Psalm 7 is a song of David, known as a Shiggaion. We get the word Shiggaion from the Hebrew word for reeling or going astray. According to the Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, this could mean that this psalm is a “wild, passionate song.” This is only one Shiggaion in the Psalms, but there are two Shiggaions in the Bible. The last chapter in Habakkuk is a Shiggaion as well.
This psalm is David’s prayer for justice. He is being slandered by a man from the tribe of Benjamin. A fellow Israelite is verbally attacking him. You don’t need me to tell you that there is a lack of justice in the world. Think about it. Where there is no sense of justice, moral responsibility, or accountability, society as a whole and individual relationships collapse. David uses images from the court of law and the battlefield in response to the unjust attacks of his enemies. He invites God to intervene and bring resolution. We need to remember that above our lives in this world stands our all-powerful, eternal God. God is the righteous judge; He always answers when we bring our case to Him.
David begins his psalm, verses 1-2, with a call for deliverance. First, David takes refuge in God. Then, he flees to the Lord. David knows God is trustworthy, so he seeks salvation and deliverance from Him. We learn from David that we can call on the Lord for deliverance because of God’s character, His being faithful, loving, willing, and able to save.
David continues in verses 3-5 confessing his innocence of his enemy’s accusation. Why should God deliver David? If David has sinned, should not his sins find him out? How can a just God not allow His judgment to come upon David? David is ready to bare his soul before the God who searches and knows everything. David’s enemy has accused him of wrongdoing. David appeals to God’s justice and mercy. David has personally experienced both. David knows that his enemy is lying and is innocent of his charge. David, with a clear conscience, calls on the Lord for vindication.
Further, David asks God to bring judgment in verses 6-8. David does not take judgment into his own hands. He realizes that God is the true judge, for only God sees the heart and is totally righteous. We read in Romans 12:19, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” The feelings of revenge can be overcome by realizing that God will make all things right and that He will ultimately visit His wrath on those who deserve it. I learned long ago that I can defend myself and deal with a situation my way or allow the Lord to defend me and let Him lead, guide, and vindicate me. David placed judgment in the hands of God.
It’s important to be mindful that David is not presenting himself as one who has led a totally righteous life. He is not asking God for final judgment. David only asks for a limited judgment against the lies concerning his supposed wrongdoings toward friends and enemies. Again, it might seem odd that David asks God to judge him, even in this particular circumstance. Still, throughout all of David’s Psalms, he knows that his one hope is in God’s merciful hands (Psa 51:1, 143:1). David is not putting on blinders for his own sinfulness but for truth and objective honesty to be pursued.
Then in verses 9-13, David calls for salvation and acknowledges God’s righteousness. Having invited God’s judgment, David now cries for resolution. David knows it is God who will silence the lies and cease the attacks of his enemies. David cannot commit his case to the Lord and then execute his own judgment. Like David, we who place our lives in God’s hands must wait trustingly upon Him. David knows that God is righteous and confesses this truth. He knows God is just and punishes the wicked. However, David leaves room for repentance on the part of his enemy. He knows that God’s judgment is reserved for an unrepentant spirit. This is not merely an Old Testament picture of God. The New Testament also warns of severe judgment to come (2 Cor 5:10-11). This is why believers lovingly call people to repent and turn to the Lord. Without it, there is no hope! The certainty of the final judgment is not meant to cause anxiety for the believer; instead, it’s meant to be a matter of deep comfort.
In a rough image found in verses 14-16, David sees his enemy pregnant with evildoing. It’s these lies about David that led him in anguish to write this psalm. God’s judgment is sure. In fact, God is going to allow David’s enemy to fall by his own weight. The very pit David’s enemy dug for him, much like an animal trap, will trap him. Sometimes God executes His judgment by letting sin take its course. Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” However difficult it is to see, at times, there is a judgment of people and nations in history. I am reminded that Caesar called himself a god, but his empire is no more. Indeed, the unjust will be condemned. We learn from David that God is the true judge Who vindicates His own and judges the unrepentant but gives mercy to those who repent and turn to Him.
David concludes Psalm 7, verse 17, with a call to worship. He declares, “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” Confident that his prayer is answered, David now concludes his psalm with praise. God will save him from those who persecute him. The Lord will judge and test all hearts and minds, destroying the wicked. David affirms all that he has declared earlier in the psalm. God is righteous; He restores His kingdom; He is trustworthy, and He vindicates the innocent. Sure of God’s rescue and His justice toward his enemies, David goes out from his lament with a song of praise, “I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.” We learn from David that God is our resolution in distress, not ourselves, and before Him, we ought to sing our praises, for this is our proper response to our Lord who hears and answers.
We would be amiss if we didn’t see Christ in this psalm. After all, Jesus was perfect, did no wrong, but was treated wrongly. He was more wronged than anyone in human history, yet He opened not His mouth (Isa 53:7). And why? So that all the times we are genuinely wrong, we can be exonerated and acquitted despite what we actually deserve. Are you misunderstood today? Even if you are sure you are in the right, why not allow yourself to resist fighting for yourself and ask God to vindicate you. This psalm reminds us that in Christ, we are freed from insisting on defending ourselves now and how we can find genuine salvation in Him. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!