Psalm III - 3

 

A psalm of David, when he fled from the face of Abessalom his son, in the wilderness.

LORD, why are they multiplied that afflict me?

Many rise up against me.

Many say unto my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God.

But Thou, O Lord, art my helper, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy mountain.

I laid me down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord will help me.

I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that set themselves against me round about.

Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God, for Thou hast smitten all who without cause are mine enemies; the teeth of sinners hast Thou broken.

Salvation is of the Lord, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people.

Glory. Both now. Alleluia.

Introduction:

Psalm 3 is traditionally attributed to King David during his painful flight from his son Absalom (2 Samuel 15–18). In Orthodox interpretation, this Psalm reveals the heart of one experiencing betrayal, persecution, and abandonment, yet who maintains unwavering hope in God's protective grace. Within the Orthodox Church, Psalm 3 is prayed during Matins (Orthros) and also during personal trials or periods of intense spiritual warfare.

The verse concerning awakening naturally makes this Psalm especially appropriate for morning prayer, as believers literally arise from sleep, praising God for His protection throughout the night.

Psalm 3 is also the first of the "Six Psalms" (Hexapsalmos), solemnly recited at the beginning of Orthros. These six Psalms emphasize repentance, humility, trust in God’s mercy, and gratitude for His continual protection and care.

Commentary Line by Line:

"LORD, why are they multiplied that afflict me?”

This Psalm calls me to reflect deeply upon the many passions that constantly confront me, particularly pride and sloth. For instance, during prayer my mind often wanders toward worldly things, negating the spiritual benefit I might otherwise receive. These distracting thoughts usually concern worldly needs or anxieties rather than the spiritual needs essential for my reconciliation with God and my salvation. It's as though there is a mystical barrier within my mind separating me from God—a barrier that sometimes feels impenetrable. Like David, I wonder why this happens. Why do these distracting thoughts seem to multiply, causing my struggles to intensify? Is it due to my own laziness or unwillingness to firmly reject these thoughts during prayer? Or is it because I fail to rely adequately upon God's help? I realize that by asking these questions, I am already beginning to humble myself and genuinely seek divine assistance. The same reflection applies to my struggle with pride.

Historically, David expresses anguish over the rapidly increasing number of his political adversaries. Absalom, his charismatic and ambitious son, orchestrated a rebellion, persuading many of David’s former supporters and tribes of Israel to join him. Ahithophel, David’s once-trusted advisor, also betrayed him (2 Samuel 15:12, 31). Tribes that had previously revered David openly opposed him, forcing him to flee Jerusalem into the wilderness.

Spiritually, the Fathers teach that these afflictions allegorically represent deeper spiritual enemies:

• Passions: The multitude of sinful passions—pride, lust, envy, anger, despair—that wage war against the soul.

• Demons: Spiritual enemies who tempt and oppose believers, continually seeking to drive them away from communion with God.

• Worldly Opposition: Those who scorn faithfulness, discourage reliance upon God, or mock the believer’s trust in divine salvation.

When reflecting on this Psalm as part of our prayer rule, we are invited to consciously acknowledge the passions dominating our hearts, humbly seeking God’s mercy and help through sincere and fervent prayer.

"Many rise up against me.”

I often wonder why these passions continually dominate my mind—they seem endless. In my laziness, I begin to accept them as normal, becoming complacent and failing even to challenge or recognize them as true enemies of my spiritual life. Perhaps subconsciously, I fear that restraining these passions would dismantle my pride or threaten my false sense of self-sufficiency. Am I trying to protect a self-centered illusion of my own goodness, avoiding acknowledgment of the weaknesses caused by these passions—weaknesses that, if honestly confronted, would lead me closer to God? Like David, I must learn to clearly identify these passions as adversaries rising up against me.

David humbly emphasizes how rapidly his troubles multiply, directly paralleling my own spiritual struggles. These multiplying passions sometimes feel overwhelming, as if they are actively obstructing my relationship with God.

"Many say unto my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God.”

Am I willing to accept this truth? These words are challenging and difficult to embrace as a possibility. To acknowledge that my salvation could be in jeopardy is frightening and not an easy reality to confront. Yet, I must! I must allow this realization to motivate me to rise above my laziness and self-centeredness, and align my will with the Holy Spirit, cooperating fully with God’s grace.

David himself experienced profound pain upon hearing his enemies mock his faith and faithfulness. This mocking symbolizes the doubts that can be sown in my own heart by demonic temptations or worldly voices suggesting that God has abandoned me, or that my prayers are useless. This emphasizes the critical importance of remaining faithful despite mockery, temptation, and doubt.

What was the understanding of salvation during David’s time? David deeply trusted in the covenantal promises God had made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. For David, salvation meant trusting in God's steadfast loyalty (Hebrew chesed), believing wholeheartedly that God would never abandon His chosen people. Even in profound trials and sufferings, David relied firmly on God's promise to preserve and redeem Israel.

