Psalm 3

This is the first time we find the word psalm in the book. The Hebrew word is mizmor and means “to pluck strings.” This is also the first prayer in the Psalms and the first psalm attributed to David. All the psalms in book I (Ps. 1–41) are attributed to David except 1; 10; and 33. (Ps. 2 is assigned to him in Acts 4:25.) Psalm 3 is categorized as a “personal lament,” and there are many of these in the collection (Ps. 3–7; 13; 17; 22; 25–28; 35; 38–40; 42–43; 51; 54–57; 59; 61; 63–64; 69–71; 86; 88; 102; 109; 120; 130; 140–143). David wrote the psalm after he had fled Jerusalem when his son Absalom took over the throne (2 Sam. 15–18). The king and his attendants had crossed the Jordan River and camped at Mahanaim. This is a morning psalm (v. 5); Psalm 4 was written during the same events and is an evening psalm (4:8). It’s possible that Psalm 5 also fits into the same time period, as well as 42; 43; 61–63; 143. (See 5:3, 8-10.)