USB ~ Psalms 3

3 | USCCB

Threatened but Trusting

1 A psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.† a

2 How many are my foes, LORD! How many rise against me!

3 †How many say of me, “There is no salvation for him in God.” b Selah

4 But you, LORD, are a shield around me; my glory, you keep my head high. c

5 With my own voice I will call out to the LORD, and he will answer me from his holy mountain. Selah

6 I lie down and I fall asleep, and I will wake up, for the LORD sustains me. d

7 I do not fear, then, thousands of people arrayed against me on every side.

III

8 Arise, LORD! Save me, my God! For you strike the cheekbone of all my foes; you break the teeth of the wicked. e

9 Salvation is from the LORD! May your blessing be upon your people! f Selah

Footnotes

†. Psalm 3 An individual lament complaining of enemies who deny that God will come to the rescue (Ps 3:2-3). Despite such taunts the psalmist hopes for God’s protection even in sleep (Ps 3:4-7). The Psalm prays for an end to the enemies’ power to speak maliciously (Ps 3:8) and closes peacefully with an expression of trust (Ps 3:9).

†. 3:1 The superscription, added later, relates the Psalm to an incident in the life of David.

†. 3:3, 3:5, 3:9 Selah: the term is generally considered a direction to the cantor or musicians but its exact meaning is not known. It occurs seventy-one times in thirty-nine Psalms.

3:1 2 Sm 15:13ff.
3:3 Ps 71:11.
3:4 Ps 7:11; 18:3; 62:7-8; Dt 33:29; Is 60:19.
3:6 Ps 4:9; Prv 3:24.
3:8 Ps 58:7.
3:9 Ps 28:9; Jon 2:10.