The enemy had surrounded him (vv. 9, 11; and see 1 Sam. 23:19–29), and though David was a masterful military tactician, he knew that without the Lord’s help, he could not escape. God was not only the righteous judge, but He was also the powerful defender who could shelter David and his men from the enemy. He used the Hebrew name El as he addressed the Lord, a name that emphasizes God’s great power, for He is “the Mighty God.” His request in verse 7 reminds us of the “Song of Moses” in Exodus 15:1–19. Jehovah is a God of marvels and wonders (Ex. 15:11) and great unfailing love (15:13), and His right hand works for His people (15:12). If God could deliver His people from Egypt, He could deliver David from the hand of Saul. (In Psalm 18, David will celebrate that victory.) David asked for “a marvelous demonstration of God’s love” in the defeat of his enemies.
In verse 8, David used two images—the eye and the wings—to remind God that he was precious to Him. The “apple” of the eye is the pupil, the most delicate part of the eye. The Hebrew says “the little man of the eye,” for when you look into someone’s eyes, you can see yourself. Just as we protect the eye from injury, so David wanted the Lord to protect him. David may have borrowed this image from Deuteronomy 32:10. The phrase “under the shadow of thy wings” sometimes pictures the mother hen protecting her young (Matt. 23:37), but often it refers to the wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle (Ex. 25:18–20). David asked the Lord to make his hiding place into a Holy of Holies, the place of God’s throne and God’s glory, protected by the angels of God (see 36:7–8; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; Ruth 2:12). Because of the heavenly intercession of Jesus Christ, God’s people today can enter into the Holy of Holies and fellowship with God (Heb. 10:1–25).
The enemy had arrogant mouths and hearts that were “enclosed in fat” (v. 10), that is, they had hearts that were callous from repeated disobedience to the Lord. In Scripture, “fatness” is sometimes associated with a selfish and worldly lifestyle (73:1–9; 119:70; Isa. 6:10). These people were morally and spiritually insensitive to what was right and weren’t upset when they did something wrong. Paul called this “a seared conscience” (1 Tim. 4:2), for a heart covered with fat would not be sensitive to the needs of others (1 John 3:17). David’s heart was sensitive to God’s will; he knew that God wanted him to have “a broken and a contrite heart” (51:17). David was a compassionate shepherd, but Saul was a ravenous beast (v. 12; see 57:3; 2 Sam. 1:23). Twice Saul threw his spear at David (1 Sam. 18:11; 19:10), on four occasions he sent soldiers to capture him, and Saul went personally to lay hold of him (1 Sam. 19:11–23). Now, like a lion, Saul tracked his prey and waited for the right time to pounce; but the Lord protected David.