TRV
Translation
King James Version
Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
Complete Jewish Bible
Those who are lying in wait for me would trample on me all day. For those fighting against me are many. Most High,
American Standard Version
Mine enemies would swallow me up all the day long; For they are many that fight proudly against me.
World English Bible Messianic
My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Mine enemies would dayly swallowe mee vp: for many fight against me, O thou most High.
Young's Literal Translation
Mine enemies have swallowed up all the day, For many are fighting against me, O most High,
In the KJVVerse 14,758 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 56 verses 1–7
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.
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.
David, in this psalm, by his faith throws himself into the hands of God, even when he had by his fear and folly thrown himself into the hands of the Philistines; it was when they took him in Gath, whither he fled for fear of Saul, forgetting the quarrel they had with him for killing Goliath; but they soon put him in mid of it, Sa1 21:10, Sa1 21:11. Upon that occasion he changed his behaviour, but with so little ruffle to his temper that then he penned both this psalm and the 34th. This is called Michtam - a golden psalm. So some other psalms are entitled, but this has something peculiar in the title; it is upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, which signifies the silent dove afar off. Some apply this to David himself, who wished for the wings of a dove on which to fly away. He was innocent and inoffensive, mild and patient, as a dove, was at this time driven from his nest, from the sanctuary (Psa 84:3), was forced to wander afar off, to seek for shelter in distant countries; there he was like the doves of the valleys, mourning and melancholy; but silent, neither murmuring against God nor railing at the instruments of his trouble; herein a type of Christ, who was as a sheep, dumb before the shearers, and a pattern to Christians, who, wherever they are and whatever injuries are done them, ought to be as silent doves. In this former part of the psalm,
I. He complains to God of the malice and wickedness of his enemies, to show what reason he had to fear them, and what cause, what need, there was that God should appear against them (Psa 56:1): Be merciful unto me, O God! That petition includes all the good we come to the throne of grace for; if we obtain mercy there, we obtain all we can desire, and need no more to make us happy. It implies likewise our best plea, not our merit, but God's mercy, his free rich mercy. He prays that he might find mercy with God, for with men he could find no mercy. When he fled from the cruel hands of Saul he fell into the cruel hands of the Philistines. "Lord" (says he), "be thou merciful to me now, or I am undone." The mercy of God is what we may flee to and trust to, and in faith pray for, when we are surrounded on all sides with difficulties and dangers. He complains, 1. That his enemies were very numerous (Psa 56:2): "They are many that fight against me, and think to overpower me with numbers; take notice of this, O thou Most High! and make it to appear that wherein they deal proudly thou art above them." It is a point of honour to come in to the help of one against many. And, if God be on our side, how many soever they are that fight against us, we may, upon good grounds, boast that there are more with us; for (as that great general said) "How many do we reckon him for?" 2. That they were very barbarous: they would swallow him up, Psa 56:1 and again Psa 56:2. They sought to devour him; no less would serve; they came upon him with the utmost fury, like beasts of prey, to eat up his flesh, Psa 27:2. Man would swallow him up, those of his own kind, from whom he might have expected humanity. The ravenous beasts prey not upon those of their own species; yet a bad man would devour a good man if he could. "They are men, weak and frail; make them to know that they are so," Psa 9:20. 3. That they were very unanimous (Psa 56:6): They gather themselves together; though they were many, and of different interests among themselves, yet they united and combined against David, as Herod and Pilate against the Son of David. 4. That they were very powerful, quite too hard for him if God did not help him: "They fight against me (Psa 56:2); they oppress me, Psa 56:1. I am almost overcome and borne down by them, and reduced to the last extremity." 5. That they were very subtle and crafty (Psa 56:6): "They hide themselves; they industriously cover their designs, that they may the more effectually prosecute and pursue them. They hide themselves as a lion in his den, that they may mark my steps;" that is, "they observe every thing I say and do with a critical eye, that they may have something to accuse me of" (thus Christ's enemies watched him, Luk 20:20), or "they have an eye upon all my motions, that they may gain an opportunity to do me a mischief, and may lay their snares for me." 6. That they were very spiteful and malicious. They put invidious constructions upon every thing he said, though ever so honestly meant and prudently expressed (Psa 56:5): "They wrest my words, put them upon the rack, to extort that out of them which was never in them;" and so they made him an offender for a word (Isa 29:21), misrepresenting it to Saul, and aggravating it, to incense him yet more against him. They made it their whole business to ruin David; all their thoughts were against him for evil, which put evil interpretations upon all his words. 7. That they were very restless and unwearied. They continually waited for his soul; it was the life, the precious life, they hunted for; it was his death they longed for, Psa 56:6. They fought daily against him (Psa 56:1), and would daily swallow him up (Psa 56:2), and every day they wrested his words, Psa 56:5. Their malice would not admit the least cessation of arms, or the acts of hostility, but they were continually pushing at him. Such as this is the enmity of Satan and his agents against the kingdom of Christ and the interests of his holy religion, which if we cordially espouse, we must not think it strange to meet with such treatment as this, as though some strange thing happened to us. Our betters have been thus used. So persecuted they the prophets.
