This psalm does not neatly fall into any of the categories I have previously identified. Major categories of psalms include the prayer psalms and praise and worship songs. This is perhaps closest to a prayer psalm given the closing petition in the last few verses, but structurally it is distinct as it does not contain the usual tripartite formula of problem, petition and praise.
Usually the first verse establishes the themes or topic of the psalm, and everything else follows that. In this psalm, it doesn’t seem to follow the typical structure. It seems like this psalm can be broken into three sections, and the first verse only really sets the topic for the first section.
The first section, in verses 1-4, is a brief discussion of the nature of evil men. It describes evil men in a couple ways. First, it says that evil men have “no fear of God”. Fear of God, or a concern about God’s opinion of us, will keep us from evil. If we truly believed that God was always present and always watching us, it would be much harder to sin. We would not have any sense of anonymity or freedom to sin. Second, it says that the wicked man “flatters himself in his own eyes”, and as a result he cannot see his own sin. This is the blindness of pride. When we cannot see our sin, then we sin all the more freely. The conclusion of all this is that the wicked man speaks evil (v. 3), plans evil (v. 4), and then “sets himself on a path” of evil. This is a progression of activity that begins with words, then to thoughts (the “plans”) and finally actions. This is a common pattern, where people first speak of a deed (but perhaps do not intend to do it), but once spoken they give it consideration, and once considered, they act. The reason that a wicked man travels on an evil path is because he feels at liberty to do whatever he wants, what the book of Judges calls “doing what is right in his own eyes”. It is making judgements based on his own will instead of obeying the will of God.
The second section, in verses 5-9, changes topics suddenly. It is a description of the glory of God. It emphasizes the vast expanses of God’s moral character and holiness, using analogies from the natural world to demonstrate the greatness of God; not the greatness of his power, but of his character and behavior. Notice the highlight of this section: “How priceless is your unfailing love” (v. 7). Once again the emphasis is not on the power or capabilities of God, but rather on his loving and caring nature. Following that, this section moves on to discuss how “the children of men” depend on God. We take refuge under his wings, drink from his rivers, and see light in his light (v. 7-9). It’s a picture of a God of abundance, a loving parent sheltering his children. God’s overwhelming power is implied but never stated; instead, the psalmist chooses to focus on God’s abundant provision and sustenance for those he loves.
The third and final section, in verses 10-12, is a concluding prayer that builds off the themes of the previous two sections. Having established God’s eternal love and profound righteousness in the second section, David asks God to “continue” both his love and his righteousness “to those who know you”, “the upright in heart” (v. 10). Having established the depths of evil in the first section, David asks for God’s protection against “the foot” and “the hand” of evildoers, that they would not be able to harm him (v. 11). In this case, both the foot and the hand are symbolic of the activity and the power of evildoers. Finally, in verse 12, David makes one final plea for “the evildoers” to be cast down, so that they would no longer be capable of harming others. This is expanding on verse 11 where David only asks for protection for himself; now he is wishing for the evildoers themselves to be thrown down so that no one would suffer under their evil deeds.
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