Psalm 54:2

Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

54:1-3 God is faithful, though men are not to be trusted, and it is well for us it is so. David has no other plea to depend upon than God's name, no other power to depend upon than God's strength, and these he makes his refuge and confidence. This would be the effectual answer to his prayers. Looking unto David, betrayed by the men of Judah, and to Jesus, betrayed by one of his apostles, what can we expect from any who have not set God before them, save ingratitude, treachery, malice, and cruelty? What bonds of nature, or friendship, or gratitude, or covenant, will hold those that have broken through the fear of God? Selah; Mark this. Let us set God before us at all times; for if we do not, we are in danger of despair.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hear my prayer, O God - My earnest cry for deliverance from the designs of those who would betray me.

Give ear to the words of my mouth - Incline thine ear to me, as one does who wishes to hear. See the notes at Psalm 17:6.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. (Compare Ps 4:1; 5:1).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

No text from Poole on this verse.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Hear my prayer, O God,.... The psalmist first puts up his petitions, and then desires to be heard; his distress, and the fervency of his spirit, not suffering him to observe order;

give ear to the words of my mouth; for the prayer which was conceived in his mind, and inwrought there by the Spirit of God, was expressed vocally.

Geneva Study Bible

Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. (comp. Psalm 39:12; Psalm 55:1). Psalm 54:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

(Heb.: 54:3-5) This short song is divided into two parts by Sela The first half prays for help and answer. The Name of God is the manifestation of His nature, which has mercy as its central point (for the Name of God is טּוב, v. 8, Psalm 52:11), so that בּשׁמך (which is here the parallel word to בּגבוּרתך) is consequently equivalent to בּחסדּך. The obtaining of right for any one (דּין like שׁפט, Psalm 7:9, and frequently, עשׂה דּין, Psalm 9:5) is attributed to the all-conquering might of God, which is only one side of the divine Name, i.e., of the divine nature which manifests itself in the diversity of its attributes. האזין (Psalm 54:4) is construed with ל (cf. אל, Psalm 87:2) like הטּה אזן, Psalm 78:1. The Targum, misled by Psalm 86:14, reads זרים instead of זרים in Psalm 54:5. The inscription leads one to think of the Ziphites in particular in connection with "strangers" and "violent men." The two words in most instances denote foreign enemies, Isaiah 25:2., Psalm 29:5; Ezekiel 31:12; but זר is also a stranger in the widest sense, regulated in each instance according to the opposite, e.g., the non-priest, Leviticus 22:10; and one's fellow-countrymen can also turn out to be עריצים, Jeremiah 15:21. The Ziphites, although Judaeans like David, might be called "strangers," because they had taken the side against David; and "violent men," because they pledged themselves to seize and deliver him up. Under other circumstances this might have been their duty as subjects. In this instance, however, it was godlessness, as Psalm 54:5 (cf. Psalm 86:14) says. Any one at that time in Israel who feared God more than man, could not lend himself to be made a tool of Saul's blind fury. God had already manifestly enough acknowledged David.