Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me in thy strength.

“"For aliens have risen up against me" [Psalm 54:3]. What "aliens"? Was not David himself a Jew of the tribe of Judah? But the very place Ziph belonged to the tribe of Judah; it was of the Jews. How then "aliens"? Not in city, not in tribe, not in kindred, but in flower. ...But see the Ziphites, see them for a time flourishing. With reason "alien" sons. Thou amid the Ziphites hiding saidst what? "Blessed the people whereof the Lord is its God." Out of this affection this prayer is being sent forth into the ears of the Lord, when it is said, "for aliens have risen up against me." "And mighty men have sought after my soul." For in a new manner, my brethren, they would destroy the race of holy men, and the race of them that abstain from hoping in this world, all they that have hope in this world. Certainly commingled they are, certainly together they live. Very much to one another are opposed these two sorts: the one of those that place no hope but in things secular, and in temporal felicity, and the other of those that do firmly place their hope in the Lord God. And though concordant are these Ziphites, do not much trust to their concord: temptations are wanting; when there shall have come any temptation, so as that a person may be reproved for the flower of the world, I say not to thee he will quarrel with the Bishop, but not even to the Church Herself will he draw near, lest there fall any part of the grass. Wherefore have I said these words, brethren? Because now gladly ye all hear in the name of Christ, and according as ye understand, so ye shout out at the word; ye would not indeed shout at it unless ye understood. This your understanding ought to be fruitful. But whether it is fruitful, temptation doth try; lest suddenly when ye are said to be ours, through temptation ye be found aliens, and it be said, "Aliens have risen up against me, and mighty men have sought my soul." Be not that said which followeth, "They have not set forth God before their face." For when will he set God before his face, before whose eyes there is nought but the world? namely, how he may have coin upon coin, how flocks may be increased, how barns may be filled, how it may be said to his soul, "Thou hast many good things, be merry, feast, take thy fill." Doth he set before his face Him, that unto one so boasting and so blooming with the flower of the Ziphites saith, "Fool" (that is, "man not understanding," "man unwise"), "this night shall be taken from thee thy soul; all these things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?"”

