Dependence on God, and godliness and righteousness the theme of the fourth.
"Neginoth” in the heading of the fourth Psalm, and in six others is understood to mean "on stringed instruments."
The "sons of men," (verse 2), are the great ones of the earth; they are reminded that God has set apart the godly for Himself. He will hear when the one who speaks (it is Christ as man, first), calls to Him.
In verses 4 and 5 the Spirit of Christ is speaking to the believing Jews, the remnant, as they are called; they are told how they should live.
In verse 6, notice "us",—this is surely Christ joining with the remnant, in spirit.
Verse 7 is remarkable; it is a time of great trial, yet the writer declares that he has now happiness more than in the day when all was outwardly well. How can this be? It is because of the knowledge of the truth expressed in verse 3.
In Psalms 3 and 4, and in the three directly following, the general state of the godly remnant is set out, without telling their circumstances. We shall come to their real circumstances farther on.
It must be remembered that those for whom, and of whom, the Psalms were written, will not know the forgiveness of sins and acceptance with God, as the Christian does, Their hopes are of the rejected Messiah's coming back to the earth to set up His kingdom, and put down all enemies, This He will do, we know from many Scriptures, but the Christian's hope is centered upon the coming of the Lord to call away the living saints, and raise the dead, as so expressively told in 1 Thessalonians 4.