This psalm sounds exactly like David’s experience when his son Absalom rose to usurp the throne (2 Samuel 15). The poetry here depicts a rather sharp and painful memory still fresh in his mind.
The term for “poor” here refers to any sort of misfortune. Thus, it is a standard poetic image David draws of godly mercy. It echoes in the Beatitudes of Jesus (Matthew 5:7) with, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” We have ample evidence that David had been merciful according to the terms of Mosaic Law, so he had every reason to lay claim to God’s mercy. There is no arrogance here, as David openly confesses his sin. Contrast this to the opportunistic behavior of his wayward son.
We gather that David suffered a long illness during a time when his son was sowing discord. The king’s official absence would have made the political intrigue that much easier. Among David’s court advisors was Ahitophel, who served as Absalom’s spy and stirred up trouble among the palace staff. While he might have wished for a natural succession by David’s death, it was not to be. But before David could recover fully, the trap was sprung. Ahitophel’s deceptive behavior is described in the Hebrew idiom of “making his heel great against me.” This was also used to describe how Judas betrayed Jesus (John 13:18-19).
David doesn’t ask God to punish them, but asks only that he be allowed to recover enough strength to execute justice himself. This is entirely appropriate for a king, who bore the burden as chief executive of God’s justice in the kingdom. David knew that the primary mark of God’s favor was his military prowess and success in battle. Thus it had always been before David was crowned. He knew this was conditioned on his careful obedience to the Law of Moses, not just in the letter, but in a heartfelt devotion to God.
Thus, he ends with a call for people to glorify God as long as the universe stands. Amen!
