Psalms 4 (ASV)

Chapter Text

4:1 Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness; Thou hast set me at large [when I was] in distress: Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

4:2 O ye sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor? [How long] will ye love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah

4:3 But know that Jehovah hath set apart for himself him that is godly: Jehovah will hear when I call unto him.

4:4 Stand in awe, and sin not: Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah

4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in Jehovah.

4:6 Many there are that say, Who will show us [any] good? Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

4:7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, More than [they have] when their grain and their new wine are increased.

4:8 In peace will I both lay me down and sleep; For thou, Jehovah, alone makest me dwell in safety. Psalm 5 For the Chief Musician; with the Nehiloth. A Psalm of David.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "mercy", "answer", "call", "righteousness", "thou", "hast", and "large". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "mercy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The local ASV text gives this verse as the immediate unit, so "light" and "mercy" carries the first interpretive weight. In The LORD as Shepherd, the local focus is trust, covenant mercy, guidance, and worship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "light" and "mercy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.