Psalms 4:4 (GNV)

Passage

Tremble, and sinne not: examine your owne heart vpon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Nearby Context

Psalms 4:2 O ye sonnes of men, howe long will yee turne my glory into shame, louing vanitie, and seeking lyes? Selah.

Psalms 4:3 For be ye sure that the Lord hath chosen to himselfe a godly man: the Lord will heare when I call vnto him.

Psalms 4:4 Tremble, and sinne not: examine your owne heart vpon your bed, and be still. Selah.

Psalms 4:5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousnes, and trust in the Lord.

Psalms 4:6 Many say, Who will shewe vs any good? but Lord, lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "tremble", "sinne", "examine", "owne", "heart", "vpon", "still", and "selah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "tremble" and "sinne", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "For be ye sure that the Lord..." into verse 5's "Offer the sacrifices of righteousnes and trust...", so "tremble" and "sinne" 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 "tremble" and "sinne" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.