For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.
1Hear my voice, God, in my complaint.
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
2Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
from the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;
3who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
and aim their arrows, deadly words,
4to shoot innocent men from ambushes.
They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly.
5They encourage themselves in evil plans.
They talk about laying snares secretly.
They say, “Who will see them?”
6They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!”
Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.
7But God will shoot at them.
They will be suddenly struck down with an arrow.
8Their own tongues shall ruin them.
All who see them will shake their heads.
9All mankind shall be afraid.
They shall declare the work of God,
and shall wisely ponder what he has done.
10The righteous shall be glad in Yahweh,
and shall take refuge in him.
All the upright in heart shall praise him!
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