Christianity

Psalms 54God Is My Helper

Summary

Psalm 54 is a brief prayer for rescue, headed with the occasion when the Ziphites told Saul that David was hiding among them. The psalmist asks God to save him by his name and judge him by his strength, because strangers and oppressors seek his life. He then affirms that God is his helper and upholds his soul, and promises a freewill offering of thanks. It ends declaring that God has delivered him.

Key verse

“Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.”

Psalms 54:4

Themes

Betrayal
Divine Help
God's Name
Thanksgiving

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.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

Christianity
1 Samuel 23: The Ziphites Betray David
1 Samuel 23:19 tells how the people of Ziph went to Saul and offered to hand David over, the occasion named in the psalm's heading.
Judaism
Tehillim 54 in the JPS 1917 Tanakh
Jewish readers note how the psalm moves in a few verses from danger to confident thanksgiving, a pattern that suits personal prayer in crisis.

Questions about Psalms 54

Who were the Ziphites?

They were inhabitants of Ziph, a town in the wilderness of Judah, who twice reported David's hiding places to Saul (1 Samuel 23 and 26).

What does save me by thy name mean?

In Psalm 54:1 God's name stands for his revealed character and power. Calling on the name is calling on God himself to act.