Psalms 3: A Morning Prayer of Trust

David's cry of confidence when many rise against him.

Psalms 3: Prayer Amid Many Enemies

Psalms 3 is David's prayer during a time when countless enemies surrounded him, following the trust theme begun in Psalms 2. He calls the LORD his shield and the lifter of his head, refusing to accept the taunt that God will not help him. The psalm moves from complaint to bold confidence within a few lines.


A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. O LORD, how my foes have increased! How many rise up against me!

Many say of me, “God will not deliver him.” Selah

But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.

To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah

I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.

I will not fear the myriads set against me on every side.

Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.

Salvation belongs to the LORD; may Your blessing be on Your people. Selah

The chapter's turning point comes when David says he lay down, slept, and awoke because the LORD sustained him, a picture echoed later in <a href="/bible/bsb/psalms/chapter-4">Psalms 4</a>. It closes by declaring that salvation and blessing belong to the LORD, a phrase paralleled in <a href="/bible/bsb/psalms/chapter-27/6">Psalms 27:6</a>.