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.


The title of the thridde salm. `The salm of Dauid, whanne he fledde fro the face of Absolon, his sone.

Lord, whi ben thei multiplied that disturblen me?

many men rysen ayens me. Many men seien of my soule, Noon helthe is to hym in his God.

But thou, Lord, art myn vptakere; my glorye, and enhaunsyng myn heed.

With my vois Y criede to the Lord; and he herde me fro his hooli hil.

I slepte, and `was quenchid, and Y roos vp; for the Lord resseyuede me.

I schal not drede thousyndis of puple cumpassynge me; Lord, rise thou vp; my God, make thou me saaf.

For thou hast smyte alle men beynge aduersaries to me with out cause; thou hast al to-broke the teeth of synneris.

Helthe is of the Lord; and thi blessyng, Lord, is on thi puple.

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/wycliffe/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/wycliffe/psalms/chapter-27/6">Psalms 27:6</a>.