Psalms — Chapter 4

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1For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved my distress; show me grace and hear my prayer.

2How long, O men, will my honor be maligned? How long will you love vanity and seek after lies? Selah

3Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him.

4Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah

5Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the LORD.

6Many ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O LORD.

7You have filled my heart with more joy than when grain and new wine abound.

8I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

1Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

2O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.

3But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.

4Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

6There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

7Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

1Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness; Thou hast set me at large [when I was] in distress: Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

2O ye sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor? [How long] will ye love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah

3But know that Jehovah hath set apart for himself him that is godly: Jehovah will hear when I call unto him.

4Stand in awe, and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah

5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in Jehovah.

6Many there are that say, Who will show us [any] good? Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

7Thou hast put gladness in my heart, More than [they have] when their grain and their new wine are increased.

8In peace will I both lay me down and sleep; For thou, Jehovah, alone makest me dwell in safety. Psalm 5 For the Chief Musician; with the Nehiloth. A Psalm of David.

1For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm of David. When I call out, answer me, O God who vindicates me. Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. Have mercy on me and respond to my prayer.

2You men, how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? How long will you love what is worthless and search for what is deceptive? (Selah)

3Realize that the Lord shows the godly special favor; the Lord responds when I cry out to him.

4Tremble with fear and do not sin. Meditate as you lie in bed, and repent of your ways. (Selah)

5Offer the prescribed sacrifices and trust in the Lord.

6Many say, “Who can show us anything good?” Smile upon us, Lord!

7You make me happier than those who have abundant grain and wine.

8I will lie down and sleep peacefully, for you, Lord, make me safe and secure.

1Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness. Give me relief from my distress. Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

2You sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor? Will you love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah.

3But know that Yahweh has set apart for himself him who is godly: Yahweh will hear when I call to him.

4Stand in awe, and don’t sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.

5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness. Put your trust in Yahweh.

6Many say, “Who will show us any good?” Yahweh, let the light of your face shine on us.

7You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and their new wine are increased.

8In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you, Yahweh alone, make me live in safety.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

An evening prayer of trust. David calls on God, who has vindicated him before, to answer him again in distress (v. 1), and rebukes those who dishonor him and chase empty pursuits (v. 2), reminding them that the LORD sets apart the faithful for himself (v. 3). He counsels quiet reflection instead of sin, and trust in the LORD over anxious searching (vv. 4-5). Though others ask where good can be found, David finds joy in God's favor greater than any harvest of grain or wine (vv. 6-7), and closes lying down to sleep in peace because the LORD alone keeps him secure (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 / Evening Trust Psalm
Attributed Author: David — "To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David"
Key Themes: Prayer in distress, God's favor vs. worldly gain, joy that surpasses material prosperity, peaceful sleep, safety in God
Historical Context: Psalm 4 is the traditional "evening psalm," paired with Psalm 3 as a "morning psalm." The instruction "on Neginoth" (stringed instruments) indicates it was set to music for worship. The context appears similar to Psalm 3 — David facing opposition, possibly during Absalom's rebellion or another period of political crisis. The "sons of men" (v.2) may be influential leaders turning against David's honor. The psalm moves from urgent prayer to serene confidence, ending with one of Scripture's most beautiful expressions of trust: sleeping in safety because God alone is enough.
Hear Me When I Call (v.1): Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness, thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. The petition is grounded in a past deliverance rather than in present need, and the verb enlarged is spatial: the previous trouble is described as a narrow place he was brought out of into room.
How Long Will Ye Love Vanity (vv.2-3): O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame, how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing. The psalm turns aside from prayer to address the opponents directly, which is unusual, and what it says to them is a statement of fact rather than a threat, but know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself.
Stand in Awe, and Sin Not (vv.4-5): Stand in awe, and sin not, commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. The instruction is to spend the night thinking rather than plotting, and Paul quotes the first clause in Ephesians 4:26 in the Greek form, be ye angry, and sin not, which is how the Septuagint rendered it. The pairing of sacrifice with trust in the next verse is characteristic of the psalter, offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
More Than in the Time That Their Corn Increased (vv.6-7): There be many that say, Who will shew us any good. The complaint is quoted and then answered with a request for something other than the good being asked for, LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. And the comparison drawn is agricultural and exact, thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. Harvest gladness was the highest ordinary joy that culture knew, and it is used here as the thing being exceeded.
I Will Both Lay Me Down in Peace (v.8): I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep, for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. The psalm closes as Psalm 3 did, with sleep offered as the evidence, and the word only is doing the work: the safety is not the absence of the opponents addressed in verse 2 but something held independently of them.

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

Psalm 4 | Let the Light of Your Face Shine on Us | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 4 - Talking to God and Men
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

  • Room to Breathe in Distress (v.1) — David asks God for relief, but the psalm reveals it as expansion within the pressure rather than removal of it. Where do you need God to widen your room to breathe rather than remove your hardship altogether?
  • Processing Anger Rightly (v.4) — David tells himself to be angry without sinning, to search his heart in silence rather than act rashly. When you are angry, do you take it to God in stillness before you speak or act?
  • Trusting Instead of Chasing (v.5) — Rather than grasping for answers, David calls himself to offer right worship and place his trust in the LORD. What are you tempted to chase instead of simply trusting God?
  • A Joy Greater Than Prosperity (v.7) — David says God has put more gladness in his heart than others feel at their best harvest season. Does your joy in God outweigh your joy in material gain?
  • The LORD Alone (v.8) — David lies down in peace because the LORD alone, not any backup plan, makes him dwell in safety. What are you leaning on besides God for your sense of security?