TRV
Translation
King James Version
When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then my enemies will turn back on the day when I call; this I know: that God is for me.
Berean Standard Bible
Then my enemies will retreat on the day I cry for help. By this I will know that God is on my side.
American Standard Version
Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call: This I know, that God is for me.
World English Bible Messianic
Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this, that God is for me.
Geneva Bible (1599)
When I cry, then mine enemies shall turne backe: this I know, for God is with me.
Young's Literal Translation
Then turn back do mine enemies in the day I call. This I have known, that God is for me.
In the KJVVerse 14,765 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 56 verses 8–13
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.
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?
Several things David here comforts himself with in the day of his distress and fear.
I. That God took particular notice of all his grievances and all his griefs, Psa 56:8. 1. Of all the inconveniences of his state: Thou tellest my wanderings, my flittings, so the old translation. David was now but a young (under thirty) and yet he had had many removes, from his father's house to the court, thence to the camp, and now driven out to sojourn where he could find a place, but not allowed to rest any where; he was hunted like a partridge upon the mountains; continual terrors and toils attended him; but this comforted him, that God kept a particular account of all his motions, and numbered all the weary steps he took, by night or by day. Note, God takes cognizance of all the afflictions of his people; and he does not cast out from his care and love those whom men have cast out from their acquaintance and converse. 2. Of all the impressions thus made upon his spirit. When he was wandering he was often weeping, and therefore prays, "Put thou my tears into thy bottle, to be preserved and looked upon; nay, I know they are in thy book, the book of thy remembrance." God has a bottle and a book for his people's tears, both those for their sins and those for their afflictions. This intimates, (1.) That he observes them with compassion and tender concern; he is afflicted in their afflictions, and knows their souls in adversity. As the blood of his saints, and their deaths, are precious in the sight of the Lord, so are their tears, not one of them shall fall to the ground. I have seen thy tears, Kg2 20:5. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, Jer 31:18. (2.) That he will remember them and review them, as we do the accounts we have booked. Paul was mindful of Timothy's tears (Ti2 1:4), and God will not forget the sorrows of his people. The tears of God's persecuted people are bottled up and sealed among God's treasures; and, when these books come to be opened, they will be found vials of wrath, which will be poured out upon their persecutors, whom God will surely reckon with for all the tears they have forced from his people's eyes; and they will be breasts of consolation to God's mourners, whose sackcloth will be turned into garments of praise. God will comfort his people according to the time wherein he has afflicted them, and give to those to reap in joy who sowed in tears. What was sown a tear will come up a pearl.
II. That his prayers would be powerful for the defeat and discomfiture of his enemies, as well as for his own support and encouragement (Psa 56:9): "When I cry unto thee, then shall my enemies turn back; I need no other weapons than prayers and tears; this I know, for God is for me, to plead my cause, to protect and deliver me; and, if God be for me, who can be against me so as to prevail?" The saints have God for them; they may know it; and to him they must cry when they are surrounded with enemies; and, if they do this in faith, they shall find a divine power exerted and engaged for them; their enemies shall be made to turn back, their spiritual enemies, against whom we fight best upon our knees, Eph 6:18.
III. That his faith in God would set him above the fear of man, Psa 56:10, Psa 56:11. Here he repeats, with a strong pathos, what he had said (Psa 56:4), "In God will I praise his word; that is, I will firmly depend upon the promise for the sake of him that made it, who is true and faithful, and has wisdom, power, and goodness enough to make it good." When we give credit to a man's bill we honour him that drew it; so when we do, and suffer, for God, in a dependence upon his promise, not staggering at it, we give glory to God, we praise his word, and so give praise to him. Having thus put his trust in God, he looks with a holy contempt upon the threatening power of man: "In God have I put my trust, and in him only, and therefore I will not be afraid what man can do unto me (Psa 56:11), though I know very well what he would do if he could," Psa 56:1, Psa 56:2. This triumphant word, so expressive of a holy magnanimity, the apostle puts into the mouth of every true believer, whom he makes a Christian hero, Heb 13:6. We may each of us boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and then I will not fear what man shall do unto me; for he has no power but what he has given him from above.