Additionally, David’s Psalms indicate a developing hope in life beyond the grave, although the full clarity of the resurrection was not yet revealed as it later would be in Christ. Psalms such as Psalm 15/16 ("For Thou wilt not abandon my soul in Hades") reflect an emerging hope and expectation of deliverance from death itself.

However, in practical terms, David primarily understood salvation as deliverance from immediate physical threats such as enemies, warfare, persecution, danger, or sickness. When his adversaries mockingly declared, "There is no salvation for him in his God," they implied that God had abandoned him, leaving him vulnerable and defenseless.

"But Thou, O Lord, art my helper, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.”

I must learn to seek help from God rather than relying primarily on my own will and efforts. If my faith were strong, this dependence would naturally guide my actions. The fact that I struggle with this reveals that my faith is still weak and conditioned by the secular worldview of my upbringing.

In contrast, David reaffirms his complete trust in God, speaking confidently of divine truth. He recognizes that true honor and dignity come only from God. The phrase “the lifter up of my head” beautifully illustrates how God restores hope and dignity to the humiliated believer. This imagery is especially treasured within Orthodox ascetic tradition, emphasizing that it is divine grace alone which restores our human dignity and renews spiritual awareness.

"I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy mountain.”

David’s cry represents an urgent plea, demonstrating complete dependence and reliance on God alone. It reflects the soul’s acknowledgment of human limitation, vulnerability, and weakness, seeking divine power and mercy. This urgency and sincerity I must also acquire. In my prayers, I must not merely mumble or mechanically recite words, but truly cry out verbally from my heart, having a faith that knows with certainty that when I call upon the Lord for help, He hears me.

"His holy mountain" refers primarily to Mount Zion, where the Ark of the Covenant rested, signifying the manifest presence of God among His people. Mystically, it also represents Christ Himself and His Church—the living presence of God from which He hears and answers prayer.

The phrase, "He heard me," signifies God’s active presence, His willingness, and His desire to respond to those who sincerely cry out to Him. Orthodox spirituality emphasizes confidence in God’s compassionate responsiveness, teaching that heartfelt prayer is never ignored or unheard, even when His response isn't immediately apparent.

"I laid me down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord will help me.”

When I end my day and prepare for sleep after all its trials and tribulations, I must offer my prayers for peaceful rest and protection against harm from the spiritual enemies of the night. The evening prayers of Compline are vital for this purpose, as is the practice of the Jesus Prayer in the evening before retiring to bed.

David’s ability to sleep despite danger symbolizes peace rooted in complete trust in God. In Orthodoxy, this verse carries profound spiritual significance, mystically pointing toward Christ's death and resurrection—the sleep symbolizing death, and the awakening symbolizing the Resurrection. It is recited during Orthros to emphasize that when I awake, the Lord is always present to help me.

David would likely have slept in caves, beneath cliffs, or under the open sky—without shelter or comfort, guarded only by his loyal companions. The wilderness east of Jerusalem (the Judean Wilderness) is characterized by rugged hills, cliffs, sparse vegetation, wild animals, and exposure to harsh weather. Sleeping there was physically dangerous, so God's protection would have been David’s primary comfort.

The wilderness symbolizes trials, spiritual struggles, and complete dependence upon God. David’s sleeping place, exposed and uncomfortable, highlights his total reliance on divine care. Spiritually, entering the wilderness represents purification, humility, trust in God’s protection, and preparation for deeper communion with Him.

David’s wilderness sleep prophetically foreshadows Christ’s trials. Jesus also crossed the Kidron Valley, located east of Jerusalem and separating the city from the Mount of Olives, and entered Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, where He faced betrayal and suffering. David’s sleeping outdoors symbolizes vulnerability and surrender before God, prefiguring Christ’s prayerful submission to the Father's will in Gethsemane.

"I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that set themselves against me round about.”

The struggle in the spiritual life involves literally thousands of temptations. Even when reflecting on a single sin, such as sloth, I immediately recognize the numerous times my mind fails to concentrate on the words of my prayer and instead drifts toward topics of no real spiritual significance, focusing solely on worldly matters. These thoughts might not be inherently sinful, yet they become spiritually harmful because they distract me from concentration on God during prayer. In these moments, I become separated from God, and my prayer ceases. Thus, these distractions become real spiritual enemies.

This verse serves as an encouragement during such spiritual warfare, persecution, or overwhelming struggles. With faith, I can know that I can withstand every spiritual and earthly trial.

Historically, David refers here to an overwhelming number of adversaries—literally, the large army led by his son Absalom, which vastly outnumbered his small, loyal group. David faced genuine threats to his life from Absalom’s hostile forces. The fear of physical suffering, humiliation, or death would naturally have been present. He also bore profound personal grief over betrayal by his son Absalom and trusted advisors like Ahithophel. Such betrayal threatened emotional and spiritual despair. The possible loss of his kingship and dignity surely was an ever-present concern, as losing the throne would symbolize losing the promises and blessings God had bestowed upon him when he was crowned king.

