Psalm 11
Psalm 11
The Answer of Faith to the Advice of Fear
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
This psalm is addressed “To the Chief Musician,” indicating that it was intended for public worship and covenant instruction. Whether the Chief Musician refers to a specific Levitical worship leader such as Heman or Asaph, both named in 1 Chronicles 6:33; 16:5–7; 25:6, or whether the title ultimately points to the LORD Himself as the supreme director of Israel’s worship, the inclusion of this heading in the canonical Hebrew text must be taken seriously. This is not merely devotional poetry, it is inspired covenant theology set to music.
Historically, this psalm fits naturally within the period of David’s persecution under Saul, when David was a fugitive, hunted unjustly, living in caves and wilderness strongholds. The crisis is not merely physical danger but theological tension. David is confronted with counsel that appears reasonable but is fundamentally rooted in fear rather than faith. The psalm contrasts the advice of fear with the settled conviction of trust in the LORD.
A. The Advice of Fear
Psalm 11:1
“In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?”
The opening declaration is emphatic. Before engaging the argument of his friends, David anchors himself in covenant confidence. The phrase “In the LORD put I my trust” establishes his settled position. The Hebrew construction carries the sense of completed action, a decisive placement of confidence. This is not a fluctuating hope, but a chosen refuge grounded in the character of God.
The LORD, Jehovah, is the covenant name of God, the self-existent One revealed to Moses. David’s trust is not in circumstance, strategy, or terrain. It is in the unchanging nature of the covenant-keeping God.
The question that follows reveals David’s astonishment: “how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?” The language indicates personal affront. His friends are not merely offering tactical advice; they are speaking to his soul. Their counsel strikes at his core conviction.
To “flee as a bird” suggests panic-driven retreat. A bird startled into flight does not strategize, it reacts. The suggestion was that David abandon his ground and seek safety in inaccessible terrain. In purely human terms, this was practical advice. Yet David recognized that not all practical advice aligns with faith.
The issue is not whether strategic withdrawal is ever lawful. Scripture shows that David did at times withdraw under divine providence. The issue here is motive. His friends were counseling flight as a response to fear, not as obedience to divine direction.
Faith does not deny danger, but it refuses to be governed by it.
As Spurgeon observed, David would rather face danger than display distrust in his God. That is the heart of biblical faith. Radical trust is not recklessness, but settled conviction that the LORD governs outcomes.
Psalm 11:2–3
“For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
David recounts the argument presented to him.
The imagery is vivid. The wicked are archers. The bow is bent, the arrow is set, the shot is imminent. The threat is not imagined. It is real and prepared. Moreover, the attack is secret, “that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.” The danger is hidden, covert, unpredictable.
This reflects the nature of Saul’s pursuit. David was not facing open battlefield engagement. He was targeted through schemes, spies, and secret plots. The counsel of his friends was grounded in observable reality.
Yet there is a deeper spiritual principle here. Fear thrives on unseen threats. When danger is invisible, imagination magnifies it. Walking by sight easily becomes walking by anxiety.
The climactic argument is theological: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
The “foundations” represent moral and governmental order. In David’s context, Saul’s reign had become corrupt. Justice was perverted. Authority was abused. The covenant king was attempting to murder the anointed successor. From a human perspective, the structural integrity of the nation seemed compromised.
The logic of fear says this: when systems collapse, righteousness is powerless.
But that logic assumes that earthly structures are ultimate. David knew they were not.
The true foundation is not Saul’s throne, but the LORD’s sovereignty.
It is worth noting that well-meaning counsel can still be spiritually misaligned. Peter once rebuked Christ for speaking of the cross. Scripture records:
“Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matthew 16:22–23)
Peter’s motive was affection, but his reasoning was earthly. So also here. David’s friends were not malicious. They were fearful.
This passage also warns about manipulation under the banner of good intentions. Exaggeration to provoke action is never righteous. Truth must not be bent to produce desired outcomes.