II. He encourages himself in God, and in his promises, power, and providence, Psa 56:3, Psa 56:4. In the midst of his complaints, and before he has said what he has to say of his enemies, he triumphs in the divine protection. 1. He resolves to make God his confidence, then when dangers were most threatening and all other confidences failed: "What time I am afraid, in the day of my fear, when I am most terrified from without and most timorous within, then I will trust in thee, and thereby my fears shall be silenced." Note, There are some times which are, in a special manner, times of fear with God's people; in these times it is their duty and interest to trust in God as their God, and to know whom they have trusted. This will fix the heart and keep it in peace. 2. He resolves to make God's promises the matter of his praises, and so we have reason to make them (Psa 56:4): "In God I will praise, not only his work which he has done, but his word which he has spoken; I will give him thanks for a promise, though not yet performed. In God (in his strength and by his assistance) I will both glory in his word and give him the glory of it." Some understand by his word his providences, every event that he orders and appoints: "When I speak well of God I will with him speak well of every thing that he does." 3. Thus supported, he will bid defiance to all adverse powers: "When in God I have put my trust, I am safe, I am easy, and I will not fear what flesh can do unto me; it is but flesh, and cannot do much; nay, it can do nothing but by divine permission." As we must not trust to an arm of flesh when it is engaged for us, so we must not be afraid of an arm of flesh when it is stretched out against us.
III. He foresees and foretels the fall of those that fought against him, and of all others that think to establish themselves in and by any wicked practices (Psa 56:7): Shall they escape by iniquity? They hope to escape God's judgments, as they escape men's, by violence and fraud, and the arts of injustice and treachery; but shall they escape? No, certainly they shall not. The sin of sinners will never be their security, nor will either their impudence or their hypocrisy bring them off at God's bar; God will in his anger cast down and cast out such people, Rom 2:3. None are raised so high, or settled so firmly, but that the justice of God can bring them down, both from their dignities and from their confidences. Who knows the power of God's anger, how high it can reach, and how forcibly it can strike?
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 56
"Mine enemies have trodden me down all day long" [Psalm 56:2]. They that have been put afar off from holy men, these are mine enemies. All day long: already it has been said, "From the height of the day." What means, "from the height of the day"? Perchance it is a high thing to understand. And no wonder, because the height of the day it is. For perchance they for this reason have been put afar off from holy men, because they were not able to penetrate the height of the day, whereof the Apostles are twelve shining hours. Therefore they that crucified Him, as if man, in the day have erred. But why have they suffered darkness, so that they should be put afar off from holy men? Because on high the day was shining, Him in the height hidden they knew not. "For if they had known, never the Lord of Glory would they have crucified." [1 Corinthians 2:8] ...
