Psalm 3:2

Note: The word Selah. This is the first of 71 times it is used in the Book of Psalms. Every commentary I looked at said something about this word with all covering all of the possible meanings and settling in various places as to its actual application. I included Calvin’s commentary alone because it made the most sense to me in the context of the passage. Strong’s (5542) lists this as a technical musical term probably showing accentuation, pause, interruption; and limits it in my newer version as merely a pause in music. Calvin prefers it to mean a rise in the pitch of the music, and the voice accordingly, making emphasis on one point or another. I suppose a pause might accomplish the same thing and it is favored by Henry and Spurgeon. And I would say that it may even be more accurately used that way in other passages, but contextually I think Calvin is right here. David is making a point of what they have said and done and is ending it with an exclamation point. It is as if he is saying, “Lord look at what they are saying about me and blasphemously about you!” This wouldn’t have the same effect if He said, “Lord look at what they are saying about me and blasphemously about you.” But all seem to readily admit that no-one knows exactly what it means.

“Many say to my soul”
• […] David here intended to express… that his heart was in a manner pierced with the mockery of his enemies. David teaches us by his own example, that although the whole world, with one voice, should attempt to drive us to despair, instead of listening to it, we ought rather to give ear to God alone, and always cherish within us the hope of the salvation which He has promised; and as the ungodly use their endeavors to destroy our souls, we ought to defend them by our prayers. JC
• The following cutting words, which touched to the quick, reached his very heart, and like a sword pierced through it. JG
• David complains before his loving God of the worst weapon of his enemies’ attacks, and the bitterest drop of his distress. CHS
• They put a spiteful and invidious construction upon his troubles, as Job’s friends did upon him, concluding that because his servants and subjects forsook him thus and did not help him, God had deserted him and abandoned his cause, and he was therefore to be looked on, or rather to be looked off, as a hypocrite and wicked man. MH

“There is no help for Him in God”
• The ungodly, when they rise up to destroy us, may not openly break forth into such daring presumption as to maintain it to be impossible for us to derive and advantage from the favor of God; yet, as they either ascribe everything to fortune, or hold the opinion that a man’s success will be in proportion to his strength, and therefore fearlessly rush forward to gain their object, by all means, whether right or wrong, as if it would be equally the same, whether God is angry with or favorable towards them, it is evident that they set no value whatever upon the favor of God, and mock at the faithful as if it would avail them nothing to be under the care and protection of God. JC
• David's enemies looked upon his case to be desperate; that it was impossible he should ever extricate himself from it; yea, that God himself either could not or would not save him. And in like manner did the enemies of Christ say, when they had put Him upon the cross; and how frequent is it for the men of the world to represent the saints as in a damnable state! And to call them a damned set and generation of men, as if there was no salvation for them? And how often does Satan suggest unto them, that there is no hope for them, and they may as well indulge themselves in all sinful lusts and pleasures? And how often do their own unbelieving hearts say to them, that there is no salvation in Christ for them, though there is for others; and that they have no interest in the favor of God, and shall be eternally lost and perish? JG
• Of all soul distresses that certainly is the greatest, when the enemy and our own unbelieving would tempt us to suppose God hath forsaken us. Here the child of God is sadly put to it, when the enemies of our salvation thus reproach. Oh! Lord, suffer not my soul to fall under this heaviest of all sorrows. While Jesus looks on my affliction, and speaks peace, all is well. Let Jesus but smile, I care not who frowns. But if I begin to despond of His favor; if it could be so, that there really was no help for me in my God, then I should be ruined indeed. RH
• Some of his distrustful friends said this sorrowfully, but his enemies boasted of it, and longed to see their words proved by his total destruction. This was the unkindest cut of all, when they declared that his God has forsaken him. Yet David new in his own conscience that he had given them some ground for this exclamation, for he had committed sin against God in the very light of day. They flung his crime with Bathsheba into his face, and they said, “Go up, thou bloody man; God hath forsaken thee and left thee.” Doubtless David felt this internal suggestion to be staggering to his faith. It is the most bitter of all afflictions to be led to fear that there is no help for us in God. CHS
• When the believer questions the power of God, or his interest in it, his joy gusheth out as blood out of a broken vein. This verse is a sore stab indeed. William Gurnall
• They blasphemously looked upon God as unable to relieve him. It is strange that so great unbelief should be found in any, especially in many, in Israel, as to think any party of men too strong for Omnipotence to deal with. They endeavored to shake his confidence in God and drive him to despair of relief from Him. This grieved him worst of all, that they had so bad an opinion of him as to think it possible to take him off from that foundation. The mere temptation was buffeting to him. Note, a child of God startles at the very thought of despairing of help in God; you cannot vex him with anything so much as if you offer to persuade him that there is no help for him in God.

