Psalms 7
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O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
6 Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
8 The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 7:1-17
In You Do I Take Refuge
A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.
1O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
2lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,
rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.
3O Lord my God, if I have done this,
if there is wrong in my hands,
4if I have repaid my friend with evil
or plundered my enemy without cause,
5let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,
and let him trample my life to the ground
and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
6Arise, O Lord, in your anger;
lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
awake for me; you have appointed a judgment.
7Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about you;
over it return on high.
8The Lord judges the peoples;
judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
and according to the integrity that is in me.
9Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
and may you establish the righteous—
you who test the minds and hearts,
O righteous God!
10My shield is with God,
who saves the upright in heart.
11God is a righteous judge,
and a God who feels indignation every day.
12If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword;
he has bent and readied his bow;
13he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,
making his arrows fiery shafts.
14Behold, the wicked man conceives evil
and is pregnant with mischief
and gives birth to lies.
15He makes a pit, digging it out,
and falls into the hole that he has made.
16His mischief returns upon his own head,
and on his own skull his violence descends.
17I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,
and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 7:1-17
Psalm 7
A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.
1Lord my God, I take refuge in you;
save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
2or they will tear me apart like a lion
and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.
3Lord my God, if I have done this
and there is guilt on my hands—
4if I have repaid my ally with evil
or without cause have robbed my foe—
5then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
let him trample my life to the ground
and make me sleep in the dust.
6Arise, Lord, in your anger;
rise up against the rage of my enemies.
Awake, my God; decree justice.
7Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
while you sit enthroned over them on high.
8Let the Lord judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
9Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
who probes minds and hearts.
10My shield is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.
11God is a righteous judge,
a God who displays his wrath every day.
12If he does not relent,
he will sharpen his sword;
he will bend and string his bow.
13He has prepared his deadly weapons;
he makes ready his flaming arrows.
14Whoever is pregnant with evil
conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
15Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit they have made.
16The trouble they cause recoils on them;
their violence comes down on their own heads.
17I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
Adventist sermons and articles often highlight the fact that the soul is mortal, that it can die (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). But I don’t know if I have ever heard anyone quote Psalm 7 where David speaks of his “soul” being torn “in pieces.” That is a painfully mortal soul!
And why such ominous words? When I was in church school in Fairbanks, Alaska, there was a playground bully that decided to hurt me, a scrawny harmless youngster. But my friend, Eric Brodis, took on the bully and saved me from some pain and from much embarrassment. Thankfully my enemies were Eric’s too.
Psalm 7 speaks of my enemies against scrawny me. And that is the reason for the ominous words. But in this Psalm, my enemies are also God’s enemies. And that gives me hope. The gospel in this chapter is that “My defense is of God, which saves the upright in heart.” Psalm 7:10.
And the power that spares me today stops evil forever. Alleluia. “Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end!” Psalm 7:9. They prepare a pit for me, but they get hurt. They aim for me and bite the dirt. Amen.
Eugene Prewitt
As of this writing, church planting in Dutch Flat, California before heading back to East Asia as a missionary to Muslims
