Psalm 7 is the 7th psalm from the Book of Psalms. Its authorship is traditionally assigned to King David. The Greek and Masoretic numberings are the same for this psalm. The message in the psalm is that the righteous may seem weak, but ultimately will prevail against the wicked. “Psalm 7”: The superscription indicates that the psalm was written while David was being ruthlessly assailed by “Cush the Benjamite”, who was evidently one of Saul’s radical kinsmen. David is confident in both his own innocence (verses 3-5), and the certainty of divine retribution on the much-deserving Cush (verses 6-17). A cry for salvation. It is a call for help and an appeal for justice against those who hounded him. “O Lord my God,” was his intense cry, “in You have I taken refuge. Save me from all who pursue me.. and deliver me.” SHIGGAION. shi-ga’-yon, shi-gi’-on (shiggayon)(Means to wander): Occurs in the title of Psalm 7, and, in the plural, in the verse introducing Habakkuk’s prayer (Habakkuk 3:1-19, A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth. Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed— but he marches on forever. I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments., ).Derived from a verb meaning “to wander,” it is generally taken to mean a dithyramb, or rhapsody.) Habakkuk’s prayer of praise in the form of a poetic song. He had been given the vision from God concerning the end; he had heard the Lord’s response to his questions and concerns. The word prayer is here taken in a general sense for an act or exercise of devotion, including adoration, praise, and thanksgiving.
It reads in Psalm 7:1-17,
“A shiggaion (Means to wander ) ( of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.”
Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me. Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands— if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe— then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust. Arise, Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. Let the assembled peoples gather around you, while you sit enthroned over them on high. Let the Lord judge the peoples. Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day. If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows. Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment. Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made. The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads. I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
{ Psalm 7, is a prayer that we seek help and protection from God when attacked, persecuted and unfairly criticized. }
{Habakkuk 3, indicates that this beautiful heart-felt prayer for revival, offered by the prophet around 600 BC, was originally set to music or became a poetic song. Habakkuk prayed because revival was desperately needed. God’s people had become forgetful, formal and careless in their devotion and obedience to God.}