IV. That he was in bonds to God (Psa 56:12): "Thy vows are upon me, O God! - not upon me as a burden which I am loaded with, but as a badge which I glory in, as that by which I am known to be thy menial servant - not upon me as fetters that hamper me (such are superstitious vows), but upon me as a bridle that restrains me from what would be hurtful to me, and directs me in the way of my duty. Thy vows are upon me, the vows I have made to thee, to which thou art not only a witness, but a party, and which thou hast commanded and encouraged me to make." It is probably that he means especially those vows which he had made to God in the day of his trouble and distress, which he would retain the remembrance of, and acknowledge the obligations of, when his fright was over. Note, It ought to be the matter of our consideration and joy that the vows of God are upon us - our baptismal vows renewed at the Lord's table, our occasional vows under convictions, under corrections, by these we are bound to live to God.
V. That he should still have more and more occasion to praise him: I will render praises unto thee. This is part of the performance of his vows; for vows of thankfulness properly accompany prayers for mercy, and when the mercy is received must be made good. When we study what we shall render this is the least we can resolve upon, to render praises to God - poor returns for rich receivings! Two things he will praise God for: - 1. For what he had done for him (Psa 56:13): "Thou has delivered my soul, my life, from death, which was just ready to seize me." If God have delivered us from sin, either from the commission of it by preventing grace or from the punishment of it by pardoning mercy, we have reason to own that he has thereby delivered our souls from death, which is the wages of sin. If we, who were by nature dead in sin, are quickened together with Christ, and are made spiritually alive, we have reason to own that God has delivered our souls from death. 2. For what he would do for him: "Thou hast delivered my soul from death, and so hast given me a new life, and thereby hast given me an earnest of further mercy, that thou wilt deliver my feet from falling; thou hast done the greater, and therefore thou wilt do the less; thou hast begun a good work, and therefore thou wilt carry it on and perfect it." This may be taken either as the matter of his prayer, pleading his experience, or as the matter of his praise, raising his expectations; and those that know how to praise in faith will give God thanks for mercies in promise and prospect, as well as in possession. See here, (1.) What David hopes for, that God would deliver his feet from falling either into sin, which would wound his conscience, or into the appearance of sin, from which his enemies would take occasion to wound his good name. Those that think the stand must take heed lest they fall, because the best stand no longer than God is pleased to uphold them. We are weak, our way is slippery, many stumbling-blocks are in it, our spiritual enemies are industrious to thrust us down, and therefore we are concerned by faith and prayer to commit ourselves to his care who keeps the feet of his saints. (2.) What he builds this hope upon: "Thou hast delivered my soul from death, and therein hast magnified thy power and goodness, and put me into a capacity of receiving further mercy from thee; and now wilt thou not secure and crown thy own work?" God never brought his people out of Egypt to slay them in the wilderness. He that in conversion delivers the soul from so great a death as sin is will not fail to preserve it to his heavenly kingdom. (3.) What he designs in these hopes: That I may walk before God in the light of the living, that is, [1.] "That I may get to heaven, the only land of light and life; for in this world darkness and death reign." [2.] "That I may do my duty while this life lasts." Note, This we should aim at, in all our desires and expectations of deliverance both from sin and trouble, that we may do God so much the better service - that, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we may serve him without fear.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 8–13. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 56
"In whatsoever day I shall have called upon You, behold I have known that my God are You" [Psalm 56:9]. A great knowledge. He says not, "I have known that God You are:" but, "that my God are You." For yours He is, when you He succours: yours He is, when thou to Him art not an alien. Whence is said, "Blessed the people of whom is the Lord the God of the same." Wherefore "of whom is"? For of whom is He not? Of all things indeed God He is: but of those men the God peculiarly He is said to be, that love Him, that hold Him, that possess Him, that worship Him, as though belonging to His own House: the great family of Him are they, redeemed by the great blood of the Only Son. How great a thing has God given to us, that His own we should be, and He should be ours! But in truth foreigners afar have been put from holy men, sons alien they are. See what of them is said in another Psalm: "O Lord, deliver me," he says, "from the hand of alien sons, of whom the mouth has spoken vanity, and the right hand of them is a right hand of iniquity.". ..
