of these two historic blessings (Aaronic and Mosaic), the psalm celebrates YHWH's provision in the present moment as the fulfillment of these blessings.

Psalm 004 - Poetic feature 3.jpg

At the same time, vv. 7–9 continue to have the rest of humanity in view (cf. vv. 3–6). This is clear from the "banner" imagery in v. 7 (see below). It is also clear from the poetic repetition of roots in these verses. For example, nearly every root in v. 5b is repeated in this section in the same order in which they first appeared in v. 5b:

  • אמר - v. 7a ("saying") - v. 5b ("think")
  • לבב - v. 8a ("heart") - v. 5b ("yourselves")
  • שכב - v.9a ("lie down") - v. 5b ("beds")

The root בטח at the end of v. 9 also occurred in v. 6. It is also worth noting at this point that the root צדק occurs in both v. 2 and v. 9. Thus, v. 6 repeats roots from the first line of the Psalm (צדק "right") and the last line of the Psalm (בטח "trust/securely") respectively.

Each repeated root in the psalm is used once in relation to YHWH's people and at least once in relation to humanity:

  • "many are saying" (אמרים) (v. 7) // "think" (אמרו) (v. 5)
  • "my heart" (לבי) (v. 8) // "your hearts " (לבב) (v. 5) "heavy of heart" (v. 3)
  • "I will lie down" (שׁכב) (v. 9) // "your beds" (משׁכב) (v. 5)
  • "right for me" (צדק) (v. 2) // "(you) sacrifice right sacrifices" (צדק) (v. 6)
  • "you make me dwell securely" (בטח) (v. 9) // "(you) trust in YHWH" (בטח) (v. 6)

Psalm 004 - Poetic feature 1.jpg David and Israel, whom he represents as king, show the world what it looks like to experience true blessing. YHWH has set David and Israel apart for special treatment (v. 4), and his blessing on them is like a "banner" to which others are called to rally (v. 7b). In contrast, there are many people who worship idols (v. 3) and look for gods who can truly satisfy them (v. 7a). In response, David addresses this mass of idol-worshipping humanity and says, in effect, "Look at how YHWH has blessed us! Come, be like us! The security (בטח), rightly ordered well-being (צדק), joy-filled hearts (לב), and peaceful sleep (שׁכב) that our God gives to us can be yours as well, if you will imitate us and trust in him!"



v. 7

7a
רַבִּ֥ים אֹמְרִים֮ מִֽי־יַרְאֵ֪נ֫וּ ט֥וֹב
Many are saying, "Who will show us something good?
7b
נְֽסָה־עָ֭לֵינוּ א֨וֹר פָּנֶ֬יךָ יְהוָֽה׃
Cause the light of your face to shine on us, YHWH!"

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

Many people who trust in YHWH are celebrating YHWH's blessing in the recent harvest. They are saying, "Who is the one who shows us good? Who blesses us with rain and good harvests, with peace and security? YHWH does! Lift up the light of your face, your blessing, as a banner over us, YHWH! Like a high banner, make your blessing on us visible to everyone, marking the way to the place where people can rally to find security and rest."

Notes

No summary set yet for this verse.



  • In the context of a harvest (see v. 8), the word good (טוֹב) might be a metonymy for "rain" as, e.g., in Jer 5:25 and Ps 85:13 (cf. DCH). As Dahood notes, "the 'good' par excellence in Palestine is the rain, so that in a number of texts tov without further modification concretely signifies 'rain'" (Dahood 1965, 25).


  • Ps 4:7 uses the preposition עַל, whereas the Aaronic blessing uses the preposition אֶל (Num 6:26)—יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ. The change might support a meaning for נְסָה other than "lift" (e.g., "lift up as a banner" or "has fled;" see The Grammar of Psalm 4:7b). But the change is more likely insignificant, since "the prepositions עַל and אֶל are sometimes interchanged" (BHRG §39.3, 20). Psalm 67:2, which also alludes to the Aaronic blessing, uses an entirely different preposition: יָ֤אֵר פָּנָיו אִתָּנוּ.


v. 8

8a
נָתַ֣תָּה שִׂמְחָ֣ה בְלִבִּ֑י
You have put joy in my heart since the time
8b
מֵעֵ֬ת דְּגָנָ֖ם וְתִֽירוֹשָׁ֣ם רָֽבּוּ׃
their grain and their new wine multiplied.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

YHWH, you have put joy in my heart since the time you answered my prayer and blessed the people with rain, since the time their grain and their new wine multiplied.

Notes

No summary set yet for this verse.


  • The clause "their grain and new wine multiplied" (דְּגָנָם וְתִירוֹשָׁם רָבּוּ) is embedded within a construct chain: "the time (of/when) their grain and new wine multiplied" (see e.g., Jer 6:15—בְּעֵת־פְּקַדְתִּים; see discussion and further examples in GKC §130d; §155l).


