Some thoughts....

I very nearly fell asleep in church today! Ru-roh...perhaps it would have been better to go to the late service, I don't know. Sometime during the course of the sermon I thought I heard Psalm 4 mentioned, but it's not the same Psalm 4 I remember hearing about. So. I figured, eh, what the heck, I need to get in the Word a bit and since this Psalm is short (and I currently have the attention span of a three-year old), maybe this will do! All notes are from various commentaries and maybe a few thoughts that occured to me while studying.

Psa 4:1-8
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah. But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him. Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah. Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD. There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!" You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.


Psalm 4:1-8
(1) To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
One commentary suggested that this Psalm was written in conjunction with Absalom's rebellion, but the other did not.
David addresses himself to God. Answer ("Hear" in KJV) = anaw in Hebrew, by implication means "respond." Righteousness = tsedeq, means right (naturally, morally or legally), also equity or prosperity if taken abstractly or figureatively. (I'm not quite sure how to take Hebrew in an abstract sense...so take that with a grain of salt!)
Something interesting to note...if you read carefully, you'll see that David acknowledges that God answers prayers out of his mercy (Be gracious) and not our merits (God of my righteousness).

(2) O men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah.
Wow...I feel your pain, buddy. This reminds me of work.
In the KJV, 'honor' is rendered 'glory.' Glory, at least in this case, is written 'kabod kabod'in Hebrew. I don't know why kabod is repeated twice, but that's how it's written, so that's how I'm going to write it. Kabod kabod is "properly" defined as 'weight,' and when in a good sense, can be figurately taken as 'splendor' or copiousness.' The opposite is 'kelimmah': disgrace, confusion, dishonor, shame. Love is rendered 'ahab aheb': to have affection for, sexually or otherwise. This fascinates me...was a word to describe physical affection used to describe the love these men had for vanity and lies? It was that strong? Or am I taking this out of context? Also, 'vain words'is rendered as 'vanity,'and is defined as emptiness. Huh. They love emptiness and deceit that much? Well I guess so. In the KJV 'seek after lies' is rendered 'seek after leasing.' In this case 'seek after' means specifically in worship or prayer. Of course leasing means falsehood and untruth. So, they were worshipping idols, or perhaps they just have such a strong love of deceit and vanity that it became a form of self worship?

(3) But know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
VERY interesting verse...hmmmmm.....
Know = 'yada', properly, to ascertain by seeing. There appear to be about a zillion other uses for this word, too. LORD = An indication of the Name of God, given to Moses by God himself. Rendered here as all capitals to denote a difference between LORD and Adonai (which is as much title as name). Set apart = palah: Distinguish, (literally or figuratively), also put a difference, show marvellous, seperate, set apart, sever, make wonderfully. Godly = chasiyd, or pious. Hear = shama: hear intellgently. (Listens?) So, the LORD sets apart the Godly for himself, hears their prayers, and it is obvious to those who see it.

(4) Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah.
Angry = ragaz; literally, to quiver (with any violent emotion). Ponder in your own hearts is 'commune with your heart' in the KJV. Commune is 'amar'. Amar is say, as in say to your heart.

Got to go for now, I'll finish later if possible.