CassiodorusAD 585
EXPOSITIONS OF THE PSALMS 55:2
“Have mercy upon me, Lord, because man has trampled me underfoot; all day long he wages war and afflicts me.” The virgin mother Church, who gives birth to the faithful people and yet does not lose her virginity, asks her heavenly bridegroom with pious tears that she would not be allowed to be oppressed by her enemies, even as she recognizes that she still dwells in the misfortune of this world. “Trampled underfoot” refers back to that which he had spoken in the title in regards to the winepress, for wine is pressed out to the same degree that a grape is thoroughly crushed. Here he absolutely indicates the “man” to be the devil, just as in the gospel the Lord speaks of the very man, “Now the hostile man, who sowed the thistles, is the devil.” The phrase “all day long he wages war and afflicts me” follows. He describes what the holy church endures in this world, namely, that she is recognized to be enduring the attacks of the devil without any letup, just as the apostle says, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers and authorities of this darkness.” It is a dire war because it is hidden. It is a difficult war because it is being waged with one who is stronger. For what sort of war is it to come into conflict with an enemy and not to see his ambushes? Also, our adversary is not lacking in diligence and does not ever withdraw when defeated, but he comes back all the more savagely to the same extent that he happened to be able to be defeated by divine grace. But we call it a war in a figure of speech, using the word in a sense opposite to its meaning (antiphrasis7), much as we speak of a grove which has no glow or a fish pond which has no fish. Therefore, let no one of the faithful complain that he is harassed by the very frequent contrivances of the devil, because if we wish to belong to Christ, we will always endure the devil as our enemy here.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 56:2 is a profound lament from David, vividly portraying the relentless and overwhelming nature of his adversaries who seek his complete destruction. Faced with numerous and persistent enemies, David cries out to God, acknowledging Him as "the Most High," the supreme authority capable of delivering him from his dire circumstances. This verse encapsulates the psalmist's deep vulnerability when surrounded by hostile forces, yet simultaneously reveals his unwavering trust in God's transcendent power and ultimate sovereignty.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalm 56 is designated a "Michtam of David," a term possibly indicating a "golden psalm" or a psalm of deep reflection, often associated with a specific musical or poetic form. It functions primarily as a lament, characterized by a discernible shift from intense fear and complaint (as seen in Psalm 56:1-2) to a robust declaration of trust and confidence in God (evident in Psalm 56:3-4 and Psalm 56:8-11). Verse 2, with its potent imagery of being "swallowed up" by adversaries, powerfully establishes the psalmist's profound distress, setting the emotional and spiritual stage for his subsequent pivot to faith. This lament, while deeply personal, resonates universally with all who experience overwhelming opposition and persecution.
Historical & Cultural Context: The superscription of Psalm 56 explicitly links it to David's perilous flight to Gath, "when the Philistines took him." This specific historical event is recounted in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, detailing a period when David, relentlessly pursued by King Saul, sought refuge in the Philistine city of Gath. However, he was recognized there by the servants of King Achish, placing him in an extremely dangerous predicament—caught between the hostile Israelite king and the traditional, formidable enemies of Israel, the Philistines. The Philistines were a powerful Aegean people, a constant military and cultural threat to Israel, often depicted as formidable warriors. David's desperate act of feigning madness in Gath underscores the extreme vulnerability and existential threat he faced, making his cry in Psalm 56:2 a deeply personal and historically grounded appeal. His address to God as "Most High" (Hebrew: Elyon) is an ancient, majestic title for God, emphasizing His supreme authority and transcendence above all earthly powers and threats, serving as a crucial theological anchor for David in his desperate situation.
