Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 3:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 3:3. Thou, O Lord, art a shield — As a shield covers and defends the body from the strokes of an adversary, so wilt thou cover and defend me from them that rise up against me.

The lifter up of mine head. — Thou wilt restore me to the state from which my enemies have cast me down. This is the meaning of the phrase; and this he speaks prophetically. He was satisfied that the deliverance would take place, hence his confidence in prayer; so that we find him, with comparative unconcern, laying himself down in his bed, expecting the sure protection of the Almighty.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 3 -4 Morning and evening psalms

The title that introduces Psalms 3:0 indicates that David wrote the psalm after his son Absalom rose up in rebellion against him and seized the throne of Israel (2 Samuel 15:1-29). In much distress David fled Jerusalem, but he still trusted in God.

Absalom’s rebellion appears to be so successful that many people think David has no chance of escape. He seems to have little hope of saving his life (3:1-2). But David’s faith in God is unshakable. He lies down at night knowing that God hears his prayers and protects him; he wakes in the morning with renewed confidence (3-6). The dangers that face him only increase his trust in God; he expects nothing less than total victory (7-8).

Psalms 4:0 also possibly belongs to the time of David’s flight from Absalom. In this psalm David begins by praying to God (4:1), and then turns to speak to his enemies and to his supporters. He accuses his enemies of disloyalty, self-seeking and too easily believing Absalom’s lies in joining the rebellion. He assures them they will be defeated, for God is on the side of David (2-3). To his supporters David gives the calm advice that they must not have thoughts of hatred and revenge. Their thoughts must be centred on God and their actions must reflect their devotion to him (4-5).

Many people look to God for prosperity, in the belief that this will bring them contentment; but David, in spite of his distressing circumstances, finds greater contentment simply through trusting in God (6-7). With these thoughts he can lie down to sleep in peace and confidence (8).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“But thou, O Jehovah, art a shield about me; My glory, and the lifter up of my head. I cry unto Jehovah with my voice, And he answereth me out of his holy hill. (Selah)”

The Psalmist here expressed confidence that the Lord had indeed heard his cry and answered his prayer from “his holy hill,” this, from Jerusalem where God had recorded his name and where, in time, the temple would be built. There is a marked similarity here to the prayer of Jonah who also mentioned God’s answer as coming from the temple (Jonah 2:7).

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

:Title

A Psalm of David - literally, belonging to David; that is, belonging to him as the author. This is marked in the Hebrew as the first verse, and so in the Syriac version, the Latin Vulgate, and the Septuagint, making in the Hebrew, and in each of these versions, nine verses in the psalm instead of eight, as in our translation. This may have been prefixed to the psalm by the author himself, for it was not uncommon in ancient times for an author to prefix his name to his own composition, as is commonly done by the apostle Paul in his epistles. It is not absolutely certain, however, that this was done in the Psalms by the authors themselves, but it may have been done by him who collected and arranged the Psalms, indicating the prevalent belief in regard to the authorship, and under the Spirit of inspiration.

When he fled - On the occasion of his fleeing. That is, it was composed at that time, or was subsequently composed in remembrance of it. See Introduction, Section 2.

From Absalom his son - See the introduction, Section 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me - Not only in these dangers, but in all dangers. The declaration here has a general form, as if he could trust in him at all times. It shows what his feelings were on the occasion here referred to, when dangers stood thick around him, and what his feelings habitually were in times of peril. The shield was a well-known part of ancient armor, of use, according to the ancient modes of warfare, when swords, and spears, and arrows were employed, but of use only then, since they would constitute no defense against a musket or cannonball. They were usually made of tough and thick hides, fastened to a rim, and so attached to the left arm that they could be readily thrown before the body when attacked, or so that, as they were usually held, the vital parts of the body would be protected. See the notes at Ephesians 6:14-16. From this use of the shield it was natural to speak of God as the “shield,” or the “Protector” of his people - an appellation which is often given to him in the Scriptures (Genesis 15:1; Deu 33:29; 2 Samuel 22:3; Psalms 28:7; Psalms 119:114; Psalms 144:2; Psalms 33:20; Psalms 84:11; Proverbs 30:5.

