NOTES for Psa 4
The fourth psalm speaks of three things that are of the greatest importance in human life: truth, goodness, and peace. Without them, life itself is scarcely possible; without them, it seems a dark and painful existence. And the psalmist connects all this with the name of the Lord. Rejecting falsehood and vanity, he calls himself and all people to offer a “sacrifice of righteousness.” Truth thus becomes for him a form of service to God. He sees goodness in God Himself and asks Him to let the light of His face shine. David calls everything else vanity, because it passes without a trace; only the Lord’s light endures forever. Finally, he sees peace and joy in God’s help and protection, in the fact that God does not leave a person without His care. Thus prayer becomes for David the fulfillment of the first commandment.