This is a psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. It is obvious, on the face of it, that the work is a collection. A number of separate poems, the production of different persons, and belonging to perhaps by several distinct editors and have been united into a volume, which has been accepted by the Jewish and later by the Christian church as one of the books of the holy scripture . The poems seem originally to have been, for the most part quite separate and distinct; each is a whole in itself; and most of them appear to have been composed for a special object, and on a special occasion. The Psalter, as the Book of Psalms is often called, is actually a collection of different kinds of poetry spanning many centuries of history (from c. 1100 BC to 400 BC ) and reaching essentially its present form around 300 BC . Occasionally, but very seldom, one psalm seems linked to many other psalms. The purpose of the psalms was well expressed by David when he instituted hymns in Israel. He appointed the Levites “to record and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel”(1 Corinthians 16:4). The book of Psalms is a record of petitions, thanksgiving, and praise to God by His people. As such it has brought comfort, encouragement, and blessing to God’s people throughout the ages. Every human emotion is covered in these hymns of aspirations to God. The historical background to the psalm is described in 2 Samuel 15-17. Though David petitioned in verse 7, Arise, O Lord; save me, it is clear from 2 Samuel 15:32-37 that David shrewdly sent his friend Hushai back to Jerusalem to deceive Absalom. David used other means but trusted only in God. We can describe it first as based in history, second in an allegorical sense, and lastly in a moral sense . The historical sense is clear from its title which is when he was fleeing from the face of his son Absalon, as is treated of at 2 Kings 15 - David's son, Absalon, persecuting his father...