Despite these legitimate fears, David boldly declares, "I will not be afraid," because he trusts entirely in God’s protection. His confidence does not stem from his strength or limited resources but from total reliance on God's presence and divine safeguarding. David deeply believed in God’s covenantal promises—particularly God's assurance of enduring love, mercy, and care. This faith allowed him to stand without fear despite the outward circumstances. His confidence was built on repeated personal experiences of God's miraculous interventions in previous situations—against Goliath, Saul, and numerous enemies. These memories reinforced his courage even amidst overwhelming odds.

The spiritual meaning for Orthodox Christians is that the "ten thousands" represent spiritually overwhelming temptations, passions, or demonic forces surrounding the believer. Yet, through unwavering trust in God, the faithful can remain unafraid. David’s courage prophetically prefigures Christ, who faced immense spiritual warfare, betrayal, and death itself without fear, fully trusting in the Father’s will. This passage thus encourages Orthodox Christians to remain fearless amidst persecution, trials, and temptations by placing complete trust in God’s providence and abiding presence.

"Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God, for Thou hast smitten all who without cause are mine enemies; the teeth of sinners hast Thou broken.”

In this verse calls me to aggressively seek Gods help and take control of my own will to do what He commands. To concentrate in prayer. and to fight all forms of pride. I mama reminded that all these distractions are not justifiable. That I have the ability to resist them all with God’s help and my will used in cooperation with His will.

But why does David ask God to “arise”? He is calling for God’s immediate intervention and active protection. "Arise" doesn't imply God was asleep or inactive literally, but rather is poetic language expressing urgency and an earnest plea for God's direct, visible help.

In biblical imagery, saying "Arise, O Lord" recalls the ancient Israelite practice where Moses and later Joshua would call upon God to rise up and scatter enemies (Numbers 10:35). David echoes this language intentionally, recalling God’s past victories on behalf of His people. It symbolizes a believer’s passionate prayer, asking God to intervene decisively against spiritual adversaries, demonic attacks, and temptations.

Prophetically, the Fathers interpret this call as pointing forward to Christ’s Resurrection, the ultimate moment when God “arose” and decisively defeated death, sin, and the devil.

When he says that his enemies are without cause, he historically is expressing his reality that his enemies have no legitimate reason or just cause for attacking him. He has done nothing deserving their hatred or rebellion. Their hostility is unjustified. He highlights his innocence in relation to his adversaries—especially notable in the betrayal by his son Absalom, whose attack was unprovoked and unjustified. 

We can think of this as reflecting Christ’s innocence as well—Jesus was betrayed, accused, and crucified "without cause." Thus, David’s unjust suffering prophetically foreshadows Christ’s passion. Spiritually, it refers to believers who, though innocent, suffer unjust accusations or persecution from the world. God ultimately vindicates them.

David uses the image of broken teeth to symbolize power, strength, aggression, and the ability of predators (like lions, wolves, or wild beasts) to harm or devour. Breaking teeth removes an enemy’s ability to inflict harm or destruction. He is vividly depicting God neutralizing or disarming his enemies indicating they become powerless, harmless, and unable to destroy him or God’s people.

Spiritually for Orthodox, teeth represent the spiritual aggression of demonic forces, sinful passions, and temptations trying to devour the soul. By God’s grace, their power is broken, rendering them unable to overcome the believer.

This prayerful cry for God’s intervention calls on the historical memory of God's past deliverances. Breaking "the teeth of sinners" symbolizes God destroying the ability of evil forces (demons, passions, temptation) to harm the faithful. Orthodox spirituality frequently understands this symbolically: Christ breaks the power of sin and death through His Cross and Resurrection. Spiritually, it encourages believers to rely confidently on God’s protection against spiritual enemies, assured of God’s victory through Christ, who has truly "arisen" and forever broken the strength of evil.

"Salvation is of the Lord, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people.”

I must always remember that my salvation comes from the Lord. I must learn to strive cooperation with Him overcome all my sinful tendencies. My effort alone will never be enough.

Ultimately, David is acknowledging that he understand that salvation is a divine gift—not human achievement—and is freely given by God to His people. Orthodox tradition strongly emphasizes this: salvation is found solely through Christ and the grace given through His Church and sacraments. God's blessing is always upon His faithful, even amidst trials.

"Glory. Both now. Alleluia."
This liturgical ending places the Psalm firmly within the context of worship. Orthodox worship continually reminds the faithful that all struggles, hardships, and even triumphs must ultimately point back to the glory of the Holy Trinity.

Conclusion:

Psalm 3 reveals deep truths about spiritual struggle, divine protection, and confident trust in God's salvation. In Orthodox practice, praying this Psalm strengthens the faithful against despair and reassures the heart of God’s unending faithfulness, mercy, and protective grace.