1In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
2For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
3If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
4The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
5The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
6Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
7For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
📖 Chapter study
Summary
Faced with advice to flee from persecution, David declares that he trusts in the LORD, who is in his holy temple watching over everything, and who will judge both the righteous and the wicked with uprightness.
Explanation
The psalm opens by answering panicked advice: 'flee as a bird to your mountain.' Instead of fleeing, David chooses to trust, remembering that God reigns from his heavenly throne and sees everything that happens on earth. The image of God testing 'the righteous' and trying whoever loves violence shows that trust does not mean the absence of hardship, but the assurance that there is an attentive judge beyond appearances. The practical application: in the face of fear, the first question should not be 'where do I flee to?' but 'in whom do I trust?'
Fun facts
- The metaphor of the 'cup' (v. 6), containing the portion destined for the wicked, reappears in other prophetic texts as a symbol of divine judgment (e.g., Isaiah 51:17, Revelation 14:10).
- This psalm is often cited as a biblical example of courage in the face of popular advice to flee, standing in contrast to an attitude of social panic.