Psalm 63
Dear RTB’ers,
In spite of being on the run, David is still full of confidence and praise: …for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. But those who seek to destroy my life … shall be given over to the power of the sword … But the king shall rejoice in God… (vv. 7, 9-11, edited)
I find that I disagree with the STS opening paragraph introducing this Psalm. The header to the Psalm says that David was in the “wilderness of Judah”, which is the mountainous area south of Jerusalem and west of the Dead Sea. This is the area where David fled when he was on the run from Saul. However, the STS editors suggest that David was on the run from Absalom, but when David fled from Absalom he went east and crossed the Jordan. (Recall the issue of Judah bringing him back over the Jordan, with the other Israeli tribes angry with Judah. See II Samuel 19:11-15, 41-43.) Either way, David is on the run and still oozing with confidence in the Lord’s deliverance.
Blessings.
See also: June 12 (2022) / Psalm 63.
I may have overstated my disagreement with the STS authors in suggesting that David was on the run from Saul, not from Absalom as STS was claiming. My Chronological Study Bible has Psalm 63 placed during the time of David’s run from Saul, so they would also disagree with STS. It turns out that the issue centers on what you refer to as “the wilderness of Judah”. Maps show that the Wilderness of Judah extends from northwest of Jericho to far south of Jerusalem. That portion south of Jerusalem is also known as the “hill country of Judah”, where Mary visited Elizabeth in Luke 1:39. It’s also where David spent most of his run from Saul. So where you place “the wilderness of Judah” on a map has David running either from Saul or from Absalom.
Just that…