Psalms 3:6

Psa 3:6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set [themselves] against me round about.

Ver. 6. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, &c.] Quomodo timeret hominem homo in sinu Dei positus? saith an ancient. See here in David the triumph of trust in God, Gloriatio fidei elegantissima (Jun). David looketh not downward on the rushing and roaring streams of troubles that ran so swiftlv under him, for that would have made him giddy; but stedfastly fasteneth on the power and promise of God all sufficient, and is confident. This the world wondereth at; but little do they know the force of faith, nor the privy armour of proof that the saints have about their hearts. Achilles was said to be safe, because Styge armatus. A Christian is Deo armatus, and therefore he walketh about the world as a conqueror.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 3:6. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people — Were I beset with as many nations as I see men now encamp themselves on all sides against me, I should not be at all daunted at it. “Faith,” says Dr. Horne, “revived and invigorated by prayer, and fixed on God alone, is a stranger to fear in the worst of times. The innumerable examples of saints rescued from tribulation, and, above all, the resurrection of the Son of God from the dead, render the believer bold as a lion, although the name of his adversary be legion.”

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3:6 The psalmist’s peaceful confidence in the Lord’s protection and care shields him from evil and gives him a new sense of reality (23:4; 27:1, 3; 46:1; 56:4, 11; 91:5-6; 118:6).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

When he considered the truth of God’s promise, and tried the same, his faith increased marvelously.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

ten thousands of people--or, "myriads," any very great number (compare Sa2 16:18).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 6. I will not be afraid of ten thousands] Strength and numbers are nothing against the omnipotence of God. He who has made God his refuge certainly has no cause to fear.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(6) That have set themselves—i.e., have arrayed themselves as for battle. (See 1Ki_20:12.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. Cp. Psa_27:3. Numbers were on the side of Absalom, and but for the divinely sent infatuation which made him reject Ahithophel’s clever advice, in all probability David’s handful of followers would have been overwhelmed without effort (2Sa_17:1 ff.).

set themselves against me] A private individual could hardly speak thus; and we are reminded of Ahithophel’s counsel to strike one blow at the king, and save a civil war.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people,.... David was a man of courage from his youth; the instances of his attacking the lion and the bear, when he kept his father's sheep, his engaging with Goliath, and his military exploits, show it; and though there were now many thousands up in arms against him, and his own son at the head of them; all the tribes of Israel were revolting from him, and he was only attended with a few of his friends, yet he was not dismayed; for that he refers to this insurrection appears by what follows,

that have set themselves against me round about; and this was owing not to himself; but to the Lord's sustaining of him; see Psa 27:1; and such courage and greatness of soul did his antitype the Messiah express, and to a greater degree, when Judas, with his band of soldiers, and the multitude with clubs and staves, entered the garden to apprehend him; and when the prince of this world was marching towards him, and when he was engaged with all the powers of darkness, and when the sorrows of death compassed him about, yet he failed not, nor was he discouraged: and something of this spirit appears in true believers, When they are in the exercise of faith, have the presence of God, and the discoveries of his love; they are then not afraid what man can do unto them; nor are they afraid of devils themselves, but wrestle against them; nor of any nor all their enemies, they having victory over them, given by God through Christ.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

I will not be afraid - As the result of this new proof of the divine protection, and in view of all that God has done and has promised, the psalmist now says that he would not be afraid though any number of foes should rise up against him. Perhaps this confiding and exulting spirit may be regarded in some measure as the “result” of the calm and refreshing slumber which he had enjoyed. The mind as well as the body had been refreshed and invigorated. With the bright light of a new morning he looked with more cheerful views and hopes on the things around him, and felt new strength to meet the dangers to which he was exposed. Who in trouble and sorrow has not felt this? Who has not experienced the influence of the slumbers of a night and of the light of the morning, in giving new vigour and inspiring new hopes, as if the returning day was an emblem of brighter scenes in life, and the passing away of the shades of night a token that all trouble and sorrow would flee away?

Of ten thousands of people - Myriads: Though myriads are arrayed against me. He does not, of course, pretend to any exactness here; but he felt that the number of his enemies was very great. This “was” the case in the rebellion of Absalom. Ahithophel proposed to Absalom to “choose out twelve thousand men” with whom he might pursue after David, implying that the number with him was actually much greater than that, 2Sa 17:1)

That have set themselves against me - That have arrayed themselves against me; or that have risen up in rebellion against me.

