Psalms 54:7

For he hath delivered me out of all trouble,.... As he desired, 1 Samuel 26:24; that is, out of all his present trouble; not that he had no more afterwards; for as soon as one trouble is gone,

For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies. For he hath delivered me out of all trouble.

He speaks of it as a thing already done, either to express his assurance of it, or because this Psalm was made after it was done. His desire; or, thy vengeance; which may be understood out of . But there is no necessity of any supplement. The words in the Hebrew run thus, mine eye hath looked upon mine enemies; either with delight, as this phrase signifies, 27:4, and elsewhere; or without fear or shame. I shall not be afraid to look them in the face, having God on my side.

Psalms 54:7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen [his desire] upon mine enemies.Ver. 7. For he hath delivered me] i.e. He surely will. This is the language of faith; this is the triumph of trust. And mine eye hath seen my desire upon mine enemies] This was not an evil eye of envy or private revenge; such as was that of him, who, when he saw a pit full of man’ s blood, cried out, O formosmn spectaculum! O brave sight! or that of Antichrist, who hath oft glutted his eyes with many such goodly bloody sights; as when he caused the massacre of Paris to be painted in his palace, and had the admiral’ s head sent him for a present; but as admiring God’ s justice on his enemies, and love towards his people, he was well pleased with such a providence, and beheld it with comfort (Thuan.). The Arabic rendereth it, Oculus meus requievit. My eye rested. Tremellius, mine eye beholdeth mine enemies; I dare now boldly look them in the face, being strengthened with thy night, &c.

(7) This verse does not actually state what has happened, but, according to a well-known Hebrew idiom should be rendered, When he shall have delivered, &c Hath seen his desire.—Or, hath gloated on The Hebrews use the words seeing and looking very expressively, making the simple verb do almost what the eye itself can do: show hatred, love, triumph, defeat, wistfulness, disgust, &C (See Psalms 35:21; Psalms 52:6; Psalms 59:10; Psalms 92:11; Son 6:13; &c)

Verse 7. For he hath delivered me] Saul had now decamped; and was returned to save his territories; and David in the meanwhile escaped to En-gedi. God was most evidently the author of this deliverance. Mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.] It is not likely that this Psalm was written after the death of Saul; and therefore David could not say that he had seen his desire. But there is nothing in the text for his desire; and the words might be translated, My eye hath seen my enemies-they have been so near that I could plainly discover them. Thus almost all the Versions have understood the text. I have seen them, and yet they were not permitted to approach me. God has been my Deliverer. ANALYSIS OF THE FIFTY-FOURTH PSALM There are three parts in this Psalm: - I. David's prayer for help and salvation, Psalms 54:1-3. II. His confidence that he should have help, Psalms 54:4-5. III. His gratitude and obedience, Psalms 54:6-7. 1. David's petition: 1. "Save me." 2. "Plead my cause." 3. "Hear my prayer." 4. "Give ear to my words." He is much in earnest; and yet does not desire his prayer to be heard unless his cause be just. If just, then let God plead it. 2. He produces two grounds upon which he petitions: 1. God's name. 2. God's strength. 1. He that calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved; I call: "Save me in thy name!" 2. Thou art a powerful God, able to do it: "Save me in thy strength." The greatness of his danger causes him to urge his prayer. 1. His enemies were strangers; from whom no favour could be expected. 2. They were violent oppressors - formidable, cruel tyrants, from whom he could expect no mercy. 3. They were such as could be satisfied with nothing less than his blood: "They rise to seek after my life." 4. They had no fear of God: "They have not set God before them." II. Notwithstanding they are all that I have already stated; and, humanly speaking, I have nothing but destruction to expect; yet I will not fear: because, 1. God is with me. 2. He is against them. 1. "God is my helper:" as he has promised, so he has done, and will do, to me. 2. "God is with them also who uphold my soul. Selah." Behold this! But he opposes them who oppose me; is an enemy to them who are mine enemies. 1. "He shall reward evil" to such: of this being assured, he proceeds to imprecate. 2. Destroy thou them: "Cut them off in thy truth." Thou hast promised that it shall be well with the righteous; and that snares, fire, and brimstone, shall be rained on the wicked. Let God be true: Fiat justitia; ruat coelum, pereat mundus. They must be cut off. III. For such a mercy David promises not to be unthankful. 1. For this he would offer a princely sacrifice: "I will freely sacrifice." 2.

7. For he hath delivered me] Such a transition from the second person of Psa 54:6 to the third person is quite possible: cp. the converse transition in Psalms 54:5 : but the subject of the verb maybe ‘the Name of Jehovah.’ Cp. Leviticus 24:11; Isaiah 30:27. The perfect tense (‘hath delivered’ … ‘hath seen’) looks back from the hour of thanksgiving upon an answered prayer. Cp. Psalms 52:9, “because thou hast done it.” hath seen his desire] Cp. Psalms 37:34; Psalms 52:6; Psalms 59:10; Psalms 92:11; Psalms 112:8; Psalms 118:7. Such rejoicing over the fall of enemies is not of the spirit of the Gospel. But the ‘salvation’ for which the Psalmist prays is a temporal deliverance, which can only be effected at the expense of the implacable enemies who are seeking his life; and it will be a vindication of God’s faithfulness and a proof of His righteous government at which he cannot but rejoice. The defeat of evil and the triumph of good presented themselves to the saints of the O.T. in this concrete form, which sometimes has a ring of personal vindictiveness about it, yet, fairly considered, is in its real motive and character elevated far above a mere thirst for revenge. See Introd. pp. lxxxviii ff.

For he hath delivered me out of all trouble - This is spoken either in confident expectation of what would be, or as the statement of a general truth that God did deliver him from all trouble.

7. Hath delivered… hath seen—The past tense of the verbs is the language of faith, which speaks of future events as already accomplished, “and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” Romans 4:17.