Psalm 54

Psalm 54
Psalm 54
← Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

Psalm 54
Psalm 54
"Save me, O God, by thy name"
	Beginning of Psalm 54 in Latin, Psalter in the Cleveland Museum of Art
Other name	Psalm 53; "Deus in nomine tuo salvum me fac";
Text	Attributed to King David
Language	Hebrew (original)

Psalm 54 is the 54th psalm of the

Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 53. In Latin, it is known as "Deus in nomine tuo salvum me fac",^[1] Attributed to David, it was written for one who finds oneself betrayed by a friend.^[2]

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant liturgies.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text^[3]^[4] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃‎	For the Leader; with string-music. Maschil of David:
2	בְּבֹ֣א הַ֭זִּיפִים וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לְשָׁא֑וּל הֲלֹ֥א דָ֝וִ֗ד מִסְתַּתֵּ֥ר עִמָּֽנוּ׃‎	when the Ziphites came and said to Saul: 'Doth not David hide himself with us?'
3	אֱ֭לֹהִים בְּשִׁמְךָ֣ הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי וּבִגְבוּרָתְךָ֥ תְדִינֵֽנִי׃‎	O God, save me by Thy name, And right me by Thy might.
4	אֱ֭לֹהִים שְׁמַ֣ע תְּפִלָּתִ֑י הַ֝אֲזִ֗ינָה לְאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃‎	O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.
5	כִּ֤י זָרִ֨ים ׀ קָ֤מוּ עָלַ֗י וְֽ֭עָרִיצִים בִּקְשׁ֣וּ נַפְשִׁ֑י לֹ֤א שָׂ֨מוּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים לְנֶגְדָּ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃‎	For strangers are risen up against me, And violent men have sought after my soul; They have not set God before them. Selah
6	הִנֵּ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים עֹזֵ֣ר לִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י בְּֽסֹמְכֵ֥י נַפְשִֽׁי׃‎	Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is for me as the upholder of my soul.
7	(ישוב) [יָשִׁ֣יב] הָ֭רַע לְשֹׁרְרָ֑י בַּ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ הַצְמִיתֵֽם׃‎	He will requite the evil unto them that lie in wait for me; Destroy Thou them in Thy truth.
8	בִּנְדָבָ֥ה אֶזְבְּחָה־לָּ֑ךְ א֤וֹדֶה שִּׁמְךָ֖ יְהֹוָ֣ה כִּי־טֽוֹב׃‎	With a freewill-offering will I sacrifice unto Thee; I will give thanks unto Thy name, O LORD, for it is good.
9	כִּ֣י מִכׇּל־צָ֭רָה הִצִּילָ֑נִי וּ֝בְאֹיְבַ֗י רָאֲתָ֥ה עֵינִֽי׃‎	For He hath delivered me out of all trouble; And mine eye hath gazed upon mine enemies.

King James Version

The following is the full English text of the Psalm from the

King James Bible

.

(To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David,

when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?)

Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.
Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.
Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.
For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.

Verse numbering

Verses 1 and 2 in the Hebrew Bible correspond to the designation in English translations:

¹ To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David,

² when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us? (KJV)

Verses 1–7 in English versions correspond to verses 3–9 in the Hebrew text.^[5]

The Ziphims lived in the wilderness of

Ziph, a district to the south-east of Hebron in the Judean mountains.^[6]

Commentary

The historical setting of this short Psalm is given in its title, almost a direct quotation from 1 Samuel 23:19 (a similar style of historical setting as with Psalm 52).^[7] It is considered one of the psalms containing prayers against false accusations, linked with an ordeal, the taking of an oath, or an appeal to the 'higher court', as indicated in the following points:^[7]

The phrase 'vindicate me' (verse 1)
A royal perspective of opponents as 'strangers' (verse 3; the New Revised Standard Version amends to 'the insolent'), 'the ruthless' (verse 3), and 'enemies' (verse 5)
A prayer before battle appealing to God as personal savior with a covenant 'faithfulness' (verse 5).

It can also be described as a lament, prayer, or complaint of an individual.^[7]

Verses 1-3 pray for help and answer. Following an appeal (verses 1–2), the psalmist describes the danger facing him (verse 3), but maintains his confidence in God. In the second half of the psalm (verses 4–7), the poet, in the certainty of being heard, rejoices in help, and makes a vow of thanksgiving,^[5] he promises to sacrifice a free-will offering to express 'the voluntary gratitude of a thankful heart' (verses 6–7, another example of the 'certainty of hearing').^[7]

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the tenth day of the month.^[8]

The Psalm is a Proper Psalm for

Mattins on Good Friday.^[6]

Uses

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 54 in a metred version in German, "Hilf mir, Gott, durch den Namen dein", SWV 151, as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628. Alan Hovhaness set text from this Psalm and from Psalms 55 and 56 in his choral work Make a Joyful Noise.^[9]