Round about - Intending to hem me in on every side. Of course this was to be apprehended in such a rebellion; yet David says that he could now look with calmness on all this, for he had confidence in God. Compare Psa 56:3.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

So that I see no human way to escape.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Verse 6. Buckling on his harness for the day's battle, our hero sings, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about." Observe that he does not attempt to under- estimate the number or wisdom of his enemies. He reckons them at tens of thousands, and he views them as cunning huntsmen chasing him with cruel skill. Yet he trembles not, but looking his foeman in the face he is ready for the battle. There may be no way of escape; they may hem me in as the deer are surrounded by a circle of hunters; they may surround me on every side, but in the name of God I will dash through them; or, if I remain in the midst of them, yet shall they not hurt me; I shall be free in my very prison.

But David is too wise to venture to the battle without prayer; he therefore betakes himself to his knees, and cries aloud to Jehovah.

Verse 6. "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about." The psalmist will trust, despite appearances. He will not be afraid though ten thousands of people have set themselves against him round about. Let us here limit our thoughts to this one idea, "despite appearances." What could look worse to human sight than this array of ten thousands of people? Ruin seemed to stare him in the face; wherever he looked an enemy was to be seen. What was one against ten thousand? It often happens that God's people come into circumstances like this; they say, "All these things are against me;" they seem scarce able to count their troubles; they cannot see a loophole through which to escape; things look very black indeed; it is great faith and trust which says under these circumstances, "I will not be afraid."

These were the circumstances under which Luther was placed, as he journeyed toward Worms. His friend Spalatin heard it said, by the enemies of the Reformation, that the safe conduct of a heretic ought not to be respected, and became alarmed for the reformer. "At the moment when the latter was approaching the city, a messenger appeared before him with this advice from the chaplain, 'Do not enter Worms!' And this from his best friend, the elector's confidant, from Spalatin himself! . . . . . But Luther, undismayed, turned his eyes upon the messenger, and replied, `Go, and tell your master, that even should there be as many devils in Worms as tiles upon the housetops, still I would enter it.' The messenger returned to Worms, with this astounding answer: `I was then undaunted,' said Luther, a few days before his death, `I feared nothing.'"

At such seasons as these, the reasonable men of the world, those who walk by sight and not by faith, will think it reasonable enough that the Christian should be afraid; they themselves would be very low if they were in such a predicament. Weak believers are now ready to make excuses for us, and we are only too ready to make them for ourselves; instead of rising above the weakness of the flesh, we take refuge under it, and use it as an excuse. But let us think prayerfully for a little while, and we shall see that it should not be thus with us. To trust only when appearances are favourable, is to sail only with the wind and tide, to believe only when we can see. Oh! let us follow the example of the psalmist, and seek that unreservedness of faith which will enable us to trust God, come what will, and to say as he said, "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about."

Philip Bennet Power's `I wills' of the Psalms, 1862.

Verse 6. "I will not be afraid," etc. It makes no matter what our enemies be, though for number, legions; for power, principalities; for subtlety, serpents; for cruelty, dragons; for vantage of place, a prince of the air; for maliciousness, spiritual wickedness; stronger is he that is in us, than they who are against us; nothing is able to separate us from the love of God. In Christ Jesus our Lord, we shall be more than conquerors.

William Cowper, 1612.

Verse 6. Faith surrounded by enemies and yet triumphant.

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. I will not be afraid—With the morning comes a clearer assurance. The perils of the night had passed. God had answered his prayer so far as to divide Absalom’s counsellors and defeat Ahithophel. See 2Sa_15:31; 2Sa_16:15-23. This gave David rest and safety through the night, and was the first visible pledge of the divine answer to his prayers. See Psa_3:4.

Ten thousands—Myriads, a definite number put for an indefinite; countless multitudes.

Set… against me—Formed in firm line of battle. The term is a military one.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people. (On the vast multitude of people that had collected to attack the fugitive king, see the comment on ver. 1) David, however, did not fear them. Like Asa (2Ch_14:11) and Judas Maccabeus, (RAPC 1Ma 3:18) he knew that there was no zeal might in," the multitude of a host". (Psa_33:16) God could save equally with many or with few, and against many or against few. (comp. 2Ki_6:15-17) That have set themselves against me round about; or, ranged themselves against me (Kay) a military term. (comp. Isa_22:7)

The truth about numbers.

