Psalm 54:6

I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) I will freely sacrifice.—Better, I will offer a willing (or freewill) sacrifice.

For it is good.—Comp. Psalm 52:9.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 54:6-7. I will freely sacrifice, &c. — Not by constraint, as many do, because they are obliged to do it, and cannot neglect it without shame and inconvenience to themselves; but with a willing and cheerful mind, which thou lovest in and above all sacrifices. I will praise thy name, for it is good — Thy name is not only great, but good, and therefore to be praised. And to praise thy name is not only our duty, but our interest and our happiness. It is pleasant and profitable; good for us, as well as reasonable, just, and good in itself. For he hath delivered me out of all trouble — Hebrew, מכל צרה, michal tzarah, from every strait. Or, as the Seventy render it, εκ πασης θλιψεως, out of every affliction. He speaks of his deliverance as already effected, either to express his assurance of it, or because this Psalm was made after it was wrought. And mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies — Not seen them cut off and ruined, but forced to retreat; tidings being brought to Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land, 1 Samuel 23:27-28. All that David desired was to see himself safe: and when he saw Saul draw off his forces, he saw his desire. The words, his desire, however, are not in the Hebrew, which may be properly rendered, mine eye hath looked upon mine enemies, that is, “mine enemies came near enough to be seen by me, and that was all. God kept them from coming near me, so that they have all been disappointed of their prey.” This was the very case with David. He saw his enemies with pleasure at a distance, and he enjoyed the sight; especially when they marched off and left him to escape. His deliverance was great, and was manifestly the work of God, and he gave God the glory of it.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

54:4-7 Behold, God is mine Helper. If we are for him, he is for us; and if he is for us, we need not fear. Every creature is that to us, and no more, which God makes it to be. The Lord will in due time save his people, and in the mean time he sustains them, and bears them up, so that the spirit he has made shall not fail. There is truth in God's threatenings, as well as in his promises; sinners that repent not, will find it so to their cost. David's present deliverance was an earnest of further deliverance. He speaks of the completion of his deliverance as a thing done, though he had as yet many troubles before him; because, having God's promise for it, he was as sure of it as if it was done already. The Lord would deliver him out of all his troubles. May he help us to bear our cross without repining, and at length bring us to share his victories and glory. Christians never should suffer the voice of praise and thanksgiving to cease in the church of the redeemed.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I will freely sacrifice unto thee - The Hebrew words rendered "freely," mean with "willingness, voluntariness, spontaneousness." The idea is, that he would do it of a free or willing mind; without constraint or compulsion; voluntarily. The reference is to a free-will or voluntary offering, as distinguished from one, that was prescribed by law. See Exodus 35:29; Exodus 36:3; Leviticus 7:16; Leviticus 22:18; Numbers 15:3; Numbers 29:39. The idea is, that as the result of the divine interposition which he prayed for, he would bring voluntary offerings to God in acknowledgment of his goodness and mercy.

I will praise thy name, O Lord - I will praise thee. See Psalm 52:9.

For it is good - That is, God himself is benevolent; and David says that he would express his sense of God's goodness by offering him praise.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. I will freely, &c.—or, present a freewill offering (Le 7:16; Nu 15:3).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Freely sacrifice; not by constraint, as many do, because they are obliged to it, and cannot neglect it without shame and inconvenience to themselves; but with a willing and cheerful mind, which thou lovest in and above all sacrifices.

It; either thy name; or rather, to praise thy name;

is good, i.e. an act of justice, and piety, and gratitude.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

I will freely sacrifice unto thee,.... Not legal sacrifices; no, nor freewill offerings the law gives directions about, though the allusion is to them; but the freewill offerings of his mouth, Psalm 119:108; the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, on account of help, salvation, and deliverance, as appears from the following clause; which he determines to offer, not by constraint, but willingly; not by force, but of a ready mind; freely, and with all his heart. The sacrifice of his antitype is himself, his soul and body, as in union with his divine Person; and this was offered up to God, against whom man has sinned, and whose justice must be satisfied; and this was done freely and voluntarily; he gave himself an offering; he laid down his life of himself, and that for sinners. The sacrifices of his people are their prayers and praises, their acts of beneficence, and the presentation of their souls and bodies in divine service; all which they do freely, under the influence of divine grace;

I will praise thy name, O Lord; which explains what is meant by sacrificing: this is what is due to the Lord, and comely in his people;

for it is good; either the name of God; and therefore to be praised. He himself is good, as, he is, both in a way of providence and of grace; and it is good, both pleasantly and profitably good, to sing praises to him, Psalm 147:1.

Geneva Study Bible

I will {f} freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.

(f) For hypocrites serve God out of fear or on conditions.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. I will freely sacrifice unto thee] Or, With a free will I will sacrifice unto thee. So the LXX and Jer. R.V., with a freewill offering. But cp. Numbers 15:3, “a burnt offering or sacrifice, to accomplish a vow, or of freewill, or in your set feasts.”

I will praise thy name, O Lord] R.V., I will give thanks unto thy name. Cp. Psalm 52:9. Lord, i.e. Jehovah, appears here, contrary to the general usage of the book. It may have been retained, or restored, in a familiar formula. For it, viz. Thy name, is good. Cp. Psalm 52:9, and Psalm 54:1.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - I will freely sacrifice unto thee. Confidence has now mounted up to certainty. Regarding the deliverance as accomplished, the psalmist promises a freewill offering (Hengstenberg, Kay, Canon Cook) to God, so soon as he can approach the sanctuary. The phrase used is the ordinary one for sacrifices of thanksgiving (Numbers 15:3). I will praise thy Name, O Lord; for it is good (comp. Psalm 52:9). Psalm 54:6

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

(Heb.: 54:6-9) In this second half, the poet, in the certainty of being heard, rejoices in help, and makes a vow of thanksgiving. The בּ of בּסמכי is not meant to imply that God is one out of many who upheld his threatened life; but rather that He comes within the category of such, and fills it up in Himself alone, cf. Psalm 118:7; and for the origin of this Beth essentiae, Psalm 99:6, Judges 11:35. In Psalm 54:7 the Kerמ merits the preference over the Chethמb (evil shall "revert" to my spies), which would at least require על instead of ל (cf. Psalm 7:17). Concerning שׁררי, vid., on Psalm 27:11. In the rapid transition to invocation in Psalm 54:7 the end of the Psalm announces itself. The truth of God is not described as an instrumental agent of the cutting off, but as an impelling cause. It is the same Beth as in the expression בּנדבה (Numbers 15:3): by or out of free impulse. These free-will sacrifices are not spiritual here in opposition to the ritual sacrifices (Psalm 50:14), but ritual as an outward representation of the spiritual. The subject of הצּילני is the Name of God; the post-biblical language, following Leviticus 24:11, calls God straightway השּׁם, and passages like Isaiah 30:27 and the one before us come very near to this usage. The praeterites mention the ground of the thanksgiving. What David now still hopes for will then lie behind him in the past. The closing line, v. 9b, recalls Psalm 35:21, cf. Psalm 59:11; Psalm 92:12; the invoking of the curse upon his enemies in v. 8 recalls Psalm 17:13; Psalm 56:8; Psalm 59:12.; and the vow of thanksgiving in v. 8 recalls Psalm 22:26; Psalm 35:18; Psalm 40:10.