Answer Me When I Call
Psalm 4 summary: what it means
Psalm 4 is a short prayer that moves from distress to rest. It opens with a plea to be answered and given relief. Then the speaker turns to address people who are turning his honour into dishonour and chasing lies. He tells them the LORD hears the godly, and urges them to stand in awe, search their hearts on their beds, and trust the LORD. The prayer then returns to God, asking for the light of his face.
The psalm ends in bed, at night. The speaker says God has put more gladness in his heart than others feel when their grain and new wine increase. The last line is about lying down and sleeping in peace, because the LORD alone keeps him safe. The trouble is not said to be over, but the speaker can rest.
Psalm 4: Answer Me When I Call
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-4
Psalm 4 commentary: explained verse by verse
Answer me when I call, God of my righteousness.Give me relief from my distress.Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
The psalm opens with four requests in a row: answer me, give me relief, have mercy on me, hear my prayer. The speaker calls God the God of my righteousness, appealing to him as the one who knows he is in the right. Distress is named plainly at the start.
Also read Psalm 6:1, Jeremiah 23:6, Psalm 67:1, Psalm 18:18-19
You sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor?Will you love vanity and seek after falsehood? Selah.
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
Here the speaker turns from God to address other people directly. He asks how long they will turn his glory into dishonour, and why they love vanity and seek after falsehood. The complaint is about damage to his name and about lies.
Also read Psalm 58:3, Jeremiah 2:11, Psalm 5:6, Isaiah 20:5
But know that the LORD has set apart for himself him who is godly;The LORD will hear when I call to him.
But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
This is the answer to the people of verse 2. The LORD has set apart the godly for himself, and the LORD will hear when he calls. The speaker's confidence rests on being heard, not on winning the argument.
Also read 2 Timothy 2:19, Psalm 34:15, Psalm 55:16-17, 1 Peter 2:9
Stand in awe, and don’t sin.Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
The advice is to stand in awe and not sin, to search your own heart on your bed, and to be still. It is aimed at people who are stirred up, and it sends them to quiet reflection rather than action. The bed here looks ahead to the sleep of verse 8.
Also read Psalm 33:8, Psalm 77:6, Proverbs 16:6, Job 28:28
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness.Put your trust in the LORD.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
Two instructions follow: offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. The verse keeps worship and trust side by side. It completes the counsel the speaker began in verse 4.
Also read Psalm 37:3, Isaiah 50:10, 1 Peter 4:19, Psalm 26:1
Many say, “Who will show us any good?”LORD, let the light of your face shine on us.
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Many people ask who will show them any good, a question of doubt or discouragement. The speaker answers it with a prayer rather than an argument: let the light of your face shine on us. The request is for God's favour to be felt.
Also read Numbers 6:26, Psalm 44:3, Psalm 80:19, Psalm 80:1-3
You have put gladness in my heart,more than when their grain and their new wine are increased.
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
The speaker compares his inner gladness with the joy of a good harvest, when grain and new wine increase. He says the gladness God has given him is greater. His joy does not depend on what others have gained.
Also read 1 Peter 1:8, Song of Songs 1:4, Psalm 63:2-5, Psalm 92:4
In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep,for you alone, LORD, make me live in safety.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
The psalm closes with the speaker lying down and sleeping in peace. The reason given is that the LORD alone makes him live in safety. The rest comes from trust in God rather than from the trouble of verse 1 having gone away.
Also read Job 11:18-19, 1 Thessalonians 5:10, Leviticus 25:18-19, Deuteronomy 12:10
A prayer from Psalm 4
God of my righteousness, answer me when I call. Give me relief from my distress. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer. When I am drawn to love what is empty and chase what is false, remind me that you hear those who call to you. Help me to search my own heart on my bed and be still. Many ask who will show them any good. Let the light of your face shine on us. You have put gladness in my heart. Now I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone make me live in safety. Amen.
Psalm 4 Bible study questions
- In verse 2, what questions does the speaker put to the sons of men about glory, vanity and falsehood?
- In verse 7, what does the speaker compare his gladness to, and which is said to be greater?
- Verse 4 invites the reader to search their heart on their bed and be still; what might that look like at the end of your day?
- In verse 6 many people ask who will show them any good; where do you hear that question today?
- Psalm 4:6 asks for the light of God's face to shine; how does Psalm 67:1 use the same image?
Questions about Psalm 4
What is Psalm 4 about?
It is a prayer from someone in distress who is being dishonoured by others. He asks God to answer him, tells his opponents to be still and trust the LORD, and ends by lying down to sleep in peace.
Who wrote Psalm 4?
The heading attributes it to David and addresses it to the Chief Musician, on stringed instruments. The psalm itself does not describe the occasion.
What does Psalm 4:2 mean?
