Version: King James Version (public domain)
Psalm 4
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.
Psalm 4 is an evening prayer: it opens with “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness” and ends with “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep”. In between, David urges his hearers not to sin in their agitation and to trust in the Lord.
Bible text
1 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.
2 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.
3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Original text
Bekor’i aneni Elohei tsidki; batsar hirchavta li; choneni ushma tefilati.
Plain-language version
v. 1 God, answer when I call. You have given me room before when I was in distress; be kind to me again.
v. 2–3 How long will you slander me and chase after lies? Know that God sets apart those who are faithful to him, and he hears me.
v. 4–5 When you are troubled, do not sin. Think it over on your bed, in silence. Do what is right and trust God.
v. 6–7 Many ask where the good is. Lord, show us your face. The joy you have given me is greater than that of a rich harvest.
v. 8 I will lie down and sleep in peace, because you alone keep me safe.
Historical context
The title. The Hebrew heading dedicates the psalm to the choirmaster, bineginoth, “on stringed instruments”, and attributes it to David. Some translations count this heading as verse 1 (the French Louis Segond does), so their numbering runs one ahead.
An evening prayer. In Psalm 3 the psalmist says he lay down, slept and woke again; Psalm 4 ends with someone lying down to sleep in peace. For this reason many read the two as a pair: a morning prayer and an evening prayer.
The “sons of men”. Verse 2 addresses people who slander the psalmist and “seek after leasing” (an old English word for lies). The Hebrew phrase (benei ish) can mean people of standing, which suggests a leader whose reputation is under attack. Verse 7 mentions corn and wine: perhaps a time of drought or poor harvest, when many were asking “Who will shew us any good?”
Explanation
The God who makes room
Verse 1 combines memory and request: “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress”. The Hebrew batsar hirchavta li literally says “in the narrow place you gave me room”. Distress is a tight place, and God is the one who widens it.
Troubled, but not sinning
The advice of verse 4 is among the most practical in the Psalter: “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.” The emotion is not denied; what is asked is that it not turn into wrong action, and that it be taken into silence before sleep. Paul takes up this verse, in its Greek form, in Ephesians 4:26.
The light of God’s face
To those who ask “Who will shew us any good?”, the psalmist answers with a prayer: “Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.” It echoes the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:25–26. And the joy God gives is greater than “in the time that their corn and their wine increased”.
Sleeping in peace
The psalm ends by lying down: “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” The problems of the opening have not been solved, but the psalmist can sleep. For anyone who struggles to switch off at night, it is one of the most direct texts in the Bible.
How each tradition reads it
Catholic
Psalm 4, Cum invocarem in the Vulgate (same numbering), is traditionally prayed at Compline, the night prayer. In the Liturgy of the Hours it appears at Night Prayer after Evening Prayer I of Sunday. Saint Augustine tells in the Confessions (book IX) how deeply he was moved reading this psalm in the days before his baptism.
Protestant
Many evangelicals use Psalm 4 as a bedtime prayer, especially verse 8. Verse 5, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord”, is read as a call to a faith that shows itself in upright living, not only in worship.
Jewish
Verse 4 (verse 5 in Hebrew) is part of the bedtime Shema, together with Psalm 91. The Talmud reads this verse as a method against the evil inclination: first confront it, then study Torah (“with your own heart”), recite the Shema (“upon your bed”) and finally remember the day of death (“be still”) (Berakhot 5a).
Academic
Psalm 4 is usually classified as an individual psalm of confidence. The Hebrew has difficult points: in verse 2, “my glory” may be the psalmist’s honour or God himself; in verse 4 the verb rigzu can mean “tremble” or “be angry”, and the Greek translation followed the second sense.
Each reading is attributed to the tradition that holds it. VersePath does not take sides.
Reflect
Before sleep, the mind often replays offences, bills and fears. Psalm 4 does not tell you to pretend nothing happened; it tells you to speak to God, not to act in anger, to be still and to hand your safety over to him. What do you need to leave with God tonight?
Did you know?
- In its prayer in verse 6, the psalm takes up the priestly blessing of Numbers 6, which asks God to make his face shine.
- Paul quotes verse 4 in its Greek form: “Be ye angry, and sin not” (Ephesians 4:26).
- Psalms 3 and 4 are the first in the Psalter with a heading attributing them to David; Psalms 1 and 2 have no heading.
Frequently asked questions
What does Psalm 4 mean?
It is a prayer of trust for the evening: the psalmist asks for help, urges others not to sin when troubled and ends by sleeping in peace because God keeps him safe.
Is Psalm 4 a prayer before sleep?
Yes. The last verse speaks of lying down and sleeping in peace, and the psalm is prayed at night by Christians (Compline) and by Jews (the bedtime Shema).
What does “Stand in awe, and sin not” mean?
That strong emotion is not sin in itself, but it should not turn into wrong action. The psalm suggests reflecting and being still before acting.
Who wrote Psalm 4?
The Hebrew heading attributes it to David and indicates it was sung with stringed instruments.