Psa 7:3 | KingComments | STEP | In he addressed God as “LORD my God” and he does so again in . Now he wants to focus God’s attention on his innocence. There is a lot of slander being spread around about him. Nabal once called him a “servant … breaking away from his master” ( ). There have been more such totally unjustified accusations. Absalom, for example, has suggested that you should not be with David but with him to get your justice ( ). That has also done its pernicious work in people’s minds. Of all the allegations, nothing is true. David pleads in a penetrating and convincing way that he is innocent. He lists some things that show what he is accused of ( ). The first is that injustice would be in his hands. Indeed, he has sinned. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and he had Uriah killed. But he has confessed that and he is undergoing the punishment that God has imposed on it. Therefore, there is no ground for accusation, neither by evil speakers nor by his own conscience. Another accusation is that he has rewarded evil to his friend [friend is literally: to him who was at peace with him] (cf. ; ). But it is precisely the other way around. Someone who made his life difficult for no reason, he saved from distress. If any of the accusation were true, yes, let God give the enemy a free hand. David says that the enemy, in case he were guilty, may do with him what he intends ( ). Let him successfully “pursue” him and “overtake” him and seize him. His life he may “trample … down to the ground”, that is, he may kill him in a vile manner (cf. ). He may also lay his glory or honor, which is all that has given his life value and meaning, in the dust, that is, he may shower him with disgrace even after his death. David is here also a picture of the believing remnant who have confessed their share of the people of Israel’s sin – the rejection of Christ and the acceptance of the antichrist ( ). This brings the remnant to self-examination and the question to God: “Search me, O God, and know my heart” ( ).

‏ Psalms 7:3

Declaration of Innocence

In Psa 7:1b he addressed God as “LORD my God” and he does so again in Psa 7:3. Now he wants to focus God’s attention on his innocence. There is a lot of slander being spread around about him. Nabal once called him a “servant … breaking away from his master” (1Sam 25:10). There have been more such totally unjustified accusations. Absalom, for example, has suggested that you should not be with David but with him to get your justice (2Sam 15:3-4). That has also done its pernicious work in people’s minds.

Of all the allegations, nothing is true. David pleads in a penetrating and convincing way that he is innocent. He lists some things that show what he is accused of (Psa 7:4). The first is that injustice would be in his hands. Indeed, he has sinned. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and he had Uriah killed. But he has confessed that and he is undergoing the punishment that God has imposed on it. Therefore, there is no ground for accusation, neither by evil speakers nor by his own conscience.

Another accusation is that he has rewarded evil to his friend [friend is literally: to him who was at peace with him] (cf. Psa 41:9; Jer 38:22). But it is precisely the other way around. Someone who made his life difficult for no reason, he saved from distress. If any of the accusation were true, yes, let God give the enemy a free hand.

David says that the enemy, in case he were guilty, may do with him what he intends (Psa 7:5). Let him successfully “pursue” him and “overtake” him and seize him. His life he may “trample … down to the ground”, that is, he may kill him in a vile manner (cf. 2Kgs 7:17). He may also lay his glory or honor, which is all that has given his life value and meaning, in the dust, that is, he may shower him with disgrace even after his death.

David is here also a picture of the believing remnant who have confessed their share of the people of Israel’s sin – the rejection of Christ and the acceptance of the antichrist (Jn 5:43). This brings the remnant to self-examination and the question to God: “Search me, O God, and know my heart” (Psa 139:23a).