Psalm 59 Study Notes

59:10 Look down on is literally “look on,” but the context makes it clear that he will look on them as a victor looks on a vanquished foe.

59:11 Unlike other psalms that call for annihilation of the wicked, this psalm asks that the Lord spare their lives so his people will not forget. This reinforces the image of the watchman in v. 9 since God’s power and his punishment of them could no longer be used to warn people (Ex 9:16; 1Sm 17:46).

59:12 The request that the wicked be caught in their pride is reminiscent of enemies being caught in their own traps (see note at 7:14-16). The idea of pride (Gk hubris) as that which leads to one’s demise became a common element in Greek tragedies of later centuries.

59:13 The wicked are often pictured as those who consume others (see note at 14:4). In a turn of poetic justice, the Lord consumes them.

59:14-15 This repeats the lament from v. 6.

59:16-17 Praising the Lord in the morning is common in the psalms (5:3; 30:5).