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 56:9 is a powerful declaration of unwavering faith and divine assurance, articulated by David during a period of extreme peril. It encapsulates the psalmist's profound conviction that his fervent prayer will directly result in the defeat of his adversaries, grounded in the absolute certainty that God is personally and actively on his side, providing defense and intervention.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalms 56 is categorized as a "Michtam of David," a type of psalm often characterized by deep personal reflection, lament, and ultimately, a turning to God in trust. The psalm opens with David's desperate plea for mercy amidst relentless persecution from his enemies, expressing his fear and distress (e.g., Psalms 56:1-4). As the psalm progresses, David moves from lament to a profound declaration of trust, culminating in the confident assertion of verse 9 and the vow of praise in subsequent verses (e.g., Psalms 56:12-13). This verse serves as the pivotal point where David's fear transmutes into an unshakeable certainty, based not on his circumstances, but on God's character and commitment.
Historical & Cultural Context: The superscription of Psalms 56 explicitly states its historical setting: "when the Philistines took him in Gath." This refers to a critical and dangerous episode in David's life, detailed in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. Fleeing from King Saul's relentless pursuit, David sought refuge in Gath, the very heart of Philistine territory, a land of his people's sworn enemies. His presence was recognized, and he was brought before Achish, the king of Gath, placing him in extreme jeopardy. To escape, David feigned madness, an act of desperation that underscores the immense pressure and fear he was experiencing. In this context, his declaration in Psalms 56:9 is not a theoretical theological statement but a raw, lived conviction born from immediate, life-threatening danger, reflecting a deep understanding of God as a personal deliverer and protector, a common theme for Israel's God in the face of national and personal enemies.
Key Themes: Psalms 56:9 powerfully articulates several core themes present throughout the Psalter and broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights the efficacy of prayer, demonstrating David's conviction that his earnest cry to God directly influences the outcome of his circumstances, causing his enemies to retreat. Secondly, the verse underscores the theme of divine partnership and active intervention, encapsulated in the phrase "God is for me." This is not a passive observation but an active alliance, signifying God's full backing and defense on behalf of His servant, a theme echoed in Deuteronomy 20:4 and Joshua 1:9. Thirdly, the phrase "this I know" speaks to unwavering assurance and certainty, a profound conviction born not merely of hope, but of deep faith and perhaps previous experiences of God's faithfulness (e.g., 1 Samuel 17:37). Finally, the verse implicitly emphasizes victory through God, attributing the turning back of enemies not to David's own strength or cunning, but solely to God's presence and intervention on his behalf, aligning with the broader biblical principle that "the battle is the Lord's" (1 Samuel 17:47).
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 56:9 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of faith and assurance. The most prominent is Assertion, as David makes a direct, declarative statement of certainty ("this I know; for God is for me"). This is not a question or a plea, but a confident declaration of truth. There is a clear Cause and Effect relationship established: "When I cry... then shall mine enemies turn back," illustrating the direct impact of prayer on circumstances. The verse also features powerful Personal Confession, as David expresses his conviction using "I" and "mine," making the theological truth deeply intimate and experiential. The phrase "God is for me" functions as a foundational Axiom or self-evident truth upon which David's confidence rests. While not a strict parallelism, the turning back of enemies is presented as the direct, divinely-orchestrated outcome of God being on David's side, creating a thematic Correspondence between divine presence and human victory.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 56:9 offers a profound theological insight into the nature of God and His relationship with His people. It reveals God not as a distant, impassive deity, but as an intimately involved, actively supportive, and powerfully intervening Father who stands with His children against all opposition. This verse underscores the sovereignty of God, demonstrating that He is ultimately in control of all circumstances, even the movements of enemies. It also highlights the transformative power of prayer, presenting it as a direct conduit for divine intervention. The certainty expressed by David, "this I know," is a testament to a faith grounded in experience and the unchanging character of God, providing immense encouragement that God's active presence is the ultimate guarantee of security and triumph for those who trust in Him.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 56:9 offers a timeless anchor for believers navigating life's inevitable storms. In a world fraught with opposition, fear, and uncertainty, David's declaration serves as a powerful reminder that our ultimate security rests not in our own strength or the absence of adversaries, but in the unwavering presence and active support of God. This verse calls us to cultivate a radical dependence on God through prayer, recognizing that our cries are not merely heard but acted upon. It challenges us to move beyond a passive hope to an active, knowing certainty that God is indeed "for us," regardless of the circumstances. Embracing this truth transforms our perspective on challenges, enabling us to face them with courage, knowing that the Creator of the universe is our personal advocate and defender. It invites us to live from a place of confident assurance, allowing God's presence to define our identity and dictate our response to fear and opposition.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "Michtam of David" mean, and how does it relate to Psalms 56?
