Psalm 54
The Ziphites lived about fifteen miles southeast of Hebron (see 1 Sam. 23:13–24 for the background). Twice they betrayed David to Saul (see 1 Sam. 26:1), and both times the Lord delivered him. This psalm reveals three stages in David's experience as he turned to God for help.
The Starting Point—Danger from the Enemy (vv. 1–3) David's life was in danger (v. 3; see 1 Sam. 23:15), and he called on God to save him and vindicate his cause (1 Sam. 24:15). David was the rightful king of Israel, and the future of the nation and the dynasty lay with him. This included the promise of Messiah, who would come from David's line (2 Sam. 7). "By your name" means "on the basis of your character," especially His strength (v. 1) and faithfulness (v. 5). David promised to praise God's name after the great victory (v. 6). He used three different names of God in this brief psalm: Elohim (vv. 1, 2, 3, 4), Adonai (Lord, v. 4), and Jehovah (Lord, v. 6). "Hear my prayer" (v. 2) is a favorite approach with David (4:1; 39:12; 143:1). "Strangers" (v. 3) doesn't suggest that his enemies were Gentiles, for the Ziphites belonged to the tribe of Judah, David's own tribe. The word is used in Job 19:13 to describe Job's family and friends, and David used it in a similar way in 69:8. It can describe anybody who has turned his or her back on someone, which the Ziphites certainly did to David, their king. Why did they do it? Because they disregarded the Lord and His will for the nation of Israel. Unlike David (16:8), they did not set God before them (see 10:4–5; 36:1; 86:14).
PSALM 55
It's likely that this psalm was written early in Absalom's rebellion (2 Sam. 15–17), when David was still in Jerusalem (vv. 9–11) and the revolt was gathering momentum. If so, then the "friend" of verses 12–14 and 20–21 had to be David's counselor Ahithophel who had sided with Absalom. Many commentators claim that the king and his officers didn't know about Ahithophel's treachery until after David had fled the city (2 Sam. 15:31), but this isn't clearly stated in Scripture. David was a man with keen discernment, and it is difficult to believe that his closest advisor's treachery was hidden from him. If this psalm was David's prayer while still in Jerusalem, then his prayer in 2 Samuel 15:31 is simply a repetition of verse 9. The psalm reveals four possible approaches to handling the painful problems and battles of life.
We Can Look Within at Our Feelings (vv. 1–5) David opened with a plea to the Lord that He would not hide His face from his supplications. "Don't ignore my prayer!" (See 10:1; 13:1; 27:9; 44:24; 69:17; 143:7.) David knew that his own negligence as a father had turned Absalom against his father, the Lord, and the nation. He also knew that the revolt was part of the discipline that Nathan the prophet promised because of David's adultery and the murder of Uriah (2 Sam. 12:9–12). What David heard and saw in the city distressed him greatly (vv. 2, 17), and he realized that his own life was in danger. The opposition was bringing trouble upon him the way soldiers fling stones at the enemy or roll down rocks upon them (v. 3). But David's concern was for the safety of his people and the future of the Lord's promises to his own dynasty (2 Sam. 7). He felt like everything was falling apart and there was
The Turning Point—Confidence in the Lord (v. 4) This is the central verse of the psalm, and it records the turning point in David's experience. The word translated "help" or "helper" is related to "Ebenezer" in 1 Samuel 7:12: "Thus far the Lord has helped us" (NASB) and is a word David often used in his prayers (10:14; 30:10; 33:20; 79:9; 86:17; 115:9–11). It's worth noting that Jonathan visited David about this time, and the Lord used him to encourage His servant (1 Sam. 23:16–18). The Lord doesn't always send angels to encourage us; sometimes He uses other believers to minister to us (see Acts 9:26–28;