David wrote several psalms while fleeing Saul’s hand. This refers to the narrative in 1 Samuel 23. In this case, David with his private army was hiding somewhere south of Hebron, in the open country near the village of Ziph (named after a grandson of Caleb of Conquest fame). Aside from the usual limited foraging, David would order his troops to protect his own nation and raid those who were hostile. He also kept basic criminal elements in check. In gratitude, some of shepherds would offer such food as they could. In other words, David actively pursued God’s justice despite tough conditions. As such, he was hardly a threat to the locals and an active protector of the people in ways Saul could not be bothered, so it’s hard to understand this sort of betrayal by the town leaders.
David begins with a plea that God keep him free for the sake of His own glory. It’s an entirely reasonable request under God’s revealed Law, because David is committed to the Law from his heart, so he is quite willing to be measured by God’s standards for him. He asks that God put His hand to His ear so as not to miss a thing. David’s enemies are described as those who have strayed from the Covenant while holding the power to harm him.
We note that, as usual, David has no desire to use his overwhelming military forces and his prowess to take revenge on the Hebrews living in Ziph. As with Saul, let God be the judge of those He placed in authority.
But of course, David takes refuge in a God who had yet to fail him. “Behold!” When David reviews the number of folks who have supported him all this time, he finds God among them. We should read this as David finding God in their hearts and God quite literally on his side. How could it be otherwise when David is so determined to please his Lord?
We have no idea how it played out in history, but David calls on God to judge the tribal elders of Ziph by the same standard He uses on David and the rest of Israel. Since they have attempted to trap David, let them fall into their own trap. For His glory alone should God punish them.
Meanwhile, David is planning an appropriate freewill offering. Along with this will be a public profession of gratitude for God’s faithful protection. This is always a good thing in its own right, regardless of how God handles this problem. And when has God not given David victory in pursuit of divine justice?
