To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us? Of the word “neginoth,” See Gill on “Ps. 4:1,” title; and of “maschil,” See Gill on “Ps. 32:1,” title.

Save me, O God, by thy name That is, by himself, by his power, and of his grace and goodness; the Lord’s name is often used for himself. David in his distress applies to his God for salvation and deliverance, who only could give it; which was right; and his prayer was remarkably heard and answered:…

Hear my prayer, O God The psalmist first puts up his petitions, and then desires to be heard; his distress, and the fervency of his spirit, not suffering him to observe order; give ear to the words of my mouth; for the prayer which was conceived in his mind, and inwrought there by the Spirit of…

For strangers are risen up against me Meaning such as Doeg the Edomite, or Heathen soldiers, that Saul had hired and took into his army, who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; and such as these rose up against David’s antitype, the Messiah, (Ps. 2:1, Ps. 2:2) .

Behold, God is mine helper This being a matter of wonder to be helped in so extraordinary a manner, and a sure and certain case, and what was deserving the attention of others; for the encouragement of their faith and hope in like cases, a “behold” is prefixed unto it: and what is here said is true…

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies That eyed him as Saul did; that observed his haunts, where he resorted, and who were with him, as the Ziphites did under Saul’s direction; as the Word [[11]] here used for “enemies” signifies: the mischief they had devised for him, he believed, would be…

I will freely sacrifice unto thee Not legal sacrifices; no, nor freewill offerings the law gives directions about, though the allusion is to them; but the freewill offerings of his mouth, ; the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, on account of help, salvation, and deliverance, as appears from…

For he hath delivered me out of all trouble As he desired, ; that is, out of all his present trouble; not that he had no more afterwards; for as soon as one trouble is gone, generally speaking, another comes; but as God delivered him out of his present distress, so he believed he would deliver him…