Psalm Fifty Four
by Dr. Henry M. Morris
(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?
Maschil. The superscript indicates this to be a maschil psalm, and that David wrote it as a result of the inhospitable treatment he received by the inhabitants of Ziph, south of Israel, as he was fleeing from Saul (1 Samuel 23:19-24; 26:1-2). It is both a prayer for help against those who persecute believers and a testimony of confidence that God will indeed deliver them.
Psalm 54:1 Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.
Psalm 54:2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
Psalm 54:4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
Psalm 54:5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
Psalm 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.
freely sacrifice. Christ did indeed freely sacrifice Himself to save us, and this suggests that Psalm 54 may well be a Messianic psalm, revealing the unspoken thoughts and prayers of the Lord Jesus as He suffered for us and was then ultimately “delivered ... out of all trouble” (Psalm 54:7).