“Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” Psalm 3:8.

(Note “Psalm 3:8” is a reference to the Bible, which is a collection of books. It means that the quotation above referred to as “Psalm 3:8” is taken from the book of Psalms in the Bible, the 3^rd chapter, and the 8^th verse, where a chapter consists of numbered sections called verses.)

The Bible verse quoted above comes in the context of a time of danger. Before we look at the literal and spiritual meanings of the verse, we will look at what is the Bible, an overview of the book of Psalms in the Bible, at David who is the author of our psalm of focus, namely, Psalm 3, and the backstory to Psalm 3.

What is the Bible?

The King James Version of the Bible (KJV) consists of a collection of 66 books. The first 39 books are referred to as the Old Testament and the remaining 27 books are referred to as the New Testament. The KJV is an English translation of the Bible which was originally written in ancient languages—the Old Testament in the Hebrew and Aramaic languages and the New Testament in the Greek language. The book of Psalms is found in the Old Testament.

The Old Testament of the Bible comes down to us today in the twenty-first century through the Hebrews, also known as the Jews. It was written over a period of approximately 1,600 years by about 40 authors. The present division of the Old Testament of the KJV into three sections—historical, poetical, and prophetic—consisting of 39 books, differs from the three main divisions of the Hebrew Bible consisting of 24 books.

These three divisions of the Hebrew Bible are (1) The Law (torah), (2) The Prophets (nebi’im), and (3) The Writings (kethubim), where the words in brackets are an English transliteration of the Hebrew title. Since the Psalms was considered the most important part of The Writings by the Jews, that title “Psalms” was often used as a figure of speech to stand for The Writings. Therefore, the Hebrews, the Jews, frequently spoke of the three divisions of their sacred writings as “the law…and…the prophets…the psalms.” Luke 24:44.

The Book of Psalms

The book of Psalms in the Bible, also known as the Psalter, is a collection of 150 sacred songs of praise and thanksgiving to God to be sung to musical accompaniment.

Altogether, eight persons are mentioned in the superscriptions, or titles, to the various psalms as authors, contributors, compilers, musicians, or others associated with the composition, compilation, and use of the sacred lyrics. It is evident that the writing of the individual psalms and their collection and arrangement in the book of Psalms occupied a space of many centuries. For example, there is a period of some 900 years between the writing of Psalm 90, which is attributed to Moses, and Psalm 137, which describes the Babylonian captivity of ancient Israel.

Certain words or phrases in the superscriptions of many of the psalms are thought to indicate the nature or type of psalm being introduced, such as:

• A song designed to be sung to the accompaniment of stringed instruments.
• Prayer.
• To teach.
• “To bring to remembrance,” an indication that these psalms were intended to be sung during the incense in the morning and evening Temple ritual.
• “Of praise,” a possible indication of its use at the time of the thank offering to God.

Other words or phrases in the superscriptions may suggest melodies to accompany the psalms, probably tunes that were well known in the ancient Temple ritual. Still others seem to indicate the kind of orchestral instruments used to accompany the singing or chanting of the psalms.

The dominant theme of the book of Psalms is humanity’s great need and God’s gracious provision for meeting that need. For throughout the whole collection of psalms, God is exalted as the solution to humanity’s problems, the All in all: our hope, our confidence, our strength, our triumph. Among the many phases of development in the psalmist’s treatment of his grand theme, the psalms in one way or another cover the whole range of human experience and gives expression to practically every human emotion.

The psalms also cover subjects such as the devout person, God who is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, God’s government, real religion, petition and thanksgiving to God, the contemplation of nature, the history of God’s people who were ancient Israel, righteousness which is right-doing, the privilege and responsibility of the child of God (those who are in right standing before God), trouble, pain, and sickness. Other topics include prophecy, penitence, the denunciation of the enemies of God and His people, the denunciation of the sinner who is one who does evil, prayer, praise, adoration of God, and songs for the pilgrim.

For the expression of the vast theme of the Psalms in its many phases, the psalmists chose the literary form of poetry as the fittest means of expressing mankind’s deepest insights and highest aspirations in his desire for fellowship with God. Hebrew poetry, which comes to its point of highest excellence in Psalms, is entirely different in nature from the poetry of the western world.

The significant feature of Hebrew poetry is the rhythm of thought called parallelism, or balanced structure, the setting of line against line in a variety of patterns. The Bible reader may take satisfaction in the fact that this eastern metrical form loses little, if any, of its validity in the English of the King James Version of the Bible, as one grows used to the recurrence of phrase after phrase, arranged according to a wide range of variations in balance.

Foremost in the names occurring in the superscriptions of the Psalms is that of David. Out of a total of 150 psalms, 73 psalms carry in their superscription the words “of David.” The psalms of David pass through the whole range of experience, from the depths of conscious guilt and self-condemnation to the loftiest faith and the most exalted communing with God.

David

Like many Jewish boys, David was early placed in charge of the family’s few sheep. As a shepherd boy he showed unusual bravery by singlehandedly killing a bear and a lion. After God rejected Saul, Israel’s first king, God sent the prophet Samuel to secretly anoint David as king of Israel. “And the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.” 1 Samuel 16:13. Thus, he had the divine influence with him.

David was a skillful musician and his reputation was such that when Saul, plagued by fits of melancholy after God’s Spirit departed from him, sought relaxation in music, David was chosen to play music before the troubled king. David was a poetic genius of the very highest order as a large number of the psalms in the Bible, some of the greatest masterpieces of spiritual literature, are accredited to him.

