Psalm 7:1-13
A Prayer for Vindication
71 A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush a Benjaminite. O Lord my God, in thee do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me, 2 lest like a lion they rend me, dragging me away, with none to rescue. 3 O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, 4 if I have requited my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, 5 let the enemy pursue me and overtake me, and let him trample my life to the ground, and lay my soul in the dust. [Selah] 6 Arise, O Lord, in thy anger, lift thyself up against the fury of my enemies; awake, O my God; thou hast appointed a judgment. 7 Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered about thee; and over it take thy seat on high. 8 The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. 9 O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous, thou who triest the minds and hearts, thou righteous God.
10 My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day. 12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and strung his bow; 13 he has prepared his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 7:1-13
Commentary on Psalm 7:1-9
(Read Psalm 7:1-9)
David flees to God for succour. But Christ alone could call on Heaven to attest his uprightness in all things. All His works were wrought in righteousness; and the prince of this world found nothing whereof justly to accuse him. Yet for our sakes, submitting to be charged as guilty, he suffered all evils, but, being innocent, he triumphed over them all. The plea is, "For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins." He knows the secret wickedness of the wicked, and how to bring it to an end; he is witness to the secret sincerity of the just, and has ways of establishing it. When a man has made peace with God about all his sins, upon the terms of grace and mercy, through the sacrifice of the Mediator, he may, in comparison with his enemies, appeal to God's justice to decide.
Commentary on Psalm 7:10-17
(Read Psalm 7:10-17)
David is confident that he shall find God his powerful Saviour. The destruction of sinners may be prevented by their conversion; for it is threatened, If he turn not from his evil way, let him expect it will be his ruin. But amidst the threatenings of wrath, we have a gracious offer of mercy. God gives sinners warning of their danger, and space to repent, and prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish. The sinner is described, verses 14-16, as taking more pains to ruin his soul than, if directed aright, would save it. This is true, in a sense, of all sinners. Let us look to the Saviour under all our trials. Blessed Lord, give us grace to look to thee in the path of tribulation, going before thy church and people, and marking the way by thine own spotless example. Under all the persecutions which in our lesser trials mark our way, let the looking to Jesus animate our minds and comfort our hearts.