This psalm is an individual lament of sorts; that is, it serves as a general request for God’s help and protection in times of trouble for particular members of his people. But it has this difference from most other “individual laments”: it includes prayers for the Davidic king (vv. 6–7).

Interpretively, we must decide whether the prayer for the king is something that all people can pray in the context of their laments or whether the psalm shows a more specific usage, namely, that of prayer for the king in his crises.468 The first of these seems more likely for the following reasons. First, the things prayed for are quite general and (cf. comments below) echo requests in other psalms. Second, in Israel each person and family depended on a reliable and just social system for their well-being, which it was the king’s duty to maintain. So the king’s success, with his life watched over by “steadfast love and faithfulness,” had strong relevance to each person’s daily life. Indeed, this points the way to a properly biblical appropriation (cf. Response section), since the ideal life takes place within the community of God’s people. This also fits the closing verse, which anticipates “singing praises” to God’s name and “performing vows,” which are acts of public worship. In either case, the “king” envisioned is the Davidic king, the heir of specific promises.

The psalm begins with a plea for God’s help and protection. The plea has two parts, first a more general petition (vv. 1–3) and then a more specific request to find refuge in the sacred precincts of worship (vv. 4–5); both sections speak of taking “refuge” (vv. 3, 4). Then the song turns to pray for the king (vv. 6–7). In view of the return to focus on public worship at the end of the psalm (v. 8), the link is probably the communal aspect of life among God’s people: each of the faithful takes part in a community of fellow members, with worship and social stability as vital components of the good life.

  I.  Hear My Prayer, for You Have Been My Refuge (61:1–3)

  II.  Let Me Dwell in Your Tent, for You Have Heard My Vows (61:4–5)

  III.  Prolong the Life of the King (61:6–7)

  IV.  I Will Always Sing Praises to You (61:8)

In addition to providing a way for God’s people to pray in their various kinds of distress, this psalm also fosters a stance toward the community among those who sing it. Its intended effect is for the faithful to treasure the exercises of public worship, seeing them as a shelter, a tangible experience of God as refuge. Further, they can treasure the well-being of their divinely-instituted social system, with a king living faithfully and ensuring justice for all.

When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, the services of the temple and the direct rule of the heirs of David came to an end. While a new temple was built after the exile, no Davidic king arose again—though Zerubbabel, a postexilic leader, was the son of Shealtiel and therefore in David’s line but not a king (cf. 1 Chron. 3:17–18; Ezra 3:2). Nevertheless, David was promised an endless dynasty (2 Sam. 7:16), and a number of texts indicate that the prophets continued to nurture hope in its eventual restoration (e.g., 2 Kings 25:27–30//Jer. 52:31–34; Ezek. 34:23–24; Hag. 2:23). For the people of Judah to sing this psalm in the Second Temple era, then, would have helped to foster the yearning for the return of David’s dynasty.

Christians have a Davidic king, Jesus, whose years in the fullest sense “endure to all generations.” Finally the ideal for the king is a reality! Christians, then, should seek to ensure that their communities reflect the biblical ideals of safety, just dealing, and protection. People in congregations will undergo hardship; they should be able to find their churches to be tangible experiences of God as refuge.Psalm 61

Psalm 62