Psalms 57
A Prayer for Refuge Under God's Wings 1–4
God's Sovereignty Over the Enemy 5–6
Resolved Praise and Commitment to Worship 7–11
Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain
Study Notes for Psalms 57
Verse 1
the shadow of thy wings — The title says David fled 'in the cave', as at Adullam (1 Sam 22:1) or where Saul came in (1 Sam 24:3). 'Make my refuge' is chasah, to flee for shelter, and 'calamities' is havvah, ruin, the word of Ps 52:2. The image of wings is that of Ruth 2:12, 'under whose wings thou art come to trust'.
Verse 2
God that performeth all things for me — Gamar is to bring to an end, to complete; the verb is in Ps 138:8, 'The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me'. 'Most high' is Elyon. Paul states the same assurance of the believer: 'he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ' (Phil 1:6).
Verse 3
God shall send forth his mercy and his truth — The verb is shalach, to send, which Ps 43:3 uses for light and truth, 'O send out thy light and thy truth'. 'Mercy' is chesed and 'truth' emet. 'Reproach' is charaph, and 'swallow me up' is sha'af, as in Ps 56:1. Selah marks the pause before the second sending.
Verse 4
among lions — 'Lions' is lavi, a fierce lion, and 'set on fire' is lahat, to blaze. The enemies' 'teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword' (chanit, chets, chereb). Prov 30:14 has a like picture, 'whose teeth are as swords', and Ps 58:6 asks God to 'Break their teeth'.
Verse 5
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens — Rum is to be high or lifted up, and kabod is glory, literally weight. The prayer is that God's glory fill 'all the earth', as the cry of Isa 6:3 has it, 'the whole earth is full of his glory'. The refrain closes the first half of the psalm; it returns word for word in v.11.
Verse 6
they have prepared a net for my steps — 'Net' is resheth and 'pit' shichah. 'Bowed down' is kaphaph, the word of Ps 145:14, 'raiseth up all those that be bowed down'. The enemies are 'fallen themselves' into their own pit, as Ps 7:15 and Prov 26:27 say: 'Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein.'
Verse 7
My heart is fixed — Kun is to be set firm, the verb of Ps 112:7, 'his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD', and of the net 'prepared' in v.6. 'Sing' is shir and 'give praise' zamar, to make music. Vv.7–11 recur as Ps 108:1–5 with the same fixed heart and the same call to the psaltery and harp.
Verse 8
Awake up, my glory — 'My glory' is kabod, the part of the singer that rejoices and sings, as in Ps 16:9, 'my glory rejoiceth', and Ps 30:12, 'my glory may sing praise to thee'. 'Psaltery' is nebel, a skin-bag instrument, and 'harp' kinnor. 'Early' is shachar, dawn: he will wake the morning.
Verse 9
among the people — Yadah is to give thanks, and zamar to make music. The people (ammim) and nations (le'ummim) are plural, so the praise is to be heard by the peoples, as in Ps 96:3, 'Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people'. 'Lord' here is Adonai, where Ps 108:3 has 'LORD'.
Verse 10
thy mercy is great unto the heavens — Chesed is great (gadol) to the heavens and emet, truth, to the clouds (shachaq). Ps 36:5 has 'Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds'. Ps 108:4 reads 'great above the heavens'. 'Mercy and truth' are the two sent forth in v.3.
Verse 11
above all the earth — The refrain of v.5 returns word for word as the close of the psalm. 'Above the heavens' and 'above all the earth' take in the whole creation. Ps 108:5 gives the same line at the end of its borrowed verses: 'Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens'.