“Selah”
• […] it denotes the lifting up of the voice in harmony in the exercise of singing… the music was adapted to the sentiment, and so the harmony was in unison with the character or subject matter of the song; just as David here… fixes the attention on this blasphemy, which severely wounded his heart. JC

Personal Summary:
What an accusation we see leveled here. To add insult to injury David is now being accused of losing God’s favor; that God has abandoned him. Undoubtedly at some point these words were felt beyond some slanderous accusation. At some point he may have indeed even asked himself this question. I don’t think it was for long; but, it may have found a home in him which caused these words to sting all the more. For at some point we are all filled with doubt just as God’s people have been throughout the ages. God stands true to His promises; but stained with sin we doubt. We think that the sin we have committed is so atrocious that God could not possibly look down on us with favor any longer. When we feel the sting of His divine rod in discipline we shutter and our confidence is shaken.

But David does what all of us should do when our faith is tested: he takes it to the Lord. We too must cast our complaint before Him and allow Him to deal with it. For the Spirit is our seal both for us and to God. He assures us that we are His no matter what we do. And oh how the world loves to plant seeds of doubt amongst God’s children! They mock us and argue with us with science, with philosophy and with false religion; they are utterly enamored with their own idea of what wisdom is. And they try to use it against us every chance they get. They assail us to defeat us, to hope that our confidence is shaken to the point that we concede their sinful logic and join their miserable ranks. But we are on guard against them, are we not? We see them coming a mile away and we put on the whole armor of God and we fight the good fight of faith! We may lose a battle here and there but we are fully convinced of the outcome of the war and whatever wavering we do it is but a temporary pause in our walk; thus we fight the good fight of faith.

Yet we are assailed still further. The church is not only under attack from the world but from within its own ranks. The more insidious attack, the more dangerous attack, the one that has led many sheep astray is the one we are least on guard for. For there are plenty of churches, I might guess a large majority of modern churches, that are teaching people they may lose their salvation! They do not have the assurance and confidence David has here because they are being told within their local bodies the same thing David’s enemies have told him! Christian! Stand strong! If your church is telling you this move on! It is not true. If you are a child of God you are a true son and you are His. It doesn’t depend on you or me or anyone on this earth; it depends on Christ, who purchased you with His blood and will never leave you nor forsake you! There are a plethora of passages telling us this and it is there so that when we doubt we may call them to mind and be freed from our self-imposed doubt. God doesn’t doubt that we are his, why should we? He chose us! Do we fear that He made a mistake? That our immutable God has now changed His mind? Perhaps my favorite passage concerning this is found in John 10:26-30, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” What sweet, sweet, beautiful words! And in case you didn’t get the point let us not forget Rom. 8:37-39, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Whether the assault comes from the world, or comes from your own self-doubt, or even from within the church itself, stand strong; for our God is greater than all and He will be faithful when nothing else will, including yourself. Christians, be assured. He sees all and is in control over all and your seat is secured in heaven where He will call you and where you will spend the rest of eternity under His protective wing, never to doubt again. Enemies may come and go; we will sin, be convicted of and disciplined for that sin; we will have our confidence attacked by ourselves, the world and even the church; but in the end we know with David, with Moses, with Joshua, with Paul and all the saints of all the ages that Christ will “also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 1:8; for, “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Cor. 1:9. Amen!