The Israelites were confronted by their enemy the Philistines who had at the forefront of their army the giant named Goliath. While Israel trembled in fear before Goliath, David confronted Goliath and killed him. His heroic feat wins the admiration of the people and the people’s praises for David arouse the hatred of Saul for David. Saul seeks to kill David and so David spent many years of wilderness life fleeing from Saul, a life which called into exercise courage, fortitude, patience, and faith in God, as God prepared him for the throne of Israel.

David became king after Saul’s death and in his 40 years as king he was an able general of Israel’s army conducting military campaigns with great success. David, as the second king of ancient Israel (reigning from about 1011 B.C. to 971 B.C.), was the founder of a Hebrew dynasty that lasted for about 425 years. Although he committed grievous sins which is evil and wrongdoing, he fully repented and was forgiven by God. According to his contrition, he knew how to accept the results of his transgressions, his wrongdoing, without rebelling against God. David was a great religious leader, a true servant of God. He was an ancestor of Christ, when Christ was born in human flesh approximately 2,000 years ago as the baby boy named Jesus.

During his lifetime, two of his sons, Absalom and Adonijah, rebelled against him and they sought to kill him and take the throne of Israel by force. Psalm 3 was written by David at the time of Absalom’s rebellion and this the subject to which we now turn.

Psalm 3

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

“LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.” Psalm 3:1, 2.

“But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.” Psalm 3:3, 4.

“I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.” Psalm 3:5, 6.

“Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.” Psalm 3:7.

“Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” Psalm 3:8. 

The Backstory to Psalm 3

According to the superscription, Psalm 3 was written by David when he fled from Absalom his son. Spent with grief and the weariness of his flight from Jerusalem, David with his company tarried beside the Jordan River for a few hour’s rest. He was awakened by the summons to immediate flight to save his life. In the darkness the passage of the deep and swift-flowing stream must be made by that whole company of men, women, and little children, for pursuing them were the forces of his son, the traitor.

Somewhere east of the Jordan River, David comforts himself by composing Psalm 3, which is often called a Morning Prayer. In the hours of darkest trial, David sang this supremely noble and sacred song of trust in God in the face of the enemy.

The Literal Meaning

Our focus in this post is on verse 8, the last verse, of Psalm 3: “Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” Psalm 3:8. The literal meaning of this verse is an exclamation of confidence in God and a prayer for God’s blessing on His people.

David has confidence in God as a Saviour, One who saves from trouble, because he could say from past experience, “The LORD [God] is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer.” 1 Samuel 22:2. “Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.” Psalm 59:17.

In Psalm 3:8, in his magnanimity, David turns his thoughts away himself and his own peril to the condition of his people, his nation, not only to those people who had remained faithful to him, but to those people who had revolted, for David prays for blessings for all from God. Here David demonstrates largeness of heart and the lack of a revengeful spirit. “Selah” (Psalm 3:8) may have indicated a pause in the song and could be interpreted as “pause and reflect on what has just been said.” What a wonderful end to a sacred song of trust!

The Spiritual Meaning

Christ came into this world in human flesh and of His earthly mother it was said, “she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21. Here Jesus Christ is referred as a Saviour, One who saves from sin “for the wages of sin is [eternal] death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

“Wherefore, as by one man” (Romans 5:12), Adam, the first human being who God created, “sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 5:12. “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God” (Romans 5:15), God’s unmerited favour to humanity, “and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” Romans 5:15.

What is the “free gift” (Romans 5:15)? It is “the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) whereby the individual who receives it changes from a character of selfishness to a character of love. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Romans 5:19.

“For by grace are ye saved [from eternal death] through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10.

Faith in God, a confidence that God is able to change us from sin to holiness, in essence an agreement with the will of God, is the key to the change of heart in the individual necessary for him or her to gain eternal life. Why faith? The reason is that God will not force us to change our characters. He will go against our own will in this matter. If we desire no change and become fixed in our decision, God will leave us to reap the consequence of eternal death for our sins.

So, spiritually, Psalm 3:8 may be interpreted to have an application to our salvation from sin. In this verse David also speaks of blessings for God’s people. Who are God’s people? They are those people who through faith in Christ have received “the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) and, hence, they are those people for whom love is now the spring from which all their actions flow.

Many are the temporal blessings of God such as food, wealth, rain to water the crops, peaceful sleep, and so on, but spiritually, God has many blessings for humanity through His grace. For “blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3. These spiritual blessings all prepare the individual receiving them for “the gift of God [which] is eternal life.” Romans 6:23. They all prepare the character of the individual to “be holy and without blame before him [God] in love.” Ephesians 1:4.

This then is the spiritual meaning of Psalm 3:8. It relates to salvation from sin, including the necessary spiritual blessings received through the grace of God to cause the individual to be saved from eternal death.

How This Blog Teaches Bible Study

My blog posts take one or more Bible verses and unpack what is often the hidden meaning in them, to help you to gain in your understanding of the Bible, and to receive insights into how to study it. For God says, “Study [the Bible] to shew [show] thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [interpreting] the word of truth [the Bible].” 2 Timothy 2:15. There are new blog posts every two weeks on a Monday at 12:01 a.m. in timezone UTC-5 (GMT-5).

Further Reading

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