Psa 4:1 | NETfull | STEP | When I call out, answer me, O God who vindicates me! Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. Have mercy on me and respond to my prayer!

Psalms 4:1

1 When I call out, answer me,
O God who vindicates me! ^{▼▼ Heb “God of my righteousness.”}
Though I am hemmed in, you will lead me into a wide, open place. ^{▼▼ Heb “in distress (or “a narrow place”) you make (a place) large for me.” The function of the Hebrew perfect verbal form here is uncertain. The translation above assumes that the psalmist is expressing his certitude and confidence that God will intervene. The psalmist is so confident of God’s positive response to his prayer, he can describe God’s deliverance as if it had already happened. Such confidence is consistent with the mood of the psalm (vv. 3, 8). Another option is to take the perfects as precative, expressing a wish or request (“lead me”). See IBHS 494–95 #30.5.4c, d. However, not all grammarians are convinced that the perfect is used as a precative in biblical Hebrew.}
Have mercy on me ^{▼▼ Or “show me favor.”} and respond to ^{▼▼ Heb “hear.”} my prayer!