shiggaion Summary and Overview

from the verb shagah, "to reel about through drink," occurs in the title of Ps. 7. The plural form, shigionoth, is found in Hab. 3:1. The word denotes a lyrical poem composed under strong mental emotion; a song of impassioned imagination accompanied with suitable music; a dithyrambic ode.

#Ps 7:1| a particular kind of psalm, the specific character of which is now not known perhaps a "wild, mournful ode."

SHIGGA'ION . Ps 7, title. It probably means a dithyrambic ode, erratio - i. e., wild and mournful.

From shaagah, "erred." An erratic melody betokening excitement and agitation (Ewald). Hengstenberg refers it to the subject of the psalms, "the aberrations of the wicked" (Habakkuk 3:1). In consonance with this the Hebrew root of Shiggaion occurs in Saul's address to David (1 Samuel 26:21), "behold I have played the fool and erred exceedingly" (compare Psalm 119:21; Psalm 119:118). Psalm 7 refers to David's being accused by Saul (the Benjamite, Cush the Ethiopian unchangeably black at heart toward David: Jeremiah 13:23; Amos 9:7; Cush similar to Kish, Saul's father) of plotting evil against him, whereas he returned good for evil in sparing Saul his deadly foe, when in his power (1 Samuel 24:7); "concerning the words" i.e. on account of the calumnies which men uttered against David to ingratiate themselves with the king, and which Saul gave ear to (1 Samuel 24:9; 1 Samuel 26:19). These David rebuts (Psalm 7:3-5).