Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 54:6
I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for [it is] good.
6. I will freely sacrifice unto thee ] Or, With a free will I will sacrifice unto thee. So the LXX and Jer. R.V., with a freewill offering. But cp. Num 15:3, “a burnt offering or sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or of freewill, or in your set feasts.”
I will praise thy name, O Lord ] R.V., I will give thanks unto thy name. Cp. Psa 52:9. Lord, i.e. Jehovah, appears here, contrary to the general usage of the book. It may have been retained, or restored, in a familiar formula. For it, viz. Thy name, is good. Cp. Psa 52:9, and Psa 54:1.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I will freely sacrifice unto thee – The Hebrew words rendered freely, mean with willingness, voluntariness, spontaneousness. The idea is, that he would do it of a free or willing mind; without constraint or compulsion; voluntarily. The reference is to a free-will or voluntary offering, as distinguished from one, that was prescribed by law. See Exo 35:29; Exo 36:3; Lev 7:16; Lev 22:18; Num 15:3; Num 29:39. The idea is, that as the result of the divine interposition which he prayed for, he would bring voluntary offerings to God in acknowledgment of his goodness and mercy.
I will praise thy name, O Lord – I will praise thee. See Psa 52:9.
For it is good – That is, God himself is benevolent; and David says that he would express his sense of Gods goodness by offering him praise.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 54:6-7
I will freely sacrifice unto Thee: I will praise Thy name, O Lord, for it is good.
Thank-offerings
The closing verses of this simple little psalm touch very familiar notes. The faith which has prayed has grown so sure of answer that is already begins to think of the thank-offerings. This is not like the superstitious vow, I will give so-and-so if Jupiter–or the Virgin–will hear me. This praying man knows that he is heard, and is not so much vowing as joyfully anticipating his glad sacrifice. The same incipient personification of the name as in Psa 54:1 is very prominent in the closing strains. Thank-offerings–not merely statutory and obligatory, but brought by free, uncommanded impulse–are to be offered to Thy name, because that name is good. Verse 7 probably should be taken as going even further in the same direction of personification, for Thy name is probably to be taken as the subject of hath delivered. The Senses of the verbs in Psa 54:7 are perfects. They contemplate the deliverance as already accomplished. Faith sees the future as present. This psalmist, surrounded by strangers seeking his life, can quietly stretch out a hand of faith, and bring near to himself the to-morrow when he will look back on scattered enemies and present, glad sacrifices! That power of drawing a brighter future into a dark present belongs not to those who build anticipations on wishes, but to those who found their forecasts on Gods known purposes and character. The name is a firm foundation for hope. There is no other. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
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Psa 55:1-23
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 6. I will freely sacrifice unto thee] Or, I will sacrifice nobly unto thee. Not only with a willing mind, but with a liberal hand will I bring sacrifice unto thee.
For it is good] Thy name is good; it is descriptive of thy nature; full of goodness and mercy to man. And it is good to be employed in such a work: whoever worships thee in sincerity is sure to be a gainer. To him who orders his conversation aright, thou dost show thy salvation.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Freely sacrifice; not by constraint, as many do, because they are obliged to it, and cannot neglect it without shame and inconvenience to themselves; but with a willing and cheerful mind, which thou lovest in and above all sacrifices.