  • Most modern interpreters understand the prepositional phrase at the beginning of v. 8b (מֵעֵת, lit.: "from the time") as comparative: "greater than" (NLT, cf. NGÜ, HFA) or "more than" (KJV, NRSV, ESV, CEV, CEB, GNT, CSB, NEB; cf. LUT, ELB, GNB, ZÜR; so Baethgen 1904, 11; Staszak 2024, 188). This view requires a significant amount of elision (see v. 8 diagram). Yet, as BDB notes concerning this verse (and others), "sometimes in poetry the idea on which מִן is logically dependent, is unexpressed, and must be understood by the reader." GKC, citing several passages, notes similarly that "the attributive idea, on which מִן logically depends, must sometimes... be supplied from the context" (§133e). Psalm 4:8 is regarded as a "still bolder pregnant construction" (GKC §133e).
  • A simpler interpretation of מֵעֵת—one that involves less elision and better accords with the normal usage of מֵעֵת—is to interpret it in a temporal sense: "when their grain and new wine abound" (NIV, cf. NJPS; so Ibn Ezra, Radak, Ho'il Moshe; Goldingay 2006, 168-172). Bruce Waltke makes a strong argument for the temporal interpretation. He notes the following:
  1. "Elsewhere מֵעֵת is always temporal, never comparative (1 Chr 9:25; 2 Chr 25:27; Isa 48:16; Ezek 4:10, 11; Dan 12:11).
  2. "מִן by itself after שִׂמְחָה has a temporal meaning in Deut 28:47.
  3. "If the מִן is comparative, then the psalmist gives no reason for any joy apart from God answering his request. In contrast, by taking it temporally, his joy, or festive mirth, is connected with the increase of crops, a common motif in the Old Testament (Deut 28:47; 29:22; Neh 8:12; Esther 9:17-19; Prov 14:10; Eccl 9:7; Isa 9:3[2]; 16:10; 22:13; 24:11; Jer 25:10; 33:11-12)" (Waltke 2010, 240).
The temporal interpretation might be reflected in the Septuagint: "from their season (ἀπὸ καιροῦ)..." See also Jerome's Hebrew-based translation: "in the time (in tempore)..." Cf. Mannati 1970 for the similar view that the מִן prepositional phrase indicates source.


  • The prepositional phrase מֵעֵת is probably not comparative, but temporal: "when their grain and new wine abound" (NIV, cf. NJPS; see grammar note for fuller discussion).


v. 9

9a
בְּשָׁל֣וֹם יַחְדָּו֮ אֶשְׁכְּבָ֪ה וְאִ֫ישָׁ֥ן
In peace, I can both lie down and fall asleep,
9b
כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה לְבָדָ֑ד
because you alone, YHWH,
9c
לָ֝בֶ֗טַח תּוֹשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃
make me dwell securely.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

In peace, I can both lie down and, as soon as I lie down, fall asleep, without worrying about anything, because you alone, YHWH, and no other god, make me dwell securely in the good land that you have given us. This peace that enables me to lie down and sleep peacefully is available to any who will be loyal to YHWH!

Notes

No summary set yet for this verse.


  • The prepositional phrase "alone" (לְבָדָד) could modify either the subject ("you alone, YHWH") or the verb ("make me dwell alone). Most modern translations understand it to modify the subject: "for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety" (NIV, cf. NLT, ESV, NRSV, CSB, CEB, GNT, NJPS, LUT, ELB, ZÜR; so LXX; Radak; some medieval Hebrew manuscripts read לְבַדֶּךָ, which would unambiguously modify the subject [see Kennicott 1776, 309]). The prosodic structure according to the Masoretic accents also supports this view (כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה לְבָדָ֑ד). Some modern translations, however, understand it to modify the verb: "for you, Lord, make me safe [lit.: alone] and secure" (NET, cf. NGÜ, GNB; so Peshitta; Rashi; Baethgen 1904, 11; Fokkelman 2000, 61-62; Waltke 2010, 241). In defense of this second option, Waltke notes, "Elsewhere, apart from Deut 32:12, [בָדָד] is always used in connection with verbs of 'dwelling' (שׁכן or ישׁב) in the sense of living alone, apart, often with the sense of security (cf. Deut 32:28; Jer 49:31; Num 23:9; Mic 7:14" (Waltke 2010, 241). The parallel passage in Deut 33:28 is especially striking, not least because Psalm 4 appears to allude to this poem in Deut 33: "So Israel will live in safety (בֶּטַח); Jacob will dwell secure (בָּדָד) in a land of grain and new wine (דָּגָן וְתִירֹושׁ), where the heavens drop dew" (Deut 33:28, NIV). Waltke also notes that, if the psalmist wanted to say "you alone, YHWH," then he could have used לְבַדֶּךָ instead of לְבָדָד (cf. Pss 83:19; 86:10) (so Waltke 2010, 241; Fokkelman 2000, 61-62). But the interpretation "you alone, YHWH" makes the most sense in the context of the psalm, which emphasizes YHWH's superiority over idols (see esp. v. 3). Perhaps the psalmist used לְבָדָד (instead of לְבַדּוֹ) to maintain the allusion to Deut 33, even though he creatively uses the phrase in a different sense. There is a clear parallal for this usage in Deut 32:12—"the LORD alone (בָּדָד) guided him, no foreign god was with him" (ESV).


  • On the meaning of the phrase "alone" (לְבָדָד), see the grammar note.


  • The adverbial יַחְדָּו modifies both verbs and indicates that both actions happen "together," i.e., "at the same time" (HALOT; cf. Isa 46:2; Ps 35:26): "I both lie down and sleep" >> "I will fall asleep as soon as I lie down" (cf. Prov 3:24; Baethgen 1904, 11).


  • The word peace (שָׁלוֹם) refers to a "condition in which there is no conflict, war, danger, sickness, famine, or anything to fear, but where one can live at ease and with confidence" (SDBH).



  1. ↑ Cf. Eaton 1975, 165–168, 172–177.
  2. ↑ KAI 26 = COS 2.31; cf. Eaton 1975, 30, 165–168.
  3. ↑ So e.g., Hossfeld and Zenger 1993, 59–62; Weber 2016, 59-60; Spieckermann 2023, 122.
  4. ↑ See notes on v. 7.
  5. ↑ Cf. Hossfeld and Zenger 1993, 59; Weber 2016, 60.