For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David.
1Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones?
Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men?
2No, in your heart you plot injustice.
You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.
3The wicked go astray from the womb.
They are wayward as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
4Their poison is like the poison of a snake,
like a deaf cobra that stops its ear,
5which doesn’t listen to the voice of charmers,
no matter how skillful the charmer may be.
6Break their teeth, God, in their mouth.
Break out the great teeth of the young lions, Yahweh.
7Let them vanish like water that flows away.
When they draw the bow, let their arrows be made blunt.
8Let them be like a snail which melts and passes away,
like the stillborn child, who has not seen the sun.
9Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns,
he will sweep away the green and the burning alike.
10The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance.
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
11so that men shall say, “Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous.
Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth.”
David is a key figure in the Bible. He was the son of Jesse, the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:17, 22), and father of King Solomon. In the sovereign choice of God, David the shepherd became David the King and ancestor of the future Messiah, Jesus. He was born in Bethlehem in the land of Judah, being the son of Jesse and the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 4:17, 22). After the death of King Saul, this shepherd was chosen by God to be the chief shepherd of His people, Israel. He is notable for being the young man who stood up to the giant Goliath on behalf of the people of Israel. David had many flaws in his character, but was beloved by God.
In addition to David's various military and political achievements, he was also renowned as a musician and wrote several of the Psalms. Ruth 4.22; 1 Samuel 16.11-1 Kings 2.12, 32; 8.17-20; 9.4; 2 Kings 21.7; 1 Chronicles 2.15; 3.1-9; 6.31; 10.14-29.30; Psalms 3-9; 11-32; 34-41; 51-65; 68-70; 86; 89.3, 20, 35, 49; 101; 103; 108-110; 122.5; 124; 131; 132.1, 10, 11, 17; 138-145; Isaiah 29.1; Ezekiel 37.24, 25; Matthew 1.1, 6, 17; 12.3; Luke 3.31; 6.3; 20.41-44; John 71.42; Acts 2.25-31; 4.25,26; 7.45, 46; 13. 22, 23, 34, 36; Hebrews 4.7; 11.32; Revelation 3.7; 22.16.
Biographies of Bible Characters, People and Characters in the Bible