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Psalms 59

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A Cry for Deliverance from Treacherous Enemies 1–5

1
Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: Set me on high from them that rise up against me. ​
2
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from the bloodthirsty men.
3
For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul; The mighty gather themselves together against me: Not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Jehovah. ​
4
They run and prepare themselves without my fault: Awake thou to help me, and behold.
5
Even thou, O Jehovah God of hosts, the God of Israel, Arise to visit all the nations: Be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. [Selah ​

The Violent Behavior of the Wicked 6–10

6
They return at evening, they howl like a dog, And go round about the city. ​
7
Behold, they belch out with their mouth; Swords are in their lips: For who, say they, doth hear? ​
8
But thou, O Jehovah, wilt laugh at them; Thou wilt have all the nations in derision.
9
Because ofhis strength I will give heed unto thee; For God is my high tower.
10
My God with his lovingkindness will meet me: God will let me see my desire upon mine enemies. ​

A Prayer for Judgment and God’s Glory 11–13

11
Slay them not, lest my people forget: Scatter them by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord our shield. ​
12
Forthe sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for cursing and lying which they speak.
13
Consume them in wrath, consume them, so that they shall be no more: And let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, Unto the ends of the earth. [Selah ​

The Final Outcome: Shame for the Wicked, Praise for God 14–17

14
And at evening let them return, let them howl like a dog, And go round about the city. ​
15
They shall wander up and down for food, And tarry all night if they be not satisfied.
16
But I will sing of thy strength; Yea, I will sing aloud of thy lovingkindness in the morning: For thou hast been my high tower, And a refuge in the day of my distress. ​
17
Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing praises: For God is my high tower, the God of my mercy.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 59

Verse 1

Deliver me from mine enemies — The title ties the psalm to the night Saul 'sent, and they watched the house to kill him'; Michal 'let David down through a window' (1 Sam 19:11–12). 'Altaschith' means 'Thou must not destroy' and heads Pss 57, 58, 59 and 75. 'Deliver' is natsal, to snatch away.

Verse 3

the mighty are gathered against me — 'Lie in wait' is arab, to set an ambush, and 'gathered' is gur, the verb of Ps 56:6, 'They gather themselves together, they hide themselves'. David pleads 'not for my transgression, nor for my sin', as he later tells Saul, 'there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand' (1 Sam 24:11).

Verse 5

LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel — The titles are stacked: the LORD, Elohim of the armies, the God of Israel. He is asked to 'awake to visit all the heathen' (goyim, the nations), the same word as in v.8, where 'thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.'

Verse 6

like a dog — Keleb. The 'noise' is hamah, a loud sound, and the pack 'go round about' (sabab) the city at evening. Saul's men were sent to watch David's house and 'to slay him in the morning' (1 Sam 19:11). V.14 repeats these words as a prayer, and v.15 shows the same pack wandering for food.

Verse 7

swords are in their lips — Naba is to gush forth, the verb of 'the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness' (Prov 15:2). The same figure stands in Ps 57:4, 'their tongue a sharp sword'. Their boast, 'who, say they, doth hear?', is answered in v.8: 'But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them.'

Verse 10

The God of my mercy shall prevent me — 'Mercy' is chesed, covenant love, and the psalm closes on the same title (v.17). 'Prevent' is old English for qadam, to go before, as in 'thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness' (Ps 21:3) and 'let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us' (Ps 79:8).

Verse 11

Slay them not, lest my people forget — Israel was told, 'beware lest thou forget the LORD' (Deut 6:12), and the prayer asks that Israel see what became of them. 'Scatter' is nua, to make wander, the verb of v.15, 'Let them wander up and down for meat'. 'Shield' is magen, as in Ps 3:3.

Verse 13

God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth — 'Consume' is kalah, to bring to an end, said twice; the aim is knowledge, 'let them know'. 'Ruleth' is mashal: the LORD's rule begins in Jacob and reaches 'the ends of the earth'. Ps 83:18 states the same purpose: 'That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.'

Verse 14

at evening let them return — The words of v.6 come back as a prayer, and v.15 supplies what follows: 'Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.' The pack that circled the city is left to roam for food. 'Dogs' also stand for enemies in Ps 22:16, 'For dogs have compassed me'.

Verse 16

I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning — 'But I' answers the evening pack of vv.6 and 14. 'Sing aloud' is ranan, to ring out; 'defence' is misgab, a high place out of reach, the word of vv.9 and 17. 'Mercy' is chesed again (vv.10, 17). Morning was the hour set for David's death (1 Sam 19:11).