My glory - My honor, or the source of my honor. That is, he bestows upon me all the honor that I have, and it is my glory that I may put my trust in him. I regard it as an honor to be permitted, in times of danger and trouble, to rely on him - a sentiment in which every true child of God will unite.

And the lifter up of my head - The head, in time of trouble and sorrow is naturally bowed down, as if overpowered with the weight of affliction. See Psalms 35:14 : “I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother;” Psalms 38:6 : “I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day.” Compare Psalms 42:5; Psalms 44:25; Psalms 57:6; John 19:30. To lift up the head, therefore, or to raise one up, is to relieve his distresses, or to take away his troubles. Such a helper, David says, he had always found God to be, and he looks to him as one who is able to help him still. That is, he feels that God can so entirely take away his present griefs as to reinstate him in his former happy and honorable condition.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

The copulative and should be resolved into the disjunctive particle but, because David employs language full of confidence, in opposition to the hardihood and profane scoffings of his enemies, ⁽³⁹⁾ and testifies that whatever they may say, he would nevertheless rely upon the word of God. It besides appears that he had previously entertained an assured hope of deliverance, from the circumstance of his here making no mention of his present calamity as a chastisement inflicted upon him by the hand of God; but rather depending upon the divine aid, he courageously encounters his enemies, who were carrying on an ungodly and wicked war against him, seeing they intended to depose a true and lawful king from his throne. In short, having acknowledged his sin before, he now takes into consideration only the merits of the present cause. And thus it becomes the servants of God to act when molested by the wicked. Having mourned over their own sins, and humbly betaken themselves to the mercy of God, they ought to keep their eyes fixed on the obvious and immediate cause of their afflictions, that they may entertain no doubt of the help of God when undeservedly subjected to evil treatment. Especially when, by their being evil entreated, the truth of God is opposed, they ought to be greatly encouraged, and glory in the assurance that God without doubt will maintain the truth of his own promises against such perfidious and abandoned characters. Had it been otherwise with David, he might seem to have claimed these things to himself groundlessly, seeing he had deprived himself of the approbation and help of God by offending him. ⁽⁴⁰⁾ But being persuaded that he was not utterly cut off from the favor of God, and that God’s choice of him to be king remained unchanged, he encourages himself to hope for a favorable issue to his present trials. And, in the first place, by comparing God to a shield, he means that he was defended by his power. Hence also he concludes, that God was his glory, because he would be the maintainer and defender of the royal dignity which he had been pleased to confer upon him. And, on this account, he became so bold that he declares he would walk with unabashed brow. ⁽⁴¹⁾

(39) L’audace de ses ennemis et risee accompagnee de sacrilege. — Fr.

(40) En l’offensant. — Fr.

(41) De la procede l’asseurance dont il fait mention puis apres qu’il marchera hardiment la teste levee. — Fr. From this proceeded the confidence of which he makes mention a little after, that he will boldly walk with unabashed brow.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 3:1-8

The third psalm is a psalm of David when he was fleeing from Absalom. Going over the Mount of Olives and out towards the Judean wilderness on news that Absalom was coming with an army from Hebron. And David pours out his heart to the Lord.

LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me ( Psalms 3:1 ).

Absalom had been able to gather much of Judah against David.

Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God ( Psalms 3:2 ).

God won't help him now.

But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head ( Psalms 3:3 ).

O God, there a lot of people that have risen against me. A lot of people going around saying, "God won't help him now." But O God, You are my shield. You are the one who lifts up my head. You're my glory.

I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill ( Psalms 3:4 ).

Now, know all of the tension that is there. He is running. He doesn't know what the future holds; this could be it. But he said,

I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me ( Psalms 3:5 ).

He was able to sleep under these conditions.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. 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 belongs unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people ( Psalms 3:6-8 ).

So the psalm begins with a cry of despair from all of the trouble. Those which had risen up against him, those who had said there was no hope. But he turns to God in this condition, and he is assured of God's strength and help. And the psalm ends, really, with a glorious note of victory, "Salvation belongs to the Lord. Thy blessing is upon Thy people." "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 3

The title of this individual lament psalm identifies the writer as David. It also uses the word "psalm" (Heb. mismor) for the first time in the Psalter. All but four of the psalms in Book 1 of the Psalter identify David as their writer, all except Psalms 1, 2, 10, , 33. The occasion of his writing this one was his flight from Absalom (2 Samuel 15-18). Fourteen psalms record the historical episodes from which they sprang (Psalms 3, 7, 18, 30, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63, 142).