Additionally, Scripture cautions against intrusive or presumptuous counsel:
“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11)
“And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.” (1 Timothy 5:13)
Even Job’s friends spoke confidently yet wrongly:
“I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare.” (Job 15:17)
Sincerity does not equal accuracy.
The rhetorical question, “what can the righteous do?” is meant to produce despair. If the moral order is shattered, retreat seems the only rational response.
Yet the psalm itself will demonstrate that when earthly foundations crumble, heaven’s throne remains unshaken.
Fear evaluates visible structures. Faith evaluates eternal sovereignty.
David’s response is not denial of threat but refusal to abandon trust. The righteous are never helpless so long as the LORD reigns.
B. The Answer of Faith
Psalm 11:4a
“The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.”
David now responds directly to the fearful logic presented to him. The question had been raised, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” His answer begins not with strategy, but with theology.
“The LORD is in his holy temple.”
The emphasis is on divine presence and stability. Earthly foundations may tremble, but the LORD remains enthroned. In David’s day, the earthly representation of God’s dwelling was the tabernacle, the appointed place of sacrifice and covenant fellowship. Yet David’s language reaches beyond the earthly structure to the heavenly reality. The ultimate temple is not made with hands.
Scripture affirms this heavenly dimension:
“The LORD is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him.” (Habakkuk 2:20)
Even when earthly order appears corrupted, heaven is not in chaos. God has not abdicated His throne. He is not absent. He is not indifferent.
There is also a practical implication. If the LORD remains in His holy temple, then worship remains accessible. Communion remains possible. Fear drives the soul inward toward self-preservation. Faith drives the soul upward toward God’s presence.
The counsel of fear says, Run.
The answer of faith says, Look up.
When David declares that the LORD is in His temple, he is grounding himself in the immutability of God. If God is unmoved, then the righteous need not be shaken by circumstances.
“The LORD'S throne is in heaven.”
This is the decisive answer. The throne signifies sovereignty, authority, and judicial power. The conflict David faced was not merely personal persecution, it was political instability and moral disorder. Saul’s leadership had become corrupt. The visible throne in Israel was compromised. Yet above Saul’s throne stood a higher throne.
Scripture consistently affirms this heavenly rule:
“The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.” (Psalm 103:19)
God’s sovereignty is not regional, temporary, or reactive. It is absolute. David’s confidence was not self-reliance, nor was it reckless bravado. It was settled trust in a sovereign God whose authority transcends earthly collapse.
The question posed by fear was, What can the righteous do?
David’s implicit counter-question is, What limitation can exist for the righteous if the LORD still reigns?
Faith begins by lifting the eyes from the instability of earth to the stability of heaven.
Psalm 11:4b–5
“His eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”
David now moves from where God is to what God sees.
“His eyes behold.”
God is not a distant monarch detached from earthly affairs. His gaze is active, comprehensive, and discerning. The language of “eyelids” conveys scrutiny. Just as one narrows his eyes to examine something carefully, so the LORD examines humanity.
Nothing is hidden.
Scripture confirms this penetrating vision:
“The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” (Proverbs 15:3)
For David, this was deeply comforting. He did not need to secure his own vindication through panic. The Judge of all the earth was observing the entire situation with perfect clarity.
Fear says, No one sees what is happening to you.
Faith says, God sees everything.
“The LORD trieth the righteous.”
This is crucial. The danger David faced was not evidence of divine abandonment. It was evidence of divine testing. The righteous are not exempt from trial; they are refined through it.
Testing does not imply destruction but purification. Scripture elaborates this principle:
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7)
Though written centuries later, the principle is consistent. God’s testing has purpose. It is measured. It is governed by wisdom.
This directly answers the earlier despairing question. If foundations seem destroyed, the righteous can remember that their circumstances are under divine supervision. The test will not exceed divine intent.
God’s throne ensures sovereignty.
God’s eyes ensure justice.
God’s testing ensures refinement.
