“Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.” -Psalm 3:7
The poetic devices of this verse are in play respective of verses 5-6. David laid down and slept in peace. He awoke in safety. Now it is up to the Lord to “Arise!” The victory belongs to the Lord. It is his battle. He would fight for David and nothing less than victory would be satisfactory for the king of God’s people on earth. After all, the enemies of God’s people are the enemies of God.
David implores the Lord (who is his God) to “arise…and Save me!” To strike his enemies on the cheek is a universal insult, a blow of shame. And to break their teeth is to render the savage animals that are his enemies, powerless.
Rather than read this Psalm as condoning an individual’s right to leverage God’s power against his own foes, we would do well to recognize the humility of a king called by God to lead his people, who refuses to abdicate his responsibility, yet relies on God to fight his battles.