In 1905, J. W. Thirtle proposed the theory that some of the titles, that appear at the beginning of some of the psalms, were originally postscripts at the end of the preceding psalm. He believed copyists unfortunately moved them. He based this theory on the fact that some Egyptian and Akkadian hymns ended with postscripts that contained the kinds of notations found in some of the psalm titles. Not many conservative Bible scholars have agreed with Thirtle’s theory. [Note: J. W. Thirtle, The Titles of the Psalms.]

In Psalms 3, David voiced his confidence that God would protect him, since he was the Lord’s chosen king. This is the first of many prayers in the Psalms. In Psalms 2 the enemies are foreign nations and kings, but in Psalms 3 they are the people of Israel.

Ironside, who believed there was a great deal of prophecy in the Psalms, wrote that in Psalms 3-7 "we have set forth in a peculiar way the sufferings that the remnant of Israel will endure in the days of the great tribulation. But they also apply to God’s people at any time while waiting for the coming again of the rejected King." [Note: Ironside, p. 27.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

David believed that God had not abandoned him, and he regarded Him as his real source of protection, his "shield." This figure of God as Protector is common in the psalms (cf. Psalms 7:10; Psalms 18:2; Psalms 18:30; Psalms 28:7; Psalms 33:20; Psalms 59:11; Psalms 84:11; Psalms 115:9-11; Psalms 119:114; Psalms 144:2). "My glory" reflects the honor of serving the eternal God who ruled gloriously over His kingdom. The king felt confident that God would restore him to his throne. The expression "lift the head" means to restore to dignity and position and reflects confidence in the Lord (cf. Genesis 40:13; Genesis 40:20; 2 Kings 25:27 [AV]). The opposite occurs in 2 Samuel 15:30. The basis for David’s confidence was the Lord’s choice of him as Israel’s king and His not choosing Absalom. It was not his knowledge of the future or his military might.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. Present deliverance 3:3-6

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

But thou, O Lord, [art] a shield for me,.... Or "about me" a protecting and defending me. David was a military man, and often alludes to military affairs; and borrows words from thence, expressive of his great security from the Lord; see Psalms 18:2. So Jehovah the Father was a shield to Christ, in his infancy, from Herod's rage and fury; and afterwards from the insults of the Pharisees, and their attempts to take away his life before the time; and in his sufferings and death, so as that his faith and confidence in him were kept up, and he got the victory over sin, Satan, and the world; see Psalms 22:9. And the Lord is a shield unto all his people, Genesis 15:1. They are kept by his power, and encompassed about with his favour, as with a shield; his veracity and his faithfulness in his promises, and his truth, are their shield and buckler: and especially his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the shield which faith makes use of, particularly his blood and righteousness, and salvation by him; which it holds up, and defends itself with, against the charges of the law, the accusations of conscience, and the temptations of Satan; and which are a security from the justice of God, and wrath to come;

my glory; who took David from the sheepfold, and made him king over Israel, and raised him to all the glory he had enjoyed; and in whom he gloried as his covenant God, and of whom he made his boast; and not of his strength, valour, wisdom, riches, and honour. So God the Father is the glory of Christ, the glorifier of him, by supporting him under his sufferings, raising him from the dead, and setting him at his own right hand, where he is crowned with glory and honour: he is the glory of his people, in whom they glory, and by whom they are called to eternal glory; and who will give it to them, and reveal it in them, even an eternal weight of it, which the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared unto;

and the lifter up mine head; such as the helmet is: the Lord was lifter up of David's head when he brought him to the throne, and afterwards gave him victory over his enemies; for so the phrase of lifting up the head signifies; see 2 Kings 25:27. And he was the lifter up of Christ's head when he raised him from the dead; and exalted him, both with and at his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, and gave him a name above every name. And he is the lifter up of the heads of his people in conversion, when he raises them from a low estate, and sets them among princes to inherit the throne of glory; and when he gives them comfort, peace, and joy, which causes them to lift up their heads; whereas in sorrow, and mourning, and distress, the head is bowed down like a bulrush, Isaiah 58:5; and when he gives them boldness and confidence, as at the throne of grace now, through the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon them; so at the bar of judgment hereafter, through the righteousness of Christ put upon them, as that they shall not be ashamed nor confounded; see Luke 21:28; and he will be the lifter up of their heads in the resurrection morn, and when they shall appear with Christ in glory.

