Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Psalms 3:5 - 3:5

Online Resource Library

Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com

Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Psalms 3:5 - 3:5


(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)

This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

(Heb.: 3:6-7) That this God will protect him, His protection during the past night is now a pledge to him in the early morning. It is a violation of the rules of grammar to translate וָאִישָׁנָה: I shall go to sleep, or: I am going to sleep. The 1 pers. fut. consec. which is indicated by the וָ, is fond of taking an ah of direction, which gives subjective intensity to the idea of sequence: “and thus I then fell asleep,” cf. Psa 7:5; Psa 119:55, and frequently, Gen 32:6, and more especially so in the later style, Ezr 9:3; Neh 13:21, vid., Ges. §49, 2, Böttcher, Neue Aehrenlese, No. 412. It is a retrospective glance at the past night. Awaking in health and safety, he feels grateful to Him to whom he owes it: יהוה יִסְמְכֵנִי. It is the result of the fact that Jahve supports him, and that God's hand is his pillow.

(Note: Referred to the other David, Psa 3:6 has become an Easter-morning call, vid., Val. Herberger's Paradies-Blümlein aus dem Lustgarten der Psalmen (Neue Ausg. 1857) S. 25.)

Because this loving, almighty hand is beneath his head (Son 2:6) he is inaccessible and therefore also devoid of fear. שִׁית (שׁוּת) carries its object in itself: to take up one's position, as in Isa 22:7, synon. חָנָה Psa 28:3 and שִׂים 1Ki 20:12, cf. ἐπιτιθέναι τινί. David does not put a merely possible case. All Israel, that is to say ten thousands, myriads, were gone over to Absolom. Here, at the close of the third strophe, סלה is wanting because the לֹא אִירָא (I will not fear) is not uttered in a tone of triumph, but is only a quiet, meek expression of believing confidence. If the instruments struck up boldly and suddenly here, then a cry for help, urged forth by the difficulties that still continually surrounded him, would not be able to follow.