Psalm 3: When He Fled from Absalom

"LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah." The word "many" (rabbim) comes three times in two verses: enemies multiply.

"But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah."

"I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about." Sleep, for someone surrounded by enemies, is itself an act of trust.

"Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah."

The title and 2 Samuel 15–18

The superscription links the psalm to David's flight from Jerusalem when his son Absalom seized the throne: barefoot up the Mount of Olives, weeping, cursed by Shimei (2 Samuel 15:30; 16:5–8). Thirteen psalm titles name events in David's life (3, 7, 18, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63, 142), most from 1–2 Samuel. The psalm itself never mentions Absalom, a son or a flight.

Selah

Selah occurs 71 times in the Psalms (three times here) and three times in Habakkuk 3. Its meaning is unknown. Guesses include a pause, a musical interlude, a signal to lift the voice or instruments (from salal, "lift up"), or a point for the congregation to bow. The Greek translates it diapsalma, "interlude." The site never presents a single meaning as certain.

The poem's shape

Four stanzas of two verses each, three of them closed by selah: the threat (1–2), trust (3–4), sleep (5–6), plea and confession (7–8). The movement from "many say there is no help in God" to "salvation belongs to the LORD" answers the enemies' taunt with the same word, yeshu'ah, "help/salvation."

Are the historical titles original?

The Hebrew counts the title as verse 1 (so Hebrew 3:2 = English 3:1). The titles are ancient: they appear in the Greek translation (2nd century BC) and in Qumran Psalms manuscripts. Most scholars think the historical notes were added by editors who read the psalms alongside the stories of David, linking a psalm's mood to an episode; others defend them as authentic tradition. The Greek adds historical titles to some psalms that have none in Hebrew, which shows the practice continued after the Hebrew titles were fixed. The Hebrew preposition le- in "le-David" can mean "by," "for," "belonging to" or "concerning" David; a superscription records an ancient association, not a signature.

The versions

The Vulgate keeps the title: "Psalmus David, cum fugeret a facie Absalom filii sui." Giguet's French of the Greek omits it, as it does all titles. The Greek translates the last line "Salvation belongs to the Lord, and your blessing on your people."

In worship

In Eastern Orthodox Matins, Psalm 3 is the first of the "Six Psalms" (Hexapsalmos: 3, 38, 63, 88, 103, 143) read at the start of the morning service. Early Christian writers read v. 5, "I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me," as an image of the resurrection.