We are back with a new article to help you understand and analyze the texts of the Holy Scriptures. This time we will talk about Psalm 4 of the Bible, a precious text to understand the differences between doing good and sinning. Let’s get started!
Psalm 4, the message
Do you know well what are the differences between good and sinners? As good Christians, we are knowledgeable of the Ten Commandments that are shown to us in the Old Testament and serve as a guide to distinguish good actions from bad. Even so, it is often difficult to discern the correct action.
In Psalm 4 we find a beautiful text dedicated to sinners and the consequences of their actions. In addition, this psalm also carries a message of trust in God for those who believe in Him.
Keep reading because today in Your Online Bible, we bring you Psalm 4 along with a detailed analysis of its meaning verse by verse, plus a video with the text in oral version and the complete psalm in large print, so you can read it at your leisure. We recommend you to find a relaxed place where you can concentrate on the wonderful words you will find in this text.
It is also ideal to spend this time of reflection with family or friends, since at the end of the reading, you will be able to comment and pray in community.
Psalm 4 in English and large print
After listening to this beautiful audio, we leave you the complete Psalm 4 in English and with large enough print for everyone to read it without problems. It is the original KJV, the place from which we extract most of the texts on our website.
1 Answer me when I cry, O God of my righteousness.
When I was in anguish, you made me broaden;
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
2 Sons of men, how long will you turn my honor into infamy,
Will ye love vanity, and seek a lie? Selah
3 Know therefore that the LORD has chosen the godly for himself;
The LORD will hear when I cry to him.
4 Tremble, and sin not;
Meditate in your heart as you lie on your bed, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the LORD.
6 Many are they that say, Who will show us good?
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
7 You gave joy to my heart
Greater than theirs when their grain and must was plentiful.
8 In peace I will lie down, and I will sleep;
For you alone, Jehovah, make me live with confidence.
Meaning of Psalm 4 and commentary
Now that you know the words of Psalm 4 thanks to having heard and read it, we recommend that you carefully read this verse-by-verse analysis to understand the full meaning of these texts.
Surely you have already noticed that this psalm is dedicated to distinguishing the righteous from sinners and condemning the latter. As Christians, our goal and way of life should focus on following the path of the Lord’s light and recognizing our sins when we commit them.
The main message of Psalm 4 is to teach us how the right way is to love our Lord and to thank Him for the love He gives us. It is thanks to this love that we can live in peace and feel that we are protected by God’s watchful eye.
Before analyzing the verses of the psalm, let’s give you the context in which it is found in the bible. The psalms belong to the Book of Psalms of the Old Testament, most of which is written by King David. These texts are intended to teach readers and establish rules of behavior in accordance with the Word of God.
Let us now analyze in detail each of the verses found in this precious text. Remember that, if you do not remember the text well, we let you read the whole fragment or just the part in question and you will be able to follow the commentary better.
Verse-by-verse explanation of Psalm 4
- Verse I
Answer me when I cry, O God of my righteousness.
When I was in anguish, you made me broaden;
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
In this first verse of Psalm 4, we find a direct appeal to the Lord by David. This is a gesture that many times we may be afraid to do when we pray, but it is important that our prayers are directed to God. Doing so denotes great passion and will give us a special feeling of companionship and protection.
The last phrase of the verse shows how David has been helped before by God and again asks for help. The Lord will listen to us whenever we need help, although we should not abuse ourselves by asking for things in vain.
- Verse II
Answer me when I cry, O God of my righteousness.
When I was in anguish, you made me broaden;
Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
Here David clearly addresses sinners, asking them this important question: How long?
In our life, many times we will find ourselves doing actions that we know they are not and yet we will commit them just because we are human beings who make mistakes by nature. It is then that we must ask ourselves: How long will I continue on this path? And then seek a solution with God’s help.
The word “selah” is a Hebrew nickname that has no English translation and is very frequent in the Psalms. It means something like “stop and listen”.
- Verse III
Know therefore that the LORD has chosen the godly for himself;
The LORD will hear when I cry to him.
In this verse the author reminds us that our God is love, unlike the gods believed in by the cultures present at that time. Thus, the good, the just and the pious will be the one who will be saved and protected by God.
Our Lord will hear our words if we follow his way and do good, just as he heard David’s words when he prayed with his people.
- Verses IV – V
Tremble, and sin not;
Meditate in your heart as you lie on your bed, and be silent. Selah
Offer sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the LORD.
Verses 4 and 5 are a continuation of the previous message. David invites us to pray in the quiet of our home and above all to listen to the Word of God. We learn the most by listening and not by talking.
When he speaks of sacrifices, he means that true Christians are those who dedicate part of their time and effort to worship God, being grateful for what He gives us.
- Verse VI
Many are those who say: Who will show us the good?
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O LORD.
At this point we may wonder: How will I know how to distinguish the path of good from the path of evil?
David does not hesitate to answer. The path that God is on, the one that is in accordance with his teachings, that will be the path of good. All others will lead us down the paths of sin and bring us an unhappy life.
This is a description that does not need details. We will know how to recognize the right path when we doubt, since it will always be the path of love.
- Verse VII
You gave joy to my heart
Greater than theirs when their grain and must was plentiful.
In the penultimate verse David explains how the happiness that God gives us is not comparable to anything material in our world. No matter how much people strive to accumulate wealth and material goods, they will never be as happy as those who dedicate their lives to the Lord.
- Verse VIII
In peace I shall lie down, and sleep likewise;
For you alone, Jehovah, make me live with confidence.
Coming to the last verse of Psalm 4, we find a powerful message of confidence. We can live in peace because God is at our side and will never leave us. The Lord takes care of us and watches over our safety and thanks to Him, we will always be safe.
Here we end this article on Psalm 4 of the Bible! We sincerely hope you had a nice time of reflection and if necessary, with these Christian messages we wish you a very good night,see you in the next article!