“But the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”
Here the psalmist affirms divine moral clarity. God is not neutral toward evil. He does not merely observe violence; He opposes it. The language is strong. It affirms personal divine hostility toward unrepentant wickedness.
Scripture elsewhere echoes this moral reality:
“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” (Psalm 5:5)
This must be understood within the full biblical framework. God is holy. His hatred is not capricious emotion but settled judicial opposition to evil. He does not hate as fallen men hate. His hatred is the expression of perfect righteousness against that which destroys His moral order.
For David, this meant he did not need to retaliate or flee in panic. God was not detached from the violence directed at him. God saw it. God evaluated it. God opposed it.
Faith rests not in the absence of danger but in the certainty of divine oversight and justice.
Thus the answer of faith unfolds in three stages:
God is enthroned.
God sees clearly.
God judges righteously.
When those truths anchor the soul, the advice of fear loses its force.
Psalm 11:6
“Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.”
David now answers the counsel of fear by remembering the certainty of divine judgment. The wicked may bend their bow in secret, but God rains judgment openly. The imagery recalls the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, when divine wrath fell from heaven.
Scripture records:
“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven.” (Genesis 19:24)
The language in Psalm 11 is covenantal and judicial. God is not reacting impulsively. He is executing righteous judgment. The terms “fire and brimstone” and “an horrible tempest” speak of total devastation, irresistible and final.
Fear asks, What will the wicked do to us?
Faith asks, What will the righteous Judge do to them?
David understood that persecutors do not escape divine accountability. Their present advantage is temporary. Their future is certain.
The phrase “this shall be the portion of their cup” deepens the theology. The cup in Scripture often symbolizes an assigned destiny, particularly judgment. God measures out justice with precision. What the wicked have sown, they will drink.
The prophetic language of judgment continues throughout Scripture:
“For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.” (Psalm 75:8)
The cup is not accidental. It is appointed.
This imagery also prepares the reader for the New Testament revelation of Christ’s substitutionary work. In Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus spoke of the cup of wrath:
“He went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39)
The cup Christ dreaded was the cup of divine wrath against sin. That wrath, which rightly belonged to the guilty, was borne by the sinless Substitute. This magnifies both divine justice and divine mercy. God does not ignore sin. He judges it. Either the sinner drinks the cup, or Christ has drunk it in his place.
For David, this truth dissolved fear. Why tremble before men whose destiny, apart from repentance, is judgment? Earthly threats are temporary. Divine judgment is eternal.
Psalm 11:7
“For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.”
The psalm concludes where it must, with the character of God.
“For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness.”
God’s nature is the foundation of David’s confidence. The LORD is not merely powerful; He is righteous. His judgments are not arbitrary. His sovereignty is morally perfect.
When a man is rebelling, God’s righteousness is terrifying. When a man is walking uprightly, God’s righteousness is comforting. David knew he was not suffering for wickedness, but for faithfulness. Therefore, the righteousness of God guaranteed vindication.
Scripture affirms this attribute:
“The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” (Psalm 145:17)
Because God loves righteousness, He delights in those who pursue it. This does not mean we earn His love by moral effort. Scripture makes clear:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
God’s love precedes our righteousness. Yet walking in righteousness keeps us aligned with the enjoyment of that love. As Jude exhorts:
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 21)
The believer does not create divine love but abides in its light.
“His countenance doth behold the upright.”
The countenance of God represents favor, approval, and relational presence. Under the Old Covenant, the priestly blessing captured this reality:
“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26)
To have God’s face shine upon a man is the ultimate security.
There is also an eschatological dimension. The upright shall see His face. Scripture promises:
“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” (Psalm 17:15)
And the Lord Jesus declared:
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
Thus the closing truth outweighs every threat. The wicked face judgment. The upright enjoy divine favor. The throne of heaven remains secure. The eyes of the LORD see all. The righteous Judge will act.
David’s friends evaluated danger and concluded retreat.
David evaluated God and concluded trust.
For David, the safest place was not the mountain refuge suggested by fear, but steadfast confidence under the sovereign throne of God.
