This is the first psalm with a title. The title names David as the author and ties the psalm to the occasion of Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 15–16), although this need not mean that David actually composed it then. Many contemporary scholars consider this title a later addition to the psalm that yields no help in interpretation. Nevertheless, as discussed in the Introduction, not only is there no reason to ignore the titles in general but also this one sheds considerable light on the psalm itself.

The simplest way to take the inscription “A Psalm of David” is that David wrote or sponsored the psalm. This presents us with the question of how we are to approach David’s role as psalmist in relation to the whole of God’s people: As king he was the representative of God’s people. In the case of each psalm attributed to him, we must discern whether the emphasis is on his role as the ruler of God’s people, in which case the congregation joins in offering his prayer, or on David as the ideal member of the people of God, with the song being well-adapted for the use of Israelites in a wide variety of circumstances. As discussed in the Introduction, the second option usually looks more likely. Therefore this psalm can be considered an individual lament, a form of prayer for a particular member of God’s people to seek God’s help and for the worshiping congregation to join in on the troubled person’s behalf. This would suggest that the purpose of the information in the title is to add concreteness: here is how David models genuine faith in his dire straits, and readers can learn to do the same in theirs (which are often less dire) by analogy.

The stanzas flow easily, in four groups of two verses each: verses 1–2, with the repeated “many,” stress the dangerous situation; verses 3–4 shift the focus by the initial “But you, O Lord” to the ways in which God has taken care of the singer in the past; verses 5–6 describe the sense of relief that follows from remembering God’s goodness; and verses 7–8 are the prayer for God’s help. Observe how the “no salvation” of verse 2 receives its answer in “Save me, O my God” (v. 7) and “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (v. 8).89

  I.  What He Sees (3:1–2)

  II.  What He Believes (3:3–4)

  III.  What He Finds (3:5–6)

  IV.  What He Prays For (3:7–8)

The discussion in the Section Overview argues that the function of the title is to give a concrete instance of trouble, with which the singing worshipers may compare their own. Others have supposed that, instead, the title (with David as author) indicates that we have here a typical case of David as king facing the nation’s enemies.94 But, as J. A. Alexander noted long ago, “the expressions [in the psalm] are so chosen as to make the psalm appropriate to its main design, that of furnishing a vehicle of pious feeling to the church at large, and to its individual members in their own emergencies.”95 Hence tying the psalm to a specific event, far from limiting its applicability to us, shows us how faith meets the variety of circumstances that real people encounter.

Laments are a way to bring fears and troubles honestly before God, seeking his help. Indeed, since they are in the Psalms, they are properly a part of corporate worship. And yet this psalm is an individual lament, in which a particular member has the trouble. The whole congregation sings it, joining with the troubled person or family and sharing in the troubles and fears as their own. Thus the worshipers, as members of a body, “rejoice with those who rejoice, [and] weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). That is, the individual focus here does not mean individualism; nor does the corporate use make it any less personal. When the whole congregation shares the member’s particular troubles, it also shares the thankfulness at answered prayer.

This psalm grounds confidence in past experience of God’s provision, making recollection of these experiences a vital spiritual exercise. Further, the psalm is a prayer—and, in light of the context of the title, it makes clear that prayer does not replace work (David’s forces still faced a hard battle).

The laments envision a variety of crises, with dangers from actual “enemies” being quite common. Sometimes the troubles stem from the singer’s own misdeeds, and some of the laments include a confession of sin. In other laments (such as this one) the confession is lacking, because—for whatever reason—it is unnecessary.96 The task of the worship leader is to make the pastoral judgment of choosing the right lament for the situations of those in the worshiping congregation.

Christians affirm that Jesus has entitled them to use this psalm because he has formed his people from believing Jews and Gentiles and made them into a body, sharing the joys and sorrows of their fellow members. Indeed, Jesus made it plain that his followers will encounter troubles of all kinds, including enemies and persecution (e.g., Matt. 5:10–11, 43–47; Rom. 12:14, 17–21; 1 Pet. 4:12–19), and Psalm 3:7–8 shows us how to love our enemies in prayer by seeking God’s blessing upon them (which will often involve the thwarting of their purposes).Psalm 3

Psalm 4