Psalms — Chapter 3

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1A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. O LORD, how my foes have increased! How many rise up against me!

2Many say of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah

3But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.

4To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah

5I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.

6I will not fear the myriads set against me on every side.

7Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

8Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah

1LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

2Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

3But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

4I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

5I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.

6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.

7Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.

1Jehovah, how are mine adversaries increased! Many are they that rise up against me.

2Many there are that say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah

3But thou, O Jehovah, art a shield about me; My glory and the lifter up of my head.

4I cry unto Jehovah with my voice, And he answereth me out of his holy hill. Selah

5I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for Jehovah sustaineth me.

6I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people That have set themselves against me round about.

7Arise, O Jehovah; save me, O my God: For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.

8Salvation belongeth unto Jehovah: Thy blessing be upon thy people. Selah Psalm 4 For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

1A psalm of David, written when he fled from his son Absalom. Lord, how numerous are my enemies! Many attack me.

2Many say about me, “God will not deliver him.” (Selah)

3But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; you are my glory and the one who restores me.

4To the Lord I cried out, and he answered me from his holy hill. (Selah)

5I rested and slept; I awoke, for the Lord protects me.

6I am not afraid of the multitude of people who attack me from all directions.

7Rise up, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Yes, you will strike all my enemies on the jaw; you will break the teeth of the wicked.

8The Lord delivers; you show favor to your people. (Selah)

1Yahweh, how my adversaries have increased! Many are those who rise up against me.

2Many there are who say of my soul, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah.

3But you, Yahweh, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.

4I cry to Yahweh with my voice, and he answers me out of his holy hill. Selah.

5I laid myself down and slept. I awakened; for Yahweh sustains me.

6I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who have set themselves against me on every side.

7Arise, Yahweh! Save me, my God! For you have struck all of my enemies on the cheek bone. You have broken the teeth of the wicked.

8Salvation belongs to Yahweh. Your blessing be on your people. Selah.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A lament, traditionally set during Absalom's rebellion against David. David describes how many enemies have risen against him, mocking that God will not save him (vv. 1-2), yet affirms that the LORD is a shield around him, his glory, and the one who lifts his head (v. 3). He cries out and is answered from God's holy hill (v. 4), then describes lying down to sleep and waking again only because the LORD sustains him, giving him courage even surrounded by thousands of enemies (vv. 5-6). He asks God to strike down his attackers (v. 7), and closes affirming that salvation belongs to the LORD, with a blessing pronounced over God's people (v. 8).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Individual Lament / Trust Psalm
Attributed Author: David — "A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son" (superscription)
Key Themes: Enemies surrounding, trust in God as shield, prayer answered, fearless sleep, salvation belongs to God
Historical Context: This is the first psalm with a superscription and the first attributed to David. The historical context is 2 Samuel 15-17 — Absalom's rebellion. David fled Jerusalem with a small band while his own son pursued him with an army. The emotional weight is enormous: this is not a foreign enemy but his own child. The taunt "there is no help for him in God" (v.2) may reflect Shimei's cursing (2 Sam 16:5-8) or the general perception that God had abandoned David because of his sin with Bathsheba. Yet David slept peacefully that night — an astonishing act of trust. This is traditionally understood as a "morning psalm" (paired with Psalm 4 as an "evening psalm").
Many Are They That Rise Up (vv.1-2): The superscription puts this psalm when David fled from Absalom his son, which is the rebellion of 2 Samuel 15, and the arithmetic in the opening lines is the point, LORD, how are they increased that trouble me. What the enemies say is quoted, and it is theological rather than military, many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. The taunt is that God has taken a side and it is not his.
Thou, O LORD, Art a Shield (vv.3-4): But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. The three titles answer the taunt point by point: protection against the many, glory against the shame of flight, and a lifted head against a man leaving his own capital on foot. And the answer is reported as already received, I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill.
I Laid Me Down and Slept (vv.5-6): I laid me down and slept, I awaked, for the LORD sustained me. Sleep is the evidence offered, and for a king in the open with an army behind him it is a stronger claim than courage would be. The conclusion drawn is proportional, I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
Salvation Belongeth unto the LORD (vv.7-8): Arise, O LORD, save me, O my God, and the petition is followed by an image of enemies disarmed rather than destroyed, thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone, thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. And the psalm closes by widening from the singer to everyone, salvation belongeth unto the LORD, thy blessing is upon thy people.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

The Lifter of My Head - Psalm 3
David Guzik

Psalm 3 | You Lift My Head | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 3 - Peace in the Midst of the Storm
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • The World's Taunt (v.2) — Enemies claim God will not help David, but this taunt is the lie every crisis whispers when trouble feels too big. Where do you hear voices insisting God has abandoned you?
  • The Turn of "But" (v.3) — Despite real danger, David declares God his shield and glory, the one who lifts his head. What situation do you need to add a "but God" to today?
  • Peace to Sleep Through the Storm (v.5) — David lies down and sleeps surrounded by enemies because the LORD sustains him. Does your ability to rest reflect how much you trust God's protection?
  • Salvation Belongs to the LORD (v.8) — David closes by declaring that salvation and blessing come from God alone, not from his own strength. Are you resting in God's ownership of your deliverance, or still trying to secure it yourself?