The speaker asks people how long they will turn his glory into dishonour, love vanity and seek after falsehood. It is a complaint against those damaging his reputation with lies.
What does Psalm 4:4 mean?
It tells stirred up people to stand in awe and not sin, to search their own hearts on their beds, and to be still. It turns them from reacting to reflecting.
What does Psalm 4:8 mean?
It describes lying down and sleeping in peace because the LORD alone gives safety. The rest comes from trust in God rather than from the trouble being over.
What does Psalm 4 say in the KJV?
The King James Version ends the psalm: "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." In verse 2 it has seek after leasing, where the World English Bible has seek after falsehood.
Psalm 4 KJV: the King James Version
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.1
O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.2
But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.3
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.4
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.5
There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.6
Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.7
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.8
Psalm 4 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
Show the text
1 לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינ֗וֹת מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
2 בְּקָרְאִ֡י עֲנֵ֤נִי ׀ אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י צִדְקִ֗י בַּ֭צָּר הִרְחַ֣בְתָּ לִּ֑י חָ֝נֵּ֗נִי וּשְׁמַ֥ע תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃
3 בְּנֵ֥י אִ֡ישׁ עַד־מֶ֬ה כְבוֹדִ֣י לִ֭כְלִמָּה תֶּאֱהָב֣וּן רִ֑יק תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ כָזָ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃
4 וּדְע֗וּ כִּֽי־הִפְלָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה חָסִ֣יד ל֑וֹ יְהוָ֥ה יִ֝שְׁמַ֗ע בְּקָרְאִ֥י אֵלָֽיו׃
5 רִגְז֗וּ וְֽאַל־תֶּ֫חֱטָ֥אוּ אִמְר֣וּ בִ֭לְבַבְכֶם עַֽל־מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם וְדֹ֣מּוּ סֶֽלָה׃
6 זִבְח֥וּ זִבְחֵי־צֶ֑דֶק וּ֝בִטְח֗וּ אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃
7 רַבִּ֥ים אֹמְרִים֮ מִֽי־יַרְאֵ֪נ֫וּ ט֥וֹב נְֽסָה־עָ֭לֵינוּ א֨וֹר פָּנֶ֬יךָ יְהוָֽה׃
8 נָתַ֣תָּה שִׂמְחָ֣ה בְלִבִּ֑י מֵעֵ֬ת דְּגָנָ֖ם וְתִֽירוֹשָׁ֣ם רָֽבּוּ׃
9 בְּשָׁל֣וֹם יַחְדָּו֮ אֶשְׁכְּבָ֪ה וְאִ֫ישָׁ֥ן כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה לְבָדָ֑ד לָ֝בֶ֗טַח תּוֹשִׁיבֵֽנִי׃
Psalm 4 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 4 there.
Show the text
1 Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.
2 When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.
3 O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?
4 Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.
5 Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.
6 Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who sheweth us good things?
7 The light of thy countenance O Lord, is signed upon us: thou hast given gladness in my heart.
8 By the fruit of their corn, their wine and oil, they are multiplied.
9 In peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest:
10 For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.
Psalm 4 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 4.
Show the text
1 In finem, in carminibus. Psalmus David.
2 Cum invocarem exaudivit me Deus justitiæ meæ, in tribulatione dilatasti mihi. Miserere mei, et exaudi orationem meam.
3 Filii hominum, usquequo gravi corde? ut quid diligitis vanitatem, et quæritis mendacium?
4 Et scitote quoniam mirificavit Dominus sanctum suum; Dominus exaudiet me cum clamavero ad eum.
5 Irascimini, et nolite peccare; quæ dicitis in cordibus vestris, in cubilibus vestris compungimini.
6 Sacrificate sacrificium justitiæ, et sperate in Domino. Multi dicunt: Quis ostendit nobis bona?
7 Signatum est super nos lumen vultus tui, Domine: dedisti lætitiam in corde meo.
8 A fructu frumenti, vini, et olei sui, multiplicati sunt.
9 In pace in idipsum dormiam, et requiescam;
10 quoniam tu, Domine, singulariter in spe constituisti me.
Printable Psalm 4: free, large print and PDF
Print Psalm 4 for free: the whole psalm or only the verses you tick. Choose regular, large or extra large print, and a plain page, a framed sheet to hang on the wall or a verse card, in the World English Bible or the King James Version. To keep a PDF, choose Save as PDF in the print window. Nothing to sign up for.
Psalm 4 at a glance
| Verses | 8 |
| Heading in the text | For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm by David. |
| Attributed to | The heading attributes it to David and addresses it to the Chief Musician, on stringed instruments. |
| Type | Prayer and Trust |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 4, the same |
Read Psalm 4 when you are facing
Psalm 4 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 4 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 4 belongs
Psalms of DavidBook 1 of the Psalms
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source