Ps 4

Psalms 4:1 To the choirmaster. For stringed instruments. Psalm.

By David.

Psalms 4:2 When I call upon you, answer me, God, my righteousness:

From anguish you have delivered me;

Have mercy on me, hear my prayer.

Psalms 4:3 How long, O men, will you be hard of heart?

Why do you love vain things, and seek falsehood?

Psalms 4:9 In peace I lay me down, and straightway I fall asleep:

you alone, O Lord, in safety you make me rest.

"To the choirmaster" translates the Hebrew "lamnaṣṣiḥa" ("for the choirmaster"). The word "menaṣṣiḥa" indicates someone who is preeminent, who towers above others, who is superior. In fact, St Jerome, who knew the Hebrew well, translated it in the Vulgate as 'victori', victor. "To the victor": to him who is able and worthy to win, to him whose victory is an eternal victory.

'Stringed instruments' translates the Hebrew 'negînôt', i.e. the canticle is accompanied with stringed instruments. Negînôt comes from 'nagan', to beat, to strike, and this striking was associated with the striking of the strings of certain musical instruments, such as harps and zithers, which in turn are representative of prophecy, as it is said: 'Now seek me a zither-player. As the player harped, singing, the hand of the Lord was upon Elisha" (2 Kings 3:15). But there is an even deeper meaning. It can refer to the 'striking' of affliction or to 'striking' with words. In fact, this is precisely how it is associated in Lam 3:63: "I am their mocking song [neggînātām, to strike with words]". In all the Psalms negînôt there is a note of deliverance from blows received. Perhaps this is why in the New Testament we are told to sing the Psalms with the accompaniment of the "heart". When we sing the Psalms, we must "tug" at our heartstrings: "entertaining one another with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing and praising the Lord with all your heart" (Eph 5:19).

Let us not forget that the psalms can be read and understood at three different levels: either referred to the psalmist, or referred to Christ, or referred to every man who wants to be made like the Son of God. Depending on the case, one or the other interpretation will seem more appropriate, sometimes all are justified and can go together. 

This psalm is an evening psalm, the psalm one recites before falling asleep, as v. 9 shows.

There are two interlocutors: the 'I' of the psalmist and God 'my righteousness', an expression that in biblical language means salvation, deliverance and hope. Not only the psalmist, but the one who invokes is also everyone who has placed his faith in God the Saviour. Every believer can say: 'God my righteousness'. Justice 'mine' not insofar as it belongs to me de facto and de jure, but mine in the sense that I welcome it, I receive it, I make it mine because it is given to me. The God 'of my righteousness' is the God who makes me righteous. It is not man who must do justice to himself. He must always ask the Lord to do him justice.

"From anguish you have delivered me'. The anguish from which the praying person feels liberated is compared to a prison within which man feels enclosed. Just as David is encouraged by the fact that God has already helped him so many times, freeing him, when he was caught in the grip of difficulties, so every godly man recognises that the Lord in his distress has already given him relief. Before going to bed, the psalmist sets before the Lord the events of the day he has spent. He invokes him, he asks him to have mercy, compassion, he asks him to answer his plea knowing that he can ask this because he has already known deliverance, because he has already been delivered from his sufferings in the past.

When we find the word 'anguish' in the psalter, it means 'to have breathlessness'. The anguish is precisely that of one who is out of breath. So the opposite is to be delivered, to come out of distress.

The Lord has come to his aid by freeing him from anguish, by enlarging his heart with hope, but he still remains in danger of being overwhelmed by the unrighteous and asks God to answer his prayer. That is why he prays to him, invoking mercy. When the pious man pleads for mercy, he wants the Lord to hear his prayer. He does not want his prayer to go unheard. This desire to listen must be strong in the pious man, because it is this desire that makes his prayer true.

One must not only pray. One must pray with a strong desire, a convinced will to be heard. What is the use of praying not to be heard - because one has prayed without conviction, desire, will to be heard?

"Until when, O men, will you be hard of heart? Why do you love vain things and seek falsehood?". While David is praying before God, he addresses his enemies, whom he imagines are gathered before him. Historically, it refers to the rebellion of Absalom and his conspirators. David metaphorically addresses them, accusing them of dishonouring the royal dignity he had received from God.

Hard is the heart of man, made heavy by sin. Until when, O men, will you be insensitive to the voice of God? Every man must know that there is an appointed time even for evil. God has set a limit for everything. Men must know that they will not be able to do evil forever, nor will they be able to love vain things, nor will they be able to seek lies forever. The day is coming when all this will end. It will end because God will intervene in their lives and overwhelm them.

Why do men love that which is vain, and destined to perish? And why do they seek falsehood and not truth? He who loves vain things, he who seeks falsehood, is the wicked; he in whose heart God does not dwell. The wicked is warned. There is a time when he can do and a time when he can no longer do evil. Time is always in the hands of the Lord, not of man. Lord of time is only one: God. 

 Argentino Quintavalle, author of the books 

- Revelation - exegetical commentary 

- The Apostle Paul and the Judaizers - Law or Gospel?

Jesus Christ true God and true Man in the Trinitarian mystery

The prophetic discourse of Jesus (Matthew 24-25)

All generations will call me blessed

(Buyable on Amazon)