Psalm 7

Psalm 7 belongs to Book One of the Psalms (Psalms 1–41). Whereas the preceding Psalm 6 is a lament pleading for mercy amid illness and distress, Psalm 7 is the lament of someone wrongfully accused who protests his innocence and asks for God's judgment. The superscription calls the psalm a "Shiggaion of David" and introduces it as a song sung to the LORD "concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite." Korean Bibles, like most English ones, do not count the superscription as a verse and so number 17 verses, whereas the Hebrew Bible counts it as verse 1, giving 18.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 The psalmist takes refuge in the LORD and asks to be delivered from his pursuers, who seek to tear him like a lion.
• Verses 3–5 In the manner of an oath, he declares his innocence: if there is iniquity in his hands, or if he has rewarded evil to one who was at peace with him, let the enemy trample him. The section ends with Selah.
• Verses 6–9 He calls on the LORD to arise and judge, asking to be judged according to his righteousness and integrity. He pleads that the wickedness of the wicked come to an end and that the just be established.
• Verses 10–13 He confesses God as his shield and as the righteous Judge. For those who do not repent, God prepares sword, bow, and fiery arrows.
• Verses 14–16 The wicked conceive and bring forth iniquity, fall into the pit they themselves have dug, and find their violence coming down upon their own heads.
• Verse 17 He vows to give thanks to the LORD according to his righteousness and to sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Key Verses

• Psalm 7:9 "For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." This confession that God sees not the outward appearance but the inner heart recurs throughout Scripture.
• Psalm 7:11 "God judgeth the righteous" (rendered in the KJV margin and in many modern versions as "God is a righteous judge"). This verse expresses the understanding of God that unifies the whole psalm.
• Psalm 7:15 "And is fallen into the ditch which he made." This line carries the wisdom theme that evil ultimately returns upon the one who commits it.

People and Places

• David: The king of Israel whose name appears in the superscription.
• Cush: A man of the tribe of Benjamin who is mentioned only in the superscription. The text does not reveal who he was or what he said.

Points for Reflection

• The superscription and Cush: The meaning of "Shiggaion" is uncertain. Some regard it as a form of song expressing intense emotion; a similar word appears in Habakkuk 3:1. The identity of Cush is likewise uncertain. Some Jewish traditions reportedly took the name as an epithet for Saul, who was also a Benjamite, but this interpretation comes from outside the text.
• The protest of innocence: Many interpreters read verses 3–5 not as a claim to be entirely without sin but as a declaration of innocence regarding the specific matter of which the psalmist stood accused.
• Judgment and repentance: Verse 12 presents God's judgment as conditional on a failure to repent. For this reason, some read the verse as leaving open an opportunity for repentance. The theme of God searching the heart continues in Jeremiah 17:5–10 and Revelation 2:23, and the portrait of God as righteous Judge connects with the New Testament understanding of the Last Judgment.