Psalm-54
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*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical
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Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold
wondrous things out of Thy Law!
Tehillim - Psalm 119:18..
(JPS-1917 version
of the Tanakh).
Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have
been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים -
Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.
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Remember the following truth from our beloved
Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which
I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM
IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2.
However, sadly both the later priests as well as our rabbis of long ago have shamefully disobeyed this command of אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם קָדוֹשׁוֹ - ‘Baruch Shem Kadosho’ – ‘Blessed be His Holy Name!’
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens,
PhD.
Foreword:
Tehillim 54 is a short but remarkably potent Psalm. It is categorized as a Maskil (a contemplative or instructional poem) and is deeply rooted in a specific historical moment of betrayal and Divine rescue.
Introduction to Psalm
54:
According to the superscription, this Psalm was composed when the Ziphites went to Saul and betrayed David’s location, saying, “Is not David hiding among us?” (1 Samuel 23:19).
This context is crucial for understanding the Psalms urgency. David was betrayed by fellow members of the tribe of Judah, his own kin. The Psalm serves as a model for how to respond when one is surrounded by “strangers” and “ruthless men” who do not set אֱלֹהִים - Elohim before them. It follows a classic structure: a desperate cry for help, a middle section of unwavering confidence, and a conclusion of gratitude.
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Let us now read Tehillim - Psalms Chapter 54: (JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).
1. For the Leader; with string-music.
Maschil of David:
2. when the Ziphites came
and said to Saul: ‘Doth not David hide himself with us?’
3. O אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, save me by Thy name, and right me by Thy
might.
4. O אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my
mouth.
5. For strangers are risen up against me, and violent
men have sought after my soul; they have not set אֱלֹהִים before them. Selah.
6. Behold, אֱלֹהִים is my helper; יְהוָה - the LORD is
for me as the upholder of my soul.
7. He will requite the evil unto them that lie in
wait for me; destroy Thou them in Thy truth.
8. With a freewill-offering will I sacrifice unto
Thee; I will give thanks unto Thy Name, O יְהוָה - LORD, for it is good.
9. For He hath delivered me out of all trouble; and
mine eye hath gazed upon mine enemies.
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Now we turn to the ‘verse
by-verse’ with its commentary:
The Cry for Justice (Verses 1-5).
Verse 1: “O אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, save me by Your Name, and judge me by Your strength”.
Explanation: David appeals to יְהוָה - the (Name) of Elohim. In Hebrew thought, אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s Name represents His attributes of mercy and justice. He asks for “judgment” (Dineini), confident that in a fair trial against his pursuers, His cause is righteous.
Verse 2: David asks אֱלֹהִים - Elohim to “hear” (shema) his prayer and “give ear” to the words of his mouth. This parallelism emphasizes the intensity of his plea.
Verse 3: He identifies his enemies as Zarim (strangers) and Aritzim (ruthless/violent men).
Insight: Even though the Ziphites were fellow Israelites, David calls them “strangers” because their actions, betraying the innocent, which are foreign to the ways of the Torah. He notes the root of their evil: “They have not set אֱלֹהִים - Elohim before them”.
Verse 4: The tone shifts instantly. “Behold, אֱלֹהִים is my helper; יְהוָה - the LORD is with those who uphold my soul”. David stops looking at the Ziphites and starts looking at the Divine.
Verse 5: “He will requite the evil to my watchful foes; in Your truth, cut them off”.
Explanation: David is not seeking personal vengeance but “Truth” (Amit'cha). He asks that the evil the enemies planned simply return upon their own heads, a manifestation of the principle of ‘Midah K'neged Midah’ (measure for measure).
The Turn to Confidence (Verses 6-7).
Verse 6: “With a freewill offering (Nedavah), I will sacrifice to You; I will thank Your name, O Lord, for it is good”.
Explanation: Even before the physical rescue has fully manifested, David prepares his heart for the ‘Korban Todah’ (Thanksgiving offering). He praises the Name again, mirroring his request in verse 1.
Verse 7: “For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph upon my enemies”.
Insight: The use of the past tense (“He has delivered”) is common in Tehillim. It indicates that David’s trust is so absolute that he speaks of the future rescue as if it has already occurred.
The Vow of Thanksgiving (Verses 8-9).
Verse 8: “With a freewill offering (Nedavah), I will sacrifice to You; I will thank Your name, O Lord, for it is good”.
Explanation: David moves from a state of plea to a state of gratitude. A Nedavah is an offering brought not out of obligation for a sin, but out of a heart overflowing with thankfulness. He specifically praises the “Name” אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - Elohim, which he invoked in the very first verse. This creates a “thematic circle”, showing that the Name that saves is the same Name we bless.
Verse 9: “For He has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph upon my enemies”.
Explanation: This verse is written in the “prophetic past” tense. Although David was still technically in hiding when he composed this, his “Bitachon” (trust) was so firm that he spoke of the rescue as a completed fact. The “triumph” mentioned here is not one of cruelty, but the relief of seeing the threat neutralized so that he could continue his Divine service!
The Closing Statement:
Psalm 54 teaches us the power of perspective. When David was betrayed by his own people, he could have fallen into “despair” or “bitterness”. Instead, he shifted his focus from the “ruthless men” to the “Name of אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה – the LORD Elohim”. By identifying the source of his enemies’ malice, that they did not set אֱלֹהִים - Elohim before them, he reaffirmed his own commitment to keep אֱלֹהִים at the center of his life. It reminds all student’s of Torah that no matter how close the evil - the “Ziphites” may get, the “Ezer” (Helper) is closer!
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Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said
the following via several of our prophets...
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of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).
And Remember ...
Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!
אֲנִי
יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי
לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי
שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ
אוֹתָם
וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ
לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי
וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי
אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloheichem; walk
in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and
do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you,
that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה
- the LORD your Eloheichem”. Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).
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For אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, Blessed be His Sanctified Name,
He is
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May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts. be with
you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as
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שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom
Aleichem - Peace be with you!
Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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