Sandra Aviv
Psalm 7 is a cry for justice.
“O Lord my God, in You I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me.” (Psalm 7:1)
In Hebrew, the word for refuge is חָסָה (chasah), to flee for protection, to hide beneath a shield. It’s not passive safety; it’s active trust, like running beneath God’s wings in the middle of danger.
Later, David declares: “The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness.” (Psalm 7:8)
The word for judge here is שָׁפַט (shafat), to govern, to set right, to bring order. In Jewish tradition, God as shofet tzedek (righteous judge) is one who balances justice with mercy.
Psalm 7 describes God as sharpening His sword and bending His bow. In Hebrew, חָרָה אַפּוֹ (charah appo) means “His nose burns” . This is an idiom for anger. This vivid, almost physical image shows God’s wrath against injustice, a reminder that evil is not ignored but confronted.
The psalm closes with a vow: “I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (Psalm 7:17)
Here, the word אוֹדֶה (odeh), “I will give thanks,” comes from the root ידה (yadah), to cast, to throw, to confess. Gratitude in Hebrew thought is not private emotion but an outward act, cast before God in trust.
In Jewish tradition, psalms like this show us that prayer includes lament, anger, and pleas for justice, not only praise. Psalm 7 teaches that we can bring the raw edges of our hearts to God, trusting Him as both shield and judge. Even anger becomes prayer, pursuit becomes refuge, and justice becomes a song of gratitude.