We have heard of the vox regis, and in these last days we are threatened with the equally dangerous and delusive vox populi. Let us consider

I NUMBERS DO NOT DETERMINE THE QUESTION OF RIGHT. There is a tendency with many to shirk responsibility. They look to others. Surely what the many say must be right. But this is folly. God has given us reason and freedom. We must judge for ourselves. Only what we know to be true can be truth to us; only what we feel in our consciences to be right can be binding upon us as duty. Besides, we see how often in the past the few have been in the right, not the many. Noah by his faith condemned the world. Elijah stood alone against the priests of Baal. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego dared the fiery furnace rather than bow with the multitude before the golden idol. Only when the people are all righteous can they be all right.

II NUMBERS DO NOT DETERMINE THE QUESTION OF SUCCESS. No doubt there are times when numbers prevail. The few are crushed by the mere weight and force of the multitude. It has been said that "God is on the side of the biggest battalions;" but this is true in only a limited sense. Suppose the battalions are undisciplined or badly commanded, defeat may come instead of victory. But in the nobler fields in the strife of truth and falsehood how often has the victory been with the few, instead of the many! Besides, the question, in the deepest sense, is not What wilt succeed? but What is right? "He is a slave, who will not be In the right, with two or three.

Further, we must not measure success by the poor standards of this world. What seems failure to us may be victory in the sight of the holy angels and of God.

III NUMBERS DO NOT DETERMINE THE QUESTION OF HAPPINESS. It is hard to stand alone. It costs a struggle to dare to be singularly good. But better far have peace within than sacrifice conscience to convenience, and freedom to popularity. St. Peter was happier shut up in prison than when, in fear of men, he denied his Lord. St. Paul was infinitely more calm and joyous when he stood before Nero than when, with all the authority of the Sanhedrin, he set out on his fierce crusade against the Christians. Better be true than false; better be free than the slave of opinion; better, with St. Stephen and the martyrs, press heavenwards through "peril, toil, and pain," than follow a multitude to do evil. W.F.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. The fearlessness implied in the preceding verse is here expressed. I will not be ajraid of myriads, or multitudes, the Hebrew word being used both in a definite and vague sense. It also contains an allusion to the first verb in Psa 3:2, of which it is a derivative. I will not be afraid of myriads of people, either in the sense of persons, men, or by a poetic licence for the people, i:e. Israel, the great mass of whom had now revolted. JVhom they, my enemies, have set, or posted, round about against me. This is a simpler and more accurate construction than the reflexive one, who have set (themselves) against me round about, although the essential meaning still remains the same. The sum of the whole verse is, that the same courage which enabled him to sleep without disturbance in the midst of enemies and dangers, still sustained him when those enemies and dangers were presented to his waking senses.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I lay down and slept My heart was clogged from worry and fear.

I awoke from my worry, because I trusted that the Lord would support me.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

I laid me down and slept: – I laid me down in safety and slept in peace as a man free from fear.

I awaked, – and was not troubled as is a man sleeping in the midst of distress who on waking is troubled; for while he sleeps he sees evil dreams according to what he has imagined because of his fear. And why am I confident in Thee to this full extent? Because I know that

(for) the Lord sustaineth me: – for so I saw in a dream. And in the Haggadic interpretation (Midrash, Shoher Tod, ad loc.): “I laid me down from prophecy, and slept from the Holy Spirit, and awaked by the agency of Hushai the Archite, for the Lord sustains me by means of Nathan the prophet.” His intention is to say that by reason of the toil and fear in which he was the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from David; and the Holy Spirit does not rest (dwell) except in the midst of joy (Babli, Shabbath 30b; Pesahim 117a). And when he saw Hushai the Archite he rejoiced in him, for he knew that he would frustrate for him the counsel of Ahithophel, and he awoke, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him, and he said For the Lord sustaineth me, by the agency of Nathan the prophet, who said to him, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin: thou shall not die” (2 Sam. 12:13).

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

I (אֲנִי - ani): Securely I will lie down and sleep (ashkevah ve-ishan) during the night that was [just before or just after] the morrow of the battle. And some say (v'yesh omrim) [interpreting allegorically]: That when a person's mazal (fortune/destiny) falls, he is comparable to one sleeping (yashen). And when the mazal awakens to benefit him, he is comparable to one waking up (mekitz).

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.