Psalm 54 1

Psalm 54:1 kjv

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

Psalm 54:1 nkjv

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, "Is David not hiding with us?" Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your strength.

Psalm 54:1 niv

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, "Is not David hiding among us?" Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might.

Psalm 54:1 esv

O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might.

Psalm 54:1 nlt

Come with great power, O God, and rescue me!
Defend me with your might.

Psalm 54 verses

Psalm 54 1 Meaning

Psalm 54:1 is a fervent prayer from David, facing severe persecution, requesting God’s immediate intervention. It articulates a plea for salvation and deliverance based on God’s essential nature as revealed in His "Name" and for a righteous verdict, or "vindication," empowered by His supreme "might." It underscores absolute dependence on the Lord amidst profound danger.

Psalm 54 1 Context

Psalm 54 is a psalm of lament and trust. Its superscription directly links it to a specific historical event in David's life: "To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, 'Has not David hidden himself among us?'" (1 Sam 23:19-23; 1 Sam 26:1). In this context, David was desperately pursued by King Saul, who sought his life. The Ziphites, people from the wilderness of Ziph, betrayed David's hiding place to Saul. David was utterly isolated and dependent on divine intervention. The verse captures his immediate, heartfelt cry for God's protection and deliverance from those unjustly seeking to harm him, setting the stage for a desperate plea for help from his divine Protector.

Psalm 54 1 Word analysis

• O God (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): This is a common Hebrew name for God, emphasizing His power, majesty, and sovereignty. It points to Him as the supreme Being, the Creator, and the only true object of worship, distinct from any false deities or human powers. David’s cry is directed to the universal, mighty God, acknowledging His authority to intervene.
• save me (הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי - hoshi'eini): Derived from the Hebrew root yasha (ישׁע), meaning to deliver, help, rescue, or grant victory. It signifies comprehensive deliverance—physical safety from immediate danger, but also rescue from despair, injustice, and even the threat of death. David is pleading for a concrete, tangible act of salvation from his desperate predicament. This is more than just preservation; it's a mighty act of God to snatch him from peril.
• by your name (בְּשִׁמְךָ - b'shimkha): In ancient Near Eastern thought, a "name" represents the full character, presence, authority, and nature of the individual. To be saved "by God's name" means by all that God is – His faithfulness, power, justice, holiness, and covenant promises. It signifies invoking His very essence and active presence for intervention. It implies an appeal to God's integrity and who He has revealed Himself to be.
• and vindicate me (תְדִינֵנִי - t'dinēni): Derived from the Hebrew root din (דין), meaning to judge, govern, plead a cause, or defend. This is a legal term. David is asking God to act as his divine judge and advocate, to rule in his favor against his accusers and persecutors. He is not asking for mere protection, but for God to actively demonstrate his innocence and righteousness by upholding justice. This suggests David sees himself as unjustly pursued and trusts God to set the record straight and demonstrate who is in the right.
• by your might (וּבִגְבוּרָתְךָ - u'vigvuratekha): Derived from the Hebrew gevurah (גְּבוּרָה), meaning strength, power, might, or valor. This refers to God's active, enabling power. If the "Name" refers to God's character and authority, "might" refers to the omnipotence and active energy required to execute His will and carry out His justice. David knows his enemies are powerful, so he appeals to an even greater, overwhelming power—God's limitless strength—to achieve the vindication he seeks.

Words-group analysis:

• "O God, save me by your name": This phrase establishes God as the singular source of salvation and emphasizes that this salvation is enacted not just by an arbitrary force, but by the very essence and revealed character of God Himself. It’s an appeal to His known attributes.
• "and vindicate me by your might": This adds a crucial legal and active dimension to the plea. David isn’t merely asking for escape but for a public demonstration of his innocence, carried out by God's irresistible power. This links God's character (Name) with His capability to act decisively (Might) in a situation of injustice. It’s a complete reliance on God's judicial and executive functions.

Psalm 54 1 Bonus section

The structure of the requests in Psalm 54:1 — "save by Name" and "vindicate by Might" — indicates a profound understanding of God's character. "Save by Your Name" appeals to God’s nature as revealed to Moses (Exod 34:6-7) and in His covenant relationship with Israel. This aspect signifies God's trustworthiness, faithfulness, and the protective quality of His very being. On the other hand, "vindicate by Your Might" emphasizes the executive aspect of God’s divine attributes. It acknowledges that justice isn’t just about judging rightly but also about the strength to enforce that judgment against powerful adversaries. The juxtaposition highlights that God's character (truth, justice, faithfulness) is inseparable from His power to act decisively in defense of the innocent and oppressed. This personal prayer is for God to visibly intervene in history, demonstrating His presence and power to both David and his enemies.

Psalm 54 1 Commentary

Psalm 54:1 opens with an urgent, direct address to God, establishing immediate reliance on divine intervention. David’s cry is born from extreme duress, where human avenues of help have seemingly failed. He appeals not to an abstract deity, but to the Elohim, the powerful God of creation and covenant. His double plea, "save me" and "vindicate me," reveals the depth of his crisis: he needs physical deliverance from mortal danger and moral exoneration from unjust accusations. The source of this salvation and vindication is anchored in two aspects of God: His "Name" and His "might." God's "Name" signifies His total revealed being – His covenant faithfulness, righteous character, and authority, offering a foundation for trust. His "might" refers to His infinite power and capacity to act decisively on behalf of His distressed servant. Together, they assure David that God possesses both the righteous character to desire his deliverance and the supreme power to accomplish it, no matter the opposition. This verse encapsulates a model of desperate, yet faithful, prayer to an all-sufficient God who hears, saves, and judges justly. It emphasizes that salvation is wholly from God, and justice rests in His hands, reminding believers to look to Him alone for their ultimate help and defense.