Key Themes: This verse significantly contributes to several overarching themes within Psalm 56 and the broader book of Psalms. The theme of Overwhelming Opposition is central, as David describes his enemies as "many" and seeking to "daily swallow [him] up," highlighting the relentless and pervasive nature of his persecution. This leads directly to the theme of Desperate Plea, where David, recognizing his utter helplessness against such forces, turns directly to God. Crucially, the address "O thou most High" introduces the profound theme of Divine Sovereignty and Transcendence. Despite the immediate, tangible threats, David appeals to the ultimate power, acknowledging God's supreme position above all human and earthly powers. This sets the stage for the overarching theme of Trust in God Amidst Fear, where the psalmist's initial terror gives way to a profound declaration of faith in the One who is greater than all his adversaries, as powerfully articulated in Psalm 56:3-4.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 56:2 employs several powerful literary devices to convey David's profound distress and underlying faith. The most prominent is Metaphor, specifically in the phrase "swallow [me] up," which depicts David's enemies not merely as human adversaries but as a ravenous, devouring beast seeking to consume him entirely. This vivid imagery evokes a primal sense of terror and vulnerability, emphasizing the totality of the threat. Hyperbole is also present with the word "daily," which exaggerates the frequency of the attacks to convey the incessant and relentless nature of the persecution, suggesting an overwhelming, continuous threat that never ceases. Furthermore, the direct address "O thou most High" is an example of Apostrophe, where the speaker directly addresses an absent person or an abstract entity (in this case, God). This intensifies the personal and fervent nature of David's prayer, highlighting his immediate and desperate appeal to God as his only hope and ultimate recourse. Collectively, these devices contribute to the psalm's profound Pathos, effectively conveying David's intense fear and desperation while simultaneously underscoring his unwavering trust in God's supreme power.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 56:2 resonates deeply with the biblical understanding of God's sovereignty over all creation and His attentiveness to the cries of His people, particularly when they are oppressed. David's desperate plea to "the Most High" is a profound theological statement, affirming that even in the face of overwhelming human opposition, God remains supreme, transcendent, and absolutely capable of delivering His faithful. It underscores the truth that true refuge is found not in human strength, alliances, or cunning, but solely in the omnipotent God who hears and acts. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that our ultimate recourse in times of extreme vulnerability is to appeal to the One who is above all, capable of turning the tide against any adversary and bringing about deliverance.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 56:2 offers profound comfort and a clear pathway for believers navigating overwhelming opposition in their own lives. Whether facing literal adversaries, relentless personal struggles, spiritual attacks, or societal pressures that threaten to consume, David's cry provides a template for our own response. It encourages us to honestly acknowledge the intensity of our fears and the multitude of our challenges, recognizing that it is not a sign of weakness to feel "swallowed up" by circumstances. The crucial step, however, is to turn our gaze upward, just as David did, and appeal to "the Most High." This verse reminds us that our God is not merely powerful, but supremely powerful, transcendent over every earthly and spiritual foe. Our ultimate refuge and source of deliverance is found in His sovereign hand. Therefore, even when fear is palpable and our situation seems dire, we are called to place our trust in His unchanging character and His ability to deliver, finding strength to endure and hope for eventual triumph.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of David calling God "the Most High" in this context?
Answer: The significance of David calling God "the Most High" (Hebrew: ʿElyōn', from mârôwm) in this context is profound. It is a theological declaration of God's supreme authority, transcendence, and ultimate power over all earthly threats and human adversaries. In a moment of extreme vulnerability, caught between King Saul and the Philistines in Gath, David appeals to the One who is above all. This title contrasts the overwhelming, numerous enemies with the singular, incomparable power of God. It asserts that no enemy, however numerous or powerful, can stand against the Almighty. It transforms David's desperate cry into an act of profound faith, affirming that his help comes from the sovereign Creator of the heavens and earth, as also seen in Genesis 14:18-20 where Melchizedek blesses Abram by "God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth." It signifies that God's power is not limited by human circumstances or the strength of opposing forces, but is absolutely supreme.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
David's cry of being "daily swallowed up" by his enemies finds its ultimate fulfillment and resolution in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While David faced human adversaries and the threat of physical death, Jesus faced the ultimate "enemies": sin, death, and the powers of darkness. He was truly "swallowed up" by suffering, rejection, and the grave, experiencing the full weight of human opposition and divine wrath for our sake, as prophesied in Isaiah 53:5. Yet, unlike David, who still lived under the shadow of future threats, Christ triumphed definitively. His resurrection from the grave demonstrates His absolute victory over the very powers that sought to "swallow Him up," fulfilling the promise that death would be swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). Jesus is the ultimate "Most High," not merely by title but by His very nature as God incarnate, to whom "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given" (Matthew 28:18). Therefore, believers who feel "swallowed up" by life's challenges or spiritual warfare find their refuge and ultimate deliverance in Christ, who has already overcome the world and its prince (John 16:33). In Him, we are assured that no enemy, no matter how numerous or relentless, can ultimately separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).