Psalms 4:4 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Psalms 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

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

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

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

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "stand", "commune", "heart", "upon", "still", and "selah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "stand" and "commune", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "But know that Jehovah hath set apart..." into verse 5's "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness And put...", so "stand" and "commune" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

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