Tehillim 7 | "The Lord Will Judge Nations"

This psalm presents the plea of a man falsely accused. Confronted by enemies who slander him, or at the very least, wrongly suspect him of deeds he did not commit, David turns to God, confident that before God judgment is always judgment of truth.

Commentators have offered different explanations for the title "concerning Kush, a Benjaminite." Some explain that it refers to a person who composed the psalm together with David; others suggest that it alludes to an episode from David’s life involving a man named "Kush the Benjaminite". From the content of the psalm itself, the view of Rav Ze’ev Yavetz seems most compelling: he explains that "Kush" is a nickname for Shimi son of Gera, who accused David, calling him "you man of blood" (Shmuel II 16).

The Book of Tehillim contains more than prayers, praises, and laments; it also includes psalms of wisdom, which aim to teach ethical lessons and ideas. The conclusion of this psalm expresses one of the central messages of the wisdom tradition: "He has dug a pit and hollowed it out, and he himself will fall into that hole" (7:16) — the punishment of the wicked comes as a natural consequence of their own wrongdoing.