Bible Commentary - Psalms 3

This psalm changes tone dramatically from Psalm 2.  In Psalm 2, the material is vaguely messianic, but also very … proud.  It is based on a firm assurance of victory.  The central theme of Psalm 2 is that the enemies of Israel should be very afraid.  Israel has the power of God behind them and all the other nations are assured defeat and perhaps even total destruction if they do not submit.

Psalm 3, in contrast, is a prayer of David “when he fled his son Absalom”.  This ties it to a specific historical event, when Absalom sought to take control of Israel and David was driven into the wilderness.  The story is told in 2 Samuel 15-18, and it makes this psalm deeply personal and much more plaintive compared to Psalm 2.  Psalm 2 is a triumphant psalm of victory (or future victory).  Psalm 3 is a prayer for God’s assistance and prayer for victory.

In spite of the title associating it with this historical event, the psalm itself does not reference David himself, Absalom, or any of the direct events from David’s interaction with Absalom.  Instead, the psalm is quite generalized, framed in terms that nearly anyone could relate to during a period of oppression or adversity.  Even though the psalm calls us back to a specific historical event, it is written in a timeless way that is ideal for its placement in the liturgy.

As part of the book of Psalms, this would be sung or prayed over and over for generations.  If it was narrowly tailored to David in his situation with Absalom, it would be much less relatable.  Instead, the language specific to that situation is removed (or was never present) and this makes it much more relatable and applicable to people in different situations that are similar, but distinct, from what David experienced.  This style is going to be repeated many times, where a psalm title calls us to a specific situation but the body of the psalm is generalized and non-specific.

This psalm can be divided into three sections.  The first section is verses 1-2.  In this section the central theme is David’s adversity; the enemies that have gathered against him and have declared his imminent doom.

The second section is verses 3-6.  In this central portion, David is declaring God’s protection over himself.  David may be surrounded by enemies, but he can sleep with confidence knowing that God is the shield around him and the strength sustaining him.  This is the heart of the psalm, a faith declaration of God’s protection.

The concluding section is verses 6-7, which is David’s petition and closing blessing.  It feels a little odd to have a prayer following the faith declaration.  It’s as if David is saying, “God you are my shield and protector. Now save me!”  In some ways the faith declaration feels like it is contrary to the later prayer, depending on how you read it.  I don’t think there is any contradiction here, though.  David is basically saying that 1) God is his protector and 2) he needs God to save him.  God is his helper and he is in need of help.  The middle section is a statement of David’s confidence, and the final section is a statement of need.

Interwoven through this psalm is three uses of the word “selah”.  This is a word that is used many times in the Psalms and the exact meaning is heavily debated but not precisely known.  It is most commonly interpreted as a “pause” or “rest” moment in the psalm for reflection on the previous verse or idea.  I’m not going to provide an interpretation or description for every “selah” in the Psalms, but I would encourage my readers to note the places where “selah” is denoted and to study the passages before each selah with additional consideration.  These are likely to be the most important concepts in the given psalm.

In the case of Psalm 3, there is a “selah” after verse 2, 4 and 8.  In a sense, each selah corresponds with the distinct sections that I previously laid out, so that is a small bit of extra confirmation that my analysis is consistent with the psalmist’s intent.