a בעדי "circa me", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Muis, Ainsworth, Cocceius, Michaelis.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

A psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

      1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.   2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.   3 But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

      The title of this psalm and many others is as a key hung ready at the door, to open it, and let us into the entertainments of it; when we know upon what occasion a psalm was penned we know the better how to expound it. This was composed, or at least the substance of it was meditated and digested in David's thought, and offered up to God, when he fled from Absalom his son, who formed a conspiracy against him, to take away, not his crown only, but his life; we have the story, 2 Samuel 15:1-16, c. 1. David was now in great grief when, in his flight, he went up the Mount of Olives, he wept greatly, with his head covered, and marching bare-foot; yet then he composed this comfortable psalm. He wept and prayed, wept and sung, wept and believed; this was sowing in tears. Is any afflicted? Let him pray; nay, let him sing psalms, let him sing this psalm. Is any afflicted with undutiful disobedient children? David was; and yet that did not hinder his joy in God, nor put him out of tune for holy songs. 2. He was now in great danger; the plot against him was laid deep, the party that sought his ruin was very formidable, and his own son at the head of them, so that his affairs seemed to be at the last extremity; yet then he kept hold of his interest in God and improved that. Perils and frights should drive us to God, not drive us from him. 3. He had now a great deal of provocation given him by those from whom he had reason to expect better things, from his son, whom he had been indulgent of, from his subjects, whom he had been so great a blessing to; this he could not but resent, and it was enough to break in upon any man's temper; yet he was so far from any indecent expressions of passion and indignation that he had calmness enough for those acts of devotion which require the greatest fixedness and freedom of thought. The sedateness of his mind was evinced by the Spirit's coming upon him; for the Spirit chooses to move upon the still waters. Let no unkindness, no, not of a child or a friend, ever be laid so much to heart as to disfit us for communion with God. 4. He was now suffering for his sin in the matter of Uriah; this was the evil which, for that sin, God threatened to raise up against him out of his own house (2 Samuel 12:11), which, no doubt, he observed, and took occasion thence to renew his repentance for it. Yet he did not therefore cast away his confidence in the divine power and goodness, nor despair of succour. Even our sorrow for sin must not hinder either our joy in God or our hope in God. 5. He seemed cowardly in fleeing from Absalom, and quitting his royal city, before he had had one struggle for it; and yet, by this psalm, it appears he was full of true courage arising from his faith in God. True Christian fortitude consists more in a gracious security and serenity of mind, in patiently bearing and patiently waiting, than in daring enterprises with sword in hand.

      In these Psalms 3:1-3 he applies to God. Whither else should we go but to him when any thing grieves us or frightens us? David was now at a distance from his own closet, and from the courts of God's house, where he used to pray; and yet he could find away open heaven-ward. Wherever we are we may have access to God, and may draw nigh to him whithersoever we are driven. David, in his flight, attends his God,