It; either thy name; or rather, to praise thy name;
is good, i.e. an act of justice, and piety, and gratitude.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. I will freely, c.or,present a freewill offering (Lev 7:16Num 15:3).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I will freely sacrifice unto thee,…. Not legal sacrifices; no, nor freewill offerings the law gives directions about, though the allusion is to them; but the freewill offerings of his mouth,
Ps 119:108; the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, on account of help, salvation, and deliverance, as appears from the following clause; which he determines to offer, not by constraint, but willingly; not by force, but of a ready mind; freely, and with all his heart. The sacrifice of his antitype is himself, his soul and body, as in union with his divine Person; and this was offered up to God, against whom man has sinned, and whose justice must be satisfied; and this was done freely and voluntarily; he gave himself an offering; he laid down his life of himself, and that for sinners. The sacrifices of his people are their prayers and praises, their acts of beneficence, and the presentation of their souls and bodies in divine service; all which they do freely, under the influence of divine grace;
I will praise thy name, O Lord; which explains what is meant by sacrificing: this is what is due to the Lord, and comely in his people;
for [it is] good; either the name of God; and therefore to be praised. He himself is good, as, he is, both in a way of providence and of grace; and it is good, both pleasantly and profitably good, to sing praises to him, Ps 147:1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
6. I will freely sacrifice unto thee. According to his usual custom, he engages, provided deliverance should be granted, to feel a grateful sense of it; and there can be no doubt that he here promises also to return thanks to God, in a formal manner, when he should enjoy an opportunity of doing so. Though God principally looks to the inward sentiment of the heart, that would not excuse the neglect of such rites as the Law had prescribed. He would testify his sense of the favor which he received, in the manner common to all the people of God, by sacrifices, and be thus the means of exciting others to their duty by his example. And he would sacrifice freely: by which he does not allude to the circumstance, that sacrifices of thanksgiving were at the option of worshippers, but to the alacrity and cheerfulness with which he would pay his vow when he had escaped his present dangers. The generality of men promise largely to God so long as they are under the present pressure of affliction, but are no sooner relieved than they relapse into that carelessness which is natural to them, and forget the goodness of the Lord. But David engages to sacrifice freely, and in another manner than the hypocrite, whose religion is the offspring of servility and constraint. We are taught by the passage that, in coming into the presence of God, we cannot look for acceptance unless we bring to his service a willing mind. The last clause of this verse, and the verse which follows, evidently refer to the time when the Psalmist had obtained the deliverance which he sought. The whole psalm, it is true, must have been written after his deliverance; but up to this point, it is to be considered as recording the form of prayer which he used when yet exposed to the danger. We are now to suppose him relieved from his anxieties, and subjoining a fresh expression of his gratitude: nor is it improbable that, he refers to mercies which he had experienced at other periods of his history, and which were recalled to his memory by the one more immediately brought under our notice in the preceding verses; so that he is to be understood as declaring, in a more general sense, that the name of God was good, and that he had been delivered out of all trouble I have already adverted, in a former psalm, (Psa 52:6,) to the sense in which the righteous are said to see the destruction of their enemies. It is such a sight of the event as is accompanied with joy and comfort; and should any inquire, whether it is allowable for the children of God to feel pleasure in witnessing the execution of Divine judgments upon the wicked, the answer is obvious, that all must depend upon the motive by which they are influenced. If their satisfaction proceed in any measure from the gratification of a depraved feeling, it must be condemned; but there is certainly a pure and unblameable delight which we may feel in looking upon such illustrations of the divine justice.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(6) I will freely sacrifice.Better, I will offer a willing (or freewill) sacrifice.
For it is good.Comp. Psa. 52:9.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. I will freely sacrifice Hebrew, with a free-will offering I will sacrifice, etc. , ( nedabah,) is always used for the free-will offering in the Pentateuch, and generally elsewhere. Its peculiarity consisted in its pure spontaneity, springing solely from the willing heart of the worshipper, without the prompting of a legal requirement or an antecedent vow, with which it, namely, the votive offering, stood in contrast. The free-will sacrifices of the text “were not spiritual in opposition to the ritual sacrifices, (as in Psa 50:14; Psa 51:17,) but ritual as an outward representation of the spiritual.” Delitzsch. The free-will offering belonged to the class of peace offering on receiving the answer of prayer, and assured acceptance and fellowship with God. The remaining members of the verse corroborate the view here given. It is good That is, thus to give thanks.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 54:6. I will freely sacrifice, &c. I will sacrifice to thee voluntary oblations. I will acknowledge thy name, for this is good. Chandler. See Exo 35:29.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for [it is] good.
Ver. 6. I will freely sacrifice unto thee ] Or, liberally; not with an ill will and pinchingly. The Arabic rendereth it, Laudabo te obediens. Praise is the best sacrifice, and obedience is the best praise.
I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 54:6-7
6Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7For He has delivered me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.
Psa 54:6 This closing strophe (Psa 54:6-7) expresses the confidence of the psalmist that God (YHWH, Psa 54:6) will act on his behalf. When He does then the psalmist will
1. sacrifice to You BDB 256, KB 261, Qal cohortative
2. give thanks to Your name BDB 392, KB 389, Hiphil imperfect used in a cohortative sense; either the name is good or giving thanks to YHWH is good, cf. Psa 92:1
Psa 54:6 has a rare use of the covenant name for Israel’s God, YHWH, in Book 2 of the Psalter.
NASBwillingly
NKJV, REBfreely
NRSVwith a freewill offering
TEV, NJBgladly
JPSOAa freewill offering
The MT has a preposition and a noun (BDB 621). It can refer to
1. voluntariness
2. freewill offering
Here #1 fits best.
Psa 54:7 He The MT has it, which would relate to Your name in Psa 54:6 (cf. JPSOA).
