Psalms 11:1-6

1 I trust in the Lord for safety. How foolish of you to say to me, "Fly away like a bird to the mountains,

2 because the wicked have drawn their bows and aimed their arrows to shoot from the shadows at good people.

3 There is nothing a good person can do when everything falls apart."

4 The Lord is in his holy temple; he has his throne in heaven. He watches people everywhere and knows what they are doing.

5 He examines the good and the wicked alike; the lawless he hates with all his heart.

6 He sends down flaming coals and burning sulfur on the wicked; he punishes them with scorching winds.

Psalms 11:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, a Psalm of David. The word "sheminith" is used in the title of Psalm 6:1, and signifies "eighth"; and intends either the eighth note, to which the psalm was sung, or rather the harp of eight chords, to which it was set, as the Targum and Jarchi interpret it. Some Jewish writers {y} understand it of the times of the Messiah; and the Syriac version entitles the psalm, "an accusation of the wicked, and a prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah:" and the Arabic version says, it is concerning the end of the world, which shall be in the eighth day; and concerning the coming of the Messiah: but Arnobius interprets it of the Lord's day.

{y} Sepher Lekach Shechachah apud Caphtor, fol. 64. 1. & Ceseph Misnah in Maimon. Hilch. Teshuvah, c. 9.

Footnotes

• [a]. [Some ancient translations] like a bird to the mountains; [Hebrew] bird, to your [(plural)] mountain.
• [b]. [One ancient translation] coals; [Hebrew] traps.