His holy hill. That is, Zion (see Pss 2:6; 48:1–2). The psalmist recognizes that the LORD dwells in his sanctuary on Mount Zion.

the psalmist is so confident of the outcome that he writes it as if it had happened already.

From the various data which have been accumulated in these introductory paragraphs, it is possible to form a provisional history of the origin and subsequent use of the psalm. The psalm may have originated as a particular prayer during David’s lifetime (see further the Comment on v 1), associated with his flight from Absalom. Subsequently it became a royal psalm for general use, employed by the Davidic kings in times of military crisis. But this particular use was transformed to a general use. The particular military crisis and the need for victory was analogous to the crisis and needs which may face any human being at any time; so the psalm entered the general resources of Israel’s worship as a protective psalm, specifically as a psalm traditionally used during the morning worship

There is a further dimension of the psalm which must be accounted for, namely its relationship to Ps 4, with which it has many close parallels (see Kirkpatrick, The Book of Psalms [Cambridge: University Press, 1906], 13). Ps 3:6 has suggested to many interpreters that the psalm was used regularly in the morning worship of the individual or of Israel; this suggestion has been incorporated within the title given the psalm in this commentary (above). Ps 4:8 has suggested that the fourth psalm was employed during evening worship. Thus the location of these two psalms next to each other in the Psalter would not be accidental; the compiler of the Book of the Psalms (or of a collection within it) has set alongside each other two standard psalms for use in morning and evening worship respectively.

From the various data which have been accumulated in these introductory paragraphs, it is possible to form a provisional history of the origin and subsequent use of the psalm. The psalm may have originated as a particular prayer during David’s lifetime (see further the Comment on v 1), associated with his flight from Absalom. Subsequently it became a royal psalm for general use, employed by the Davidic kings in times of military crisis. But this particular use was transformed to a general use. The particular military crisis and the need for victory was analogous to the crisis and needs which may face any human being at any time; so the psalm entered the general resources of Israel’s worship as a protective psalm, specifically as a psalm traditionally used during the morning worship.

The Christian catechism, following S. Clement of Rome (Epistle to the Corinthians, 26:2; Apology, I.38.5) and S. Justin (Apology, I. 38.5) and others (see above), understands it as “the voluntary and harmless sleep of Christ in the tomb and of his resurrection.”

3:1 Protection from earthly enemies prefigures protection from the ultimate evils of Satan, sin, and death (Heb. 2:14–15). God the Father delivered Christ from his enemies in his resurrection (Acts 3:13–15), and that is the basis for our deliverance (Rom. 4:25).

3:2 Salvation here, as generally in the OT, refers to both physical and spiritual deliverance from danger. The fact that they are saying this of his soul indicates that the enemies are taunting him: his sins are so bad, they imply, that God cannot save him.

In biblical usage, salvation is a comprehensive term denoting all the benefits, physical or spiritual, that are graciously bestowed on humans by God. The use of the Hebrew verb hôšı̂a’ (the hiphil of yš’) and the Greek verb sōzō in reference to both physical and spiritual healing reflects the Bible’s holistic view of salvation, which can be summed up in the Hebrew term šālôm (‘peace’) that refers to personal wholeness and well-being in every sphere. As

3:5 Being preserved through the night anticipates the hope of resurrection after the “sleep” of death (13:3; 1 Thess. 4:13–18).