Psalms 4King James Version
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. The evening psalm.
An evening psalm. It opens with a plea for mercy, then pivots sharply to address human rivals directly, asking how long they will chase illusions. It moves through personal testimony of God's enlargement, a call to still the heart on the bed, and closes in untroubled sleep. Lament bleeds quickly into instruction and then rests in peace.
When rivals press in with slander and false gods, the only reliable resting place is trust that produces sleep where anxiety would expect insomnia.
verse: "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." Counterintuitively peaceful, given the psalm opened with enemies and anger.
Superscription: 'To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.' Neginoth indicates stringed instruments. Evening context clear from v8. Likely set during a period when David faced rivals questioning his favor with God, possibly the same Absalom crisis as Psalm 3 or an earlier period of political pressure.
David speaking to God; human adversaries addressed directly in vv2-3; the righteous set apart by God. No named individuals.
Paired with Psalm 3 as morning and evening prayers, these two psalms bookend a day of crisis. Psalm 4 is particularly important for its line 'Be angry and sin not' (v4), quoted by Paul in Ephesians 4:26. It is one of the early liturgical psalms of the Western church, used at Compline.
For when resentment is keeping you awake and others' choices feel like a direct accusation against you. The psalm allows the anger, then asks you to be still and trust before the night takes it further.
1[To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.] Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.