3. Psalm 11:6
David Answers by Remembering the Destiny of the Wicked
“Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.”
David now lifts the discussion beyond immediate danger and fixes it on ultimate destiny. The wicked may bend their bow in secret, but heaven is not silent. The language is deliberate and judicial. God does not merely observe evil, He will answer it.
“Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest.”
The imagery unmistakably recalls divine judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah:
“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven.” (Genesis 19:24)
Fire and brimstone represent comprehensive and irreversible judgment. The “horrible tempest” conveys overwhelming destruction, a storm of wrath that cannot be resisted. The persecutors of the righteous may appear powerful in the present, but their future is fixed unless they repent.
This truth dismantles the logic of fear. The wicked may persecute the righteous temporarily, but the righteous God will judge the wicked eternally. Earthly threats are limited by time. Divine justice is not.
The question then becomes practical. What does the righteous truly have to fear from men who stand under the sentence of a holy Judge?
“This shall be the portion of their cup.”
The “cup” in Scripture signifies an allotted portion, often of judgment. God assigns destinies with precision. Nothing is random. Nothing is overlooked.
Psalm 75 clarifies this imagery:
“For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.” (Psalm 75:8)
The cup is measured wrath. It is deserved. It is certain.
This imagery also prepares the way for the greater revelation of redemption. In Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus spoke of a cup:
“He went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39)
The cup Christ faced was the cup of divine wrath against sin. That wrath, which justly belonged to sinners, was borne by the sinless Substitute. The cross demonstrates that God does not ignore sin, He judges it. Either the sinner drinks the cup, or Christ has drunk it in his place.
David’s confidence rests in this certainty of justice. The wicked will not escape divine reckoning. Therefore, he need not panic before temporary danger.
4. Psalm 11:7
David Answers by Remembering the Love and Favor of God
“For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.”
The psalm closes with the character of God as the final ground of assurance.
“For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness.”
God’s nature defines His actions. He is righteous in essence, and therefore He loves what reflects His own character. His judgments are not arbitrary. His rule is morally perfect.
Scripture affirms this attribute:
“The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” (Psalm 145:17)
When a man rebels, God’s righteousness is a terror. When a man walks uprightly, God’s righteousness is a comfort. David knew he was suffering unjustly. Therefore, the righteousness of God guaranteed that his cause was secure in heaven, even if endangered on earth.
“He loveth righteousness.”
This does not mean that divine love must be earned. Scripture is clear:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
God’s love precedes human merit. Yet Scripture also exhorts believers to remain in the enjoyment of that love:
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 21)
Walking in righteousness does not create God’s love, but it positions the believer to experience its benefits. A man may live under the sunlight yet choose the shadows. The sun has not moved, but he has removed himself from its warmth.
The prodigal son illustrates this truth. Though always loved by his father, he did not benefit from that love while in rebellion:
“And he said, A certain man had two sons:
And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.” (Luke 15:11–12)
The father’s love remained constant, but fellowship and provision were forfeited for a season.
“His countenance doth behold the upright.”
The “countenance” speaks of favor, approval, and relational nearness. This language echoes the priestly blessing:
“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24–26)
To have God’s face toward a man is the ultimate security. It means divine attention, divine approval, divine protection.
There is also a future promise embedded here. The upright shall behold Him:
“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” (Psalm 17:15)
And the Lord Jesus affirmed:
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
Whether understood as God seeing the upright or the upright seeing God, both are true and both are comforting. The righteous live under divine observation and move toward divine communion.
Final Reflection
When David considers the throne of God, the justice of God, and the favor of God, the advice of fear collapses. The wicked face certain judgment. The righteous enjoy divine oversight and ultimate vindication.
Trust in God was not naïve optimism. It was theological realism.
Earthly foundations may shake. Thrones may be corrupted. Enemies may plot in secret. Yet the LORD remains righteous, sovereign, watchful, and just.
Therefore, David refuses the counsel of fear and answers with faith.