Not only is the psalmist delivered (BDB 664, KIB 717, Hiphil perfect) but he sees (BDB 906, KB 1157, Qal perfect) the defeat of his enemies (cf. Psa 59:10; Psa 92:11; Psa 112:8; Psa 118:7; this is culturally similar to laugh at him in Psa 52:6).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.
1. What does the word vindicate mean?
2. Who are the enemies mentioned in Psa 54:3; Psa 54:5?
3. Explain the significance of name (Psa 54:1; Psa 54:6).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
freely sacrifice: Hebrew with a freewill offering will I sacrifice. Compare Num 15:3.
LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 54:6-7
Psa 54:6-7
“With a freewill-offering will I sacrifice unto thee:
I will give thanks unto thy Name, O Jehovah, for it is good.
For he hath delivered me out of all trouble;
And mine eye hath seen my desire upon mine enemies.”
That sudden cessation of Saul’s pursuit of David in the wilderness of Maon was as dramatic and evident an answer to prayer as anyone could imagine; and David no doubt understood it to mean that God would indeed deliver him and preserve him, hence the confidence of these last verses.
“Confidence having now mounted up to certainty, and regarding his deliverance as already surely accomplished, David promises to make a freewill-offering as soon as he is able to approach the sanctuary. The freewill-offering mentioned here is the one mentioned in Num 15:3.
“And mine eye hath seen my desire upon mine enemies” (Psa 54:7). We believe this translation is defective because, as Rawlinson said, “There is nothing about `desire’ in the original. That is the reason the word `desire’ is written in italics in many versions, including the ASV. Rawlinson proposed this as a better rendition, “Mine eye has looked calmly and leisurely upon my defeated enemies.
Certainly this is a thousand times better than that of J. M. P. Smith, who rendered it, “My eye has gloated over my foes.” He then called it a “Nasty note of personal vengeance.
“This is probably not personal vindication, but an affirmation of how things must work in a world ruled by God’s faithfulness.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 54:6. It is not enough merely to speak praises to God for his favors. David proposed to make an offering that would cost him something. The motive that was expressed in this verse for sacrificing to God was reverence for his good name.
Psa 54:7. God not only desired to save David from his , but he was able to fulfill that desire through his mighty power.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
freely: Psa 66:13-16, Psa 107:22, Psa 116:17, Deu 12:6, Deu 12:7
praise: Psa 7:17, Psa 21:13, Psa 140:13
for it: Psa 52:9, Psa 92:1, Psa 147:1
Reciprocal: Lam 3:26 – good
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 54:6-7. I will freely sacrifice, &c. Not by constraint, as many do, because they are obliged to do it, and cannot neglect it without shame and inconvenience to themselves; but with a willing and cheerful mind, which thou lovest in and above all sacrifices. I will praise thy name, for it is good Thy name is not only great, but good, and therefore to be praised. And to praise thy name is not only our duty, but our interest and our happiness. It is pleasant and profitable; good for us, as well as reasonable, just, and good in itself. For he hath delivered me out of all trouble Hebrew, , michal tzarah, from every strait. Or, as the Seventy render it, , out of every affliction. He speaks of his deliverance as already effected, either to express his assurance of it, or because this Psalm was made after it was wrought. And mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies Not seen them cut off and ruined, but forced to retreat; tidings being brought to Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land, 1Sa 23:27-28. All that David desired was to see himself safe: and when he saw Saul draw off his forces, he saw his desire. The words, his desire, however, are not in the Hebrew, which may be properly rendered, mine eye hath looked upon mine enemies, that is, mine enemies came near enough to be seen by me, and that was all. God kept them from coming near me, so that they have all been disappointed of their prey. This was the very case with David. He saw his enemies with pleasure at a distance, and he enjoyed the sight; especially when they marched off and left him to escape. His deliverance was great, and was manifestly the work of God, and he gave God the glory of it.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
54:6 I will {f} freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for [it is] good.
(f) For hypocrites serve God out of fear or on conditions.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
David was so sure that God would deliver him that he spoke of offering a freewill sacrifice of worship for God’s deliverance. This would have been the peace (fellowship) offering (Leviticus 3; Leviticus 7). He believed God would deliver him because God is good (cf. Psa 52:9). In Psa 54:7, the psalmist spoke of his deliverance as already past, as a way of expressing his confidence in God. He would have found satisfaction in God punishing his enemies for their evil, not because he hated them personally.
When God’s people experience opposition from others who seek to thwart His will, they can count on His eventual deliverance. It may not come this side of the grave, but God will punish evildoers and reward those who trust and obey Him. [Note: See Swindoll, pp. 141-51.]