Psalm 4

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8)

We have already discussed the relationship of Psalms 3 and 4 (see “The Text in Context” in the unit on Ps. 3), which is not coincidental. In fact, readers of the Psalms have noted the appropriateness of Psalm 3 as a morning prayer (3:5) and Psalm 4 as an evening prayer (4:8), whether the editor of the collection intended that purpose or not. As noted in our discussion of Psalm 3, the present collection is a Davidic assemblage of psalms. Beginning with Psalm 2, the editor of the collection brings together psalms that set the tone for Book 1, which is David’s conflict with his enemies and his trust in the Lord to deliver him. Psalm 4, a psalm of trust (see sidebar “Psalms of Trust” in the unit on Ps. 16), follows on the heels of a psalm that deals with Absalom’s rebellion, and the tone of this poem shifts from the crisis mode to reconciliation. Prompted by Joab, his commander in chief, David initiated a policy of reconciliation (2 Sam.

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