Psalm 7: A Prayer for Exoneration

Psalm 7 is a prayer for vindication and affirmation that God protects the righteous and punishes the wicked according to His law.

This psalm may have been written during the time David was in exile.

It might also have been written during the time he was hunted by Saul.

Either way, it is a plea for justice. The enemy is like a savage lion, seeking to destroy body and soul (v. 2). David is not aware of any wrongdoing on his part. In fact, he had done just the opposite; he had saved his enemy’s life during battle (v. 4).

David would rather die than live under false criticism (v. 5).

The psalmist asks God to sit in judgment upon those who spitefully use him (v. 6).

“David asks God to vindicate the principles of His moral government (see Gen. 18:25).” The people watching David’s predicament will rejoice when they see God intervene on his righteous behalf (Psalm 7:7). David is confident that he is not guilty of the crimes of which he is accused. He calls on God to judge him according to his honesty (v. 8).

“Although we should continually feel unworthy of salvation, it is proper, when we are unjustly accused, to pray that according to His will God will vindicate us in a particular case, and declare us innocent of false charges.” Because God will never countenance sin, David trusts Him to eventually defend the innocent and punish the wicked (vv. 9–11).

“The law that punishment inevitably falls upon the unrepentant sinner is made clear by representing God as a mighty warrior preparing His weapons for the punishment of the wicked (see Deut. 32:41–43).” David describes the sinner as a man digging a hole in loose soil. The deeper he digs, the more dirt caves in on him (Psalm 7:15).

The evil he seeks to work upon others becomes his own (Esther 3–7; Proverbs 26:27; Ecclesiastes 10:8). David closes by praising God as the worthy Judge of all humankind (Psalm 7:17). “The judgment has set, the books have been opened; / How shall we stand in that great day / When every thought, and word, and action; / God, the righteous Judge, shall weigh?