Answer: "Michtam" is a Hebrew term found in the superscriptions of six psalms (Psalms 16, 56-60). Its precise meaning is debated among scholars, but common interpretations include "golden psalm," "engraved psalm," or "a psalm of deep impression." It often suggests a psalm of profound spiritual significance, perhaps a prayer or meditation from a time of great distress or deliverance. For Psalms 56, the "Michtam" designation highlights its personal and reflective nature, fitting for David's experience of extreme danger and his subsequent declaration of unwavering faith and trust in God's deliverance, as seen in Psalms 56:9.
How does this verse relate to David's historical context in Gath?
Answer: The superscription explicitly links Psalms 56 to the time "when the Philistines took him in Gath." This refers to the perilous period described in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. David, fleeing from King Saul, sought refuge in the Philistine city of Gath, only to be recognized and brought before King Achish. In this enemy territory, David feigned madness to escape capture and death. Psalms 56:9, with its declaration "When I cry [unto thee], then shall mine enemies turn back," reflects David's desperate prayer and his profound realization, even in the midst of such fear and vulnerability, that God was his ultimate protector and deliverer, actively working on his behalf to turn back his adversaries.
Is "God is for me" a guarantee that I will never suffer or face opposition?
Answer: No, "God is for me" is not a guarantee of an absence of suffering or opposition. David himself, who penned this psalm, faced immense suffering, persecution, and numerous enemies throughout his life, even after this declaration. Rather, it is a profound assurance of God's unwavering presence, active support, and ultimate vindication in the midst of suffering and opposition. It means that even when enemies surround us, God is on our side, working all things for our good and His glory, and that ultimately, no foe can prevail against His sovereign will. As Romans 8:28 and Romans 8:31 beautifully articulate, if God is for us, then nothing can truly stand against us in a way that separates us from His love or thwarts His ultimate purposes for us.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 56:9 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. David's cry in distress and his certainty that "God is for me" foreshadows Christ's absolute reliance on the Father, even in the face of the ultimate enemy—death. Jesus, in His earthly ministry, faced relentless opposition, yet He continually demonstrated His trust in the Father's active support, knowing that His Father was always "for Him" (e.g., John 8:29). The turning back of enemies, which David experienced in a physical sense, is fulfilled in Christ's decisive victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness through His crucifixion and resurrection. His cry on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), was followed by His triumphant resurrection, the ultimate proof that God was indeed "for Him," raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand (Acts 2:24). For believers, this means that through Christ, we are united with the One for whom God is eternally and irrevocably "for." Paul's triumphant declaration in Romans 8:31, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" directly echoes Psalms 56:9, finding its complete assurance in the finished work of Christ, who secured our adoption as children of God (Galatians 4:4-7) and guarantees our ultimate triumph over all spiritual foes (Ephesians 6:10-18). Thus, David's personal confession becomes a universal truth for all who are in Christ, confirming that God is eternally and powerfully "for us," ensuring our final victory and eternal security.