      I. With a representation of his distress, Psalms 3:1; Psalms 3:2. He looks round, and as it were takes a view of his enemies' camp, or receives information of their designs against him, which he brings to God, not to his own council-board. Two things he complains of, concerning his enemies:-- 1. That they were very many: Lord, how are they increased! beyond what they were at first, and beyond whatever he thought they would have been. Absalom's faction, like a snow-ball, strangely gathered in its motion. He speaks of it as one amazed, and well he might, that a people he had so many ways obliged should almost generally revolt from him, rebel against him, and choose for their head such a foolish and giddy young man as Absalom was. How slippery and deceitful are the many! And how little fidelity and constancy are to be found among men! David had had the hearts of his subjects as much as ever any king had, and yet now, of a sudden, he had lost them. As people must not trust too much to princes (Psalms 146:3), so princes must not build too much upon their interest in the people. Christ, the Son of David, had many enemies. When a great multitude came to seize him, when the crowd cried, Crucify him, Crucify him, how were those then increased that troubled him! Even good people must not think it strange if the stream be against them and the powers that threaten them grow more and more formidable. 2. That they were very malicious. They rose up against him; they aimed to trouble him; but that was not all: they said of his soul, There is no help for him in God. That is, (1.) They put a spiteful and invidious construction upon his troubles, as Job's friends did upon him, concluding that, because his servants and subjects forsook him thus and did not help him, God had deserted him and abandoned his cause, and he was therefore to be looked on, or rather to be looked off, as a hypocrite and a wicked man. (2.) They blasphemously reflected upon God as unable to relieve him: "His danger is so great that God himself cannot help him." It is strange that so great unbelief should be found in any, especially in many, in Israel, as to think any party of men too strong for Omnipotence to deal with. (3.) They endeavoured to shake his confidence in God and drive him to despair of relief from him: "They have said it to my soul;" so it may be read; compare Psalms 11:1; Psalms 42:10. This grieved him worst of all, that they had so bad an opinion of him as to think it possible to take him off from that foundation. The mere temptation was a buffeting to him, a thorn in his flesh, nay, a sword in his bones. Note, A child of God startles at the very thought of despairing of help in God; you cannot vex him with any thing so much as if you offer to persuade him that there is no help for him in God. David comes to God, and tells him what his enemies said of him, as Hezekiah spread Rabshakeh's blasphemous letter before the Lord. "They say, There is no help for me in thee; but, Lord, if it be so, I am undone. They say to my soul, There is no salvation" (for so the word is) "for him in God; but, Lord, do thou say unto my soul, I am thy salvation (Psalms 35:3) and that shall satisfy me, and in due time silence them." To this complaint he adds Selah, which occurs about seventy times in the book of Psalms. Some refer it to the music with which, in David's time, the psalms were sung; others to the sense, and that it is a note commanding a solemn pause. Selah--Mark that, or, "Stop there, and consider a little." As here, they say, There is no help for him in God, Selah. "Take time for such a thought as this. Get thee behind me, Satan. The Lord rebuke thee! Away with such a vile suggestion!"

      II. With a profession of his dependence upon God, Psalms 3:3; Psalms 3:3. An active believer, the more he is beaten off from God, either by the rebukes of Providence or the reproaches of enemies, the faster hold he will take of him and the closer will he cleave to him; so David here, when his enemies said, There is no help for him in God, cries out with so much the more assurance, "But thou, O Lord! art a shield for me; let them say what they will, I am sure thou wilt never desert me, and I am resolved I will never distrust thee." See what God is to his people, what he will be, what they have found him, what David found in him. 1. Safety: "Thou art a shield for me, a shield about me" (so some), "to secure me on all sides, since my enemies surrounded me." Not only my shield (Genesis 15:1), which denotes an interest in the divine protection, but a shield for me, which denotes the present benefit and advantage of that protection. 2. Honour: Thou art my glory. Those whom God owns for his are not safe and easy, but really look great, and have true honour put upon them, far above that which the great ones of the earth are proud of. David was now in disgrace; the crown had fallen from his head; but he will not think the worse of himself while he has God for his glory, Isaiah 60:19. "Thou art my glory; thy glory I reckon mine" (so some); "this is what I aim at, and am ambitious of, whatever my lot is, and whatever becomes of my honour--that I may be to my God for a name and a praise." 3. Joy and deliverance: "Thou art the lifter up of my head; thou wilt lift up my head out of my troubles, and restore me to my dignity again, in due time; or, at least, thou wilt lift up my head under my troubles, so that I shall not droop nor be discouraged, nor shall my spirits fail." If, in the worst of times, God's people can lift up their heads with joy, knowing that all shall work for good to them, they will own it is God that is the lifter up of their head, that gives them both cause to rejoice and hearts to rejoice.

      In singing this, and praying it over, we should possess ourselves with an apprehension of the danger we are in from the multitude and malice of our spiritual enemies, who seek the ruin of our souls by driving us from our God, and we should concern ourselves in the distresses and dangers of the church of God, which is every where spoken again, every where fought against; but, in reference to both, we should encourage ourselves in our God, who owns and protects and will in due time crown his own interest both in the world and in the hearts of his people.