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Psalms 56

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Plea for Mercy Amidst Oppression 1–4

1
To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath. Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. ​
2
Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
3
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. ​
4
In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. ​

The Malicious Plotting of Foes 5–7

5
Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6
They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
7
Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God. ​

God Remembers My Suffering 8–11

8
Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? ​
9
When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. ​
10
In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word. ​
11
In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

Vow of Praise for Deliverance 12–13

12
Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. ​
13
For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living? ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 56

Verse 1

Be merciful unto me, O God — The title sets the psalm when the Philistines seized David at Gath, where he had fled 'for fear of Saul' to Achish (1 Sam 21:10–12). 'Be merciful' is chanan, to show favour. 'Swallow me up' is sha'af, to gulp or pant after; 'fighting' is lacham and 'oppresseth' lachats, and both go on 'daily'.

Verse 3

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee — Two verbs, yare, to fear, and batach, to trust, stand side by side. They return in v.4, 'I will not fear what flesh can do', and again in v.11, 'I will not be afraid what man can do unto me'. Ps 34, whose title names his time before Abimelech, says 'and delivered me from all my fears' (Ps 34:4).

Verse 4

I will praise his word — 'Praise' is halal, and 'word' dabar. The line is the refrain of the psalm and returns in v.10. 'Flesh' (basar) is man in his frailty, set against the God in whom he trusts, and Heb 13:6 draws on the same confidence: 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.'

Verse 7

Shall they escape by iniquity? — Pallet is escape, and aven iniquity: is there escape for them by their wickedness? 'Anger' is aph, literally the nostril. 'Cast down' is yarad, to bring down, the verb of Ps 55:23, 'thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction'.

Verse 8

put thou my tears into thy bottle — Nod, 'wanderings', occurs only here in the KJV text. 'Bottle' is no'd, a skin, the word for the old wine-skins of Josh 9:4. 'Are they not in thy book?' (sepher) recalls 'a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD' (Mal 3:16). God says to Hezekiah, 'I have seen thy tears' (2 Kgs 20:5).

Verse 9

mine enemies turn back — 'Turn back' is shuv achor, to turn to the rear, as in Ps 9:3, 'When mine enemies are turned back'. 'This I know' (yada) rests on one clause, 'God is for me'. Paul's question in Rom 8:31, 'If God be for us, who can be against us?', has the same ground.

Verse 10

in the LORD will I praise his word — The refrain of v.4 now has two lines: 'In God' (Elohim) and then 'in the LORD', the divine name. The word praised is what God has said, 'my words shall not pass away', as Christ says (Matt 24:35). Ps 56:11 then repeats the line of trust from v.4.

Verse 12

Thy vows are upon me — Neder is a vow, and 'render' is shalam, to pay in full. 'Praises' is todah, the thanksgiving offering of Lev 7:12, 'the sacrifice of thanksgiving'. Ps 116:14 and 17 join the two, 'I will pay my vows unto the LORD now', and 'I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving'.

Verse 13

the light of the living — 'Delivered' is natsal, to snatch away, 'falling' is dechi, found elsewhere only in Ps 116:8, 'thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling'. Walking 'before God' is halak panim, and Job 33:30 speaks of being 'enlightened with the light of the living'.