“"God, by your name." Above, in other Psalms, the Psalmist dwelt upon the iniquity of sinners as regards the affection for sin and contempt of God; here he sets forth the persecution which he suffers from them. The title: "Unto the end, an understanding of David, among songs." The first part of the title is plain. The second touches upon the history which is written in 1 Kings 23, when David came to the desert of the city of Ziph, and the men of that city accused David to Saul, and Saul persecuted him, yet was not able to seize him; whence this accusation did not harm David, in which it is signified that the Ziphites — that is, those who flourish in this world; Isaiah: "the glory of the world is like the flower of the field" — accuse the saints, yet are not able to harm them, because the saint is hidden among the Ziphites, since the saint does not flourish among sinners, but his flourishing is in what is hidden — namely, the flowers of honesty. Colossians 3: "your life is hidden with Christ." David therefore treats in this Psalm of the good who are hidden among the wicked and suffer persecution from them. This Psalm, then, is divided into three parts. First he sets forth a prayer. Second he shows the necessity of praying, at "for strangers." Third he sets forth a recompense, at "I will freely sacrifice." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the petition. Second he sets down the granting of it, at "God, hear." His petition turns on two things. For first he asks on his own behalf. Second, on behalf of his enemies. For on his own behalf he asks that he be saved, not through his own merits but on account of love of the divine name. Whence he says: "God, in your name save me." Acts 4: "there is no other name given under heaven," and so on. Proverbs 18: "the name of the Lord is a most strong tower." On behalf of his adversaries he asks for judgment, which can be understood in three ways. In one way, of the judgment of discernment — namely, that his cause be examined. Psalm: "judge me, God, and discern." In another way, that it be understood of the judgment of persecution — namely, that according to his justice God judge him, freeing him from evils. Isaiah 12: "he shall judge the poor in justice." In another way, of the judgment of condemnation. And this he does not ask out of desire for vengeance, but by conforming himself to divine justice. Or he says this by foreseeing the judgment of the wicked. And this is what he says: "and in your power judge me, God; hear my prayer." Here the granting of the prayer is set down. In prayer there are two things: namely, that which is asked for, and the asking itself. Now sometimes God grants what is asked for, and not the asking itself, because that which is asked for, one obtains from grace and mercy, and these are gifts given by God. But the asking itself sometimes proceeds from a sinner, and therefore is not granted, because it is not acceptable to God. And therefore he asks, namely, that his prayer or petition be fulfilled, when he says: "God, hear my prayer," and that God perceive his words with his ears — "with your ears perceive the words of my mouth" — which happens when God accepts and approves his words. Psalm: "my words with your ears," and so on. "For strangers have risen up." Here he sets down the necessity of praying, where he dwells upon the persecution of his enemies: first from their disposition, second from their power, third from their contempt of God. From their disposition: because when someone entirely a stranger to another persecutes him, this is dangerous, since he rises up against him without mercy; and therefore he says, "for strangers" — that is, demons, or sinners. If it be referred to any righteous man, "they have risen up against me" without any compassion or mercy. But those can be called strangers who conduct themselves otherwise than friends do, just as Saul was a stranger to David, and the Ziphites who accused him to Saul. Job 19: "my acquaintances have withdrawn from me like strangers." From their power: because when a weak man attacks, one can defend oneself; but these are strong, "for the strong have sought my soul." 1 Kings 24: "Saul chose three thousand men to pursue David." Or "the strong," that is, demons. Luke 11: "when a strong man armed," that is, the devil, and so on. From contempt of God: because sometimes someone desists from persecution insofar as he is held back by love of God. But these do not desist even for this reason, whence he says, "and they have not set God before their sight." Psalm: "for he said in his heart: God will not require it." "For behold, God helps me." Here he shows that he has been heard in prayer. And first he shows that he has been heard as to one thing. Second he sets down being heard as to other things, at "turn away the evils." It was said above that the prayer was on his own behalf when he said "save me," and for his enemies when he said "in your power." First, then, he says he was heard on his own behalf, for he says he was saved; and then he spoke of the enemies who rose up against him and who sought his soul, and in both respects he has been saved. For against the insult of his enemies he says, "behold, God helps me" — that is, he affords me help. Isaiah 50: "the Lord God is my helper." Against this — that they seek my soul — he says, "the Lord is the upholder of my soul," as if to say: the Lord has saved me by taking me up into his protection. Wisdom 3: "the souls of the just are in the hand of God." Psalm: "but you, Lord, are the upholder," and so on. "Turn away the evils upon my enemies." Here he asks to be heard on behalf of his enemies. And he asks two things corresponding to the two things they were doing to him: they were persecuting him, and they were seeking to kill him; and therefore he asks that they themselves suffer persecution and be killed. As to the first he says, "turn away" — namely, from me — "upon my enemies the evils" which they seek to bring upon me, as if to say: turn back upon them those evils which they wish to bring upon me. As to the second he says, "destroy them," that is, cause them to be destroyed, that is, killed; "and this in your power" — or, "in your power," that is, on account of your power. But this seems to be against the word of Christ, who says: "pray for those who persecute you." It must be said that all these imprecations which are read in the prophets can be understood in three ways. In one way, by way of pronouncement, because they were speaking by the Spirit of God and foretelling future things — by way of speech, as if he said "turn away," etc., that is, "you will turn away." Whence in the Hebrew it is found in the present tense, "you turn away." In another way, according to conformity with divine justice. Third, according to spiritual denunciation: sinners, when they cease to sin, then they die and cease to be sinners. And this is to be prayed for continually. "I will freely sacrifice to you." Here he sets down the recompense. And first the recompense is set down. Second, the reason for the recompense is set down. He intends to recompense with two things: sacrifice and confession. As to the first he says, "I will freely sacrifice to you." Against this, above he said "if you had desired sacrifice, I would have given it." And it must be said that here he speaks of the sacrifice which is acceptable to God, which is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit and of the chastisement of the body. 1 Corinthians 9: "I chastise my body," and so on. Romans 12: "that you present your bodies a living sacrifice," and so on. The third sacrifice is of better things. Hebrews, the last chapter: "do not forget beneficence and fellowship, for by such sacrifices God is well pleased" — that is, God is appeased. With this threefold sacrifice, then, I will sacrifice to you, freely, that is, with joy. 1 Esdras 3: "in all in which sacrifice was offered of one's own accord." 2 Corinthians 9: "God loves a cheerful giver." As to the second he says, "I will confess to your name, Lord, for" — namely, by an act of thanksgiving. Tobit 12: "bless the God of heaven," that is, give thanks. And why? Not on account of temporal goods, as sinners do, of whom it is said, "he will praise you when you have done well to him." But on account of God's goodness and kindness, and on account of the benefits received, because I have been heard in my petitions. Whence he says he was heard as to what concerns himself, when he says, "for you have delivered me out of all tribulation." And you have heard him as to his enemies, for "my eye has looked down upon my enemies," because they were not able to harm me. Or "looked down," etc., because he despised their felicity and prosperity: "he is brought to nothing," and so on.”

“For strangers are risen up against me,.... Meaning such as Doeg the Edomite, or Heathen soldiers, that Saul had hired and took into his army, who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; and such as these rose up against David's antitype, the Messiah, Psa 2:1, Act 4:27. Or rather the Ziphims, who were of his own nation, yea, of his own tribe, yet used him as barbarously as the very Heathens would have done, or worse; and who, though notwithstanding they were of Israel, might not be Israelites indeed, but strangers to an inward experience of divine and spiritual things: for men may be professors of religion, and yet be strangers to God in Christ, to Christ himself, and the way of salvation by him, and communion with him; to the Spirit of God, and the operations of his grace on the heart; to themselves, their own hearts, and their state and condition by nature; to the Gospel of Christ, and to the people of God; and these are sometimes the most violent persecutors of good and spiritual men; and oppressors seek after my soul; or "life" (i), to take it away; as did Saul and his army; who are "the mighty" or "strong ones" (k), as the word here used signifies; see Sa1 24:11; and as the Jewish sanhedrim, Scribes and Pharisees, sought after the soul or life of Christ, to take that away, as they did; they have not set God before them. They did not consider themselves as under the omniscient eye of God; they did not set his word before them, as the rule of their conduct, but cast it behind their backs; nor did they regard his providential mercies and layouts as a motive to engage them to obedience to him, but despised them; they had not the fear of God before their eyes, nor in their hearts, nor any concern for his glory; and therefore did the wicked things they did against his servant. Selah; on this word; see Gill on Psa 3:2. (i) "vitam meam", Junius & Tremellius, Michaelis. (k) "fortes", V. L. Pagninus, Musculus, Gejerus; "praepotentes", Vatablus.”